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BarrelProof

Lifer
Mar 29, 2020
2,701
10,601
39
The Last Frontier
Awesome, I hope you enjoy it. I find steeping for about 5 mins is perfect. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

I’m middle of the road on it right now. I need to spend a little more time with it, but so far I’m not throwing it away (or throwing away any of my other tea to make room for it).

It has an interesting, almost vegetal undertone to it. I want to play with the ratio and steep times a bit.
 
F

fMf Piper

Guest
I want to play with the ratio and steep times a bit.
That's what I had to do when I first bought it. Took me about a week to get the steep time, milk, and sweetener ratio to where I liked it. I found even one minute in steep time can make a difference with this blend.

Much like pipes and cigars, everyone's tasted is a little different and you have to find what works for you.

Now that I have dialed it in for my taste, it has become one of my top everyday black teas.
 
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BarrelProof

Lifer
Mar 29, 2020
2,701
10,601
39
The Last Frontier
@fMf Piper @irishearl

To my palate, gold has less body, a better flavor, and slightly more astringency.

Red, therefore, has more body and less astringency, but doesn’t quite taste as good.

Both still need some manipulation, but neither is terrible. I’ll give them 4-5 more iterations and then I may be reaching out to the two of you for addresses.
 
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fMf Piper

Guest
Both still need some manipulation, but neither is terrible.
We bought in on the recommendation of a friend. After the first two or three cups, niether of us was sure about it, but after about a week of playing with it, we really started to enjoy it. I did find that compared to many other english and irish black teas I have had, I add more milk to the red, which I found helped bring out a better flavor.
 
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BarrelProof

Lifer
Mar 29, 2020
2,701
10,601
39
The Last Frontier
We bought in on the recommendation of a friend. After the first two or three cups, niether of us was sure about it, but after about a week of playing with it, we really started to enjoy it. I did find that compared to many other english and irish black teas I have had, I add more milk to the red, which I found helped bring out a better flavor.

I think that’s gonna be the way I end up going. I don’t typically add milk or sugar, but I’m no stranger to it. My dad and grandparents were diehard Tetley drinkers as I was growing up, and they all used a little of each. That was effectively my childhood until coffee came into the picture.

I can see the red being quite a bit better with milk/sugar and the gold edging it out without the addition of either.

Also, before they’re donated, they’re each going to get a solid go at being a sweet iced tea.
 
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ADKPiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 13, 2020
587
1,437
Adirondack Mountains

BarrelProof

Lifer
Mar 29, 2020
2,701
10,601
39
The Last Frontier
@isaac liu I’ve seen some of your posts in the WAYS thread and wanted to see if you’d jump in here and talk about tea & tobacco pairings.

I didn’t expect to see someone posting photos of a gong fu setup and talking about Wuyi rock oolong. You’ve got my attention.
 
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isaac liu

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 30, 2022
278
5,492
China wuhan
@isaac liu I’ve seen some of your posts in the WAYS thread and wanted to see if you’d jump in here and talk about tea & tobacco pairings.

I didn’t expect to see someone posting photos of a gong fu setup and talking about Wuyi rock oolong. You’ve got my attention.
My favorite combination:
Virginia/V+P with Green/White Tea/raw pu-er
English/Balkans with black tea/oolong tea

Lemon, milk and sugar? Sorry, I am a serious Chinese. :ROFLMAO:
 
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F

fMf Piper

Guest
How does Barry's compare to Yorkshire Red? We've been drinking Yorkshire for years. Thanks!
Barry's is a smooth Irish blend, but we both prefer the Yorkshire Red. I think the Yorkshire is a bolder tea with a more robust flavor. We still drink Barry's a couple times a week, but we drink the Yorkshire daily.

For a change of pace, you would not be disappointed by the Barry's. Just make sure you get the real Irish version, as there is apparently a version made for the US that is a slightly different blend and is not as good. I always order ours from Barry's directly at Barry’s Tea Shop | Irish Tea Deliveries – Barry's Tea - https://www.barrysteashop.ie/en-us. The prices are reasonable, as is the shipping, and it usually arrives with two weeks.
 

Pipe&Pen

Lurker
Mar 28, 2023
23
177
Maryland
I rented a room in a house owned by an Englishman and his wife for several years. That is where I’d learned to drink strong black tea with a dash of milk (always milk first, then tea!). Tea was usually paired with a pipe or cigar, I found this kind of tea always went well with what I was smoking.

More recently I’ve been on a quest for a strong, more malty, less bitter black tea. I’ve been trying a few different Scottish breakfast blends which seem very close to what I am looking for. Any suggestions are welcome! There’s already several teas I’ve learned about on this thread that I want to research and try.
 
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Now drinking Upper Namring Estate First Flush Darjeeling- 2021

First Flush Darjeeling teas are difficult to get in USA. So far the only source I found was Harney, which offered this 2021 crop mid-2021 to mid-2022.

Mid-2022 onwards they are offering First Flush Darjeeling from Marybong gardens. I got a pound, but did not taste it yet. Having said that, the Upper Namring Estate 2021 is superb!

First Flush Darjeelings although black teas, creates a infusion which is golden / amber in color

E802ED15-6462-4384-A321-84C13E4AF6E5.jpeg
 
Jan 27, 2020
3,997
8,123
Now drinking Upper Namring Estate First Flush Darjeeling- 2021

First Flush Darjeeling teas are difficult to get in USA. So far the only source I found was Harney, which offered this 2021 crop mid-2021 to mid-2022.

Mid-2022 onwards they are offering First Flush Darjeeling from Marybong gardens. I got a pound, but did not taste it yet. Having said that, the Upper Namring Estate 2021 is superb!

First Flush Darjeelings although black teas, creates a infusion which is golden / amber in color

View attachment 215402

Upton has a lot of first flush Darjeeling's.