Paper & Tea
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This tea was sent to me by Martin – many thanks, Martin!
I had this on the patio after breakfast. Although I looked at this listing for it a while back, I had forgotten what the flavors were so I had fun trying to see what scents I detected. I thought I was smelling lemon, but not tart lemon. It was a soft and slightly citrus aroma. There was a fruitiness as well. I asked Ashman to sniff the tea and then sip it and he said he detected fruit and he liked the tea.
The more I sipped the more I thought it was reminding of something with lavender that I have had before…and I realized I was tasting fig! The fig flavor really built up throughout the several small cups that I drank. I have Fig and Lavender from Tea Grotto and this reminds me very much of their fig flavoring. I liked theirs so much that I put it on my wishlist a while back, and Superanna bought me some.
The fig in this was so very similar to that one, minus the lavender. It was delicious. I think perhaps the base was giving the lemon vibes, but it was not at all astringent or sharp. It was quite smooth. The base tea was full of middle notes, lacking really sharp high tones or deep bassy or cocoa tones. It was a great carrier for this lovely flavoring.
Sipdown (2926)!
I was hoping that this would be a little bit of a stronger orange flavour, either in a more creamy and dessert like sense or just juicier and more bright. Instead it’s, well, just a kiss of orange in an otherwise incredibly chamomile forward cup of tea. Not unpleasant tasting, and I think the soft note of orange does compliment the almost honeyed florals of the chamomile blossoms. I just don’t reaaalllyyyy like chamomile a whole lot, so it didn’t make a super strong impression on me personally and isn’t something I’d really feel compelled to revisit…
This tea made me think of Mastress Alita while I was drinking it. Probably because it’s really, really licorice-y and if I remember correctly Mastress Alita is a fan of licorice teas. Definitely fennel forward but also anise notes and a bit of the lingering sweet flavour you might expect from licorice root, too. I happen to like the taste of black licorice (even if I don’t love licorice root) and so this highly fennel-y blend did appeal to me a lot.
Gongfu!
This Korean black tea is smooth and full-bodied with a rich, round-feeling liquor that perfectly compliments the darker, complex flavour of the tea. Most steeps have an indulgent, velvety flavour of chocolate ganache and malt backed by a gently toasty note of roasted peanuts, black sesame paste, caramelized sugar and aromatic whisps of black cherry and leather. So satisfying! In fact, this maaayy be my new favourite tea from Paper & Tea!! It went very well with the delicate sweetness of the figs I was eating with it.Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJcqCAcS72Q/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjcC-5s7jk8&ab_channel=TheHowl%26TheHum-Topic
Based on the description of this tea on the overwrap I expected it to be kind of like DT’s Mother’s Little Helper herbal tea, which is very herbaceous but also quite tart with a minty finish. This was actually a lot more minty though with a deeply cooling peppermint note. More like a peppermint essential oil than peppermint leaves, with a slight citrusy edge. I really, really liked the cooling minty flavour and sensation though!
Cold Brew!
This was quite nice! At first I struggled to put into words what I was tasting because it was a combination of bright, citrusy, and creamy flavours that was familiar but just a little off? Definitely a pina colada kind of vibe, especially with the sweeter coconut cream notes. However, the pineapple component reads a little more generically tropical than specifically pineapple and there’s some lemongrass in the mix too.
Regardless, it’s very smooth without masking the lovely malty floral notes of the black tea itself. The finish has a bit of a sticker, mouth coating and lingering sweetness and that’s the only element I didn’t love. It just clings a little too long. But otherwise I’d call this very refreshing, tea-forward and for the most part nicely balanced.
This is so familiar tasting, but it’s hard to pin point exactly what tea it’s reminding me of. I think I’ve just had so many different spiced lemongrass-based tisanes before. This is a lot of lemongrass too, but it’s fresh and zesty with a really clean finish. I feel like I can tell it’s good quality because of how aromatic and lively it is. It works well with the spice inclusions, which are also quite aromatic but with a tingly sort of heat and earthiness. Sort of has a profile that makes me think of Thai cuisine!? But in a good way.
This was a very, very soft and mellow herbal blend with a mix of baked apple notes with a bit of floral elderflower and then a lot of linden. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I definitely wanted to like it more than I did. The fact it was so gently flavoured wasn’t really a contributing element to why it didn’t land for me: delicate apple and elderflower is actually a really beautiful combination for a calm, quiet feeling blend for the evenings. I just, unfortunately, don’t enjoy the taste of linden very much and there is a lot of linden in this blend. Obviously. I mean, like, it’s in the name.
So just something less for me personally.
Iced Latte!
Y’all know I love a good hojicha latte, so I was stoked to try this out. I wish we’d been able to pick up Paper & Tea’s matcha too, but they were sold out. A lot of places we visited were totally sold out of matcha. Such is the reality right now with the matcha shortage and the harvest not being for a while yet…
This was great, though! It’s a very, very dark roast hojicha powder so it holds up really well in latte form without losing out on the depth of those really heavy roasty flavours. A little earthy, very nutty or barley-like but in a way that almost has some char to it, and a coffee taste too. So bold! I didn’t add any sweetener to this iced latte, and I think that was a good choice. I’m sure it would be nice sweetened too, but this just showcased the quality of the hojicha powder itself.
