So, family stuff came up and I'm not really in the mood to talk about it or make tea today. I did have some Sencha Tanegashima earlier, but ugh I just feel so much like crap that I don't want to do the review and I don't think I could if I wanted to, either.
I'll try making it up if I can tomorrow by doing both reviews or just pushing the project back a day. Thanks for understanding.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Day 79: Fantasy
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with long, rolled yellow fllower petals
Color: Dark copper; clear
Smell: Sweet berries and honey (as it says in the description)
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Gonna do this review quick since I'm doing that history project right now. I was going to do it earlier, but birthday celebrations and piano and stuff got in the way.
So, I've already had this tea before and I thought it was decent. But now, it does seem kind of bland or at least not very realistic. At first, you get the regular taste of black tea, followed by the berry taste, finishing off with the honey and caramel (mostly the honey). There isn't much bitterness, but it does leave a bit of a weird feeling in the mouth afterwards (not the dry feeling though). It's smooth, but the fruit/berry taste is a bit bland; it's not very sweet and reminds me somewhat of syrup (cough syrup maybe, but its not THAT artificial). The caramel and honey do give it a bit of a sweetness at the end, which I enjoyed. I couldn't try it with milk, but since the tea was a little bit weak, I'd suggest it without milk. However, I would suggest it with sweetener (especially honey!), since it would probably bring out the fruit flavor a bit more. Overall, it's a decent fruit flavored tea, but I've had much better.
Other notes:
Man, this was the best birthday I've had in a really long time. My friends made me a card and some shortbread (get it- because I'm short). Also, one of my friends got me a tea tray and a full chinese tea set which is amazing- I used it today while we ate my birthday dinner(?) and it is great. Just a note, but I gotta get her something back or make her some food soon since she really went above and beyond with this gift. I also got like $90, which was good.
Other than birthday stuff, I did get a bit of stuff done today. The history paragraphs are fully cited with a works cited and everything, so now I just need to edit those, format them (I want to make it look like a field report or something), and finish the map/board. I didn't get the boards done since I was busy, but I think I'll get that done tomorrow. I also signed up for volunteering (woo!) at the registration booth at California Extreme for both days, Saturday and Sunday. Even though it's in July, I am really looking forward to that since it gives me free admission and also since it's a volunteering job. Maybe I'll actually get stuff done this summer!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Grapefruit Green
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with long, rolled yellow fllower petals
Color: Dark copper; clear
Smell: Sweet berries and honey (as it says in the description)
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Gonna do this review quick since I'm doing that history project right now. I was going to do it earlier, but birthday celebrations and piano and stuff got in the way.
So, I've already had this tea before and I thought it was decent. But now, it does seem kind of bland or at least not very realistic. At first, you get the regular taste of black tea, followed by the berry taste, finishing off with the honey and caramel (mostly the honey). There isn't much bitterness, but it does leave a bit of a weird feeling in the mouth afterwards (not the dry feeling though). It's smooth, but the fruit/berry taste is a bit bland; it's not very sweet and reminds me somewhat of syrup (cough syrup maybe, but its not THAT artificial). The caramel and honey do give it a bit of a sweetness at the end, which I enjoyed. I couldn't try it with milk, but since the tea was a little bit weak, I'd suggest it without milk. However, I would suggest it with sweetener (especially honey!), since it would probably bring out the fruit flavor a bit more. Overall, it's a decent fruit flavored tea, but I've had much better.
Other notes:
Man, this was the best birthday I've had in a really long time. My friends made me a card and some shortbread (get it- because I'm short). Also, one of my friends got me a tea tray and a full chinese tea set which is amazing- I used it today while we ate my birthday dinner(?) and it is great. Just a note, but I gotta get her something back or make her some food soon since she really went above and beyond with this gift. I also got like $90, which was good.
