Well this is a box I haven’t typed in in a while. :)
You know you have been away from Steepster for a while when you come back with all of your teas and find that half of them aren’t available. Though it might be a temporary thing in this tea’s case since Whispering Pines is on vacation at the moment.
Anyway, I haven’t had a lot of hot tea in months since a.) summer, and b.) my tea was kind of haphazardly packed away in a moving box that I kept with me but didn’t want to take the time or effort to rummage through (more on that, below).
But when I pulled this out of the box yesterday night I knew it would be the first thing I had this morning. This is the definition of a black tea to me. It is so complex and mercurial. It seems to change flavor profiles on a whim, but as all of it’s parts are delicious each cup is an adventure. So I was greeted this morning with malted sweetness, fresh baked honey wheat bread, and some slight raisin undertones as it cools down.
It’s taken a while, and it’s been a long road to get here, but this was the most perfect cup to finally make me feel like I’ve come home.
The last time I updated here I was 3 time zones and 2,500 miles away. I moved from Georgia to Oregon because I felt like I was becoming too complacent and spent the first few months in furnished housing because the rental market is TIGHT out here. But as of a few days ago we settled in a place we can finally call ours, with all of our own furniture and clothes and everything.
Last night was the first time I felt like I could spread out all of my teas in a cabinet because I was finally settled. Since May they’d all been in one box that was quite large and deep and very precariously packed, so I didn’t want to unpack it only to have everything not fit again. But I’m here now, and OMG if we move again we are getting movers because I am so tired of moving mattresses and TVs!
In short, Oregon is lovely, fall is here and I will hopefully be back posting tasting notes with regularity. Fingers crossed!
Flavors: Grain, Honey, Malt, Raisins
