Tea Tasting: Yin Yang blend for Iced Tea

[Richard Kilgore]

The Cultured Cup is providing 10 mg samples for another Tea Tasting Discussion. This time a tea blend they have developed for iced tea. Their Yin Yang blend incudes Japanese green tea, Chinese black tea, orange, pineapple, safflower & strawberries.

The Cultured Cup has provided four samples of 10 grams each, and I will mail three of them to the eG Society members participating in this tasting.

While the tasting is open to all members who have posted at least ten substantive posts in the Coffee and Tea forum, preference will be given until midnight (EDST) Friday, August 14th to those who have not yet participated in any of the last two tastings.

As always, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion.

So, please PM me now for details if you would like to receive one of the the free samples and participate in the tasting and discussion.

As I have mentioned in other topics, I have known Kyle Stewart, co-owner of The Cultured Cup, for some time now, having bought tea from his shop for many years, at least 10 years I believe it is. And for the past three years or so Kyle has been instrumental to my tea education through the T-Bar Club at The Cultured Cup. Kyle attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas recently and completed his three years of training with the Speciality Tea Institute to become the first certified tea specialist in Texas. I have had many pleasant times with Kyle and his staff, trading teas and sharing new tea discoveries. More than just a tea merchant I happen to buy tea from, Kyle is a culinary friend as well as a tea friend - the wonderful tea pairings at Sharon Hage's York Street restaurant and a shared interest in Asian food.

[Richard Kilgore]

Just a reminder, preference will be given until midnight (EDST) tonight to those who did not participate in the last two tastings. If you are interested in a free tea sample, please PM me after reviewing the first post.

[Richard Kilgore]

The three free samples are now available to all. Please see the first post and PM me if you are interested.

[Richard Kilgore]

Only two free samples left.

[Richard Kilgore]

The free tea samples for this Tea Tasting Discussion go to ---

* weinoo

* lperry

* baroness

However, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion, as always.

[lperry]

I received my sample, and was both surprised and pleased that I could smell sweet fruit through the packaging before I took the packet out of the envelope. (It was a hot day). I'll follow the brewing instructions on the packet and report back.

[weinoo]

Yes, I have received my tea - I'm surprised it made it through the postal system, the smell even before opening the envelope is sweet, floral and citrus-like...can't wait to brew up a bunch.

[Richard Kilgore]

I received my sample, and was both surprised and pleased that I could smell sweet fruit through the packaging before I took the packet out of the envelope.  (It was a hot day).  I'll follow the brewing instructions on the packet and report back.

←

I think the brewing instructions are for hot tea, so use your own best iced tea judgement. I'll brew a test glass myself today.

[Richard Kilgore]

I winged it on my first brewing of this blend for iced tea, using about three almost level teaspoons to 7 - 8 ounces of just off-boil water in an infuser basket in a mug for 5 minutes. Let it cool almost to room temp and poured it over a glass half filled with ice. The pineapple note dominated the aroma and flavor, so it may benefit from a more concentrated brewing. I'll give it another try.

[lperry]

It's interesting that you picked out the pineapple. Here are my notes from the first two brews.

Glass one: I brewed 2 rounded tsp with 8 oz of boiling water (212 degrees) for four minutes in the French press I use for tea. This brew was then poured over ice. The body of the tea is very light in both color and flavor, with just a little astringency. I can taste the orange over any of the other fruit, and that is also what I smelled during the brewing. It smells like fall with the orange peel. The aroma reminds me of mulled wine and cider. After this glass, I don’t think I would use this particular blend iced, but growing up in the South, I learned the most important component of any iced tea is sugar. I have found that it seems particularly important in black teas with fruit – the sugar seems to intensify the fruit flavor somehow.

Glass two: I brewed the next glass in exactly the same manner, except I added one teaspoon of sugar to the hot brew before pouring it over ice. Now I can taste the other fruit – the berries and pineapple, although I am not sure I could pick them out if I didn’t know that’s what they are. As opposed to the first glass that seemed dominated by orange and fall, this one has a more complex fruitiness and tastes like I would drink it in the summer. It is light and refreshing.

[Richard Kilgore]

Interesting differences, lperry. I think part of it may be different sets of taste buds, but also may be the nature of this blend: there are a lot of chunks of dried fruit in the blend that may easily be in very different proportions in a teaspoon or two. I recall noticing a lot of pineapple the first time I brewed this. But if you are brewing a jug of tea, it may well average out the fruity components.

I brewed a second time today, two teaspoons to 8 ounces just barely off boil water for 5 minutes. Iced and without the sugar, the black tea was noticeably, but not strongly, astringent. As you did, I added sugar to a portion of the hot brew, iced it and the fruit popped up, but not with the pineapple dominating this time. I usually prefer iced tea without sugar, but you are right - this is one that benefits from a little. Next time I would be inclined to use a little more tea leaf and go for your 4 minutes rather than my 5 in order to dampen the astringency a bit while pumping up the flavor and concentration before icing.

[lperry]

Interesting differences, lperry. I think part of it may be different sets of taste buds, but also may be the nature of this blend: there are a lot of chunks of dried fruit in the blend that may easily be in very different proportions in a teaspoon or two. I recall noticing a lot of pineapple the first time I brewed this. But if you are brewing a jug of tea, it may well average out the fruity components.

I noticed pieces of orange peel. I shook the packet a bit before I took out the tea, and I wonder if I didn't make the lightest, largest whatnots come to the top.