Other than birthday stuff, I did get a bit of stuff done today. The history paragraphs are fully cited with a works cited and everything, so now I just need to edit those, format them (I want to make it look like a field report or something), and finish the map/board. I didn't get the boards done since I was busy, but I think I'll get that done tomorrow. I also signed up for volunteering (woo!) at the registration booth at California Extreme for both days, Saturday and Sunday. Even though it's in July, I am really looking forward to that since it gives me free admission and also since it's a volunteering job. Maybe I'll actually get stuff done this summer!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Grapefruit Green
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Day 78: Rose Hip Tea
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Herbal & Black Blend
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very small black, curled leaves with orange-red, opaque chunks of rosehip
Color: Light ruby (mostly pink, with a tiny bit of orange); clear
Smell: Floral (roses), citrus, a bit like tomato
Recommended with/as: As is, iced
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
God, I hated the smell of the dry loose leaf. It's hard to describe, but all I can think is that it was too perfume-y. The brewed version was a bit more tolerable though (it did smell a lot like tomatoes, like other reviewers have said). As for taste, I did notice the tomato that was in the smell; it added a bit of tanginess to the tea, along with a little bit of sweetness. However, that was really it- I couldn't notice any other taste other than the tang (the tea base had a little bit of a roasted/earthy taste but it's very hard to notice). It also had a tiny bit of astringency that made my mouth and throat a little bit dry.Overall, it makes for a pretty colored tea, but not a good tasting one; I'd prefer it if there was actually a rose taste. It is better than tomato soup, however.
Other notes:
Today, I mostly just worked on the writing portion of the history project that's due Friday (10/12 paragraphs written!). So that means I just need to make the wooden frame for the map, edit the paragraphs, add in citations, and make the works cited, and I'll be all done. Also, a girl I like (a different one that I haven't really talked about) and I kinda confirmed today that we like each other, so there's that. I won't go more in depth since she reads this occasionally, but if she is reading today's post, hi.
My birthday is also tomorrow, so I got that going for me too.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Fantasy
Type: Herbal & Black Blend
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very small black, curled leaves with orange-red, opaque chunks of rosehip
Color: Light ruby (mostly pink, with a tiny bit of orange); clear
Smell: Floral (roses), citrus, a bit like tomato
Recommended with/as: As is, iced
Rating: 7/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
God, I hated the smell of the dry loose leaf. It's hard to describe, but all I can think is that it was too perfume-y. The brewed version was a bit more tolerable though (it did smell a lot like tomatoes, like other reviewers have said). As for taste, I did notice the tomato that was in the smell; it added a bit of tanginess to the tea, along with a little bit of sweetness. However, that was really it- I couldn't notice any other taste other than the tang (the tea base had a little bit of a roasted/earthy taste but it's very hard to notice). It also had a tiny bit of astringency that made my mouth and throat a little bit dry.Overall, it makes for a pretty colored tea, but not a good tasting one; I'd prefer it if there was actually a rose taste. It is better than tomato soup, however.
Other notes:
Today, I mostly just worked on the writing portion of the history project that's due Friday (10/12 paragraphs written!). So that means I just need to make the wooden frame for the map, edit the paragraphs, add in citations, and make the works cited, and I'll be all done. Also, a girl I like (a different one that I haven't really talked about) and I kinda confirmed today that we like each other, so there's that. I won't go more in depth since she reads this occasionally, but if she is reading today's post, hi.
My birthday is also tomorrow, so I got that going for me too.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Fantasy
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Day 77: Tikuanyin
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Oolong
Brew Time & Temperature: Gaiwan method today
Leaf Appearance: Dark green & brown balled oolong; they're small, but a lot of the leaves are broken up
Color: Light golden-orange; clear
Smell: For some reason, this tea doesn't smell that strong (both loose leaf and brewed; it could just be me though); I did get some roasted/toasty notes however
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I actually had this tea a long time ago, when I was first getting into loose leaf. I think my dad got it because it was on sale, but since I didn't really like unflavored teas at the time, I didn't think much of it. Actually, I think I still have the bag of the loose leaf with the rest of my tea, but it's probably super old by now (which might be good or bad, I don't know).
