Tea ... who likes it?

[pjgh]

There's an Assam that I really enjoy and keep getting in, despite trying other Estates - it's Bukhial. Available from 41 Tea and Kent & Sussex. Mangalam comes a close-ish second. If you like the strong maltiness of an assured Assam, take a gander at Rwanda (Ha! I'm a poet and I didn't know it ...) for an orthodox Rukeri. Strong, deep and malty. Champion!

I'm still on one coffee a day - Lavazza Crema e Gusto (70% Robusta ... yeah!) over double cream. After dinner.

You can tell, I like my drinks to be like swigging ash trays ... Assam tea, Rwandan, Robusta coffee, Peaty whisky & Guinness. Queer that I really go for white teas :o

 

[pjgh]

Damn it! I had hoped by consignment from Tea Cakes of Yorkshire might arrived today ... but the Postman arrived, bearing only gifts from Tip Top Tea Co: a couple of Puerhs and a Vietnamese Wild Black Tea.

http://www.tiptoptea.co.uk/vietnam-wild-black-289-p.asp

Gosh! Much akin to a Yunnan Dian Hong (same varietal) - all that dry chocolatininess (like cocoa powder), brief maltiness and then onto an almost figgy, steeped raisin bitter sweetness. Yeah! Good brew, that ... I'm not sure I'd make it "a thing" and I'm not sure why I'd buy it over an above an already established good Yunnan Gold, but maybe that's the point? Certainly enjoyable.

 

[Belfont]

Yes I agree, the Vietnamese and Korean teas are less well known, but offer beautiful discoveries, like this one:

 

[ManicDee]

There is a Tea shop in Dublin, Ireland called Gurman's and they stock some of the Best Tea's and Coffee's that the world has.
My favourite is Milk Oolong which has a wonderful vanilla cream flavour and Aroma of concentrated milk.
It is produced in the region of Funian, China. Which is a moist mountainous region.
The ground is enveloped in thick cloud which makes the whole character of China Oolong teas entirely unique.
It is sublime but expensive €17.50 per 100gr

 

[pjgh]

... and I've got a bag of Blue Sapphire (Kenyan TGFOP) on its way from Teacakes of Yorkshire.

... which arrived today. Yeah, it's okay. Not one I'll repeat, but it's okay ... the flowers do add a gentle floral to it but being a Guinness/Laphroaig/Curry/Ginger Beer kind of fellow, it's a bit lost on me. I can see why they lace Earl Greys with these flower. Not my cup o' tea

 

[ManicDee]

Hey Pjgh,
Just thought I would add this link for you https://www.tea-coffee.ie/category
Regarding the shop "Gurman's" I use and buy online in Ireland. They deliver free in Ireland and Northern Ireland on orders €50 and over Plus they deliver World wide.
Given that the British £ is worth more than the Euro, You would be quids in .
I went to "Teacakes of Yorkshire" for a comparison on Oolong Milky tea and it was £15.40

 

[pjgh]

Beauty! Thanks for the link @ManicDee

 

[pjgh]

Enjoying a Rose Congou Emperor cut with smokey Lapsang Souchong ... I've got a rose, oudh & ambergris bakhoor on the burner and it's really doing good things for me. I think I'll hit my wrists with a strong and cheesey oudh (in oudh terms, that's a good thing) and hit the hay

It's got its moment, that Rose Congou. I bought a bag from Betty's at Christmas and it kinda got lost in a fog, along with their Christmas Blend. This one, I'm really enjoying and have found it clicking into my after-dinner routine just nicely ... especially with a kick of smoke.

 

[Gairdner]

I simply love Kent and Sussex's Rose Congou Superior Emperor - best quality rose tea ever and I've tried a few. My violet tea from Gently Stirred arrived too and is quite wonderful. I could hope for a more parma violet intense flavour but it's pretty good and the Keemun behind it is rather wonderful. Just ordered some of K&S's violet tea for comparison so will update the thread when it arrives and I've had sufficient time to bask in it's glory. Along with the violet, I've taken your lead @pjgh and procured some Bukhial Assam. I thoroughly enjoyed their Hathikuli organic TGFOP1 as its flavour was anything but linear with lots of depth and rich malty character plus a hint of the aromatic - highly recommended.

