My Overall Impression (Score of 86.5%)

I’m traveling more these days and I’m loving it.  The opportunity to meet and assist people and see new places has been  a wonderful opportunity.  The best part as a foodie is to see the culture of the area through their food and especially beverages.  I recently was able to travel to Seattle.  Ok, the Pike’s Market is incredible!!  I’ve never seen that amount of seafood options in one place along with the cheeses, etc.  Something about eating incredible chowders to munching on dried salmon jerky is just wonderful. 

You know me well enough by now that I’m going to search out my beverage options.  One of them was Perennial Tea room just off the edge of the market.  Walking in to be wrapped around you with the aromas of incredible teas is just fun.  I was able to pick up several (more revies coming soon) and this review, I focused on their Golden Tian Hong loose tea.

This is BIG but not like you would normally think.  Most of the time, big would refer to large tannins coating the palate.  This brew is different.  The tannins and structure are large but well in proportion to its great acidity, aromas, and flavors.  When you drink this, you know its rich and malty.  Instantly I thought of breakfast.  You want something to wake you up, pair with food and send you on your way (similar to an Earl Grey).  This tea has it all.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• I would love this in colder weather serving malted pancakes with Golden syrup and drinking this solid structured brew.

The Price

The price on 6/17/24 is $8.25 per oz or 28 grams.

Broken down:

• 28 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 9 brews
• 9 brews from package = app. 92 cents per brew

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 18 cups or approximately 46 cents per cup.  Some may consider this high per cup but it’s a great brew and worth it.

Aromas

• Opening the package shows a lovely Golden toasted malt, reminding me of hints of golden syrup, molasses, and toffee.
• It also shows notes of dried apples, cloves, allspice berries, black pepper, and smoky oak.
• Once Brewed, it has an incredible golden syrup sweetness with lightly toasted malt integrated.
• It also shows hints of corn flakes, grain cereals, light brown sugar, toffee, and toast made over a campfire (for those that camp…you know).

Flavors

• On the first sip, you know it’s a big tea in the glass from its malt flavors and interesting sweetness (reminds me of powdered honey).
• As you sip more and more, there are a number of hidden flavor notes that you can’t grasp as they are every changing. It adds great dimension to the brew.
• The sweetness starts off dry and then quickly moves to drying your palate with great acidity to rinse it clean and refresh.
• It shows a lovely deep malt flavor with incredible body / structure. It’s a big cup when you start to drink it but exceptionally pleasant.

Scores

• Aromas (4.4/5)
• Flavors (8.4/10)
• Overall impression (4.5/5)
  • Total score = 86.5 percent (17.3/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• This is a breakfast tea so natural pairings of hot cereals such as oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. will work perfectly with this.
• Malted Milk pancakes with Golden syrup for the topping will be perfect with this brew. Bacon should be automatically included.
• I would love a simple focaccia with this (no herbs) but a good drizzle of olive oil with coarse salt and pepper would be a lovely match when served with creamy cheeses (such as brie)
• I would love a deeply rich buttery poundcake with this brew. For this tea, I’d make it from scratch instead of purchasing it from the freezer section at the grocery store.
• I would also love to try a New York Style Cheesecake with this (no Fruit) and a thicker crust to pair.