Anyway, this is one of the more roastier tikuanyins I've had, and admittedly one of the less flavorful ones (in comparison to others I've had, like monkey-picked tieguanyin). Although it had a strong roasted taste, there were some tangy (maybe fruity?) notes, along with nuts and a very subtle sweetness. The tangy taste lingered on the tongue a while after drinking, which I liked a bit. It was very smooth too, leaving none of that dry taste in my mouth or my throat. However, I couldn't do that many brews today since I was preoccupied with math homework (and also time constraints), but I think it would yield a decent amount. To be honest, I prefer non-roasted, more green oolongs over these, but they vary so much in flavor that I think it isn't that fair to compare them to each other. However, this is a decent enough roasted oolong (and I'll try it again, since I do have the loose leaf still), but it doesn't really wow me.
Other notes:
Just worked on the board today, watched 12 Angry Men (which I enjoyed very much; if only Criterion DVDs weren't so expensive), and made a pot of Royal Milk Tea to put in the fridge before this review. I think the board is actually almost done now, so tomorrow I'm just going to write the paragraphs and start building the wooden case/frame for the map-board. Also, my birthday is in 2 days (hopefully no one can guess who I am from this), and I still have no idea what I really want. I know my friends are planning something since they're asking me (and they also kind of planned it in front of my face), so there's that. I think this is actually the first time in a really long time (the last time was in elementary school, probably) where people are doing stuff for me, other than just giving me the occasional small gift. Woo!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Rose Hip Tea
Type: Oolong
Brew Time & Temperature: Gaiwan method today
Leaf Appearance: Dark green & brown balled oolong; they're small, but a lot of the leaves are broken up
Color: Light golden-orange; clear
Smell: For some reason, this tea doesn't smell that strong (both loose leaf and brewed; it could just be me though); I did get some roasted/toasty notes however
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I actually had this tea a long time ago, when I was first getting into loose leaf. I think my dad got it because it was on sale, but since I didn't really like unflavored teas at the time, I didn't think much of it. Actually, I think I still have the bag of the loose leaf with the rest of my tea, but it's probably super old by now (which might be good or bad, I don't know).
Anyway, this is one of the more roastier tikuanyins I've had, and admittedly one of the less flavorful ones (in comparison to others I've had, like monkey-picked tieguanyin). Although it had a strong roasted taste, there were some tangy (maybe fruity?) notes, along with nuts and a very subtle sweetness. The tangy taste lingered on the tongue a while after drinking, which I liked a bit. It was very smooth too, leaving none of that dry taste in my mouth or my throat. However, I couldn't do that many brews today since I was preoccupied with math homework (and also time constraints), but I think it would yield a decent amount. To be honest, I prefer non-roasted, more green oolongs over these, but they vary so much in flavor that I think it isn't that fair to compare them to each other. However, this is a decent enough roasted oolong (and I'll try it again, since I do have the loose leaf still), but it doesn't really wow me.
Other notes:
Just worked on the board today, watched 12 Angry Men (which I enjoyed very much; if only Criterion DVDs weren't so expensive), and made a pot of Royal Milk Tea to put in the fridge before this review. I think the board is actually almost done now, so tomorrow I'm just going to write the paragraphs and start building the wooden case/frame for the map-board. Also, my birthday is in 2 days (hopefully no one can guess who I am from this), and I still have no idea what I really want. I know my friends are planning something since they're asking me (and they also kind of planned it in front of my face), so there's that. I think this is actually the first time in a really long time (the last time was in elementary school, probably) where people are doing stuff for me, other than just giving me the occasional small gift. Woo!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Rose Hip Tea
Friday, April 10, 2015
Day 76: Darjeeling the First Flush
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes 30 seconds, 85-95° C
Leaf Appearance: Light drab green (and some white), medium-large leaves
Color: Dark yellow (I think it's jasmine yellow); clear
Smell: A little weak, but I'm getting some floral notes along with a little bit of roasted-ness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I'm going to try today's review with only 1 cup of tea just because, and also because there's 10 minutes before midnight. Anyway, I was surprised at how green this darjeeling was; the cup turned out much lighter than I thought (I was expecting sort of an amber color instead of the yellowish color). The smell was a bit weak, but the taste was actually pretty strong. It's a bit fruity, with a strong roasted taste which I sort of noticed in the smell. There's a tiny bit of bitterness at the beginning, but it is masked by the citrusy taste. There isn't much astringency, and it's surprisingly smooth considering its taste (which I usually would expect to be at least a little drying). Overall, it's a pretty good darjeeling (of the few darjeelings I've had, this is one of the best), and I would actually buy more if I could. I think I actually used too cold of water (the heater was set to 60 degrees, since I made sencha this morning), but I'm not sure and I'm too lazy to check. I think it'll be stronger if you do use the recommended temperature, but it was good at the temperature and time I used.
