What-Cha

Just finished off the last of this tea this morning. I still really, really like it and it might go on the re-order list. Of course, I’m not ordering any tea until fall. Summer’s about to kick in here, so most of my tea drinking from this point will be iced. Of course, this one might be terrific iced.

What a long day! I finished unpacking and sorting a couple of rooms. The living room and kitchen are done! Yes, the teas are unpacked and arranged according to company and type. Two of my brothers and my sister came over around 7:30 and stayed until 10:00, so I didn’t get any more done. It was nice to visit with them in a tidy living room.

I am rewarding myself with a cup of this tea before bed. I suppose I could have gone with an herbal or lower caffeine tea, but I’ve been thinking about this one for a few days and I haven’t had it for a while. It is as good as I remember. A soothing, relaxing cup.

had this tea on my afternoon break. Still enjoy it. Light, slightly sweet, and comforting. It’s a bit cold out there today, 1F. At least it’s above zero.

Miss Dixie seems to be improving. It’s still a tussle to get that liquid antibiotic into her. Poor little kitty. She’s not stupid. She sees me coming with the towel to wrap her paws up in and she takes off. I’m finding it difficult to hide the towel. This morning I spread it out over the rocking chair, then picked her up and carried her backward to the chair. Success! Got most of the meds into her I think. Three more days.

I’m going through my What-Cha samples and having a second cup of the ones I haven’t had for a while. It’s not time to put in an order yet, but no reason not to be prepared, right? This is my second tea of the morning. Ahhh, so good! Smooth, with just a hint of cinnamon, I could drink this one all day. puts check in Re-Order box

I didn’t know I like Oolongs this much! This tea is a wonderful afternoon break tea. It’s a bit sweet, and that naturally, as I drink my tea mostly straight, with a hint of cinnamon. (someone who can smell would probably get a lot of yummy flavors from this) This one has no bitterness, no sourness, no astringency. People must get sick of seeing me write that, but for me that is what makes or breaks a tea, and since I’ll be using my tea log to help me decide on what to re-order, that will be one of the things I note. I’m really glad that this is one of the samples I ordered from What-Cha.

My stint into the realm of diurnal was brief it seems, insomnia rules me at the moment, time to go back on the sleeping meds, a prospect that fills me with annoyance but also makes me glad that I have something that helps me with it. Bah, enough complaining about health, while I was dozing in the afternoon it snowed! There is a nice coating of the sparkly white stuff on the ground, I have to go grocery shopping in a few and look forward to bundling up and playing in it briefly. No matter how bad I feel, snow always puts me in a better mood, it is just too beautiful to not!

Now, since there is snow and cold, I figured it was the perfect time to break out the really rare and hard to find terroir, Russia! Specifically What-Cha’s Russia Large Leaf Dagomys Tea Estate Black Tea, What-Cha has become my go to place for finding the more rare and unusual growing regions, and Russia was pretty high on the list. Among tea drinkers that go all ‘gotta catch em all’ on tea growing regions, Russia has a bit of infamy because we know that tea is grown there, but they are ridiculously stubborn about exporting it, and considering they are the most northern growing region in the world, I think I can see why! In my usual fashion I went hunting information on the Dagomys Tea Estate before writing this and…well, it took me some hunting around, but I got some lovely info from their website (oddly searching for the estate will only get you tons of trip advisor sites, one of those linked me to the website, so that was interesting.) I shall paraphrase for you: The estate was founded in 1939, though the first attempt to grow tea in Sochi was 1878, though it took several attempts to really get things going because winters can be very harsh. And speaking of climate, thanks to the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains, this counts as a subtropical region, looking at photos it is hard to believe that it is the most northern growing region, it looks so lush, just goes to show how fascinating air currents can be. I suggest giving the website a visit, the translation can be a bit bonkers at time, but it is a really fascinating read, I could go on and on about the plantation, but you are really here to see how the tea was. Let me start off by saying it smells really good! Honestly I was expecting something heavy and very brisk (Russian Caravan you have colored my thoughts on tea!) but it is super rich and fairly sweet. The spindly leaves are a blend of malt, raisins, plums, and molasses with a very tiny hint of smoke at the finish. Like someone made a dessert of raisins, molasses, and plums and cooked it over a wood stove, I swear it smells delicious, it is not just my excitement at trying a rare tea that is shining through!

