77

Dry leaf is medium sized and twisted, varying in colour from dark brown to tan with some silver tips. There’s a faint sweet smell, and a dry, musty note that reminds me of old books, but it’s very light.

Steeped for 5 min in 90C water. The dry leaf unfurls into a mix of small, whole leaves, pieces of leaf and a few segments of two leaves and a bud. The colour is medium brown and the steeped leaf smells faintly of soy sauce.

The liquor is a clear, deep amber. It smells of honey and brown sugar. The flavours feel a bit muddled. There’s a “hot water” quality to it that makes me feel like I should steep longer, though the brew is already starting to develop a slight astringency. Some generic fruity notes, squash and then honey and brown sugar on the finish.

It’s an interesting tea to be sure – a bit different than anything else that comes to mind. I can’t decide if I like it or not. Perhaps another cup is required before I can rate it.

Flavors: Brown Sugar, Butternut Squash, Fruity, Honey, Musty, Soy Sauce, Sweet

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

I grew up drinking jasmine green tea with meals, but really fell in love with tea on a trip to Britain in elementary school. My first great love was Earl Grey, and I still adore it and all its variants.

I discovered the beauty of loose leaf tea much later, when, on impulse, I picked up a few teas that were on clearance at a home store. My introduction to loose leaf teas were Masala Chai and Provence Rooibos by the Metropolitan Tea Co and an unknown brand of kukicha and gyokuro (little did I know what a precious treasure I’d stumbled onto with that.)

At the time I was lucky to live in a place with multiple tea shops and several places to have afternoon tea, which is a delight I still miss.

Tea is part of my daily ritual and a nice, affordable way to appease the collector in me.

I enjoy distinctive whites, greens and oolongs, flavoured blacks, and herbals that are heavy on the citrus, lavender or mint.

Rating rubric, to give myself some consistency:
0-15 Yuck, not even drinkable.
16-30 Disappointing, not really inclined to give it a second try.
31-45 Disappointing, but maybe there’s potential? Worth one more try, prepped differently.
46-60 Mediocre, not terrible but not memorable.
61-75 Not bad. I’ll definitely finish what I have and might buy again.
76-90 Very enjoyable. Tasty, complex, it’ll keep me coming back.
91-100 BEST! I love everything about it and I will drink it forever.

Beyond tea, I’m a sex educator, polyamory activist, and radical queer. I love backwoods camping, abstract painting, baking & cooking, nail polish, cats, ceramic sculpture, and home nesting.

Location

Winnipeg, MB, Canada

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