If you read my recap of my time at World Tea East you will recall I met Stacy Lim owner of Butiki Teas. Stacy and I had a great time chatting and maybe we even got a little tea drunk near the end of the day. But there was so much tea to be had!
You might also recall Stacy was nice enough to give me some samples. I’ve tried one so far – Maple Pecan Oolong (check that out on Steepster) and yum! I liked that one so much that I ordered more and two others I’ve heard rave reviews about. I’m not telling because I’m “up to something” with them (dun, dunn, dunn). Not to worry nothing sinister, just something I can’t mention for a bit. Well, those teas arrived today! Did I want to dig into them? You bet. But I didn’t. Why you ask? Well, I wanted to try one of the samples Stacy sent me home with first!
So I went for the Congou Keemun this afternoon. I may regret trying this so late in the day when it comes time for bed. But it was either this tea or a nap. When in doubt…pick tea (usually). I made up this cup in my tasting set. I don’t use them enough and really should. Sometimes it is the best tool for the job. So I set the timer for three minutes and let the tea steep. While I waited I sniffed the dry leaf. It smelled a little of maple and I worried that I had left it too close to the Maple Pecan…but then I also picked up some earthy scent to the tea and relaxed a bit.
Look at that color and the wet leaf!
When the timer went off I was ready for my first sip! But first a sniff of the wet leaf. Now THAT smelled of mushrooms. I was getting excited. I also noted a malty smell to the leaf too. Ok we were getting somewhere. The taste? A mix of malt, earth, and of mushrooms. Yes, mushrooms…amazing! There are a lot of things going on with this tea and they all work together really well.
This tea really came alive with the dark chocolate cocoa roasted almonds I was snacking on. The chocolate from the almonds added a new and interesting dimension to the tea, bringing out a fruity flavor to the tea I hadn’t noticed with my first few sips (before eating the almonds)! Like I said there is a lot going on here.
If you know me you know I like flavored teas. But you might also know I’m a sucker for the straight teas….big time! However, I’ll have to behave myself before ordering any more tea (for now). The hard part is knowing this tea is only two to three days away by mail. Looks like I may have to sweet talk my husband into letting me order this one. That or drink ALL the tea (or a large amount) in my cabinet in order to make room. This tea needs to be a keeper!
To purchase visit Butiki Teas (see link above). Many thanks again to Stacy for the samples.
*Please note I was not paid to give this review. Samples were provided by Stacy to enjoy and do with as I liked.