I admit, I have never been more sad at not owning a Samovar than I am now, I love brewing tea in the manner traditional to the culture it was grown in (except Kenyan teas I guess since I tend to want to stuff them in my gaiwans) I have always wanted one, they are such pretty things. The aroma of the brewed teas is intense, it is so sweet and rich, I am drooling a little, there are notes of raisins, molasses, cooked plums, and a finish of both malt and a hint of syrup. It has like almost all my favorite notes that show up in black tea, I should also note that Ben came over and sniffed it and immediately asked me for a cup, great lover of black teas that he is. The liquid is a wee bit milder, but still just as sweet with notes of cooked plums and raisins, this time it is joined by some roasted peanuts and a touch of yams. The finish is a distinct molasses note that lingers in my nose for a bit, it smells pretty epic.

Moment of truth time, will all my waiting for a Russian tea pay off? Will Ben who is anxiously waiting for a cup like it? Well I have to wait for it to cool a bit so I don’t burn my taste buds off first. Now that the tea has cooled to a suitable temperature, I can say I am surprised! After such a rich and sweet tea I was expecting the taste to be much the same, but it is malty, brisk and heavy at first, exactly what I expect from a Russian tea. After the initial briskness it goes into a rich molasses and cooked plum explosion, really I feel like I just ate a spoonful of molasses. For all that this tea is brisk and rich, it is also very smooth, there is no bitterness or dryness at all, though at the very end there is a hint of smoke which was neat. Hilariously I thought it was rich and intense and Ben thought it was a bit mild but liked its taste, but he takes his teas at incredible strength that I at times find undrinkable, a real manly approach to tea. I am so happy I got to try this tea, and given the opportunity I would definitely drink it again, and buy it again, the rarity makes it super special and the taste makes it very enjoyable.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-cha-russia-large-leaf-dagomys-tea.html

smooth, mellow, honey, those are all apt descriptors. i was expecting a little more of what i think of as oolong-ness, not sure how to describe that, but it doesn’t necessarily include “mellow” or “honey.” LOL! that said, this definitely is a great tea, i am quite enjoying it, but am going to have to put notes on the label so i remember NOT to pull this one out when i’m craving a good ol’ fujian oolong. pull this one out for mellow, smooth, golden honey goodness. sure is good for that.

I’ve never enjoyed iced tea. Probably because growing up we always had the sugar free sweetened tea powder you mix with water. Then in the ‘70, ’80s, and ’90s, my mom made sun tea out of Lipton bags. shudder You see why I wasn’t an iced tea fan. But now that I’m a little more knowledgeable about tea, I want to drink it all summer too. I’m trying to control my horrible mountain dew habit, so iced tea will be my ‘thing’ this summer.

All that intro is to say I made iced tea! I looked at what I had left of this tea and decided it was time to try the cold brewed method of making iced tea. That was this morning about 12 hours ago. I’m just now sitting down with a glass of it and I have to say, this tea rocks as an iced tea! Seriously, it has flavor without being at all bitter! It’s kind of sweet, but I didn’t add anything to it. Oh, boy! Now I can not wait to try other teas cold brewed!

I decided to brew a pot of this for my afternoon drink. So nice. The flavor is smooth and almost sweet. I’ve had good luck with my What-Cha purchases. Enough that I’ve placed another order even though I said I wouldn’t until summer. Oh well. I plan on brewing a LOT of iced tea this summer, so it will probably go quick, right?

Had this one for my morning tea. Still smooth and slightly sweet, but for some reason (maybe this chest cold I have?) it wsn’t qujite as good as last time. Still very nice and I’m happy with my sample.

Wow! I really like this one! I made gingerbread and wanted a tea to drink with it, Not anything frou-frou or spicy, just something nice and smooth and gentle that wouldn’t overwelm the gingerbread. I pulled this one out of the cupboard and brewed up a pot. It went with the gingerbread smashingly. Smooth and with just a hint of sweetness, it complimented the gingerbread perfectly. I could sort of feel the citrus at the end of the sip. This one may need to go on the re-order list.

Wasn’t sure what to expect since I haven’t like most of the What-Cha teas but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
It’s kinda malty. Kinda fruity. Kinda earthy.
The first two flavors I like, but not so much the third one. I feel that this tea has the potential of letting the earthiness overrule it if you steep it too long, but I steeped it for like 2 and a half minutes and it was okay.
I do really like the malty and fruity flavors. If they were stronger in this tea I’d probably consider buying again. But for now I’m good with a sample of this tea. (:

Dry this is sweet and fruity. Its kind of pipe tobacco like. Steeped the dark caramel cup scent remains sweet and fruity but now reminds me of Darjeeling. The taste begins light with a slight maltiness. Then the tannins kick in and flood your tongue. It is refreshing and passes quickly leaving a slight toffee note that just as quickly turns into a fruity aftertaste.