Other notes:
Speech went okay (apparently some people liked it, but to be honest I'm not sure if they were just saying that or if they were sincere). I did get 36/35 on the last AP bio test on the endocrine/nervous system, which was pretty awesome. Other than that though, I hung out with friends for a while after school, got home, and slept until 11 (an hour ago).
Also, holy crap this will be posted 1 minute to midnight aaaahhh
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Tikuanyin
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes 30 seconds, 85-95° C
Leaf Appearance: Light drab green (and some white), medium-large leaves
Color: Dark yellow (I think it's jasmine yellow); clear
Smell: A little weak, but I'm getting some floral notes along with a little bit of roasted-ness
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I'm going to try today's review with only 1 cup of tea just because, and also because there's 10 minutes before midnight. Anyway, I was surprised at how green this darjeeling was; the cup turned out much lighter than I thought (I was expecting sort of an amber color instead of the yellowish color). The smell was a bit weak, but the taste was actually pretty strong. It's a bit fruity, with a strong roasted taste which I sort of noticed in the smell. There's a tiny bit of bitterness at the beginning, but it is masked by the citrusy taste. There isn't much astringency, and it's surprisingly smooth considering its taste (which I usually would expect to be at least a little drying). Overall, it's a pretty good darjeeling (of the few darjeelings I've had, this is one of the best), and I would actually buy more if I could. I think I actually used too cold of water (the heater was set to 60 degrees, since I made sencha this morning), but I'm not sure and I'm too lazy to check. I think it'll be stronger if you do use the recommended temperature, but it was good at the temperature and time I used.
Other notes:
Speech went okay (apparently some people liked it, but to be honest I'm not sure if they were just saying that or if they were sincere). I did get 36/35 on the last AP bio test on the endocrine/nervous system, which was pretty awesome. Other than that though, I hung out with friends for a while after school, got home, and slept until 11 (an hour ago).
Also, holy crap this will be posted 1 minute to midnight aaaahhh
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Tikuanyin
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Day 75: Diksam FTGFOP1
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Medium-large black tea leaves, curled/rolled with a small amount of twigs
Color: Dark orange-brown, clear
Smell: My stuffy nose started acting up today (usually happens when I talk a bunch when practicing for speeches), so I couldn't really smell; I did smell that standard assam/black tea smell
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Yet another rush review today, since I have a speech to prep for tomorrow and it's also super late.
Anyway, this is a pretty standard assam (I guess the description was right). It has that malty taste to it, along with a bit of a tanginess from some citrus (or maybe even raisin?) notes. It's a little bit earthy and very smooth with little astringency, but I noticed that it doesn't have that creaminess (or sweetness) that I found in some other assams. Overall it's okay, but I've had better. I still need to get better at black teas, though.
Other notes:
Tomorrow is not going to be fun. Got a speech second period that I feel only sort of ready for (we get notes and everything), so I'm going to be spending tonight just practicing. Since we're the first/second group going, we get more lenient grading, but man this is going to be rough, since I had to pretty much remake the whole visual today because the first one was not very good. Let's see how this goes!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Darjeeling the First Flush
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Medium-large black tea leaves, curled/rolled with a small amount of twigs
Color: Dark orange-brown, clear
Smell: My stuffy nose started acting up today (usually happens when I talk a bunch when practicing for speeches), so I couldn't really smell; I did smell that standard assam/black tea smell
Recommended with/as: As is, milk, sweetener
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Yet another rush review today, since I have a speech to prep for tomorrow and it's also super late.
