What tea did you have this morning...or afternoon?

[Blackhorse]

Finally got around to this…Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. Upton Teas designed this one specifically for iced tea.

From Upton: “Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for hot tea preparation. For making a concentrate for iced tea, we recommend doubling the amount of tea noted in the general brewing directions…2.25 g./6 oz. cup…212F. for 2-3min.”

From me: My kitchen looked like a chemistry lab with beakers, flasks, filters, bubbling vats of colored liquid, etc. I had to use a deep sauce pan into which I set my two large infusers side by side, each with 10 tsp. of the tea. I heated 1 1/2 L of fresh cold water to a rapid boil and slowly poured it over the two infusers. Timer set to 3 minutes. When done I set the pan onto a wire rack to aid in cooling and added 2 Tbsp. of raw honey. That should just take the edge off. When it has cooled I’ll pour it into a four quart pitcher and set that into the fridge to chill.

https://www.uptontea.com/afternoon-tea/iced-tea-blend-loose-leaf-black-tea/p/V00409/

 

[GtrSmoker]

Finally got around to this…Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. Upton Teas designed this one specifically for iced tea.

From Upton: “Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for hot tea preparation. For making a concentrate for iced tea, we recommend doubling the amount of tea noted in the general brewing directions…2.25 g./6 oz. cup…212F. for 2-3min.”

From me: My kitchen looked like a chemistry lab with beakers, flasks, filters, bubbling vats of colored liquid, etc. I had to use a deep sauce pan into which I set my two large infusers side by side, each with 10 tsp. of the tea. I heated 1 1/2 L of fresh cold water to a rapid boil and slowly poured it over the two infusers. Timer set to 3 minutes. When done I set the pan onto a wire rack to aid in cooling and added 2 Tbsp. of raw honey. That should just take the edge off. When it has cooled I’ll pour it into a four quart pitcher and set that into the fridge to chill.

https://www.uptontea.com/afternoon-tea/iced-tea-blend-loose-leaf-black-tea/p/V00409/
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I want to sit on your porch, sipping this iced tea and smoking pipes. But only if you have rocking chairs.

Or at least gliders.

What am I saying? I don’t even HAVE a porch. Apartment dweller here.

 

[Blackhorse]

The iced tea turned out very well. Right between Ceylon & Darjeeling with the character of each readily identifiable. A touch more sweetener wouldn’t hurt it but it’s very refreshing just like it is. I’d forgotten how much condensation you can get from a glass full of iced something. Anyway…I’m going to count this one as a win.

 

[Blackhorse]

OMG!!! After a long morning out in the heat, lugging stuff here and there, I stumbled home and into air conditioned bliss. Five ice cubes and a tall glass of the iced tea I made a day or so ago. After three big gulps it struck me…THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER SWILLED DOWN EVER IN MY WHOLE LIFE! Talk about something hitting the spot. Well, today the spot was pretty big but the iced tea sure tasted perfect to me.

 

[D.L.Ruth]

OMG!!! After a long morning out in the heat, lugging stuff here and there, I stumbled home and into air conditioned bliss. Five ice cubes and a tall glass of the iced tea I made a day or so ago. After three big gulps it struck me…THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER SWILLED DOWN EVER IN MY WHOLE LIFE! Talk about something hitting the spot. Well, today the spot was pretty big but the iced tea sure tasted perfect to me.

I love a big glass of iced tea, man I gotta make some

 

[Blackhorse]

Been enjoying mostly the Upton Tea blends like Richmond Park, River Shannon, Robert Fortune & Scottish Breakfast. But today I cracked open my tin of “Columbian Breakfast Blend”. I’d forgotten just how good it is. It continues to amaze me that the teas they have from Columbia are so remarkable. According to the vivid imagination of the marketing minds at Upton…”Colombian black teas have a distinctly rich, cocoa-like character that reflects their unique terroir: lush, equatorial hillsides drenched in misty rain, followed by copious bright sunshine, and enlivened in all directions by every type of wildlife imaginable.” Not sure how the vast array of animal life would affect the tea but what the heck, it sounds very dynamic…or something. Great teas though.

 

[D.L.Ruth]

Just received an order from teadog, some Barry's Gold Blend and Taylor's of Harrogate Earl Grey. Both loose leaf, glad I have some extra tobacco jars.

 

[Blackhorse]

Let us know your opinion of both?

 

[D.L.Ruth]

Had a pot of Taylor's Earl Grey, great stuff. He up drinking Earl Grey so brings back childhood memories every time I have it.

