I think Momo has done a terrific job with the TTB. I applaud her commitment & I hope she’ll keep doing it. I’ve been in for 2 rounds. I’m also in one with TeaSipper (it’s almost my turn to have the box), and if you’ve never been part of one of those boxes, it’s very exciting & fun. I highly recommend it! It can be a long wait, & the boxes are prone to calamities, delays, etc. Also, because I mainly like just plain unflavored teas, I’m finding the box will get to me, full of mostly flavored teas that really don’t appeal to my taste. So I had an idea for a TTB with only 4 members, who mainly just want to sample lots of black teas, & thus the BBBB was born. (I’m not going to tell you what it stands for, cuz it’s kind of ignorant, LOL, & also cuz we may decide to call it something else later).
TastyBrew started the box moving, & this is one of the 2 half-oz samples she included for each person. This is a very interesting tea. The dry leaf smells like an amazing fruity pipe tobacco, caramel apple & vanilla. I’ve brewed the tea for myself twice today. For my first cup of the day I used 1 tsp for 4 minutes. Now, hours later, I tried a Tbl @ 4 minutes. Both are tasty! Thanks TastyBrew!
The flavor of this tea is very smooth & sweet, & one minute I’m tasting caramel apple, but then the lingering aftertaste is like a really good bourbon vanilla extract. There is also a hint of chocolate liquor after that. It is all middle flavor, no real high end & no deep bass. I’d say a TBL is a little too much, as a bit of acidity is present that wasn’t in the cup I had this morning, so I’ll probably knock it back down to 2 tsp. The beauty is, with 1/2 an oz, I have enough tea to try it a couple of different ways, but not so much tea that I’m stuck with it for months (or years). Thanks to TastyBrew, Sil, & BoxerMama for embarking on this adventure with me!!
adding this one to my shopping list too….. noo ni noo ni noo….
I’m back at Tony’s house, figured I’d try a re-steep at 5 minutes. It’s not real potent, but a pleasant cup.