On Tap Recently

I know - I committed to posting once a week, then walked away for two. Bad blogger. Bad Twitterer. I apologize. I'll do better.

But aside from the fact that this is the busiest season of the year for me (both at work and at home), I've also been in a bit of a tea-drinking rut, having the same cups over and over and over just because it's easy and familiar in a hectic time.

On and off again, I've been drinking:

Keemuns from both Adagio & Teas, Etc. I do so love Keemun.

Yunnan Noir & Black Pearls from Adagio (strong, wake-me-up tea)

Assam Melody from Adagion - because sometimes, you just want that malty raisin flavor.

Lapsang Souchong from Adagio - the last dregs of my big canister, sadly. I must order more soon...'tis the season for smoky tea!

Fall Decadence from The NecessiTeas - I just can't get over the caramel/orange/cranberry blend. It's odd, and oddly inviting...as well as very warming in the snowy cold weather we've been having.

Tropical Green, also from The NecessiTeas - smells like Juicy Fruit, and we drank it over ice for dinner one night. Very yummy stuff, that.

Raspberry Tart from Teas, Etc. - in my cup today.

I've been thinking about my puerh cabinet lately. I haven't done a puerh tasting in quite awhile, and every time I open the cabinet to get a teapot out or put one back, the most wonderful earthy scent comes wafting out into the room. I'm well aware that my environment here in arid Montana isn't optimal (or even good) for aging puerh, but even if it's just sitting there, that lovely aroma calls to me every time I open the door.

I'm certainly no gongfu brewing expert, but when I do get out the yixing ware and brew up several cups of puerh, it's a very centering experience. Perhaps I'll make some time next week for a session in the midst of the last minute Halloween party prep chaos.

Notes on Chai

This week, I've been sampling Adagio's new Chai teas. The first thing I have to say about them is - don't expect to drink them in a traditional manner. None of them are strong enough to stand up with milk and honey, sadly. This leaves me still "wanting" the perfect, non-bagged chai. I'm afraid I'm not going to find it though. I'll note my favorite chai to date at the end of the post (teaser, no?).

Here are my basic impressions of the Adagio chai's I tried (sans milk & honey after I figured out they couldn't handle it):

Masala Chai - Good flavor, naturally sweet with cinnamon & cloves. Just a basic, average spiced tea.

Spiced Apple Chai - One of my favorites out of the bunch...the addition of apples made it more like tea's version of apple cider. I really liked it quite a bit, and with a pinch of sugar, it could easily substitute for apple cider.

Thai Chai - The spiciest of the bunch, I think, and my other favorite of this group. Very tangy, and has a lot of character. I'll keep this on hand - it will be great on cold winter days

Chocolate Chai - Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the point. The chocolate does smooth out the blend (much like when you add chocolate to chili), and adds a rich component, but it's not "chocolatey" as per say (which I think would be odd anyway).

There's a Vanilla Rooibos Chai too that I haven't tried yet - teas without caffiene tend to be put on the backburner around here until I'm in the mood for a cup late at night (and not too lazy to make one). It sure smells good though.

So now it's confession time - a secret that will make fellow tea snobs cringe with shock and horror. My favorite Chai of all time so far?

Stash Chai Spice Tea

I know! I'd actually forgotten about this until I rooted around in my neglected tea chest the other day, and found a bag. Yes, a *bag*. Stash is one of the first companies I ever bought tea from. We don't have much in the grocery stores here, so I'd order it online. That's way back when I started drinking tea, of course, back when teabags were really all I knew about. And I still have quite a few Stash bags in my tea chest, languishing under the weight of my loose tea tins now.

Seriously though? Stash Chai is strong, spicy, and it was heaven the first time I brewed up a big mug with milk & honey. Cinnamon roll in a cup, I call it, and I've been looking for a loose tea equivalent ever since. I still haven't found one. But I'll keep looking, tea snob that I am.

Back to the Journal

I know - switching format again isn't cool, or kosher, or a good way to run a blog. But frankly, I can't keep up with this monster I've created. Yes, I know it's my own fault, I started it (all of them - I have 4 blogs, for anyone who's wondering *why* I can't keep up). Now I have to figure out how to deal with it. I can't even begin to say how much I enjoy blogging, but when it becomes stressful, I have to step back and reevaluate. There's no point if it's just adding pressure to my life.

This blog started as my own personal "journal" of tea drinking, steeped in the guise of reviews. I was both flattered and astounded that so many people would want to read my little notes on tea (this blog was pretty popular once upon a time, not to brag - it was just shocking). I think I let it go to my head, and then when I couldn't keep up, I bailed. Then I revamped, trying to turn it into something that would "give back". A noble idea, but just too much with all the other things I have going on.

So I'm reverting this blog back to what it started as. Just a personal tea-drinker's journal. I may post formal reviews, I may just post my thoughts about what I'm drinking on any given day. I may wax painfully poetic about tea and life at times (those times are bound to be boring, I'll warn you now). I'll probably post about teaware and tea parties and tea at parties occasionally, but it will all be random, as any journal is. The only thing I'll commit to is posting at least once per week, to maintain a record of my tea drinking for myself and anyone else who might be interested. I may post more sometimes, it just depends on the day and whether I feel compelled to make note of what I'm drinking. No pressure.

I've also removed all advertising from the blog - I wasn't making any money from it anyway. All links you might find here from now on are commission free, and to companies I personally buy from and highly recommend to anyone looking for a good cuppa tea.

If you're interested in what I'm drinking on any given day and maybe a quick note about them, follow me on Twitter @TeaOnTap. I post there most weekdays, unless I get super-busy at work.

I'm drinking the new Adagio Chai's this week, as well as some fall teas from The NecessiTeas. Notes on those coming up...

Organic Mountain High Chai from two leaves and a bud

Measure: 1 tea sachet to 12 oz. water
Steeped: 4 min. @boiling
Teaware: metal electric kettle, travel mug

The first thing I noticed when I opened this package was the very small amount of tea in the bag. It didn’t seem like enough…maybe a scant teaspoon? And considering there were larger bits of what looked like spices (cinnamon & cardamom), I was worried about this black tea’s ability to caffeinate me properly for the morning. But it smelled divine, very pleasantly of ginger and cinnamon, so I took the chance and brewed it up.

The package says three minutes, but I like strong chai, so I brewed it four. The aroma coming off the cup as it brewed was very eye-opening, and I couldn’t wait to get my first taste. I took a little out before adding about a teaspoon of sugar (I’m out of honey) and a splash of milk.

The plain brew is mildly spicy, but otherwise pretty average for a chai. The leaves expanded nicely in the sachet, but unfortunately, when mixed with sugar & milk the tea just can’t really handle the additions, and the cinnamon is the only flavor that comes through (subtly). Since the whole point of chai is the milk and honey, that presents a bit of a problem, for me anyways.

If you like subtle chai, or want one to drink without the traditional blending, try this one. If like me you prefer stronger stuff for that “cinnamon roll in a cup” experience, you’ll probably want to keep looking.