Giving this one another try….
This time I rinsed then let it steep 3 min @ boiling and added milk.
The milk helped, but I’m still getting mushrooms with this! Sooo frustrating.
I really do appreciate the chance to try it though. Thank you MzPriss!
I’m going to check out the Imperial Dark again to see if I still prefer it. Funny!
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I didn’t get any mushrooms. Can you make it gongfu style? 1tbsp 212F rinse short steeps like 5/10/15 sec
I tried doing 1 min the first time, I could try even shorter steeps to see
Though people recommended longer steeps to get the chocolatey flavor, I get zero cocoa!
Funny to see this review as I just finished a tea class with a group of people and the last tea that I brewed up was the Special Dark. We brewed it two different ways – gongfu (with steepings starting at 15 seconds) and western style. Gong fu style, people commented on hints of pecans, walnuts and baked goods, while western style yielded comments about the cocoa notes.
6 people were in the class and it was really something to here everyone say walnuts at the same time. Uncanny almost. Nutty, even :)
I love it Western style!
I’m going to have to try gongfu style!
@whatshesaid – you are very welcome. We all have different tastes. I don’t like to contemplate a work morning without a huge mug of this western style. I like it gong fu as well, but this is my happy day starter.
I just tried a 15-20 sec resteep and though I didn’t get mushrooms, still no cocoa or nuts!
I hate when this happens, makes me feel like my tongue is betraying me :/
hold on, it could be water. i had some Yunnan the same as Lee, steeped the same parameters and it came out different. i used filtered tap water and she uses some special filtered one.
I usually use tap water but could try some bottled water to see!
Water is HUGE when it comes to tea. Chlorine will zap tea flavor and is found in city tap water. Best to filter it out with some carbon-based filtration system. If you do get bottled water, just make sure it is spring water and not reverse osmosis or distilled. Also, check the “bottled on” date and get the freshest water you can.
Water is the mother of tea. The better the water, the better the tea. I read an old quote the other day: “if you take tea that is an 8 and brew it with water that is a 10, the tea will also be a 10. If you take tea that is a 10 and brew it water that is an 8, the tea will also be an 8.”
Tea is 99.9% water, after all :)
Ok @Garret, I tried it with bottled spring water and you’re right, the taste is very different.
Next time I will do steep one that way so i can really compare!
Now I have to break the news to my husband that I’m going to need a permanent supply of filtered/ spring water, lol
Water filtration is less expensive than buying water. Additionally, you won’t have the bottles to deal with. There are systems that will sit right next to your sink. Like these: http://crystalquest.com/countertop%20water%20filters.htm
These are much more effective than the pitcher style types or the ones that attach and hang on the faucet itself. I can get you set up with any of these. I’ve been a dealer for this company since I owned my wellness center. I’d love to help, if you would like. You can shoot me an email at garret@mandalatea.com
Otherwise, I’m sure that you can find similar systems near you. Make sure to get activated carbon rather than charcoal. There are also undersink models, if that might work for you better. Just don’t get reverse osmosis. No good for tea. Gives you water that is one-dimensional in flavor. You want full-on 3-D!
Wishing you all the joy you can stand!
I didn’t get any mushrooms. Can you make it gongfu style? 1tbsp 212F rinse short steeps like 5/10/15 sec
I tried doing 1 min the first time, I could try even shorter steeps to see
Though people recommended longer steeps to get the chocolatey flavor, I get zero cocoa!
Funny to see this review as I just finished a tea class with a group of people and the last tea that I brewed up was the Special Dark. We brewed it two different ways – gongfu (with steepings starting at 15 seconds) and western style. Gong fu style, people commented on hints of pecans, walnuts and baked goods, while western style yielded comments about the cocoa notes.
6 people were in the class and it was really something to here everyone say walnuts at the same time. Uncanny almost. Nutty, even :)
I love it Western style!
I’m going to have to try gongfu style!
@whatshesaid – you are very welcome. We all have different tastes. I don’t like to contemplate a work morning without a huge mug of this western style. I like it gong fu as well, but this is my happy day starter.
I just tried a 15-20 sec resteep and though I didn’t get mushrooms, still no cocoa or nuts!
I hate when this happens, makes me feel like my tongue is betraying me :/
hold on, it could be water. i had some Yunnan the same as Lee, steeped the same parameters and it came out different. i used filtered tap water and she uses some special filtered one.
I usually use tap water but could try some bottled water to see!
Water is HUGE when it comes to tea. Chlorine will zap tea flavor and is found in city tap water. Best to filter it out with some carbon-based filtration system. If you do get bottled water, just make sure it is spring water and not reverse osmosis or distilled. Also, check the “bottled on” date and get the freshest water you can.
Water is the mother of tea. The better the water, the better the tea. I read an old quote the other day: “if you take tea that is an 8 and brew it with water that is a 10, the tea will also be a 10. If you take tea that is a 10 and brew it water that is an 8, the tea will also be an 8.”
Tea is 99.9% water, after all :)
Ok @Garret, I tried it with bottled spring water and you’re right, the taste is very different.
Next time I will do steep one that way so i can really compare!
Now I have to break the news to my husband that I’m going to need a permanent supply of filtered/ spring water, lol
Water filtration is less expensive than buying water. Additionally, you won’t have the bottles to deal with. There are systems that will sit right next to your sink. Like these: http://crystalquest.com/countertop%20water%20filters.htm
These are much more effective than the pitcher style types or the ones that attach and hang on the faucet itself. I can get you set up with any of these. I’ve been a dealer for this company since I owned my wellness center. I’d love to help, if you would like. You can shoot me an email at garret@mandalatea.com
Otherwise, I’m sure that you can find similar systems near you. Make sure to get activated carbon rather than charcoal. There are also undersink models, if that might work for you better. Just don’t get reverse osmosis. No good for tea. Gives you water that is one-dimensional in flavor. You want full-on 3-D!
Wishing you all the joy you can stand!