Had this as a hot cuppa with a bit of added in agave, and even with the agave I found this to be a very tart and unsweet tasting fruit blend. Definitely red fruit in nature, but sharp and a little bit drying – maybe leaning a bit in a pomegranate or red currant/lingonberry direction? I didn’t really enjoy how shrill the fruit notes felt – I wanted something either sweeter and more jammy or, to lean into the tartness, more bright and acidic?
I have a few other sachets of this that we brought back from Germany though, so I’ll get to revisit and see if this grows on me or I can improve it with another steeping method.
Gongfu!
The dry leaf aroma on this maocha is delightfully funky with a mix of barnyard and overripe red fruit notes. Once steeped up, I find this maintains a lot of its sweet and tangy fruity notes. Although I would put it more in the realm of orchard fruits than red fruit or berries, like a quince jam or pear chutney. Mildly green, with undertones of ginseng root, hops, and hot prairie hay. The finish feels kissed by raw honey, which leaves a lingering sticky sweetness after each sip. Lots going on here, but well balanced. After nearly a week without any gongfu sessions whilst traveling, this feels like such an indulgence!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIZWX_PJY0D/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_Y37uLp0s&ab_channel=RalphCastelli
Thanks Martin for sending this my way!
The P&T website says 7 teas make up this blend. The flavour is relatively smooth, no astringency, and light-bodied. There are very subtle hints of floral and an even more subtle sweetness in the background. The second steep is remarkably similar to the first, which is a point in its favour. This tea is nice, but not as special as I had anticipated.
A sipdown! (M: 5 Y: 63) prompt: A tea with a long name
Well, it may not be longest name in my stash, but… well it has got its former name; and if you write in the words the year and number of the blend, it can be quite long, right?!
Anyway, prepared last 5 grams as last time, in a tea pot, shared with family members. Flavours seems to be very same like last time — forest honey, malt, caramel and stewed fruits with floral notes.
It just needs a lots of water volume and big strainer it seems. As in the pot it was a whole different story than mug brewing.
I had last 10 grams remaining, as I sent some across the pond because I just didn’t cared too much for this tea. From those 10 grams I used 5 grams today and steeped in the pot and… I think I just found the best steeping method for this tea!
I tried gongfu, western in a strainer or fillable paper tea bag, but it has been always somehow meh. But method I tried today changed my impressions by a lot.
Smooth, forest honey tasting, with kind of floral impressions, that’s basically how first steep is like. That translates later to the malty notes; along with hints of caramel and stewed fruits, with longer mouthfeel.
Second steep is like the later notes of the first one, with some kind of spicy notes that black tea sometimes produces; and it has been highly enjoyable, warming and cozy.
I assume that the steeping temperature, which was 90°C and steeping time (3 minutes) in a big basket strainer is the key for this tea. The tea pot is said to have volume of 1000 ml, but I actually never measured it myself. The oolong leaves needs to expand well and maybe they were a little bit more prominent in the bottom of the tin. When steeped it was a wonderful two-coloured combo in the strainer.
Preparation
The dregs are all that is left in the bag. And yet, the nuttiness of the remaining leaf sparks the thought that this might be better than my assumptions are leading me to believe. The dry leaf is pale olive green. As it infuses the leaf emits a faint nutty note that makes my palate excited. It reminds me of a pulled noodle shop. The yellow liquor is soft and filled with cooked vegetal notes. I can definitely tell this sample has sat for a bit. In its prime this tea would be quite a bit better than what I am getting. Electrical fire? I can tell there are green vegetal and nutty notes that would be fantastic but I would need a fresher sample in order to fully assess this tea.
Advent tea
There is a nice balance here between slightly sweet popcorn and savory green grass. Slightly astringent at the end and a little more grassy as it cools. Second steep smoother than the first. Not a bad genmaicha, but not something I need in my cupboard
Flavors: Astringent, Grass, Popcorn, Savory
I ordered this with my advent and I’m glad I got to try it as it wasn’t in the advent. I ordered the bag advent for my niece and the loose leaf for me and there were different teas in each. She was happy to take some of the EG blends off of my hands.
This is an awesome tea I would brew for someone just getting into loose leaf as it displays the classic malty and coppery Assam profile without any bitterness or astringency. There is even a yeasty/bread like note to add some complexity. My favorite Paper and Tea so far.
Flavors: Bread, Copper, Malty, Molasses, Yeasty
Advent tea
A nice floral oolong that unfurls into broad leaves. Not a tea I would choose, but that’s why we have advents. It is an interesting change of pace from my usual straight black tea, so I enjoyed it. I prefer a buttery or roasty oolong, and I think there is another in this advent bunch to try.
Flavors: Floral, Grass, Smooth
Wow, it’s great you enjoyed it, but also a pity that more is unavailable since Michelle reported that they’ve changed the formulation to replace the fig with a yucky black-current flavoring. I hate when that happens! To top it off, all the customer reviews on P&T’s site are from before the reformulation! =Not a good thing!
Yes, my sample pouch said “old version” on it, and I am glad I got to taste the one before the unfortunate recipe change.
It is indeed a shame that they switched fig with black currant. While I pretty much adore the latter, fig was kind of unique flavour; hard to find. I have one fig tea in the office; I need to write notes before it will be a sipdown.