NSETD!!! Pictures AND video!!!

[JamesPeters]

New single-estate tea day! I know, pics and vids or it's Red Rose.

 

 

Teh_package is arrive. Inside, what is?

 

 

OH SNAP OF SNAPS! HOLY MOTHER OF SNAPS!

 

It's two selections of single-estate Darjeeling.

 

Soom Estate is one I've had before and has so far been my favorite black tea. Margaret's Hope sounded inviting, similar enough to the Soom Estate but different in a number of ways that I should appreciate it as much.

 

 

After opening the bags and smelling the tea, I think the Margaret's Hope will be excellent. The familiar smell of the Soom Estate is unmistakeable. Yes, I know, second-flush Soom is supposed to be more complex in flavor. I like first-flush Soom as much since it's really light/clean/refreshing, a nice alternative to the nuttier Darjeelings (such as the second-flush Margaret's Hope pictured). Into the jars they go (properly sterlized of course).

 

 

Packed into the cupboard. You can only see the first row on each shelf. The green tea shelf is three rows deep and the black tea shelf is two rows deep. I was going through more of a green tea phase lately (thanks in part to Tony for sending me $75 worth of jasmine "Dragon Pearls" (the large unmarked jar on the lower shelf is less than one half of that amount).

 

Never mind that box on the second shelf. It's for guests who don't care about what tea they drink and/or add milk/sugar to everything. "I'll have whatever..." yes, you will.

 

 

Time to make some tea. Gotta start with good water! I'm almost out...time for a trip to the store soon. But first, time to have some of the long-awaited Soom Estate...

 

 

After boiling, letting the water cool a minute, rinsing the cup with some.

 

I use a tea ball. At first it makes the tea taste of metal, but after enough tannin stains it the tea ball doesn't affect the taste noticeably. (Same goes for "permanent" coffee filters; don't scrub them too clean!)

 

 

Nearly done. Water's getting more golden, a quick whiff reveals some muscatel flavor blending in...

 

 

Done! A better cup of tea, you have never tasted.

 

KWxISAwkdTA

 

You're jealous.

[OverDriven]

Well that's brootal.

[Shine]

Thats a man who likes his tea.

 

 

 

Respect.

[Sheik_Yerbouti]

Dude, I'd even drink that crap if it meant I could be you and have teh epic mapz-builden skillz!!!

[LA-Ü-RA]

That is awesome! Love the video!

[LoopQuantum]

I love you James...you know I do.

 

 

You're not helping the "Canadians are weird" stigma. In fact, you're blissfully perpetuating it.

 

 

Lady Loop loves tea too...we have TONS of it at the house. Me? I drink coffee and bourbon.

[JamesPeters]

I forgot to mention the three sampler tea bags they sent. That was a nice touch. (This was from http://www.bonjourgourmet.com/estate_tea.htm , pretty much the only place I could find that had Soom Estate still in stock...I'm so picky lol..)

 

This was actually more a test of my new webcam. The video and first two pictures were done using it. People keep asking me for Youtube clips so I guess I have to get with the times. Now that I know I can upload in good enough quality without some weird video issue (I had problems before), I guess I can record some amp demo clips and upload them.

 

The tea is awesome though. Probably not everyone's...cup of tea? But if you can appreciate a single-malt scotch, and you like tea, you get the idea in general.

[EdgeOfDarkness]

meh, lipton cold brew works just fine for me..lol

[tommythelurker]

The only thing I could make sense of out of this whole thing is that it's about tea (and not even absolutely 100% sure about that). The rest may as well be greek But glad you're enjoying your tea

[gtrplyr60]

Nice!! I got a friend in China that hooks me up with some great stuff on occasion!!! It's a beautiful thing.

[JamesPeters]

meh, lipton cold brew works just fine for me..lol

 

I don't judge.

[jnurp]

the only thing more brootz than burning your mouf on hot tea is doing it with imported exotic tea. Your tea collection remind me of a RIP era Marty solo, exotic and tasty.

[superflyinmonke]

You do judge, come on.

 

That sounds amazing! I have been more inclined towards green tea lately too, enjoying some jasmine pearl tea and other green tea that's flavoured with peaches in a way that isn't overpowering. I am jealous, actually. I loved the stuff you sent me last time.

 

Happy new single estate tea day!

[Sixtonoize]

Dude, that vid was the most metal thing I've seen all damn day.

 

I seriously LOL'ed.

[GuidanceOfSin]

 

You're jealous.

 

 

 

OMG! I love you! Seriously though, my tea cab looks about like yours...mostly stuff from Adagio and Harney & Sons though. I've been into loose tea for about 10 years now... freaking love it.

