A slight adjustment on this tea I brought home from the Azores. I think I over did it last time, thinking it was tougher than it really is.
So, I went with a slightly lower temp, just under 200 degrees, and slightly less leaves. It worked. I got a much more delicate, rich and creamy, velvety smooth black tea this time, which is what I was after.
With a more delicate steeping, I was able to get a much more balanced tea, with every customary black tea characteristic right there and presented in fine fashion.
Just what I am looking for in a straight up, simple, basic black tea. Easily one of my go to standards.
And I love that it has another flavor, something distinctly Azorean. Something about the volcanic soil and rocks there, from what I hear. But there is a flavor, a presence, that is hard to place.
Glad I bought a lot of this, it’ll last me a long time, and I’ll be able to ponder over that extra flavor for years to come.
-E
