My Overall Impression (Score of 84 %)

Travelling over the last few weeks has reinforced how comforting a cup of tea is.  I now travel with my infuser mug along with a water heater for my room so I can always enjoy a cup anytime.  Now that we are in the colder weather, I’ve been baking when I can or going to bakeries to get that really toasted hearty loaf of bread.  I can’t think of anything better to pair with the bread (other than a slab of Amish Butter) than Balimara 22K Gold.

My sample brought a bit of a dilemma.  Once I brewed it, it was one dimensional.  In other words, just flat and not really showing anything.  I’m not sure if my seal was bad on the package (I have moved this tea once so a pin hole leak could have occurred) but I knew that this could not be what this tea could show.  I tried something for the first time – Re-toasting.

A friend of mine suggested it so I pulled out a new sauté pan, made sure it was spotless and heated the tea over the stove.  I started the tea in the cold pan and once I could smell a change, removed the pan from the heat and immediately removed the tea from the pan and let it cool for a few minutes.

I took this and brewed this sample and OMG, it was much better.  Very smooth and much more vibrant in the aromas and flavors.  I will draft an article on this in the future (with all of the techniques).  This tea is a great cut, especially with food.  However, it’s pricey for the brew so catch this one on sale.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• This was my thought:
  • “Some like crackers /biscuits with their tea. This calls for Fresh bread, lightly toasted with some charcuterie on the side.”

The Price

The price on 9/9/24 is $36.96 for 50 grams.

Broken down:

• 50 gm / 2.5 gm for steeping = 20 brews
• 20 brews from package = app. $1.85 per 8 oz cup or app 93 cents for a second brew

Some may consider this a bit pricey but catch this on sale to drop the price per cup.  Still a great value.

Aromas

• The initial aromas were a light toast, cigarette tobacco, with a wood/moss/forest/wet leaves note.
• Some sweetness which reminded me of a cross between toffee/rock sugar and candied nuts.
• Once brewed, the intensity of the aroma brew rose showing wood, brown sugar/honey/molasses with an essence of compost, bark, and leaves.
• Once toasted, the aromas did not change but grew a small amount in intensity.

Flavors

• The initial taste brought a clean flavor showing light malts/toast and wood.
• The malt reminded me of brown sugar and a touch of dried hay on the end note.
• This was very one dimensional and just seemed to be dead.
• After toasting the leaves and brewing a fresh batch, the tea was much smoother, a hint sweeter and had a longer finish, reminding me of fresh whole wheat bread, but it still remained a touch flat.

Scores

• Aromas (4.3/5)
• Flavors (8.3/10)
• Overall impression (4.2/5)
  • Total score = 84 percent (16.8/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• I love earthy foods. To me, they are mostly overlooked for some reason (maybe because we naturally gravitate to sweet items).  However, I would love for an appetizer caramelized onion mushroom tartlets or make this into a tart for slicing.  Just a great combo melding between the brew and the earthy notes.
• Maybe it’s because the weather is a bit cooler, we are going into Fall or just a simple craving, I would love to pair a wonton soup (with some of the tea infused in the broth) with this. Just such a warming note for your soul.
• I’m a fan of a good chicken marsala served over whole wheat angel hair pasta boosted with dried mushroom powder sprinkled on like parmesan.
• I would love a slightly chilled Farro salad with some earthy veggies paired with this brew as a great veg option.
• For a great dessert pairing, you can’t go wrong with a Clothbound Cheddar served with some slices of fresh bread and slivers of fresh Bartlett Pears.