Tuesday Tasting: Jasmine with Ceylon Leafy Green from Lumbini Tea Valley

Continuing my tasting of the samples I got from Lumbini Tea Valley, I thought a little tasting of this Jasmine with Ceylon Leafy Green Tea would be a nice way to wind down the year. I saved it for now because jasmine can supposedly adversely affect breastmilk supply and now that Elliot is one year old, I don’t really have to worry about that as much as I did. And jasmine is one of my favorite scents and flavors.

I used 1.5 grams of tea in my 60-ml gaiwan with 180F water. The dry leaves have visible creamy off-white dried jasmine buds and petals, but are mostly some very large, twisted leaves. The leaf almost looks more like a green yancha than a young green tea. The warm, dry leaf has the scent of white florals, but I get lily and gardenia in addition to jasmine.

I tasted this tea without a rinse, steeping for one minute each time. After the first steeping, the jasmine aroma came out of the wet leaves more strongly, though I could still smell the other white florals, with a vegetal undertone. The pale green-gold liquor had a pronounced, but not overpowering, jasmine flavor, with a subtle umami quality and a rich, syrupy mouthfeel. There was a grassy brightness on the aftertaste.

The second steeping revealed a sweeter jasmine aroma that was more like orange blossom. The liquor was a slightly brighter and darker color. The flavor and body were richer, with the jasmine flavor fading and the vegetal and “tea-floral” flavors coming forward (i.e., the floral notes that I associate with the tea itself rather than the scenting). The third steeping was much the same, with the aroma and color holding steady and a slightly lighter flavor.

On the fourth steeping, I noticed a bright acidity in the flavor, which was lighter, but still enjoyable. But by the fifth steeping, the tea was obviously done. The spent leaf unfurled into some very large leaves, again more like what I would expect in an oolong than a green tea. The leaves were either from some massive-leafed cultivar, or else were older than typical green tea leaves. I tend to think it was the later, since it had more complex flavors to meld with the jasmine, rather than the grassy notes I associate with very young green leaves.

NB: This tea was sent to me in exchange for featuring. All thoughts are my own. If you are interested in contacting me for a collaboration or featured sample, please read my collaboration information.

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Most Memorable Teas of 2019

Marco at Steap’d has challenged us all to share our most memorable teas of 2019 and, thinking back, I can think of so many right off the top of my head (which I suppose is what makes them “memorable”). 2019 brought a lot of tea growth for me, so I think this merits a blog post rather than a series of Instagram posts. So here we go.

First of all, my most memorable tea moments of 2019 had nothing to do with specific teas. 2019 was the year that I really started to connect with the tea community at large, particularly through Instagram. I think having a long chunk of time at home on maternity leave helped, as did just feeling my own personal identity get dismantled and rebuilt through the ordeal of motherhood (ordeal in the “transformative event” sense, not in the “it’s so horrible” sense). 2019 was the year that I realized that, yes, I am a tea blogger. I may have pretended to be a beauty blogger in the past, but my true passion lies in what I pour into my face, not on it. And part of that self-definition came from meeting wonderful people, virtually and otherwise, like Marco and Nazanin and all the others I’ve met on social media. I hope that 2020 will bring more tea meetups, as well as some exciting tea adventures, some of which are already being planned.

Now, I want to say that these are not reviews or even tasting notes of the teas I’m mentioning. This is strictly Jenn’s story time about the teas that have stood out to her this year and why they might have felt more special. If I have a tasting or video featuring them, I will link it, but the primary purpose of this post is to be utter fluff and nostalgia.

Hojicha.Co Dark Roast Hojicha

This one comes first because this was the tea that not only re-introduced me to hojicha, but also started me realizing that I love roasted teas. I think it was the day that Hojicha.co announced that they were selling their hojicha powder in 100g packets that I went to their site and bought one of everything. I started with the Gold Roast because it seemed more appropriate to the season, and it was good, but as the weather cooled down, I decided to crack open the dark roast. And, wow.

I featured this hojicha in my “Hobbits and Hojicha” video because it is the perfect tea for autumn. It reminds me of cozy blankets and fires in the fireplace, and I imagine I’m going to drink it throughout the winter as well. And Megan from Tea Musings has suggested that I try mixing the Dark Roast and the Gold Roast, which is something I’m excited to try as soon as I restock my Dark Roast.

Lapsang Souchong

Not all memories are fond ones, and I think the face I made when I tasted a smoked Lapsang in this video should make the list. While this year was the year that I discovered I liked roasted teas, this was also the year that I confirmed that I dislike smoked teas. I did have a rather nice unsmoked Lapsang, which was akin to finding out I enjoy unoaked Chardonnay, but the real memorable taste is the utter regret I felt at brewing up a cup of the tarry stuff. Definitely not my cup of tea.

