Thunderbolt Tea

i think i may be very out of it due to only getting about 3 hours sleep. and i think i may have steeped this tea in not-hot-enough water. and i think i may have slipped into a worm hole because i’m certain this past hour has only lasted 20 min.
forgive me moraiwe but i’m gonna have to review this properly one i become my self again. thanks for the lovely sample!

(posted last night at maybe 2am…)
i’m gonna drink this tea tomorrow.
but i’m up late and full of wine and wanna talk to my steepsters.
so.
this episode of Merlin is good. the second season has much better acting/writing/development. like MUCH BETTER. i’ve cheered at least 5 times during this episode. (yes i’m a cheerer.) (you expected nothing less i’m sure.) plus Gilbet from Being Human is in it. i loved that guy!!
also, did you know how many people are in the Captain America movie? i mean, Thorin (Richard Armitage), and Matrix guy/Star Trek baddie (Hugo Weaving), and even Clara (the impossible girl) from Doctor Who. i only watched the first half of the movie again because, well, i MAY have read some Avengers slash. and i MAY have needed to see the Cap meet papa Stark. maybe.
also, bonus! …my phone texting turns Armitage into ‘armpit age’. which made me laugh so hard i almost shot wine out of my nose.
ya ouch!

apparently this week i hate sleeping and fandom will carry me through.

6g / 400ml glaspot.
One infusion for 3m @ 100C

Hm, this tea has somewhat of a sharpness to it. Heavy astringency on the aftertaste.
I do prefer first flush darjeelings. This is perhaps a decent breakfast tea, with some toast and marmelade.

The dry leaf looks amazing and the infusion is a lovely reddish gold.
But the taste is somewhat of a dissapointment to me. Iv´eonly tried one other second flush and that was better.
Will have to try some more SF before i make up my mind about them.

The second flush teas for 2013 will be out soon. In the mean time i will go berzerk on the 3 new FF teas ordered. Especially the Singbulli from their Tingling division :)

Ah this is nice.
Had a late meeting at work so my usual routine got a bit delayed, came home much to late from the gym for a cup of yunnan black. I thought this might be a good time for some low caffeine white tea.

And in the back in the cupboard i found my tin of Arya Pearl. the dry leaf is wonderfully green and whole. 8g filled up my large banko pot… ^^

Only doing one infusion, seems maybe like a waste since this the is very nice. Light in the extreme but still a complex mix of of flavour. Flowery exotic fruits with a tiny hint of butter. This tea gives of a warming cozy sensation. Perfect evening tea.

Drinking this tea reminds me that all the darjeeling first flush teas is out and ready for purchase! I smell a packet from India coming my way soon…. :)

Todays second sipdown.
10g / 360ml banko-yaki kyusu water krom kunzan tetsubin.
Two infusions
3m/5m @ 80C

Well this darjeeling white is a marvell so light but still full of flavour. A bit of nuttiness mixed with citrus. I feel almond? The flavour spreads over the whole pallet. Very nice. Will likely restock next harvest.

4g / 200ml glaspot.
Single infusion. 4m @ 75C

Ah have to start checking my notes here on steepster. Should do 80C for 5m. Haha maybe next time. Been doing a darjeeling sunday, and this white tea is very special. The flacour is so incredibly mild and pure while still having a complex set of flavours. The texture and body is fairly thick for such a light cup. The color is very very pale yelllowish white. Vegetables and fresh nutty citrus maybe? hard to describe but fabulous! Will restock come spring since im almost out!

5g / 200ml water in a bano-yaki kyusu.
Single infusion 3m @75C

My memory failed me so i brewed it slighlty cold and a fair bit to short.
However the mild smooth liquid was a very pleasant way to end a good day.
White teas are just lovely in the evening, so calming.

Next time i will do 80C for 5m

5g / 200ml glaspot
Single infusion 3:30 @ 75C

Been awhile since i´ve last enjoyed this tea.
Still the most wonderful dry leaf i´ve seen, looks like they were plucked right of a tree and shockdried :) Large whole green leaves….

I must say i failed with the brewing this time. Recommended brewing is 80-85C for a minimum of 5min. I managed to use 75C and pour much to early. And the result is a mild brew that still is good but lacks the shockful heap of flavour this tea manages when brewed right.

Oh well still nice!

Used 8g / 400ml in a glasspot.

The infusion is very pale yellow and smells very fresh.
The taste is mild and even. Refreshing and sweet with just a hint of astringency. A bit nutty and veggy?

