Tea Recipe: Doug's Winter Mix for 2010-2011 (Lapsang Souchong and Assam based)

BLOT: (28 Dec 2010 - 09:46:19 PM)

Tea Recipe: Doug's Winter Mix for 2010-2011 (Lapsang Souchong and Assam based)

Got invited to a party a couple days ago with the request that I bring some sort of tea. I mulled over what to bring. For the first time in a long time, there was substantial (for Alabama) snow as opposed to merely a grey, murky Christmas. To celebrate, I thought about exploring some elements of the fresh snow mood. I knew I wanted a bit of Lapsang Souchong for the smokey bite at the edge, and eventually settled on a Golden Assam for a floral malt. The two together make a nice blend, but it needed just a little bit more.

To emphasize the Assam flavor, I backed it up with a mix of Panyang Congou (to add a slight nuttiness) and Yunnan (to add a little bit of coppery bite). This, still, was missing just a bit of something so I added a small amount of Earl Grey so that the citrus flavor could do its thing and counterpoint the Lapsang just a little.

Assuming you want enough to make six cups, it would look something like this:

• 3 tsp of Golden Assam
• 3 tsp half Yunnan and half Panyang Congou
• 0.5 tsp of Lapsang Souchong
• 0.5 tsp of Earl Grey

My steeping time was about 5-6 minutes to let it get good and dark, and then I drank it both black and with some milk and sugar. Frankly, as much as I liked the smokey tartness of the black variation, it just felt more right a good notch white.

LABEL(s): Tea

OTHER BLOTS THIS MONTH: December 2010