Second Cuppa

Introvert’s Travelogue, Part Two – The Middle and The End

I woke up Sunday morning in Waco a little later than planned. And I did too much lazing in bed watching TV before going down for the complimentary breakfast.

Tea is an important morning ritual for me, but I’ve learned to be flexible when on the road. I don’t bring my own tea unless my hotel room or suite has a kitchenette with stove. If you can’t control the water temperature, there’s no point in wasting your own tea.

So I grabbed a Bigelow English Teatime packet, plopped in into a paper cup and brewed with hot water from the beverage station dispenser. It served its caffeine delivery purpose well. For breakfast, I had oatmeal with almonds, cranberries and milk. Continue reading “Introvert’s Travelogue, Part Two – The Middle and The End”

Introvert’s Travelogue, Part One – The Journey Begins

For the first time since I began dating the great woman who would become my wife, I have ten days all to myself. It’s been over 12 or 13 years since I’ve experienced this much solitude. There is, of course, the time I have to devote to work, but the rest is all mine.

In addition to clearing my head and recharging my batteries at home, I decided to visit my former hometown of Austin. I probably make 2-3 trips to Austin per year, but those I make with my wife and 4-year-old son. Continue reading “Introvert’s Travelogue, Part One – The Journey Begins”

Reviewed: Tetley Black & Green

Tetley Black & Green is the US counterpart to the UK’s Tetley Blend of Both. It comes with 72 round tea bags per package.

Black & Green is an easy tea to enjoy hot, and it makes an exceptional iced tea. Disappointingly, it doesn’t play as well with milk (for those who like their tea English style) as does the fuller bodied Blend of Both, which you can now find on Amazon.com. Continue reading “Reviewed: Tetley Black & Green”

Genmaicha Green Tea from The Persimmon Tree

This is my first attempt at Genmaicha, also know as the “people’s tea’ or “poor man’s” tea, which is a blend of roasted rice kernels and (in this case) sencha green tea. The tea was provided by The Persimmon Tree, an online tea purveyor based in Irvine, California.

I let boiling water cool for a minute and brewed the loose leaves for about two minutes. You can be a little looser with brewing time and temperature with Genmaicha because of the high rice content.

Much heavier in rice kernels than green tea, this enjoyable blend smells and tastes like Japanese toasted rice crackers with a hint of grassy sencha tea. Who new tea could be this savory? I found myself nibbling on the wet rice kernels after brewing, and I even grazed on a few dry ones too.

Aroma:	Toasted rice, seaweed, grass, earthy
Body:	Light
Flavor:	Smooth, buttery, savory
Color:	Light yellow

Disclaimer: The Persimmon Tree asked if I would be interested in reviewing a couple of their teas, to which I responded affirmatively. The opinions expressed in this blog post, however, are my own.

Tazo Chun Mee Green Tea Review

This organic green tea, also marketed by Tazo as Pan-Fired Green, is a very easy green tea to enjoy for the uninitiated. I’ve gotten good results by bringing water to a boil, letting it cool for one minute, poring it over the tea bag, and allowing it to steep for three minutes.

The tea gives off a sweet seaweed and roasted aroma. Its body is heavier than most green teas I’ve had, but it goes down easy — never bitter when I follow the above method.

The tasted is smooth and slightly buttery with mild acidity. This is going to be my go-to green tea for work and travel.

Aroma:	Vegetal, seaweed, roasted
Body:	Medium
Flavor:	Smoother, buttery, mildly acidic
Color:	Yellowish green