Monday, August 2, 2010

More keemun...and Muscat!

Muscat. Muscatel. Smoothness? Musky? Musty? I wonder about this word muscatel, and how it relates to tea. I have the keemun encore, which is a superior tea, with a smoky-ness to it. I appreciate the stronger flavor that this one imparts, and leaves on the back of your tongue.

I do find that it quenches the thirst, if there was any, as I sip on this almost too hot tea. I think the point of steeping is not to allow it to get to full strength, as much as to allow it to cool. I have to wonder about the Chinese discovering tea, and how they must have experimented with tea, boiling it in a pot of water, cooking it, essentially. And then tasting it. Blech!

The keemun is a full bodied black tea, which has a more delicate flavor that say, English Breakfast, but still has the body and depth of a good dark tea. Makes me think I should order more keemun superior from Mighty Leaf to have at home, along with some other stuff. It’s always such a big deal to decide what I’m going to get. I wish it was easier to figure it out!