84
drank Ceylon OP1 by Teas Etc
2036 tasting notes

Sipdown no. 14 of 2020 (no. 609 total).

It’s a cliche by now, but 2020 was a horrible year all around. It was also bad for me on the tea front.

As my usual life routines crumbled in the wake of the pandemic and election doom scrolling, tea was one of the things that fell away. Mostly because I couldn’t really enjoy it. My coffee consumption increased instead, of coffees with no subtlety, but a huge punch — I didn’t have to think about them too much. They were just a caffeine delivery vehicle.

Reading also fell away for the first time in my life. I couldn’t get into a book, because the minute an alert came in on my phone about the next horrifying thing, I felt compelled to look at it. Binge watching took its place. Name a show on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. If it’s not a comedy, a cartoon, or a reality show, I’ve probably seen it.

Add to all of that an unseasonably hot summer (during which our AC decided to become less than optimal), and while I was able to keep some iced tea in the fridge for most of the summer, I did not drink much of anything hot. Then when the weather transitioned to cooler temps, I never resumed the habit.

And yet, I really do need to drink my tea — we are looking at a potential addition/remodel this coming year and I have so much STUFF I have to get rid of before then that I have to start now. And not just with the tea.

As for this one, it’s still got its silky mouthfeel and a fruity quality and finish that is really honey, but that I often mistake for something else. Plum maybe. Which is all the more amazing when I looked back at my original note and discovered I’d written it 5 years ago.

It’s freaky to think I’ve spent more than 10 years of my life with tea and Steepster a part of it.

In any case, how are you?

Cameron B.

Welcome back! ❤

An addition sounds exciting! Would love to hear more about it. :D

ashmanra

I hope things look up soon and you find yourself cozy with a book and a cup of tea!

Courtney

Welcome back! Here’s to looking ahead to better days! :)

gmathis

Well, hello there! Starting some renovations are on our “maybe next year” list. We put it off, not due to current conditions, but due to the lack of desire to have to clean out and make decisions! The company here has been wonderful of late…a very good substitute for binge watching.

Lexie Aleah

Welcome Back, You were missed! Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for us all.

Martin Bednář

Welcome back! While I will rather disappear from Steepster scene, I am glad there are people who are returning!

We all need calmer next year than this one. Certainly, it was rough for everyone.

tea-sipper

I guess you’ll have to start on the comedies! And I know how much it bugs me when I can’t read. I hope 2021 is better.

__Morgana__

So good to see everyone again and thanks for the warm welcome back!

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Comments

Cameron B.

Welcome back! ❤

An addition sounds exciting! Would love to hear more about it. :D

ashmanra

I hope things look up soon and you find yourself cozy with a book and a cup of tea!

Courtney

Welcome back! Here’s to looking ahead to better days! :)

gmathis

Well, hello there! Starting some renovations are on our “maybe next year” list. We put it off, not due to current conditions, but due to the lack of desire to have to clean out and make decisions! The company here has been wonderful of late…a very good substitute for binge watching.

Lexie Aleah

Welcome Back, You were missed! Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for us all.

Martin Bednář

Welcome back! While I will rather disappear from Steepster scene, I am glad there are people who are returning!

We all need calmer next year than this one. Certainly, it was rough for everyone.

tea-sipper

I guess you’ll have to start on the comedies! And I know how much it bugs me when I can’t read. I hope 2021 is better.

__Morgana__

So good to see everyone again and thanks for the warm welcome back!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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Bio

I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes

Location

Bay Area, California

Website

http://www.jjroth.net

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