Premium Steap

Oooooooh, how I love this tea! Roasty, smooth, and distinctive. I am always surprised by how fast I drink this!!! I usually sip each cup over an hour’s time, and this one always disappears within 15 minutes! Thankfully, I usually get three nice steeps from it. I’m on my second right now – so. good. I think the second steep is my fave because it’s so…chocolatenutbutter? Dark chocolate, health food store very roasty just ground peanut butter tea.

Ooooooh! We have a winner here!!!! It’s not exactly like my beloved Silk Road Tea’s Imperial Red, but it is close enough. It is a little less roasty, and not nut buttery, but chocolatey. Smooth as anything. I love it! I could seriously drink this tea every day. I let my coworker taste it and she said “Woooooooooow!”

I again completely ignored the steeping directions from the shop, and steeped it like Imperial Red. I thought it worked like a charm! No bitterness or astringency at all.

♥ ♥ ♥

I was in the mood for something I haven’t had in awhile this morning. I thought this one would be a good candidate, as I now have some rock sugar in my possession. I very much enjoy this one “with a little sugar, like the Germans!”

Mmmm. Delightfully fruity. I can’t believe what a dramatic difference that sugar makes. It smooths out that “a little too astringent” quality and adds to the fruitiness. Ahhh, that signature muscatel flavor is just the little twist I needed to give my tastebuds something new to think about :) The color of this tea is also so beautiful. I wish I was drinking it in a pretty white china cup!

(an aside: does anyone else not like drinking hot items like coffee and tea in glass? I don’t like it at all! I think I inherited this dislike from my grandmother! I like ceramic and china. This would look so pretty in a glass cup but I can’t stand drinking from glass! Oh I’m so peculiar!)

I would love to start a little tradition where I get some of this exquisite first flush each late Spring after it is released :)

Also, I found this Wikipedia article very informative about Darjeelings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_tea

This was a little bitter today :( I think maybe because I did not take it “with a little sugar, like the Germans.” ;) I have no plans to bring sugar to work any more, so I think I’m going to try it at 195 next time.

Even though I was a little disappointed, it was still quite good – grapey, winey, complex.

Leaves are much greener than I was expecting. They smell really good, too. Earthy and sweet.

WOW. I was not expecting to like this one as much as I am! I have only had one single estate Darjeeling (but it was a second flush) and I was underwhelmed. THIS, though! Fruity, complex grape like wine, oh so delicious. This took me totally by surprise. I am intoxicated!

I prepared it a little cooler and for less time than the shop recommended, and I like it very much this way. I can see it being a bit too astringent brewed for longer or with hotter water.

I did take it with a little sugar like the Germans :) Delicious!

I’m so excited! I have another type of tea which I love!

I made a second cup with these leaves and the leftover water in my kettle, and it was less muscatel-ish but even fruitier.

I have to get back to my LTS (Local Tea Store) and get a nice sized pouch of this!!!

Graduation fair today! I had one quick steep before I had to run downstairs and help students all day. It was a good, roasty steep but all too rushed. Ah – next time I will take my time and have a nice bagel with it to make up for it!

I forgot to log this yesterday! It was my delicious, nothing like a Golden Monkey, roasty and tangy friend all through the day. I think it resembles Emperor’s Red or Panyang Congu much more than any Golden Monkey I’ve even had. Nevertheless – it really hits the spot on a cold rainy day!

I haven’t had this one in awhile, and BOY was it super delicious this morning! Chocolatey, roasty, full bodied and, erm, nothing like a Golden Monkey should taste, but… ;)

Just a Woe, It’s Monday, let me try and cheer myself up with some Golden Monkey that Tastes Really Good with an Everything Bagel, and an Everything Bagel kinda morning!

A bagel and this tea – a great way to start a Monday morning! I’m full of vim and vigor because of daylight savings time – we are now back to the way my body seems to like experiencing time :) and I finally feel rested – I haven’t felt 100% since Spring Forward!

Sweet and raisiny this morning. Strong enough for a little boost, and to be good with breakfast, but round and flavorful so that you can enjoy it long after the bagel has been eaten!

Remember when I said I had that really, really, really hard test at school? I got it back last night – 92! Whooo hooo!!! I am celebrating with Golden Monkey that Tastes like Panyang Congu and is Really Good with an Everything Bagel, and an Everything Bagel!

Raisin and chocolate today. I used a little more leaf (this is a celebration after all!) and the tea is even richer and more delicious. I can’t believe how wonderful this tastes without a single addition. Again, nothing like a golden monkey should taste, but so, so good – whatever it is!

This morning I am thoroughly enjoying my Golden Monkey that Tastes like Panyang Congu and is Really Good with an Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese (with an everything bagel with cream cheese and ONE mini Twix bar)!

So full bodied – excellent with food. This one really crept up on me. At first I was sad that it didn’t taste like an actual Golden Monkey, but now I love it for what it is :)

I think I need to append to my pet name for this tea – it is now, officially:

Golden Monkey that Tastes like Panyang Congu and is Really Good with an Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese

:)

I was extremely organized this morning and picked up my bagel from our school cafe on the way into the office, only to find my boss had gone to Whole Foods and brought in a dozen everything bagels and cream cheese for everyone! Hee! Now my lunch as well as my breakfast is going to be an everything bagel with cream cheese with Golden Monkey that Tastes like Panyang Congu and is Really Good with an Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese :)

Raisiny, fruity, bold, delicious! Perfection sans additions.

P.S. ashmanra – when I send you more Emperor’s Red I will send you some of this too – I think you will like it!