Storm King Tea Full-Leaf Phugri Estate Darjeeling

When I was chatting with Mark of Storm King Teas on Instagram, it came up that I was rather enjoying the Phugri Estate Darjeeling I got in a sampler from his company earlier this year. I featured this tea in my historical tea video about Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford simply because I love its delicacy and complexity so much. I never drank very much Darjeeling before this year and both this tea and the regular Phugri Estate Darjeeling from Mark’s shop changed that for me.

Old Ways Tea Shui Jin Gui

This was the year that I discovered yancha in earnest. While I’ve had yancha before, I hadn’t really explored it as a style before this year. And I definitely fell in love. I started with an order from Old Ways Tea, and initially opened the Shui Xians and Rou Gui I ordered because the notes on the Shui Jin Gui suggested that the roast was still a bit fresh and might do with a bit of a sit.

Well, in an Instagram live session, Marco mentioned that he had a Shui Jin Gui that tasted like orange, so I decided to make that my morning yancha session that day, and I was blown away. Yancha in general is a new favorite for me, and Shui Jin Gui is probably my second favorite yancha now. I get notes of allspice, orange peel, and burnt sugar, so I think it tastes like Christmas. In fact, I woke up on Christmas morning and had a session with this tea under the Christmas tree!

Floating Leaves Tea Taiwan Da Hong Pao

Speaking of yancha, this was the year that I decided my favorite tea is Da Hong Pao. Of course, I’d had it before, but this was the year I really decided it was my favorite tea, out of all the lovely teas I enjoy. And this Taiwan Da Hong Pao from Floating Leaves Tea (which is in the photo at the top of this post) was instrumental in that discovery about myself.

This tea is both unmistakably Da Hong Pao, and also unmistakably Taiwanese. It doesn’t have as much strong rock taste as the Chinese Da Hong Paos I’ve tried this year, but from the rinse, you get Da Hong Pao from the aroma. And it does take a little bit to get going in flavor because it’s rolled, but once it does, it’s definitely Da Hong Pao, but with the soft honey sweetness that I associate with Taiwanese oolongs.

Naoki Matcha 2019 Chiran Harvest

I severely reduced my matcha consumption this year, possibly because I just preferred the experience of brewing leaves. But this matcha from Naoki Matcha was enlightening. As I mentioned in my video tasting, it’s probably the nicest matcha I’ve tried to date. I was fortunate enough to get to taste it for free, after responding to a call for tasters in Naoki’s newsletter, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t actually as expensive as I thought it would be.

If you’re new to matcha, this is an easily-accessible one in the States and it’s a fantastic example of what good matcha tastes like. If you have the means, definitely splash out for it, rather than getting one of the swamp-water matchas on Amazon like I started with.

Yunnan Sourcing 2011 Mengku Grade 3 Ripe Puerh Mini Tuo Cha

This was also the year that I decided to buckle down and learn a little something about puerh. And this ripe puerh sample from Yunnan Sourcing was both the beginning of my exploration and the beginning of my switch from reviewing teas to sharing tasting notes.

Before tasting this puerh, I hadn’t really ever had a puerh that really tasted sweet more than earthy, but this one showed me the variation in flavor in a good ripe puerh. I’ve spent the rest of the year exploring raw puerh mostly, but puerh in general is likely to be a theme of my 2020 if I find more like this.

TeaVivre Shou Mei Cake in my Silver Teapot

This isn’t really the specific tea, but more a technique that was suggested to me by Misha at Path of Cha. I bought this Shou Mei cake from TeaVivre rather on a whim when I was exploring teas that I could get on Amazon, and I was rather underwhelmed by it. So it got tucked in the back of my tea cabinet, and later packed in a box, and then unpacked and rediscovered when I moved this year. But it wasn’t until Misha suggested trying it in silver that I even opened it back up again.

And I was really surprised by the complexities of flavor. I even experimented with boiling it. It’s such an all-seasons tea, with a lot of interest. I think I’ll probably share this one the next time I have people over to taste teas. Plus, it’s an example of giving a “meh” tea a second chance.

So those are my 2019 most memorable teas. What are yours?

NB: Some of these teas were provided as gifts or in exchange for featuring in their own posts. All thoughts here are my own, and full disclosures will be with the tea’s individual posts.

Christmas Tea Tasting: Earl Grey from Lumbini Tea Valley

Every year, on Christmas morning when I was a child, I would wake up as is traditional at an absurd hour of the morning. Now, my father was an early riser and did not much notice or care that I was up with the sun, but my mother appreciates her sleep. So in order to help her wake up, the rule was that we could only open gifts once someone made my mother a cup of tea. That usually fell to me, and I would make her favorite tea: Earl Grey with a quarter teaspoon of sugar. To this day, Earl Grey is one of my favorite comfort teas, and I love it in tea lattes or as a scent in things.

