Tasting a new tea this morning. Ha ha! Almost typed tasting a newt...very different. Anyway- today's taste is Malaysian Highlands. Here's what the catalog has to say-

"A very smooth cup with no bitterness, but lots of flavour and depth."

Hardly descriptive.

From the name, I assume this tea is from the Cameron Highlands in peninsular Malaysia. This is a region of hilss and low mountains with often very steep hillsides, terraced for cultivation. This is the home of Malaysias largest tea company and plantation, BOH Plantations. Though i have no evidence, I suspect this tea may be from a large plantation. This tea is a bit unusual, in that Malaysia- including Borneo- are typically better known for coffee. Malaysia is one of the world's lesser tea regions. Now, for the tea itself. Malaysian Tea Field:


This must be a CTC tea. Very small pieces of tea leaf, nearly small enough to fit through the mesh screen of my infuser- but not dusty. Not a fanning grade, just mechanically produced.

The aroma of the dry leaf is like a mellow aged tobacco.

I steeped this tea in boiling water for exactly 4 minutes. Being a CTC, it brews quickly.

The liquor is a medium brown colour, with a slightly sweet, slightly malty aroma.

Flavour wise, it is very even. Right in the middle range. Very, VERY slight astringency, not enough to be distracting or unpleasant. A slightly burnt note- light dark roasted barley or wheat. Also a little malty. Bears a resemblence to a breakfast Assam, without the heaviness...much lighter while retaing some of the same flavour characteristics. There's a little tingle and sweetness on the backend. While this would probably take milk and sugar, it definitely doesn't need it. This would make a bery pleasant breakfast tea, or as an afternoon replacement for Darjeeling. It's very brown and dry. At $9 per pound, also VERY affordable.

So there's today's tea! More tomorrow!

In other news:
The horses are getting farriered today. Yippy...in the rain and deep mud. Fun! but one of our friends in farrier school is coming out to do them for the first time. If he does well, it would work out nicely. Haven't had a regular farrier in a while.

We're going to a birthday party this eve at a friend's river house. Dear friends, but I do hate ultra busy weekends- I have meetings and tasks all day long and the wife is working in the shop til five. Gurg.

Bought some music yesterday, as I have money for the first time in a month. Some more Sleater-Kinner, the Adicts, a few YYY's tunes, and that stupid Vampire Weekend tune i can't get out of my head.

i am rereading a Patrick O Brian novel, the Commodore...one of the later Aubrey-Maturin books. It's like revisiting old friends. Their conversation is infinitely familiar, and their presence puts me at ease. Like putting on a warm old robe.

Got a little Hedwig on at the mo- what are you listening to on this fine Saturday morning?

**edit**

Best breakfast ever. Fresh crusty multigrain bread with french cherry preserves and butter, camembert, and boursin.