[tommythelurker]

I like coffee too. I guess I'll have to have a New Coffee Day thread soon. Yes, I'm wired.

 

You made a small typo, I fixed it for you

[guidedbyechoes]

I love you James...you know I do. You're not helping the "Canadians are weird" stigma. In fact, you're blissfully perpetuating it. Lady Loop loves tea too...we have TONS of it at the house. Me? I drink coffee and bourbon.

 

What would happen if a Japanese person moved to canada?!

[LoopQuantum]

What would happen if a Japanese person moved to canada?!

 

:headexplodes:

[GuidanceOfSin]

Shocked you use a tea ball though. Does that have enough room for the leaves to bloom? I throw it in loose and then strain it out.

[JamesPeters]

You made a small typo, I fixed it for you

 

Actually since I had no coffee today and only one cup of tea, I'm feeling quite level.

[Killzone]

lol @ the video!

[superflyinmonke]

Oooh, goodie! I needed another reason to buy another amp from you!

 

I guess it's just the same when it comes to people that insist on drinking coors, bud or whatever other {censored}ty corn loaded beer. I don't understand how they can enjoy it, though I will try to enlighten them, if unsuccessful, more for me.

[guidedbyechoes]

Whats a good starter black tea? I've only had the super sugared down version. Unless sleepy time and earl grey are black. Those just taste like water.

[JamesPeters]

Whats a good starter black tea? I've only had the super sugared down version. Unless sleepy time and earl grey are black. Those just taste like water.

 

"Sleepy Time" isn't really tea, it's a tisane or "herbal tea". It's also a trademarked name product made by Celestial Seasonings, so that's being very specific.

 

Earl Grey is traditionally black tea flavored with bergamot (a kind of orange). Depending on the specific blend (who makes it), it can be somewhat weak in flavor (other than the bergamot which sticks out like a sore thumb) or more "tea-like". I actually find Twinings brand Earl Grey to be quite nice despite being a common tea found at a lot of supermarkets. If you like the bergamot flavor of the tea but want it to taste more obviously like black tea, that wouldn't be a bad choice. There's a certain spicy aspect to it which I appreciate more than most Earl Grey from other suppliers/producers.

 

That being said, Earl Grey is a flavored tea and thus leads itself to not usually being made with more complex or subtly-flavored ("higher quality") black tea. The bergamot is a very powerful flavoring agent and it would generally be a waste to use better black tea with it for Earl Grey. Lots of flavored teas are made with average tea at best, plus flavorings. And some which are made with better tea, it's hard to notice due to the flavorings.

 

If you plan to buy tea while at your usual grocery stores, you can try something other than Earl Grey. Orange Pekoe isn't flavored; it's just black tea. (Google the term and you'll realize what it really is.) I joked about Red Rose but honestly some of the more average black teas like that or Tetley etc. are ok especially if you steep it with water that isn't too hot, don't let it steep too long, and use good water (also rinsing the pot and cups with some hot water first). Experiment with steeping times (1 to 5 minutes) to see what works best for you, how strong and/or bitter you want it to be. Once you get a taste for what most of America considers "tea", if you can appreciate it, then maybe you can consider getting some other tea from a specific tea shop. That's what I'd recommend doing. You'll get the hang of learning what you like about how tea is prepared before getting "better" tea, then be able to apply that to how you make the "better" tea (including knowing what to smell for while it's steeping, to know when to remove the tea). I've been known to use some pretty average teas and get really good results, having guests ask what tea it is. In a way it's like designing amps, since "better" components can yield better results, but there's so much to the design/layout/build that it can "make or break" whether you like the amp or not.

 

Avoid using milk/cream and sugar when preparing the tea so you can learn to make it taste good on its own. If you use milk/cream and sugar, you may never appreciate some "better" teas.

 

There are a lot of black, oolong and green teas. So you're not going to understand which is which at first by the name, especially with certain product names like "Sleepy Time" (which most people consider "a general type of tea", for instance) to throw things off. There are websites devoted to tea though, and you can learn a lot by poking around a few of them. That should get you started.

[Rameumptom]

those teas look so good. I'm a tea newb...really just getting started with teas. I picked up a tea ball and some green tea from an organic foods store. Still trying to figure out how to get the right mixture and how long to steep it for. I normally add sugar or honey, but my next cup I'll try it without it. I'm not sure if the tea I picked up is a good brand or not, Uncle Lee Green Tea? http://www.unclelee.com/product_info.php?cPath=20_10&products_id=392

 

The only black tea's I've really had are stash brand I'm really wanting to get a higher quality of tea's. Any suggestions or recommendations would be awesome!