Anyway, this is a pretty standard assam (I guess the description was right). It has that malty taste to it, along with a bit of a tanginess from some citrus (or maybe even raisin?) notes. It's a little bit earthy and very smooth with little astringency, but I noticed that it doesn't have that creaminess (or sweetness) that I found in some other assams. Overall it's okay, but I've had better. I still need to get better at black teas, though.
Other notes:
Tomorrow is not going to be fun. Got a speech second period that I feel only sort of ready for (we get notes and everything), so I'm going to be spending tonight just practicing. Since we're the first/second group going, we get more lenient grading, but man this is going to be rough, since I had to pretty much remake the whole visual today because the first one was not very good. Let's see how this goes!
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Darjeeling the First Flush
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Day 74: Sencha "Yumegatari"
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, 75-100° C
Leaf Appearance: A light, sort of dark pastel green with grass like leaves; they're somewhat small, but that might just be because of the teabag
Color: A very bright light green, clear
Smell: Grassy with floral notes
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Although the smell isn't that strong, the tea makes up for it in flavor. Although it's light, it's complex. At the start, there is a very subtle tart note that gives way to a brothy, vegetal taste. It ends on a grassy sweet taste, leaving the tongue somewhat cool after drinking. I also noticed a little bit of a roasted taste, which gave the tea a bit of a body. It's also smooth, without astringency or that dry feeling that senchas usually leave in your throat. Overall, I liked it very much and actually finished the whole pot. It did make for a nice late night homework/study tea, too.
Other notes:
Man, I have a group speech on Friday and I don't think my group is ready. We gave the job of making a visual to one person (guess who it is) and of course, he waits until the last minute to make it and it looks not very good. The rest of the group also aren't doing their part for the script, so I'm not looking forward to this speech at all (tomorrow I'm going to have to practice a ton for this).
Other than that, I got some more done with the project by inking in the roads and arrows (but of course the sharpie I had was dry, and the arrows look terrible). I also noticed one thing- personally, I feel like I can describe oolongs and greens decently well, but for the love of me I can't describe an unflavored black tea and be happy with my description. Oh well, hopefully I can fix that by the end of this project.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Diksam FTGFOP1
Type: Green
Brew Time & Temperature: 1 minute, 75-100° C
Leaf Appearance: A light, sort of dark pastel green with grass like leaves; they're somewhat small, but that might just be because of the teabag
Color: A very bright light green, clear
Smell: Grassy with floral notes
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Although the smell isn't that strong, the tea makes up for it in flavor. Although it's light, it's complex. At the start, there is a very subtle tart note that gives way to a brothy, vegetal taste. It ends on a grassy sweet taste, leaving the tongue somewhat cool after drinking. I also noticed a little bit of a roasted taste, which gave the tea a bit of a body. It's also smooth, without astringency or that dry feeling that senchas usually leave in your throat. Overall, I liked it very much and actually finished the whole pot. It did make for a nice late night homework/study tea, too.
Other notes:
Man, I have a group speech on Friday and I don't think my group is ready. We gave the job of making a visual to one person (guess who it is) and of course, he waits until the last minute to make it and it looks not very good. The rest of the group also aren't doing their part for the script, so I'm not looking forward to this speech at all (tomorrow I'm going to have to practice a ton for this).
Other than that, I got some more done with the project by inking in the roads and arrows (but of course the sharpie I had was dry, and the arrows look terrible). I also noticed one thing- personally, I feel like I can describe oolongs and greens decently well, but for the love of me I can't describe an unflavored black tea and be happy with my description. Oh well, hopefully I can fix that by the end of this project.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Diksam FTGFOP1
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