Finally figured out the Earl Grey Bravo!

Yay for me. I figured out the Earl Grey Bravo. Finally. It's such a strong tea that a very little bit really goes a long way. I think I need to buy a tea scale, since the way I measure it now is to eyeball it in the cup sized tea infuser that I have, and then put it into the ingenuiTEA...but I've modified this whole setup now. I boil the water in the microwave (takes 4 minutes! Much quicker than the stove with kettle) using the ingenuiTEA, since it works well there, and I can see the water boiling, then I pour the boiling water into my cup with the tea leaves in the infuser. It's not as fun doing it this way because I can't watch the tea leaves fall, but I feel like it's more efficient and I have more control over the brewing process somehow. And cleanup is a bit easier, too. The ingenuiTEA doesn't stain this way, either.

So I digressed: the Earl Grey Bravo is STRONG stuff! I use a very small amount to get a strong cup of tea. I need to get a scale to measure it more accurately so I can be more consistent in each cup, and come up with a proper amount for each tea that suits my taste. I know that I can't use the same amount of Yunnan Jig as Darjeeling.

Tea with Milk

Today I'm having a very weak English Breakfast, and it's still strong! So I tried it with a bit of whole milk, and it got closer to coffee...still not as rich. I guess I'm trying to understand why coffee appears to be the more popular of the two, by using English Breakfast as a reference point. It's not the same as all the other teas I've had so far. Tea is tea is tea, except for English Breakfast (and the Irish Breakfast). Go figure that one out.

The ingenuiTEA...that little filter thing should have a locking mechanism, since it just fits too loosely...and it's getting stained, too. It's to be expected, sure, but still. It only seems like an elegant thing for a while, but it's losing its appeal the more I use it. The filter should also have a longer rod that goes to the top. I see that it has holes to let hot water cycle through? Need an engineer for this one...

Earl Gray Bravo, Part II

Well, this time I tried the Earl Gray Bravo significantly weaker than yesterday, and it was still VERY strong. But it was better. I could really taste the bergomot... very citrus-y, and mady my teeth feel sticky, like I'd just eaten a lemon. I liked the way that it blended with the tea. I didn't put sugar in it, but I should have!

Another thing, with the ingenuiTEA, I have a candy thermometer, so I was testing the temperature of the water...when it forms bubbles on the inside of the pitcher, it's about 200 degrees F. I didn't get it up to a full boil, but it was bubbling a bit...I'm discovering that the heat of the water makes a difference in how strong the tea is...

Tuesday Tea

I'm drinking the Earl Grey Bravo from Adagio. I love the tea leaves, mostly smaller black leaves, with some odd looking blue ones that almost look like blue fuzz. The aroma of the bergamot orange is quite powerful in the tea tin. The flavor is even stronger! Wow! I still get the aroma, not as strong though. I may need some sugar for this cup...it hits you right in the back of the mouth! Yikes.

Meanwhile, in thinking about the ingenuiTEA, I have some suggestions. First, the filter basket at the bottom doesn't stay at the bottom when I pour water into the pitcher. It comes loose and gently floats to the top. Then I have to stick my hand into the water to get the basket back in its spot. This is not optimal. I think the basket should have a rod that is as tall as the top of the pitcher, so it will be heavier, and I can stick it in the pitcher without getting my hands wet. In fact, I don't know how to do this, but it would be nice if I could lift the basket out without losing the tea leaves in the water.

I do like that when the steeping is done that the leaves begin to fall to the bottom of the pitcher. That's nice.

Languid Monday Morning

It's cool today, and I'm outside watching my son play in the front yard, and I'm drinking Yunnan Jig from Adagio. I love the way this stuff smells! I think I made it a bit strong, because it lacks in some flavor that I'm expecting, but the aroma does wonders for me! It's smoky without being too much so, and it's got some other taste that I don't have words for. I've probably complained before about the overblown sounding vocabulary for describing tastes, that to me belong in a wine cellar, or other way too expensive kind of place.

It's a good day!