 

[pjgh]

Great! Likewise, I'll take your lead @Gairdner and get in some Hathikuli Assam and the Rose Congou Emporer when next I purchase from K&S. Meanwhile, I've got a kilo a Bukhial Assam from Forty One Tea to get through ... give me a couple of weeks

 

[Gairdner]

A kilo! You don't do things by half, old chap. Hat's off and enjoy. There's nothing like a good brew - after all we built an empire on it. Tea is the universal specific for all ailments. How many times have you heard someone say, "Just sit yourself down and have a nice hot cup of tea"?

 

[pjgh]

Well, I've been dribbling in 100g a time with increasing frequency ... this tea is actually the first one I tried when I rather naively put "best tea" into google to find that "ftgfop" is a thing! There's something specific in this Assam that really hits the spot for me ... and has me going "Ahhhh!" after drinking it. Love it! I've tried blending it with Ceylons, with Keemuns, with Lapsang Souchong ... I like it as is for breakfast, or on top of last night's Lapsang Souchong if that's something that happened. I like it with a touch of Nilgiri, which I'm now finding is my other tea of choice bringing in all the things I expected from Darjeeling and all the things I enjoy from Ceylon; immediately floral with citrussy high notes.

My day sort of goes ... pure Bukhial Assam (and strong), another, dash of Nilgiri, another dash of Nilgiri ... Assam now gone, so tip out and go pure Nilgiri for afternoon brews. Evening, it's a Yunnan Gold (deep cocoa chocolate malt), Tarry Lapsang Souchong or Rose Congou depending upon mood. Friday and Saturday night, bring out the big guns with a good wild arbor raw Puerh or some Liu Bao. White Peony and Shou Mei (lovely rough white tea, like autumn sweepings) are enjoyed in and amongst. Sunday afternoons seem a good time for a succession of Oolong brews - I really like the Wuyi Mountain Oolongs, very different with each farm, with year, with elevation, with geography: terroir. Like good wine.

I've landed exactly on one tea that I love (for just drinking ... and it's a massive jump up from Yorkshire Tea bags, although that was what was on offer at the Church Hall recently where my Granddaughter had her birthday party and it was indeed good!) - will try the same from K&S with the next order.

... and so, rather than dribbling in 100g at a time, I was about to buy in a massive 225g! But the kilo made more sense. It is the one, afterall

I'll have to buy a silly-sized vintage caddy to suit ... maybe Betty's could be persuaded to let go of an old one?

 

[Gairdner]

Some of those old, oriental caddies that Betty's have are stunning and would make a beautiful yet practical objet d'art.

You can still keep your ruddy Puerh and white teas. I like my strong and scented black teas.

Enjoy!

 

[pjgh]

I got a Tuo Cha mushroom (cooked) Puerh recently ... it's okay. I don't think I'll pursue that line, but raw ... oh, yes. Big leaves. Yeah!

One that I keep happening across is a black tea with vanilla. I kinda like the idea, but I also kinda don't ... any experience, folks? Turns out rose in black (or white) tea is something I like, cornflowers (Blue Sapphire) not.

 

[Gairdner]

Forgot to mention earlier but would I be right in noting that you've not had much of a foray into Kenyan teas? I apologise if this is not the case but either way, I can heartily recommend the following as a rather satisfying, refreshing and flavoursome brew: https://www.tea-and-coffee.com/special-offers/kenya-kosabei-tgfop-estate-tea

Supped more of the Violet tea from Gently Stirred and I am certainly a fan. I may well track down some Keemun as the leaf with the violet seems to have plenty of characterful flavour of its own.

Oh for a pot of tea and a slice of cake!