So, while Earl Grey tea will always remind me of my mother, it has a particularly special meaning on Christmas. This made it seem like a fitting tasting for Christmas Eve’s Tasting Tuesday. I received this as part of my pack of free samples from Lumbini Tea Valley, of which I started posting notes last week. This is a Ceylon tea based Earl Grey, which is interesting because originally Earl Grey was said to be a scented Chinese tea, gifted to the second Earl Grey in the early 19th century, before the beginning of large-scale tea cultivation in Sri Lanka, but the origin story of the tea is largely believed to be apocryphal, and the first published references to the tea were in the late 19th century, though one tea blender claims to have been blending Earl Grey since 1830. Who knows which is right? All that said, Earl Grey is a well-known blend these days and is based on a variety of black teas from all over the tea-cultivating world.

I used 1.4 g of tea leaves for 105 ml of water for my tasting, in a small ceramic teapot. The dry leaf smelled lightly of bergamot, but with a strong white floral note. After steeping for the first time with boiling water for two minutes, the floral was stronger and was more identifiable as gardenia or lily. The liquor was a medium apricot color with a distinct floral aroma. The flavor was not overpowered by bergamot. This definitely had the feel of a tea to which bergamot was added to enhance the natural flavors of the tea, rather than to mask them. The citrus notes of bergamot almost feel like another note of the tea’s aroma and flavor itself rather than an added scent. It’s quite floral with a sweet, malty aftertaste. It had no astringency with a creamy, medium-dry mouthfeel and a lingering light peach or apricot aftertaste.

I got two additional steepings from the tea, both lighter in flavor and color than the first. The second steeping was again for two minutes with boiling water. It had a lighter flavor, with more floral than citrus. The third steeping, done for three minutes in boiling water, was lighter still. I added a twist of lemon peel to augment the citrus flavor, which was delicious without adding the acidity of lemon juice

NB: I was sent these samples free of charge from Lumbini Tea Valley in exchange for giving my honest thoughts about them. For more information about my tea tasting posts, read why I’ve switched from reviewing to tasting notes. Please contact me if you are interested in collaboration or sponsorship.

Festive Tea Cocktails for the Winter, Featuring Tea Sparrow

While I am not typically a big drinker, I do love the occasional cocktail. I often have them out at one of the wonderful bars or distilleries in DC, but once in a while I like to make my own. Now, I like classic cocktails, so when I found out that Daly’s Bartenders’ Encyclopedia from 1903 was available in its entirety on Google Books, I had to take a look. It’s commonly believed that cocktails were popularized in the 1920s when Prohibition led bartenders to mix lower-quality, homemade booze with other ingredients to disguise the flavor, but this book, released more than 15 years before the beginning of Prohibition, contains a multitude of recipes, including some familiar favorites.

In exploring the recipes, I learned that tea was actually part of some traditional cocktail recipes, and it was a common ingredient in punches, so I reached out to Tea Sparrow again to see if they were interested in providing me some teas to work into my Edwardian-era cocktails. Rather than just sticking straight to the recipe, here I’ve decided to take three recipes and play with them a little. One is a tea-based cocktail on its own, but I’ve given it my own twist, and the other two did not originally include tea, but they work with it well.

The teas for these cocktails are from Tea Sparrow, who previously sent me their subscription box and who make some of the only flavored teas that I’ve actually liked recently. They’ve generously offered my readers a discount, which is at the bottom of this post.

Tea Cobbler with Ruby Oolong

This was the original recipe that started the idea. Originally, a tea cobbler likely would have been made with black tea, but I decided to make a version with Ruby Oolong, since the flavor is interesting and refreshing, with a depth that suits colder weather. Despite being a cold cocktail, the combination of fruit, tea, and rum would make a nice pick-me-up at a holiday brunch.

I cold brewed my oolong for this cocktail to bring out the complex flavors and avoid melting the ice. I also decided to use the juice of half an orange instead of the juice of a lemon, which meant I didn’t need the sugar. So I put six ice cubes in a glass, added the juice of half an orange, filled it halfway with cold-brewed tea, and then topped with an ounce of rum and an orange peel twist. I used a rum from Maryland instead of Jamaica rum.

The whole effect is absolutely perfect, the sweetness of the oolong marrying with the sweetness of the rum and orange juice, with just a little fragrance to offset the bitterness of the orange peel and the smoky oakiness of the rum.

Hot Whiskey Cocktail with Cardamom Cream Tea

This one came to mind when Dan got a nasty cold and we were talking about a hot toddy, and Daly’s Hot Whiskey Cocktail is like a fancy hot toddy. I realized that any of the hot water cocktails from Daly’s guide could be made with tea in place of the hot water for a lovely hot tea cocktail. When I saw the Cardamom Cream tea on Tea Sparrow’s website, I knew it was perfect for this classic cocktail. The Cardamom Cream is based on Earl Grey tea, with rose, vanilla, and cardamom, making this a delightful twist on an Earl Grey cocktail.

And, oh boy, was I right! Daly suggests serving this in a hot whiskey glass (which is similar to an Irish coffee glass), but as I lack one of those, I served it in a Turkish tea cup because the combination of rose and cardamom in the tea made it seem appropriate. I put one teaspoon of sugar in the bottom of the cup, topped it with tea to about halfway full, added a dash of Angostura bitters, and then 1.5 oz. of bourbon whiskey. I garnished it with an orange twist rather than a lemon twist because I love orange and cardamom. This was probably my favorite of the three — it was the perfect blend of flavors, sweetness, and warmth.