Perfect in the evening. It compares to the best chinese whites BUT cant handle more then 2 infusions where the second infusion is kinda pale compared to the first cup.

I decided I wasn’t done caressing my cup, so I had to make some of this.

And then as I was typing this up, I got bit by the baking bug, so I think I might have to make some Earl Grey Cranberry Bread.

Just drinking a favorite while I wait for my homemade eggnog to finish cooling. I’ve been wanting to make it all winter, so I’m really excited :D

This is Fiance’s favorite iced tea, and while I don’t necessarily like using my favorite teas to make a pitcher of iced tea, I can’t really fault him for it.

It’s naturally sweet and the muscatel notes are fruity and bright. The aftertaste is just a little earthy and reminds me of a fall day after a rainstorm.

(It also got rave reviews when I served it to a friend at our last game night on Saturday.)

Does anyone else have one of those teas that you keep around for when you need to unwind? This is mine. It’s is pretty much a perfect 2nd Flush Darjeeling and hasn’t let me down yet.

This tea brews a rich dark amber and tastes like liquid ambrosia! As indicated by its name, the tea was musky, but also persisting were those notes of chocolate and floral, as well as sweet and nutty. The flavor here is divine and wonderfully nuanced. I don’t quite know where to start. It was musky, flowery, toast, nutty, a little smoky, with a sweet floral finish that lingered and lingered.

Where to start…

Oh yes.

Today was a far busier day than anticipated. I was up far too late the night before catching up on reruns of Once Upon a Time. (Seriously, that show’s amazing.) I mean to roust by 10AM, but that turned into more like…after noon. The final wake-up call was a literal call from my mother informing me of a job fair.

I did that, I applied for food stamps, I went to a work resource center. And I did all with little or no caffeine. I didn’t have my first cup of tea until the end of my poor-man errands – a meager teabagged Ceylon in a travel mug. (It was okay…but lukewarm by the time I got to it.)

When I came home, feeling like the poverty-stricken, out-of-work schmo that I was…I decided it was time for something highbrow. Ain’t nothing more highbrow than a Darjeeling white – let alone a Darj-white from Arya’s “jewel tea” collection. Lucky for me, it was perfect…and…

I felt like a raj.

If only for an afternoon.

In a sweater and khaki pants.

Full review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

I love having a cup o’ perfect in the morning. I tore open the back..and smelled cocoa. I tasted it…and sipped cocoa. I’m just…floored by this. It was like a Yunnan Jin Cha and a Taiwanese Ruby 18 made sweet-sweet love and popped out a Himalayan lovechild.

Full review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

The Darjeeling kick continues. This time, I had my second 2012 from the Sungma estate. Loved their other first flush I had, and this one was almost just as great. It didn’t taste like an OP at all. It was so fresh-seeming, it came across more like a Darjeeling green tea than a black. Spicy as all heck, though, which I like from a good first flush.

I brewed a pot of this, and practically forgot about the last (over-)steep. It tasted like grapefruit. That’s okay, I like grapefruit. I liked this. Eh, ’nuff said. Good way to start (late) on a Saturday.

Full review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

Weird…Steepster doesn’t seem to like the picture of this particular second flush Darjeeling. Oh well…(le shrug)

Took me awhile to get up and moving today, even after feeding the pets. As I write this, I’m still in my pajamas. (I know, shocker.) I decided to notch off one of the new Arya estate teas I received from Thunderbolt. This one wasn’t a part of their coveted “Jewel” series, but that was no matter.

It certainly was jewel-worthy, though, imparting (or rather, throwing) everything it possibly could at my tongue: toastiness, nutmeg, buckwheat, malt, cocoa, caramel, muscatel, rose wine, nut-sweetness, kitchen sinks, unicorns, et al.

It’s funny that I’m on a Darjeeling kick in the Fall, but I ain’t turnin’ back.

Full review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

Everyone and their kitchen sink was singing the praises of this one. It was getting mildly frustrating, especially since I hadn’t even heard of the Turzum estate before. This was the first invoice of Turzum’s first flush crop. And it shows.

If there’s one thing that can be said for the aroma and appearance, it’s that it screams, “FRESH!!!” Like a good first flush should, it brewed light, tasted light, but carried with it so many flavor sensations – some requisite for a Darjeeling, others new. A damn fine first of the first.

Full Review: Pending on www.teaviews.com

Trumpets heralded.

Angels sang.

Faeries danced.

Greek choruses intoned.

My heaven, this was perfect.

Taster notes? Who needs taster notes…angels singing!!!

