Peaches & Cream

This doesn’t really take cream very well, which is funny to me since it’s supposed to be peaches and cream (I know, it’s not really that funny and a bit of a stretch but it’s early so bear with me). I tried looking for this on their website a few weeks ago, but it’s no longer there. They have a couple of other peach teas so I’m guessing this one was phased out in favor of one of those. I’m not at all disappointed though, as I know I wouldn’t have restocked this even if it were available. There are others I like more and too many from Piper & Leaf that I want to try.

I can tell that the aroma (and possibly the flavors too) have become muted. I bought this tea almost a year ago so I’m sure it’s past its prime. There is a tanginess there that may or may not be intentional, but I’m not sure I’m enjoying it too much. I can really feel the effects of the caffeine on this one which is also unpleasant. I’ve only just recently begun adding caffeine back into my diet after cutting it out completely for a few years and now only in the form of tea (we’re not counting chocolate here – that keeps a permanent residence in my pantry). I don’t love the caffeine, but I love black teas best of all and there are just so many good ones out there that aren’t decaf. If anyone does know of any good decaf black teas, I would love to hear about them!

I’ve just realized where the tanginess is coming from – there is hibiscus in here! That’s also probably why my cream isn’t syncing up. I also saw on the Steepster photo that this is advertised as a Valentine’s special, but I know I bought mine in September. Maybe I got some leftover stock and that’s why it’s no longer available?

Second Steep
8 ounces water + 195 degrees + 20 minutes

Completely forgot about this one. It still didn’t turn out quite as dark as the first cup. No cream this time, just honey.

Thank you Shae for introducing me to this adorable shop! I am jealous of people that have these awesome little shops around them. There isn’t anything like that or even a tea shop around me. There are tea rooms but they serve flavored Lipton or ROT, which is fine. Just nothing to creative there.

Shae gave me a huge sample of this in our last swap. It smelled so good. But when I brewed it up and tried it, I really picked up a lot of hibiscus. I do like Hibiscus, but this was an overwhelming amount making my first cup really tart. I did play around with the steeping parameters a bit and finally, VIOLA- I had an amazing cup of peaches’n cream delight. I already ordered more for Marzipan and I to try from this adorable company.

Here are the rest of my ramblings thoughts on this one:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/05/06/peaches-cream-piper-leaf/

Happy Thursday all!