My Overall Impression (Score of 84.5 %)

I love waking up when it’s cold, but summer is still hanging on here in MI.  The temperatures this week are still in the low 80’s.  I wanted to try this tea earlier in the year and I should have a few weeks ago to enjoy it with the fresh peaches I picked up at the local market.  The brew on this tea is interesting.  It has a core to it that just hovers on your palate with incredible smoothness.  I would promote this one as a food tea as in something that can match with food more.  It needs that boost on the palate from food to fully shine.

I suggest brewing this at 176 F to get the full essence of the brew.  I tried it at 185 F, and it was lacking flavor.

The price as of 9/20/23 is $20.16 for 100 gm.

Broken down:

• 100 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 33 cups
• 33 cups from package = $0.61 per cup

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 32 cups or approximately 31 cents per cup.  For its unique qualities, this is one to check out and have on hand.

Aromas

• In the bag, it shows great toasted malt tones with a wood essence. It reminded me of a combination of almond wood and plum wood. 
• It shows a hint of citrus with slightly sweet raisins, toasted hazelnuts, and dried oregano.
• Once brewed the malt aromas decrease but the sweet tones that reminded me of dates, raisings and currants are across the profile. It shows faint tones on nectarines in cream.
• Brewed at 175 F, it also shows hints of brown sugar with increased malt.

Flavors

• Brewed at 175 F, there is good malt with lots of dates and a creamy texture. It reminded me of the feel of drinking tea with cream added.
• Brewed at 185F, the flavors are muted with a slightly off-dry sweetness. It’s incredibly smooth with lovely malt tones, and hints of wood smoke and white and green peppercorns.
• At 185 F, there is a solid core profile but it’s flat. You can tell it’s missing something.
• It’s exceptionally smooth across the profile with medium acidity and good tannins to support the almost full body of this brew.

Scores

• Aromas (4.1/5)
• Flavors (8.3/10)
• Overall impression (4.5/5)
  • Total score = 84.5 percent (16.9/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• I recently made a batch of peach jam. Drinking this reminded me of that and to make a batch of focaccia to spread this over and serve with this tea.
• Since the apple orchard is open, I would love to get some fresh apples and make a Dutch pie with a hint of raisins or currants in the pie. Trust me, it sounds weird, but I’ve grown to like it.
• One of my favorite dishes to make is a Cajun seasoned sauteed shrimp with a splash of peach bourbon sauce. The tea’s acidity, flavors and body would match perfectly with this.
• Anytime I light the smoker, I will smoke extra items (the smoke is free at that point). One of the easiest items to add is a whole chicken to the smoker.  I will then pull the meat after cooking and store portioned to easily make smoked chicken salad with either golden raisins or currants.
• This one will raise eyebrows. I love BLT sandwiches.  When peaches and apples are in season, I will slice them about ¼” thick for grilling to use in these sandwiches or a treat for charcuterie.