A.C. Cargill wrote an interesting blog on the English Tea Store Blog a few days ago. It was about choosing a tea for when you go on a rant about something. It was quite good and I took it to heart. As I remember she recommended a good strong black you didn't have to think about too much to accompany you as you raved. Well, I have been ranting about the weather - too hot, too dry, too bright, just tooooooooooo. And my perennial hatred, politics, which is also toooooooo.
I think I have found a "ranting tea", at least as I brewed it and for the moment. It comes from Verdant Tea and is Zhu Rong Yunnan Black. I will tell you right up front I did not brew it as suggested. I think I used one scoop too many and hence, it is very strong. They suggest multiple 1-3 second infusions, but if you are having a fit, that is far too much fuss. A straight 3.5 minutes and it better like it. Aah, something I can control.
The dry leaves were quite attractive, twisted and dark, with a few golden buds for color. Some were almost in little rings, really pretty to look at. The dry aroma was interesting as well, carrying the scent of roasted squash, acorns and something sharp, like fresh peas, perhaps. The brewed aroma was a bit simpler, being dark and woody with a strong tone of acorns or dried oak leaves. (Perhaps autumn really is coming, hooray, hooray!)
To be honest, I mixed my cup with about 1/3 straight water, as I knew I would hate it otherwise. Therefore, it is only a dark brown instead of almost black. There is a pleasant forest woodsiness to it, but there is something sweet there as well. This sweetness carries through after you sip, a pleasant bonus. I like it very much. Verdant Tea needn't worry about its quality. The only problem is that this tea simply doesn't taste much like Yunnans I've had previously, which I am very much in love with. I am going to brew it at a proper strength next time and see what it's like.
There, I told you I was on a rant. But the tea seems to be working its teaish magic and I am feeling calmer.
3 comments:
:-) This makes me laugh. Yes, I have teas for times like this too.
I'm a grad student and during my undergrad I worked the very best at night, so I would throw a few tuochas into a bone China teapot (I think it was from my mother) and get to work. Unfortunately for my roommates and professors this usually resulted in at least one rant about the Chinese art market, first aloud, and then inserted into the section of the paper where it seemed the least nonsensical. We are talking ten hours of crazy-person work. Sometimes I wonder if it was the tea, not Chinese art, that induced the ridiculousness.
Oh Em, I see why the rant, but in my case, the rants came first - like every time my husband puts the news on - kaboom! The heat rant is kind of quiet - don't want to exert too much effort.
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