83
drank Granola d'Hiver by Dammann Frères
1557 tasting notes

Advent 14.

I skipped one. Something about spitting profanities and crying from back muscle spasms. The Epsom salt bath helped to a small degree. The muscle relaxers prescribed don’t seem to be doing much beyond dulling my mental state and, with a bit of wine, helping me take cat naps. Ineffective: Icy Hot lidocaine patches, sipping hot magnesium citrate. Tiger Balm serves as a momentary distraction. Heating pad allows me to lie on my back to sleep. Lesson learned: after 9 months of not lifting weights (thanks COVID), do not attempt to do pull-ups. Do not hammer in the top section of a garage door seal at a weird angle on a ladder. Do not cut limbs from a neighbors tree at weird angles on a ladder. Stretch long and stretch often.

The tea’s good. It feels nostalgic. Woody, brisk, glassy and thick base black tea with a hint of baked bread supports the flavors. I get something grapey-dried berry and gentle sweetness mixed with hazelnut liqueur, espresso grinds and puffed rice. The swallow is somewhat dark-bittersweet like toasted buckwheat mixed with pecans roasted a touch too long and candied in maple syrup. It was a nice mid-morning tea and I get where they’re going with the granola profile. Simply well done.

Flavors: Alcohol, Berry, Bread, Burnt, Dark Bittersweet, Dried Fruit, Espresso, Fruity, Grain, Grapes, Hazelnut, Maple Syrup, Mineral, Nutty, Pecan, Smooth, Sweet, Thick, Toasted, Toasted Rice, Toasty, Wood

White Antlers

Ugh. I have a herniated disc at L5-S1. Happened in my 30s. This will sound weird but when your back goes into spasm, drink a glass of water with 1/4 tsp. of pink salt dissolved in it. Not a cure but it eases the spasms. Try acupuncture, too.

Cameron B.

Oh no, drink lots of good tea and feel better soon! ❤

derk

Is pink salt the stuff used to cure meat?

Thanks, Cameron B. Each day is a little better and a good cup of tea like this definitely helps :)

Mastress Alita

Ouch, poor derk! Have a TENS unit? I like pairing one with the heating pad.

White Antlers

derk Not sure. It also goes by Himalayan pink salt. Trader Joe’s carries it.

derk

What’s a TENS unit?

I have a big rock of Himalayan pink salt, wouldn’t hurt to try. I was thinking pink salt was sodium nitrate/ite.

Mastress Alita

Stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It’s a (typically battery operated) device with a small pad you stick with a gel against the muscle area causing you pain, and you can adjust how much electrical stimulation you send to the area. I have a very special one that looks like a Wonder Woman headband for my migraines, even!

Martin Bednář

I wish you a quick recovery derk. I have a scoliosis and luckily so far I don’t have much pain. But long term sitting in front of screen, because of lectures or something is indeed a bad thing. My knees hurt now and then often too. I blame long sitting seasons.

I guess I have to try baths too; that sounds like a good idea — and move somehow more.

White Antlers

derk I hope today is a better one for you-pain wise. NAN03-well, chemistry was never one of my strong suits…

LuckyMe

Get feeling better derk!

tea-sipper

Too much work, derk! I hope you feel better quickly.

DrowningMySorrows

Ouch! Hope you’re feeling better now. Muscle spasms are not fun at all. I have a grouchy low back and hip (loooong story but don’t dislocate your pelvis trying to sit on a tall stool) and heating pads are my best friends. A foam roller or massage ball helps with working out the knots but using them isn’t the most pleasant thing. Much swearing and funny faces while using them but it’s easier to move afterward.

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Comments

White Antlers

Ugh. I have a herniated disc at L5-S1. Happened in my 30s. This will sound weird but when your back goes into spasm, drink a glass of water with 1/4 tsp. of pink salt dissolved in it. Not a cure but it eases the spasms. Try acupuncture, too.

Cameron B.

Oh no, drink lots of good tea and feel better soon! ❤

derk

Is pink salt the stuff used to cure meat?

Thanks, Cameron B. Each day is a little better and a good cup of tea like this definitely helps :)

Mastress Alita

Ouch, poor derk! Have a TENS unit? I like pairing one with the heating pad.

White Antlers

derk Not sure. It also goes by Himalayan pink salt. Trader Joe’s carries it.

derk

What’s a TENS unit?

I have a big rock of Himalayan pink salt, wouldn’t hurt to try. I was thinking pink salt was sodium nitrate/ite.

Mastress Alita

Stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It’s a (typically battery operated) device with a small pad you stick with a gel against the muscle area causing you pain, and you can adjust how much electrical stimulation you send to the area. I have a very special one that looks like a Wonder Woman headband for my migraines, even!

Martin Bednář

I wish you a quick recovery derk. I have a scoliosis and luckily so far I don’t have much pain. But long term sitting in front of screen, because of lectures or something is indeed a bad thing. My knees hurt now and then often too. I blame long sitting seasons.

I guess I have to try baths too; that sounds like a good idea — and move somehow more.

White Antlers

derk I hope today is a better one for you-pain wise. NAN03-well, chemistry was never one of my strong suits…

LuckyMe

Get feeling better derk!

tea-sipper

Too much work, derk! I hope you feel better quickly.

DrowningMySorrows

Ouch! Hope you’re feeling better now. Muscle spasms are not fun at all. I have a grouchy low back and hip (loooong story but don’t dislocate your pelvis trying to sit on a tall stool) and heating pads are my best friends. A foam roller or massage ball helps with working out the knots but using them isn’t the most pleasant thing. Much swearing and funny faces while using them but it’s easier to move afterward.

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Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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California, USA

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