Daly suggests that it is perfect to warm up after driving or automobiling in chilly weather, but I think it’s perfect for after shoveling show or taking a winter morning walk. Or just for relaxing inside with your nutcracker.

Hot Egg Nog with Cacao Tea

The Hot Egg Nog was an interesting recipe because I had just been playing with adding store-bought egg nog to my tea. I blended the recipe for hot egg nog and brandy egg nog, and added cacao shell tea to give it a chocolate-y kick. The original recipe called for two ounces of liquor, but I cut it down to an ounce and a half, which was the perfect amount.

First I heated a cup of whole milk with a rounded tablespoon of cacao shell tea on the stove over medium-high heat until it reached about 180F (when tiny bubbles appear around the edges). I turned off the heat and let it steep for five more minutes, and then returned it to 180F. In a small bowl, I whisked together two teaspoons of sugar with an egg yolk and an ounce and a half of brandy until well-mixed and slightly lighter in color. Then, I slowly strained in the hot milk while whisking constantly (it helps to have a friend to hold the strainer). This was poured into a mug and garnished with a grating of nutmeg.

This packs a kick, probably from the hot milk vaporizing the alcohol above the surface of the drink, but I love the combination of milk, brandy, and the light chocolate flavor of the cacao tea. It reminds me a little of the Swiss chocolate ice cream at a local ice cream parlor we went to when I was a child, which was a very light chocolate ice cream. And having it warm makes it feel cozy and comforting. It’s perfect for an evening in, especially since the cacao shell tea has no caffeine to speak of.

NB: Tea Sparrow sent these teas for free in exchange for being featured in this post. You can use the code “TeaLeavesandTweed” for 20% off your first order, or 20% off your first month if you purchase a subscription. If you are interested in collaboration or sponsorship, please contact me.

A Day in the Life of an Enthusiastic Amateur Blogger

Last week, Eric at One Man’s Tea Journey posted “a day in the life,” where he talked about the teas he drank in a typical (or possibly not-so-typical) day, and wondered aloud what others’ tea days look like. So I thought I would oblige by sharing a day in tea for me. This isn’t the first time I’ve shared a post like this, but it will be the first time I actually talk about my tea habits on a typical day.

Now, similarly to Eric, I have never made money from my blog in my five years of blogging. I have received some free and discounted samples, and occasionally someone will use an affiliate link, which does technically earn me a little store credit to a place I used to shop, but really, this blog is a labor of love, not a revenue stream. I have flirted with the idea of monetizing, so if you’re a company and interested in paying me for the kind of thing you see around here (or on my YouTube channel), call me. I am definitely still a blogger because, well, I blog — Je blog, tu blogs, il/elle blog, etc. — but I am decidedly merely an enthusiastic amateur, not a professional.

Anyway, on to the tea. The day I’ve decided to record is a fairly standard Friday, with the small exception of the fact that I left work early to attend our company’s holiday party. But since most of my tea-drinking is done by 4pm anyway, that doesn’t really affect the tea.

My day generally starts at 5:15 a.m. when my alarm goes off. If I’m feeling diligent, I will get up right away; otherwise, I will usually set a 10-minute timer as a sort of snooze alarm. I often will use at least some of that time to check my phone, at least in part because I want the light to help wake me up. But this particular Friday, Elliot had woken up at 4:20 wanting to be nursed, so I hadn’t fallen back asleep when my alarm went off, which actually made for a rather leisurely morning. I got out of bed at 5:15, fed the cat, and filled the kettle. I programmed it and then went to shower. As I’ve discussed before, I only wash my hair twice a week, and always in the afternoon or evening, so my showers are quick affairs, generally about as long again as it takes the water to heat up. By the time I’d showered, washed my face, and put on vitamin C serum, the water was hot.

I went back out to the kitchen, where I set up my tea tray with my Chaozhou pot, a pitcher, and a cup. I used 4g of Shui Xian from Old Ways Tea (if I were Eric, I might note that this was $0.88 worth of tea) for my session, reserving the rinse/first steeping, and steeping it three more times, savoring each of those while I prepared Elliot’s bottles and lunch, and made myself a bowl of yogurt. After I’d steeped it those three times after the rinse, I started pouring the steepings into my favorite mug. I can get about four steepings into the mug, which I take back into the bedroom to enjoy with my first breakfast while Elliot sleeps and my husband gets up to shower. Elliot woke up before I finished, so I finished my tea while nursing him again, and then I got dressed, drank the rinse, and brushed my teeth and did my “makeup” (tinted sunscreen).

I will sometimes put the spent leaves into a travel mug with more hot water, but this particular morning, I was feeling the energy of the tea a bit more than usual and it was making me feel a little woozy, so I called the session there and cleaned up. After getting my shoes, coat, and handbag, I left the house shortly after 7 a.m.