A full review, though, will be pending on www.teaviews.com

Another awesome Darjeeling from Thunderbolt Tea! The dry leaves are even more varigated and tippy [& more furry too!] than the Sungma. The leaves are very sweet-like cake with caramel icing. Or is it vanilla?? The tea also exhibits a mildly fruity & floral nose. Steeping leaves are more vegetal, sweet, fruity & floral…….with what seems like a light minty quality. The wet leaves are sweet and vegetal, with a crisp fruity character, a mild spiciness, & an ever so gentle, nutty aspect as well.

Cup is very light yellow-orange color, with a sweeter, more floral nose than the Sungma previously cupped. A definite buttery aroma is very apparent as well. Initial tasting is very smooth & mild on my palate, with a buttery texture. The tea transforms with a crisp, brisk tang [not harsh] or spice on my palate! Along with this zesty character comes mild fruits & almonds. A pleasant & mild astringency lingers on my palate to complete a wonderful tea experience! :))

There’s nothing like this extraordinary Darjeeling from the Turzum Estate to complete a wonderful day! It’s also the perfect way to mark my one year Anniversary on Steepster, as well as my 100th tasting review!! Steep on Steepies!! :D

Cupped & Reviewed: Thursday, July 12, 2012.

As you can see by the picture the leaves are well varigated multi-green and medium brown leaves, with a nice amount of white tips that are well twisted. The dry aroma is very fresh & sweet, smelling mostly like white chocolate, with mild spice note, & even more mild fruit aromas.

Steeping aromas were fruity & nut-like [akin to almonds] with a sweetness I attribute to white chocolate. Wet leaves themselves are mostly green shades, with lighter white tipped & light brown colors. As far as wet leaf aromas, there is a combination of light fruits & flowers, lightly minty and spicey [light peppery notes]. The leaves are large and well shaped for a FF Darjeeling.

The cup is a light yellow-orange color with rather mild aromas. So fresh & sweet, it smells lightly vegetal and nutty at the same time. The flavors on my palate are slightly deeper & still mild, with a vegetal quality and mild almonds. I cannot place the fruits that present themseves on my palate. I get frustrated sometimes when I’m at a loss of words. :// There is also a gentle spiciness and flowery quality on the back of my tongue. The elusive flowery bouquet is fresh and light-much like a distant flower garden ready to be enjoyed.

From start to finish this Sungma Darjeeling is great, & one of the best I’ve had the pleasure to drink! :)) There is also little to no astringency on my palate at 3:15. Sometimes, when a tea like this frustrates me, it is only because it is truly great. It is the beauty of the tea & the experience, that words cannot describe. I’ve accepted that and done my best, but sometimes words and descriptions cannot fully explain true beauty-even if you can reach out & touch it, or in this case taste it! :D

Cupped & Reviewed: Thursday, July 12, 2012.
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UPDATED REVIEW

I decided to add roughly 1 tsp to previously steeped leaves, and it was a completely different and delicious cup of tea. :)) [3:00 minutes at 195-200F]. While the tea was steeping, the liqour was sweeter, & also more fruity & nutty. In addition, the wet leaves had greater fruity, minty & vegetal qualities.

The cup color was still a translucent medium orange, with aromatics such as a heartier buttery sweetness, an enhanced almond scent, & more pronounced fruits. The flavors tasted were also deeper: fruits, nuts, butter & the spicy character. All of these flavors played on my palate, with a noticeable, pleasantly mild astringency. :)) Although not the case with this exemplary tea, when I prepare a second cup by adding leaves as noted above, sometimes the astringency can be a bit too much-even for me. :))

Each cup was delicious, with the first cup being more mild and elusive. The second cup was still mild, while being a little more savory, & I did enjoy the temperate, palate pleasing astringency. :))

Cupped: Thursday, July 12, 2012. Updated Review: Friday, July, 13, 2012.

Thanks to ScottTeaMan for sending some of this my way!

I was interested to try this, my first tea from Goomtee. I have also been curious as to how long you can keep a FF darjeeling around. Do they age well? Do they change? Do they get stale, etc.

So I just read Scott’s tasting note to give me some clues about this tea. I steeped it up and it’s a light orange with a nice, sweet aroma. This seems to me like a classic darjeeling flavor as I’m picking up on a bit of muscatel. I think I am picking up on a bit of lime as well as some gentle spicy notes. This has a bit more astringency than is optimal for me but it’s a very relaxing and elegant tea experience.