Between the first and second cup I took my wife out for lunch. We went to BBQ place in town. I had 1/4 rack of ribs, baked beans, and smashed potatoes. My wife had tenderloin and fries. It was so extremely good. While eating, I was treated to watching a bald eagle soar outside my window. Such a beautiful site.

Came home and prepared a second cup of this one. It had a maltier scent than the first. The taste was very much like the first. This is a solid cup of black tea. I highly recommend a repeat of my entire day.

My morning cup! The doctor put me on a strong course of prednisone in preparation for my surgery on Thursday. I still can’t smell, but the nose has opened up a bit and my head feels 10 pounds lighter. I wanted one more cup before sending the remainder to another Steepsterian. 4 pearls in 8 ounces of hot, not boiling, water for 3 and a half minutes. Delicious. I can sort of taste something. It gives me excited hope that a month from now I’ll be able to really taste tea!

I left the windows open last night, so it’s cold in my apartment this morning. It’s supposed to be quite hot later, so I don’t want to close them yet. I’ve got a shawl around my shoulders and a hot cup in my hand. So coazy! I love mornings like this. I also had a few squares of dark chocolate with bits of pear and almonds in it to enjoy iwth my tea. If only I had today off this would be the perfect day!

I made a 2 cup pot of this tea this morning, and used 12 pearls. I suspect it was too much, as this tea wasn’t as smooth or as good as I remembered. Not that it was bad, at all. I have enough of my sample left to make another cup or two. I might hold off until after my sinus surgery. There’s a chance I’ll regain my sense of smell for a few months, and I really want to taste the apricot in this tea.

I’ve never had ‘pearl’ tea before so when I placed an order with What-Cha I decided to get a 10 gram sample of this tea. OMgosh, I’m glad I did! It’s so smooth! With just a tiny hint of natural sweetness. My second steep seemed jsut a teensy bit sweeter. This one might have to go on the re-order list!

I had enough for one last cup of this. Does that make this a sip down? I have fewer than 50 teas in my cupboard, so I don’t know. Anyway, a very nice tea. Mild, smooth, no bitterness to disrupt my enjoyment. A nice tea to sip on my mid-morning break.

After finishing the pot of the other Georgia tea Idecided to have a cup of this one too. What a great tea! Wish I could smell this and get the full experience of citrus. Still yummy.

I had this one this mroning, and I’m bumping the rating up a few points. Enjoyed it even more this time. Still rich and smooth, no bitterness, a hint of sweetness. Yep, a very nice up.

I had this one for breakfast! A very nice tea, smooth and easy to drink on a cold January morning in North Dakota USA. I love that What-Cha allows online orders of 10 grams. I don’t want to buy 50 grams only to find out I don’t like the tea. I wish other tea companies would do that too. I think it would bring more return customers. If I buy ten 10 gram samples and find 4 that I love, the company will probably get a 200 gram order from me, or more, because I’ll probably throw in a few more samples I want to try. But my pocketbook and cabinet space tell me I can’t afford to buy too many 50 gram pouches of new tea, so maybe I won’t make an order at all from a new-to-me company to try new-to-me tea.

So far the two from What-Cha that I’ve sampled have been lovely. I’ve enjoyed them and can;’t wait to try more of my loot!

Today has been a glimpse of Spring in the middle of Winter, at least temperature wise, visually it is all brown and dingy, typical Kansas City Winter color pallete. Even though I am never a fan of the drab part of Winter (give me snow and evergreens, along with the green grass of central Pennsylvania and I am in seasonal bliss) it was too nice of a day for me to stay in, so off to Kauffman Gardens I went to practice some phone photography. My new phone is better than my original camera that I started photography with (a measly 3MP) at 5MP but it pales in comparison to the 12 MP camera I use for nature photography, and my dream one at 18MP, one day I will have that camera! Anyway, this little phone is not half bad, it lacks a macro lens, so I will have to make one from an old disk drive or something, lots of good tutorials for that, and of course playing with all the filters and such is fun. It is an interesting disconnect in my brain, other than cropping I rarely alter my photos taken with my camera, but with my phone I have quite a lot of fun editing them, funny ol’ world we live in.