 

[Blackhorse]

Glad you liked it. Very hard to go wrong with Taylor’s.

 

[Blackhorse]

New treat! Got to thinking about my favorite Upton Teas blend, which is a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling. The Darjeeling is not a typical element of breakfast type tees so I thought I might try blending (mixing) a few of the many single origin teas using Darjeeling. The first blending I did was this morning…half single estate Assam and half Darjeeling blend. The result is nothing shirt of spectacular. The individual flavor notes of musky, malty, leathery Assam and bright floral Darjeeling both come forward. It’s magical. Gee, first try too.

 

[Blackhorse]

Ordered Winter Stash of Earl Grey Samplers. It’s been a while since I went overboard on a tea order so in order to get ready for my Winter habit of a steaming mug of Earl Grey in the afternoon. I’ve changed that…got a half dozen 12 gm samples due.

Here’s the lineup:

EARL GREY SUPREME
NUXALBARI ESTATE HIMALAYAN EARL GREY ORGANIC
ORIGINAL EARL GREY
BLUE FLOWER EARL GREY
EXTRA BERGAMOT EARL GREY
EARL GREY ORGANIC

 

[Blackhorse]

Well, the above order of Earl Grey teas came in and I was feeling the call this morning so here’s today’s selection…

Blue Flower Earl Grey

Decorated with blue cornflower petals, this naturally flavored Earl Grey selection has a light bergamot fragrance and well-balanced flavor. Smooth and citrus bright, the medium amber cup offers the perfect blend of natural bergamot and black tea flavor. A light sweetness complements the bergamot and lingers into the finish. (this is Upton’s description)

I found this very agreeable. Not too much. Not too little. It’s the kind of thing astronomers might call a “Goldilocks Blend”.

https://www.uptontea.com/earl-grey-tea/earl-grey-loose-leaf-black-tea/p/V00661/

 

[SteelyJ]

I've been enjoying some loose leaf Charcoal Roasted High Mountain Oolong from Eco-Cha. Brewing it at work Gong Fu style (10 grams of tea, 150 mL water - first steep at 50 seconds, adding 10-20 seconds for subsequent steepings - this leaf can be re-steeped 6-8 times). Very rich, very delicious. Everyone who has stopped in my office has commented on how good it smells (even through their masks!). The website describes the aroma and flavor as: "Cherrywood smoke, fire-roasted yams aroma. Thick, oily mouthfeel. Dried apricots, roasted pecans, and molasses flavor profile. Sweet/tangy, dry smoky, peaty finish." and I'd say it's a great description. On the pricier side but definitely a favorite from Eco-Cha, and I love most of their teas.

Picture is from website - not mine!

https://eco-cha.com/products/charcoal-roasted-high-mountain-oolong-tea

 

[Blackhorse]

Ahhh Grasshopper…very few Gong Fu devotees here in Lower Slobovia. Fun reading your inout. Welcome.

 

[SteelyJ]

Ahhh Grasshopper…very few Gong Fu devotees here in Lower Slobovia. Fun reading your inout. Welcome.

Thanks! I use either teapots or gaiwans at home, but when I'm working I use this GongFu2Go thing from Crimson Lotus. Several companies make something similar but this is the only one I know of that has caps on both ends, so you can better release the pressure buildup. I initially ordered a different similar thing but after reading reviews where people said it exploded, or that when opening the lid to let out pressure it would spray hot tea all over I went with this one and it's been great. I did break one of the glass jars but the owner was kind enough to sell me a replacement one at a very low price instead of buying an entirely new one.

https://crimsonlotustea.com/products/gongfu2go

 

[SteelyJ]

Feeling tired and achy the day after my booster shot. Enjoying some Traditional Dong Ding Oolong from Eco Cha. 9 grams of leaf in about 135ml of water, brewed in a porcelain gaiwan, drinking from a silver teacup.

 

[Blackhorse]

Nice. First time I've seen a silver teacup. Does it ward off werewolves? ,

 

[SteelyJ]

Nice. First time I've seen a silver teacup. Does it ward off werewolves? ,

Ha! It’s handmade pottery with the inside silver lining done by silversmiths, so unfortunately probably not enough to melt down into a bullet if Lon Chaney rolls into town. Apparently the silver has some subtle effects on the taste - bringing out more natural sweetness of the tea, but I think that’s more noticeable with Puerh teas than oolongs. But it does make the tea look really nice - I have cups that match the gaiwan but they’re dark so you can’t really appreciate the look of the tea.

 

[Blackhorse]

Fascinating.