for the love of teacups

fibercrack:

Lestrade is the next one up (mostly because I’ve wanted to try this one since I got the box).

It’s a blend of gunpowder (green), pu erh dante (an aged black), and hazelnut (another black tea).

First Impression: Creamy, nutty, almost caramel-y with a nice strong black tea back up and some smoky notes.  I really love the smell of this tea; in that aspect, it’s probably my favorite.

Brewing:  Started light, ended pretty light too.  It’s a nice clear brown, almost like a liquor.

Unsweetened Sip:  Not my division.  This is probably the first of the lot that I really think won’t work unsweetened.  The taste is kind of flat, a little bitter, and the lovely creamy flavor just kind of wafts up teasingly to poke at your nose because it is NOT in the cup.

Sweetened Sip:  Mmmmmmm.  The meh is over!  The sweetness brings out the nutty flavor and the darker, smoky notes perfectly with the green tea brightening it just enough to keep the pu erh muskiness from overwhelming the rest.  The green tea comes out a little more on the second and third sips and I have to say I really really like this stuff.  The black tea ties it all together into a lovely smooth cup.

Dash of Milk:  Really good!  The milk brings out the creaminess and tempers some of the darker, woody notes while still leaving enough of the green to keep it bright.  Most of the nutty survives as well, giving you a nice accent of hazelnut on top of the rest. 

Overall:  Lovely stuff, with the fair warning that it DOES need sugar, in my estimation.  It’ll be a nice tea for keeping awake during RP nights.

Available: here @ Adagio

Last one for a bit.  I… need to get some yarn done!