On my way to work, I decided I wanted a pastry, so I stopped at my favorite bakery for a sweet fougasse, a delicious thing with orange blossom and sugar on the outside. The floral sweet called for just the right accompaniment, and I thought that would be the Bitterleaf Sugar Glider, but when I opened my tin, I found only dust and regret, so I decided to have some Iron Goddess oolong from the Easthill Tea Co. This was a gift from a colleague when she went to Chicago, so I honestly have no idea how much those 5g of tea would cost.

At my desk, I typically use either a gaiwan or my “fish teapot” — an easy gaiwan set my husband bought me for my birthday a couple years ago. This morning, I decided to go with the gaiwan. I have a kettle on my desk to boil water, so I can brew again and again without having to get up. I probably get at least seven or eight steepings out of a single batch of leaves, but I honestly almost never keep count. I just keep steeping until I don’t feel like steeping anymore. This day was no different, and a cup of floral oolong and a floral pastry made for a delightful second breakfast. I continued steeping this out until it was time to head to the party at 3:30.

The party did not afford me the chance to have and more tea, but I did have some lovely cocktails. They actually had a cocktail on the menu that was made with tea, but they had run out of the syrups used for it, so they couldn’t make it. But I had variations on a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, which are usuals for me, since I love whiskeys/whiskies.

The party was lovely, though I am not used to having much to drink, so I appreciated a somewhat bracing walk to the train before riding home. At home, it was pretty much time to get Elliot ready for bed, so I made a cup of lavender-chamomile tea while I washed up and did my skin care. I always steep it, remove the flowers, and then cover the brewed tea to keep it warm so I can put Elliot to bed and then enjoy a nice warm cup of tea while I unwind. It was a perfect finish to a perfect day of tea.

So that is my “day in tea (and other beverages).” What does yours look like?

Tasting Tuesday: Teas From Lumbini Tea Company, Part One

A little while ago, I was contacted by Lumbini Tea Valley, who offered me some samples for tasting. When they arrived, I was surprised by the variety, so I’ve decided to do the tastings a few at a time. Today, I’m going to share my notes on the fanciest of the teas I was sent: the Manjary Handcrafted tea flowers, the Silver Needles, and the Golden Tips.

Manjary Handcrafted

These are whole black tea leaves that have been hand-tied into beautiful little rosettes. I steeped them in gaiwan, using 2.4 grams in a 120-ml gaiwan, with boiling water. The first steeping was for thirty seconds, after which I was greeted with a pinkish-amber liquor that was surprisingly sweet. I got notes of wildflower honey, with a malty-raisin aroma on the wet leaf.

The second steeping, also for thirty seconds, revealed a smoky aroma on the wet leaf and roses on the gaiwan lid. The flavor had a mellow chocolate sweetness with a little dried fruit, like prune or date. The third steeping, for one minute, had the rosettes starting to unroll a bit, and revealed flavors of dried fruit and a little black pepper. By the fourth steeping, which went for two minutes, the leaves had thoroughly unrolled and the flavor had faded. The spent leaves were large, as you can see above, with a very uniform dark brown color.

Silver Needle and Golden Tips

These two teas I decided to steep side-by-side. I’ve been enjoying side-by-side steepings in my mini-gaiwans, which are 60 ml each and work well for this kind of tasting. They were also fun during my recent tea gathering with friends. Also, the samples I was sent were rather small, so a smaller sized vessel was perfect to ensure I got the most out of my leaves. For each tea, I used one gram of leaves in a 60-ml gaiwan with water at 190F, rinsed briefly and then steeped for 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, and three minutes.

The dry aroma of the Silver was peach and jasmine, with a little menthol, while the rinsed leaf had aromas of smoke and mugwort. The dry aroma of the Gold was spruce and cypress with a smoke aroma on the rinsed leaf. The first steeping revealed a floral aroma and jasmine flavor from the Silver and a fruity aroma and honey-sweet flavor from the Gold. The second steeping, the Silver was floral and peachy while the Gold had flavors of honey and apricot. By the fourth steeping, both had given up most of their flavor.

Stay tuned in coming weeks to hear my thoughts on the rest of the samples I received from Lumbini Tea Valley!

NB: I was sent these samples free of charge from Lumbini Tea Company in exchange for giving my honest thoughts about them. For more information about my tea tasting posts, read why I’ve switched from reviewing to tasting notes. Please contact me if you are interested in collaboration or sponsorship.

Tea With Friends: Hosting My First Tea Tasting Gathering

I’ve been running this blog for about five years and have been drinking tea for almost my entire life, and I have hosted my fair share of tea parties. From the late-night, tea and biscuits nights with my friend Rebecca, where we would drink too much Earl Grey, eat Pepperidge Farm chocolate biscuits, and stay up all night watching British comedy, to my ever-so-proper bridal tea, my teas tend to be of the British persuasion. But as I’ve gotten more into tea cultures from around the world, I’ve wanted to try sharing my tea practices with my friends, especially those who have already expressed an interest. So I recently contacted two of my friends who are not seriously into tea, but who have made comments about wanting to learn, to come over and share a tea tasting.