Try #2 – Resteeping it with even cooler temperature this time around (probably 180). Steeped for only 1.5 minutes or so. I like it better this way, it is has an almost candy like sweetness…

P.S. – my tea is less furry than the one in the photo. :)

A beautiful tea with a fascinating flavor. The leaves are a nice fresh-looking green, with little sign of any rough handling. The taste is perhaps too mild – my first steep, I wasn’t sure if I was drinking tea or the idea of tea. My second steep, I’ve left the leaves in the cup – no straining (I’ve enjoyed a number of whiter teas this way). Even so, the liquor has only the slightest tint to it. The flavor is still fairly mild, but it’s definitely easier to enjoy this way. I get primarily a lemon-ness – more tangy lemon zest than the lemon fruit itself, but slightly floral, so maybe what a lemon blossom might taste like, and also a slight creamy melon-y quality.

I’m not rating this a full 100%, and it’s not quite the best tea I’ve ever had, but I’m not sure why. It seems practically perfect in every way.

WOOF!! WOOF!! Hello…….My name is Lotis. Six years ago today, I was adopted & brought home…….NO FOOLIN’! I was rescued & kept in a cage for long hours until I found this nice home (or it found me)! I didn’t trust such a strange place, and I even bit Scott a few times-I didn’t trust him either. I was so confused & scared, but he never hit me. :))

Woof!! Woof!! He let me bark, and played ball with me. I played with my squeaky ball, and I played with & ate icy cubes! We still like to do these things, and more! Sometimes we go for walkies, and I still like to chase outside kitties! Lately, I haven’t done that…….sometimes my leg hurts. :// I really like to eat my food with Scott, and sometimes he mixes treats with it. When I go potty outside he gives me even MORE TREATS! :))

Woof!! Woof!! After I eat, I lay under Scott’s feet and sometimes I get sleepy, and catch myself snoring. He pets me alot. I like when he rubs my head, puppy ears, my moustache, and sometimes I let him rub my belly! He always says I’m sssoooo soft, and a good puppy, good buddy, and a good boy. He tells me I have pretty eyes.

Woof!! Woof!! Sometimes, when he drinks tea, I lay by him. Sometimes he drinks tea for a llooong time. He must have had some good tea today, because “good” is a word I understand, and he kept saying it over and over. Sometimes, I look at him & think, “ARE YOU TALKING TO ME??” [Head tilt]

Woof!! Woof!! So, now I am very happy, and I know I make him happy too! We really are good buddies. I even have a soft, warm puppy bed next to Scott’s. I really like sleeping on it, but I haven’t been too often lately. I’m trying to tell him I need a new puppy bed!

Woof!! Woof!! So, we’ll keep doing what we do-eating, playing & chasing kitties (as much as I can), walking, sleeping, snoring, AND I like riding in the car, and so much more! Scott will keep drinking his good tea. I’ll do my best to be a good boy, and we will ALWAYS be good buddies! :)) WOOF!! WOOF!! :)) [wags tail] WOOF!! WOOF!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012.

What the ??…….I’ll have keep an eye on Lotis! I never knew he was so good with computers! :)) I agree with everything Lotis said. Now for a more in depth tea review.

I just heart Darjeeling teas, and this one is no exception. From the bag the aroma didn’t wow me, but while the tea was steeping that changed greatly. I was smelling artichoke characteristics in the steeping cup. In the wet leaves this is more apparent. The leaves are the greenest I’ve ever seen for a first flush Darjeeling, with only a sparse amount of brown leaves. I thought I also noticed a light nuttiness in the wet leaves.

The cup was a light orange color with a sweet aroma emanating from the cup. Darjeelings can sometimes be tough for me to describe. This one was fresh, with mint-like qualities, and fruity like a beautiful Spring day. There is something about this Goomtee though, and I wanted to pin it down-be more descriptive.

As I swirled this tea over my palate it really seemed to sparkle, and POP! Like a sparkling beverage (soda or cider). Sparkling, not like carbonation, but in relation to the way it reacted to my palate. The artichoke aspects were present, but there was (IS) more. Fresh minty qualities came through. Fruity…….but what fruit? The best or closest fruit I can come up with to accurately describe this is LIME, or lime zest. I’ve heard it described in FF Darjeelings before, but I’ve never came close to tasting it until now. :))

This Goomtee is very flavorful. On the palate there is good presence, without being heavy or overly astringent on the tongue. After swallowing, there is only mild astringency in my mouth! What I taste and remember most is sparkling, minty limes, like tropical heaven.

I could drink this 24/7, but I will pace myself and savor every sip-every moment! Like Lotis, this tea is a wonderful gift in my life! :))

Cupped & Reviewed: Sunday, April 1, 2012.