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The teas we tasted at the Society event on 21 March 2009
White - Green - Oolong (“blue”)
- Jasmine Silver Needle - a white tea - very delicate flavours - using water at 80 centigrade - uses only the single bud at the very tip of the leaf-cluster, perhaps only four hours old.
- Chinese Yunnan Green - again, don’t use boiling water - Chinese is best - uses top two leaves and the bud. Slightly darker than the white tea.
- Chinese Oolong “Iron Goddess of Mercy” - extremely drinkable all day - various grades - toppest/fancy/standard. This “fancy” oolong is one of the most sought after in the world. Again, don’t boil!
- Artisan Flowering tea - how could you resist this tea after dinner, brewed in a glass teapot to reveal the unfurled flowers that emerge from the tightly wrapped ball. Stunning - and tasted OK too!
Black
- Indian Darjeeling First Flush - the “champagne” of teas. Because the name is fixed by the place the tea is grown, and is quite expensive, you can get a close alternative from Nepalese Ilam region. These teas can be prepared with boiling water - but still best to be just off the boil.
- Sri Lankan Uva OP1 - lemony and refreshing. An easy-drinking tea - rare in this OP1 grade.
- Indian Assam TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowering Orange Pekoe) - malty, thicker, gutsy. Broken leaves giving a stronger finish.
- Kenyan GFBOP (Golden Flowering Broken Orange Pekoe). Unusually for Kenyan tea, this is an orthodox (rolled) tea, giving a delicate and very drinkable cup of tea.
- Chinese Yunnan TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowering Orange Pekoe) - this had a slightly smoky back flavour for those who like a hint of smokiness. Creamy finish on the palate.
- Chinese Lapsang Souchong - take no prisoners smokey! The preparation of these teas are surrounded by secrecy in the formulas used in how the smoking over pine is done. If you spot what you think is charcoal - it is!
Herbal infusions - not “teas” strictly, even if they are prepared and drunk in much the same way - so people tend to call them teas.
- South African Rooibos (“Red Bush”) - a reasonable alternative to black tea for thsoe with a caffeine intolerance
- Egyptian Camomile Flowers - whole flowers were used for tasting and were a mile away from the stuff you find in supermarkets! Delicate and refreshing.
- Sudan Hibiscus Flowers - stains anything it touches! Lemony and refreshing. Often used to add colour to other teas - rose hip, fruit teas, etc.
- Mixed Red Berries - a personal mix from Alex that achieved a real fruitiness instead of the nondescript versions often produced for mass consumption.
- Tanzanian Peppermint - a strongly flavoured and refreshing brew.
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