I decided to taste three different teas that I find particularly interesting and that will introduce different types of teaware. I also put out a couple little dishes of nuts and dried fruit, just in case people needed a little to nibble, since we were tasting from about 10 a.m. to noon.

We started with a Rou Gui in my Chaozhou pot, served traditionally in a gongfu style so that I could demonstrate the practice. It was so fun to watch them taste this style of tea for the first time. We talked about aromas versus flavors versus mouthfeel, and they asked a ton of questions. I will say, it was a little difficult to try to avoid steering their perception of the tea, since I’m so used to tasting alone in front of a camera and having to carry the entire conversation, but I really enjoyed getting their perspectives on the tea. They were particularly intrigued that we didn’t need to steep it for a long time, and that the flavor evolved over the different steepings. And when we tasted the rinse at the end of the session, they noticed some flavors that I don’t usually.

Throughout the tasting, we used my Tea Notes pad from Tea Thoughts to jot down notes, and I love how Nazanin has organized the note sheet, with a spot for “Steep Memory,” so that you’re encouraged to connect emotionally with a tea. I also think it helped keep the tasting fun and not too serious.

After the yancha, we moved on to a sort of intermission with the Malawi Antlers tea from Rare Tea Company. I chose this tea in part because the stems will have less caffeine and I know at least one person at the tasting had to be careful of caffeine, but also because it’s a lovely example of how different parts of the tea plant can have different flavors. And it was a good way to demonstrate the use of the gaiwan before I gave each of them their own to play with. They were intrigued that the Malawi Antlers tasted almost more like an herbal infusion than tea because of the lack of tannins, and at least one of them said it was their favorite of the day.

Then, we moved on to the AAA Tieguanyin from Yunnan Sourcing, which you may remember from my recent comparative tasting video. I loved this tea and I thought sharing a really floral green oolong would be a nice contrast to the spicy roasted yancha earlier in the session. I also had each of them steep it themselves with one of my 60-ml gaiwans, so we had a little interlude where we practiced pouring cold water with the gaiwan.

We ended up spending about two hours tasting tea, talking about it, and just enjoying each other’s company. It was a wonderful way to spend time with friends and share my interests in real life, since most of my tea-related interactions happen online. And it was fun to try out hosting a tasting. I definitely want to try it again sometime!

How to Buy a Gift for a Tea Lover

It’s a major gift-giving season, so I thought I’d write a post about gifts for tea lovers. Note that this isn’t a “gift guide” or a “buyer’s guide” of specific things that I think you should buy. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, along with some recommendations of good companies from which to buy things, check out Nazanin’s gift guide on Tea Thoughts. But one thing that I think doesn’t get addressed nearly often enough in “gift guides” is the idea that gift-giving is about choosing a gift, not buying a gift. Choosing a gift for someone requires a set of skills that is tricky for some people (including some people I dearly love), so I thought that going through my gift-choice thought process might be helpful. I’m focusing on tea because I know a little bit about being a tea lover, and in particular, I know a little bit about being a very particular person to shop for sometimes (although I appreciate all thoughtful gifts).

The first thing you need to choose a gift is a certain knowledge about how a person likes their tea. I think this is more important than what kind of teas they like because someone who loves tea can often enjoy new flavors, and in fact would rather have new flavors than the same old thing all the time, but how a person makes and enjoys their tea will inform a lot about what kinds of teas you’re looking for. Does your recipient like their tea British-style in a cup and saucer with milk, sugar, and/or lemon? Or do they prefer to brew in an Asian style, such as gongfu or grandpa-style? Or are they a matcha fanatic? You wouldn’t get the same gift for all three of these, even though they could all be called “tea lovers.”

It is also important to think about what kind of brewing they are comfortable with. A person who usually puts a tea bag in a mug of water will probably not have the equipment to get the most out of gyokuro, just as a person who brews all of their tea gongfu style probably won’t be able to appreciate a CTC Assam, since it often does poorly in gongfucha. Remember that a gift is first and foremost meant to enrich the life of the person receiving it, and giving them something they can’t or won’t use isn’t terribly enriching, even if it’s a very nice thing. So the person who drinks mostly teabag tea might like a selection of bagged teas from a company that takes care to use high-quality tea. And the person who drinks everything gongfu style will prefer a loose-leaf tea, probably from China or Korea.

The next thing to think about is whether or not you know that the person is interested in trying a new method. My first gaiwan was a gift from my mother because she knew I was interested in expanding my knowledge of tea brewing methods. Similarly, I bought a friend a matcha set because she expressed an interest in matcha. If you have that friend that drinks tea from a tea bag every day, but has expressed that they wished they could try something better and they just don’t know where to start, it might be appropriate to get them a simple infuser and some loose leaf tea. Or the person who drinks loose leaf and has expressed an interest in different tea cultures might appreciate being gifted teaware and tea that are associated with those cultures. I think the trick here is to know if you will need to get them the tools as well as the tea, since getting one without the other wouldn’t be very helpful.