Since it is Wednesday, that means it is time to take another journey into What-Cha’s epic catalog of tea in my attempt to try all of the teas. Today’s tea is Nepal 2nd Flush 2014 Golden Tips Black Tea, another offering from Greenland Organic Farms in East Nepal in the shadow of Mt. Kancghenjunga. You all know me well enough by now to know how much of a sucker I am for golden teas, and this tea does not disappoint, curly leaves covered in delicate golden trichomes. The aroma rich, a touch on the sweet side, but more rich than sweet. The notes are primarily roasted peanuts, malt, and a touch of sweet potatoes and stewed fruit. At the end there is the most delicate note of rose and pepper, I run into pepper quite often, but the notes of rose were a pleasant surprise.

Once I give the tea a steeping in the bat gaiwan I notice the rose and pepper aroma are much stronger, which is awesome, after that initial spicy and flowery burst there are strong notes of malt and sweet potato with a rich finish of cocoa. Where the leaves were rich the liquid is sweet, notes of sweet potato and cocoa waft out of my cha hai, yes I did have my nose stuffed in this one, luckily I did not burn it, though I do frequently tend to, especially if a tea smells good!

Ok, first steep, it has a pretty strong start, it lacks the usual mildness that a first steep has. The start is quite malty, and here is the fun part, I am skipping over the midtaste because it is even maltier at the finish, like the back of my throat is kicked with malt. The midtaste has a hint of cocoa and pepper, and the aftertaste is rich and sweet, a touch creamy.

Second steeping time, as per usual I stick my nose in my cha hai and give the tea a nice hefty sniff. I often debate when is the best time to sniff the freshly steeped tea, pre pour when it is in the cha hai or once I have poured it into a tiny cup, so far the cha hai seems more fun. The aroma of this steep is a blend of sweet potatoes and cocoa at the front and finish of rose and pepper, still really digging the rose notes. The taste is just as rich as the first steep, and pretty smooth, I would even go so far as to say it is velvety. In fact, this tea has absolutely no dryness whatsoever. The finish has a hint of pepper and leaves a sweet potato aftertaste that lingers for a while.

Third time around, the aroma is not as potent as previously, primarily there are notes of sweet potatoes and a nice hint of malt at the finish. Tasting the tea, well, it is still super velvety and smooth, just like the previous two steeps, and still pretty rich, but it is mellowing out to a sweetness. The notes that dominate this steeping are sweet potatoes and malt with a real nice peppery finish. I should point out that the peppery notes are more the taste of pepper, not the spicy heat, it is always very fascinating to me when flavor notes act like that, or my favorite, when a flavor note is present but it lacks the aroma or texture of the food (or random piece of wood if you are a weirdo like me) that it is imitating. Tea, and the way we perceive it, never stops being a thing of wonder to me.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/01/what-cha-nepal-2nd-flush-2014-golden.html

My order from What-Cha arrived today. Oh, boy, it is just like Christmas around here! This one says “Full-bodied with a sweet raisin and citrus taste.” I don’t taste the raisin (no big surprise, since I have no sense of smell) but I can detect a hint of citrus. Just a little tang at the end of a mouthful. Not sour. The tea is more robust than mild, but smooth, with no bitterness, no astringency, and just a bit sweet on its own. I’m really, really glad I ordered this one!

This is an interesting tea. The dry leaf is rolled into small pellets, slightly bigger than gun powder, but smaller than most rolled oolongs or pearl teas. From the dry leaf, I immediately get a whiff of honey, which is always exciting. Honey is one of my favourite notes in tea.

Steeped 1tsp (about 4g) in 75C water for 2:30. The liquor is golden and quite clear. The steeped leaves are only partially unfurled, and smell nutty.

The liquor smells sweet, nutty and umami, and these notes are reflected in the taste. There’s a hint of hone, but not as much as I would have expected from the dry leaf smell. I also get a pretty strong, cooling vegetal tang of grass. There’s also a bit of bitterness and a moderate amount of astringency.

The finish is long, but only on parts of the tongue. The way the flavours develop within the sip feels a bit off – there’s a big punch of lots of flavours at the beginning of the sip, and then they fade out quickly. The full mouth flavour at the beginning ends up being just a sides of the tongue kind of flavour by the time I swallow and then into the finish.

This is alright, but I was hoping for something a bit more balanced.