This Golden Monkey That Tastes Like Panyang Congu is extremely delicious this morning. I steeped it an additional minute more than I usually do (I’m getting so brave) and the raisiny goodness is outta control yum. I also think it’s because I didn’t have any tea yesterday (went with my aunts to visit my mom – coffee, coffee, coffee!) and that day of missing my tea is increasing my pleasure in this cup!

Added some more leaves in my brewer and made two steeps for lunch – we ordered in Chinese and I got chicken in black bean sauce, and an egg roll. This Golden Monkey That Does Not Taste Like A Golden Monkey is So. Good. With. Food!

Yesterday, a bunch of Industrial Design students had to interview us for a project, and they brought coffee, which resulted in us having lots of leftover creamer and sugar. I gleefully rubbed my hands together thinking of all the milk and sugar I would have in my tea (which I normally don’t use at work because it’s so inconvenient to keep stocked).

Fast forward to today, and…here I am drinking my Golden Monkey, sans additions. It’s what I crave! I do enjoy a comforting milk and sugar tea every now and again…maybe I’ll have one this afternoon, or tomorrow…but I am now most enamored of pure, glorious, delicious tea!

I raised the temp a bit on this one too, today, and it’s very raisiny and delicious, round and full. I think I’ll keep it like this :)

This morning, I am enjoying my Golden Monkey that Tastes Like Panyang Congu. Loving the raisiny tanginess that goes so well with my everything bagel with cream cheese! This one has enough attitude to stand up to such a breakfast.

Today was the welcome back “coffee” break at the University I work for, but of course I made it my very own welcome back TEA break – I brought my cranberry muffin and bagel back to my office, fired up the Breville, and made some Golden Monkey That Does Not Taste Like A Golden Monkey! (although to their credit the university did have Harney & Sons bagged tea as an offering :)

I always pick this one when I have something good to eat for breakfast. The raisin-y assertiveness goes so well with yummy pastries and bagels. Heaven! (or as close to heaven as you can get when you are at work ;)

My coworker brought in some bagels this morning, which means it’s a Golden Monkey Which Does Not Taste Like a Golden Monkey day! I LOVE pairing this rough and tumble, tangy, raisiny monkey with a garlic studded bagel with cream cheese.

Having a lovely morning with my Golden Monkey Which Does Not Taste Like A Golden Monkey. Raisiny and sweet. Full flavored and almost winey or even fermented tasting, and a little rough around the edges – in a good way! So perfect with a bagel!

Delicious with my bagel :) Very robust and raisiny and sweet. Nothing like Golden Monkey, but I love it for what it is (his rough and tumble cousin). Three steeps of goodness.

Raisiny and delicious. Sweet. Invigorating. I love this tea!

I like this one even better at 195. So sweet and raisiny! Again, if they blindfolded me and asked me what kind of tea this was, I’d say “Oh! Panyang Congu, for certain!” I actually wrote on the label of my tin “Golden Monkey That Tastes Like Panyang Congu” :) YUM! Absolute perfection, sans additions.

EDIT: I was able to enjoy FOUR steeps of this :)

This tea is absolutely intoxicating – raisiny, chocolatey – so rich and full bodied. I love it. BUT! it does not taste anything like any kind of Golden Monkey!!!! It reminds me of Harney & Sons Panyang Congu to tell you the truth! The leaves don’t even look Golden Monkey-ish. I will give this a high score for an amazing black tea which is delicious with nary an addition (but I bet it can stand up to milk and sugar!), but Golden or Monkeyish it ain’t. Even though I’m trying not to do too much online ordering, Teas Etc.’s Golden Monkey is still my gold (har!) standard for this tea.

Now, it’s story time!

The Wandering Tea Drinker has returned home! I haven’t visited my local tea shop since JANUARY because of all the online ordering I’ve been doing (and I feel TERRIBLE about that – our shop is a treasure as far as I’m concerned!). I had decided that I could do better than my little teapot with disposable filter bag for work use – I was almost out of filter bags, and didn’t really want to keep buying them, and my teapot sure did leak when I poured if I didn’t have the top on just so. I thought that a brewer mug would be much more convenient for work, and I could use my little tea for one pot at home when I wanted a cup but my husband didn’t.

Premium Steap had a great selection of mugs, and I decided to get this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Asian-Style-Tea-12oz-Marine/dp/B003F6MO3C

The color is more purpley blue in person. The things that sold me on it: I love the super fine mesh infuser basket, the fact that the lid acts like a saucer for the basket, and the little rubber section in the middle – makes for a good grip, and helps with the heat. I am sipping from it now – and it is working great!

I also had a really fun time in the store. The owner and I had a nice conversation. Here is the tea talk we had:

-She was all out of the Royal Golden Yunnan (that’s what I originally wanted instead of the Golden Monkey) and has not finalized her order yet because the droughts were so bad in China. She feels this year’s is not going to be so good, and wants to do further tastings before buying. (How nice to have someone so particular about her stock)

-She recommended to me the Emperor’s Red. My brain said Ding ding ding – this must be in the same vein as the Imperial Red that I love from Silk Road Teas! So I got some :) I’ll review it next week. She said the food editor from our city’s major newspaper is nuts for this one :)

-I told her how much I’ve been enjoying teas that don’t need milk, so she threw in some Margaret’s Hope FTGFOP 1 CH SPL Darjeeling 1st flush, Spring 2010 for free. She said it’s good plain, but “the Germans love it with a little sugar!”

I won’t repeat the talk about my job and the weather ;)

Now that was a fun lunch hour!!!!

EDIT: Three delicious steeps, just so I know for future reference, each one a minute longer than the previous.