In my tea primer, I go through different “levels” of tea (so called because they follow my own personal progression of tea practice, not because some practices are inherently superior than others) and what tools and teas might be appropriate for people at different points in their tea journey, so taking a look at that might be helpful in deciding what kind of tools you might want to get. Plus, there is something to be said for getting something that someone wants (and people rarely keep things like this a very private secret, if you listen), but thinks is too silly to buy for themself. One of my favorite recent tea gifts was a set of Turkish tea cups and tea from Rize that I got from two friends. I would never have thought to get it for myself, but I’m always interested in learning about new tea cultures, so it was like getting a tea set, tea, and a new research rabbit hole to dive down all in one!

At this point, it’s time to think about what kind of teas your recipient likes. It helps to know dislikes more than likes, since dislikes are often non-negotiable, but likes can evolve. For example, I wouldn’t get my mother a green tea because she generally dislikes green teas, but just because I know Earl Grey is her favorite doesn’t mean that I would only ever buy her Earl Grey. If you don’t have a strong knowledge of different styles of tea, it might help to see if there is a tea shop near you where the staff might be able to discuss similarities among different types of teas. For example, if your friend likes green tea, they might also enjoy a less-oxidized oolong, or if they love black teas, a roasted oolong might be an interesting new thing for them to try.

And don’t forget that tea lovers love teaware! Never underestimate the allure of even a very inexpensive tea cup, either from a Chinese gift shop or a thrift store with vintage finds. Some of my favorite teacups in my collection were purchased for under $5 from a thrift shop. I wish everyone a joyful holiday season and hope this helps take some of the stress out of gift shopping!

(Also, I know this isn’t a buyer’s guide, but if you’re looking for a beautiful gift for someone who enjoys teas from the Wuyi region of China, the photo above is how my recent purchase from Old Ways Tea came packaged and I think any tea-lover would be tickled by opening such a pretty box!)

Tasting Tuesday: 2002 Tai Lian “Kunming Tea Market Opening” Anniversary Raw Puerh from Yunnan Sourcing’s “Intro to Puerh”

Today I’m finishing off the third in my series of raw puerhs from Yunnan Sourcing’s “Intro to Puerh” sampler. This week’s tasting is of the set’s aged raw puerh, which is the 2002 Tai Lian “Kunming Tea Market Opening” Anniversary Cake. I was particularly excited to taste this teas because I’ve been intrigued by aging and the effects of aging on teas. Next, I want to try different years of the same tea, which I happen to have from Crimson Lotus. But on to this tasting.

I used 7.5 grams in a 120-ml gaiwan with water at 190F. I noticed aromas of henna and caramelized sugar from the dry leaf. I rinsed it and then steeped eleven times, starting with a ten-second steeping and increasing by five seconds each steeping until the last three steepings, which were one minute, ninety seconds, and two minutes. After a rinse, I got aromas of smoke from the gaiwan lid and fruitcake from the wet leaf.

After the first steeping, the gaiwan lid had an almost Lapsang-level of smoke aroma and the wet leaf had a light smoky aroma and some sugar. The liquor was whisky colored and smelled of Islay whisky. It had a medium-light body with no dryness or bitterness and a light fruity flavor. The second steeping started to open up more, with both lid and leaf smelling of smoke and peat. The liquor was slightly darker with a prune aroma. It was still a medium-light mouthfeel with a bit more dryness and the bitterness started coming through. It was a citrus-peel bitterness. The steeping reminded me of fruitcake soaked in good whisky.

By the third steeping, the leaf had started to smell a bit greener, though the lid was still smoky. The liquor was a darker amber color with a smoky aroma. There was more citrus peel bitterness and I noticed the smoke coming through in the flavor more. I could feel some sort of body sensation but couldn’t quite put my finger on what. The fourth steeping brought less smokiness and more fruitcake into the aroma and I felt like the bitterness was evolving. By the fifth steeping, I was noticing a long sweetness behind the bitterness and the sixth steeping brought an interesting bright astringency.

The seventh steeping felt like it had mellowed. I wrote that it’s “just kind of warm and cozy,” with a bright citrus peel flavor and a little tingle. On the eighth steeping, I noticed a bit of anise aroma and a tiny hint of maple in the flavor. I pushed it on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh steepings because I could tell the flavor was starting to fade, but I was still enjoying it. I noticed it mellow into a creamy mouthfeel with flavors of sweet fruits. The tenth steeping had a lovely viscosity to the mouthfeel and a sugar sweetness, but by the eleventh steeping it was obviously done.

The spent leaves show a slightly varied color, ranging from olive green to tan, with more broken leaves. I found this tea very interesting and I’m really curious to try it again in silver.

Beauty Review: The TEA.L Ceremony Set

NB: I was sent the TEA.L Ceremony Set free of charge by TEA.L, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Also, TEA.L is currently offering an automatic 30% off from now until Christmas, with no code needed!

