Needed a strong cup this morning after a short night of tossing and turning and murky dreams involving Dan Rather and Ohio. I really prefer the cheerleader dreams. Anyway, it turns out that America is just as polarized as we suspected we were. Thought I might gain a little perspective on the whole situation via a special blend of Peet's Ceylon Fancy and some Keemun Hao Ya from the Perennial Tea Room in Seattle. Added a couple drops of 2% milk and started to feel much better.
In other news.. I'm still recovering from this weekend's Pu-Ehr Beencha tea debacle. I've read a lot about Pu-Ehr teas lately, namely that they contain all kinds of crazy healthful goodness and are processed in a very mysterious way (note: trying to resist ancient Chinese secret reference) deep in the heart of a humid corner of China, but also that they are an aquired taste. That's putting it mildly. So I finally get my hands on a little baggy of this stuff from the Tea Spot in Boulder and eagerly brew up a big mug to get me through a long day of watching my football team lose. The little lump of tea I extract from the bag looks a whole lot like what I expect to be confiscating from my 3-year-old son in about 12 years. Smells a little like dirt. Off to a good start, I reckon. But wait, the brew tastes like water that's been used to boil potatoes or noodles. Now, I can't say when I've actually drunk water that's been left over in the pot after a good noodle boil but I know it tastes like that. Just like I'm sure I know what a real dead body smells like even though I've never smelled one. OK, the tea didn't taste like death but I must admit it tasted a lot like bad tea.
It took 32 ounces of beer, a falafel sandwich, a pint of stadium fries and at least 16 assorted fun-sized candy bars to wash the taste out of my mouth but the emotional scars remain. Until now I have loved every drop of tea I've had from the Tea Spot so I'm confident this is some high-grade Pu-Erh Beencha tea I'm disliking. That means the ball is in my court if I am to acquire this taste. Dammit, I'm gonna have to drink some more..
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