“Oh wow, I’ve had this however long and never opened it. The brewed tea smells of plum and maple syrup, mmm. It tastes of plum and maple syrup and sitting by the fireplace with friends. I love it!” Read full tasting note
“(52teas (Anne) 2022: 251) 2022 Sipdown 120/365! Delicious! So roasty, mapley, and with a bit of plum. Really enjoying this tonight, and only sipping it down as I have a second packet squirrelled...” Read full tasting note
“Another day, another brew! So, I didn’t actually order this one (I don’t think), but the kind “Mad Tea Artist” was nice enough to send it to me as part of my order. Isn’t she wonderful?? Scent in...” Read full tasting note
“This is the second tea for my advent, and if y’all are confused… I have the biggest banana aversion ever. If the scent of banana got on any of my other teas I’d actually have to toss my other teas,...” Read full tasting note
The Tea of the Week for September 9, 2019!
This is SO good! So good, in fact, that the first AND second time I tasted it, I wasn’t able to write this description because what I was tasting defied description! I had a difficult time nailing down just exactly what I was trying. I’m sure it had a little bit to do with the fact that a lot has been going on lately so I wasn’t able to get my mind in the right place – but when I would sit at my computer, ready to compose a description, I found myself without words . . . & those that know me know that it isn’t often that I’m at a loss for words.
This amazing blend starts with a Gao Yan Fujian black tea. Usually when I think of Fujian, I think if a tea with strong chocolate-y tones. I love that in a Fujian black tea – but this Gao Yan is unique – rather than a chocolate-y tone, it has a sweet raw sugar profile with notes of stone fruit. When I first tried it, it reminded me of a sweet, tree-ripened black plum that’s been sprinkled with a little turbinado sugar & then bruleed! Yeah – yum!
I knew I wanted to do something with this tea – but I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do because the tea itself was so phenomenal – I didn’t want to mess with an already good thing, you know? So what I decided to do is work with it’s natural flavors – to enhance what it’s already got going on to make it even better.
To the Gao Yan, I added some maple essence to play upon the natural raw sugar notes. Then I added some plums to play to the natural plum-y notes. I added some Sri Lankan cinnamon & some walnut essence (don’t worry, it’s nut-free!) for some depth & warmth. Then I added just a teensy bit of Lapsang Souchong for a warm, roasty-toasty flavor.
The result is astonishing. I’ve never actually had a “maple roasted plum” but this is what I’d imagine something like that tasting. The black tea offers a nice, rich background of flavor. There’s a well-defined maple note, a hint of smoke, juicy plum notes, nutty walnut tones & warm, sweet spice from the cinnamon. It’s really quite a delight to sip.
Oh, and it IS organic, VEGAN, gluten-free & allergen-free (no nuts!)
organic ingredients: black teas, plums, cinnamon, calendula petals & natural flavors
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