When I was a kid, my mother introduced me to afternoon tea, which we would have every afternoon when I came home from kindergarten. It was at that point that I developed a lifelong love of tea. Later on, I also developed a love of fantasy books, particularly those with dragons, so when my mother was looking for a gift for me at one point, she ended up buying me a tin of Dragonwell tea. This was my first experience with tea outside of British-style black tea with milk and sugar, and has remained a tea that is close to my heart (hence why I always have some on hand, as I mentioned in my Marie Antoinette video).

All of this is a convoluted way of explaining why, when I heard that a skincare brand was infusing their products with Dragonwell tea, I knew it might be meant to be. I first heard about the brand on Marco’s Instagram at Steap’d, and when I commented on his post, the brand reached out and offered to send me something to try. They ended up sending me their full set.

TEA.L is a skin care company whose star ingredient is Dragonwell green tea infused into the oils they use in their naturally-led products. A quick note about “green” or “clean” products: I no longer specifically seek out “natural” products, as I explain here, but I appreciate the brand’s transparency about why they choose the ingredients they do, particularly when they admit that the “paraben-free” hype is probably just marketing. And, as someone who has had a reaction to “natural” fragrance, I’m glad that they list their essential oils rather than using “fragrance” as a hide-all ingredient.

The TEA.L Ceremony Set includes three products: the Green Tea + Guayusa Face Care, the Green Tea + Rooibos Body Care, and the Green Tea + Yerba Mate Eye Care. I started testing the Body Care and Eye Care on 11/2, and then added the Face Care a week later, just to make sure I didn’t have any reaction. At the time I’m writing this review, I’ve been using the Eye Care for four weeks and the Face Care for three weeks, morning and night. You can find my current skin care routine here; I apply the eye cream after hydrating serum but before oil, and I apply the cream after oil. I introduced each face product in complete isolation for one week at least, and I waited until after my period to make sure any breakouts were hormone-related.

Let’s start with the body cream. I only recently discovered I even like rooibos to drink after years of thinking I hated it, so I was worried I’d hate the scent of this, since Marco said it smells exactly like rooibos. And he’s not wrong, but it’s delicious. It’s a deep, earthy scent with that light bright woodiness that I get from good rooibos. My husband thinks it smells like shou puerh, but he also has the worst sense of smell. The one thing it doesn’t smell like is perfume, so I feel like I can use this even when I’m using other fragrance without it clashing. I mostly used it on my dry, dark elbows, and noticed that they got smoother, less itchy, and lighter colored.

Okay, now eyes. So first of all, I don’t use eye cream. It’s not some philosophical thing; I just don’t use it. But I tried really, really hard, and I did use my eye cream all but maybe one or two days of my testing for this. The eye cream has a rich texture, but it feels light on the skin, doesn’t irritate my eyes, and it absorbs very nicely. Also, despite being silicone-free, it spreads amazingly and I have to use an extremely small amount for both eyes — like the size of a grain of rice. It smells like cucumbers to me, which is odd given that it has no synthetic fragrance, but I like it. My absolute only complaint is that the formula does thicken in the pump head and will sometimes clog, but that’s going to happen with any cream with a high percentage of natural butters.

Finally, the face cream. I loved the texture of the face cream. It was somehow buttery, yet light, and it almost had a sort of water-drop feeling on the skin. I used half a pump for daytime before sunscreen and a full pump at night before applying my face balm. I haven’t really used a cream regularly for a while, so I was fully prepared to feel kind of meh about it, but, honestly, I love it. Of the three products, this is the one I’m going to repurchase when I run out. I love the scent (I usually hate geranium and ylang-ylang, but the earthiness of the infused botanicals seem to ground it in a way I like). I love the texture. I love the effect on my skin. And I started using another product, the Deciem Photography Fluid, with it by adding a drop or two to my morning half-pump, and my skin looks truly stunning. Check out my Anji Bai Cha tasting video for it in action — it actually makes your skin look better under fluorescent lights.

And I actually remembered to take before and after photos! This is before starting testing on the left and after on the right (because I’m not a monster). I took the photos in the morning before putting anything on my face, or even washing it, so these are “I woke up like this” photos. So I obviously didn’t get the lighting exactly the same between them (in fact, I did try editing the “before” picture a bit to get the exposure a bit more similar), but two things immediately jumped out at me. One, my skin looks just generally evener, less red, and glowier in the after photo. And the second is that I actually notice that the crinkles at the corners of my eyes are noticeably less, well, noticeable in the after photo. Now, I’m not trying to stop the aging process, but perhaps these products are helping my skin be healthier and more elastic, which isn’t a bad thing. Of course, it’s possible that simply applying a separate eye cream is what’s doing it. But still. Color me impressed.

So those are my thoughts about the TEA.L products. I was actually really impressed, and at least one product is going to make it into my daily routine for good, which is high praise, given how much I’ve pared down my routine in recent years. Definitely check them out if you’re looking for a new cream.