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Tea from a Draught Year: Denong Black Tea 2019

11/26/2019

 

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I stopped by Denong for a tasting and got a bonus sample of their 2019 black tea. One of the aspects that makes this extra interesting is that this is tea from a drought year (2017 was a drought year too). This was harsh for tea farmers in drought regions because of reduced yield. Sadly, even robust old trees died in fires in Yunnan impacting puerh and Kenyan tea growers were only operating for half the week because there was not enough tea to harvest. This is why you’ll see less product and higher prices.

It saddens me that these beautiful tea plants and the people in the industry have suffered. Nature has a way of creating beauty out of chaos though. The drought causes the plants to work harder and results in more concentrated flavor. The leaf becomes very small and flat (as opposed to in a monsoon or rainy season where it plumps up) and because of that you get deeper, richer flavor.
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The Leaves


The dry leaves are dark and twig like. The wet leaves smell rich and deep like hot fresh biscuits and a little bit of walking in the forest with moss on the ground minus the damp or mildew smell. 

The Steeps

First Steep

The first steep was light, like a briefly dunked tea biscuit. It had a bit of sweet syrup taste a little bit like maple syrup. I steeped for only 30 seconds with minimal tannin bitterness.

Second Steep

The second steep smelled even sweeter, coated my tongue, and reminded me of how some books smell. I'm not talking about the extremely new ones, or the ones that have gotten old and musty, but the in-between, well-read, well-kept books. Perhaps it's where the books are stored or the type of paper they're made of, but that's what this tea reminded me of on the second steep. Tea and books - they go well together. (So do tea and cats, but if a tea smelled like a cat I'd be concerned.)

Third Steep

The third step was the thickest and most flavorful yet. 
 
Fourth Steep

As this was a black tea sample I wasn't sure if it was going to stand up to a fourth steeping, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It held up. The flavor did start to back away and say goodbye, but it was still present. The tea coated my tongue for another round adding onto the previous rounds for a satisfying mouthfeel and taste. This fourth steep was still very soft and mild from a tannin standpoint. A little less sweet and biscuit-like than previous steeps, but worth doing.
 
I’m always amazed at how much work and how many people are involved in bringing me my cup of tea. I respect all of that coordinated effort. If you are interested in trying a tea from a drought year, bear in mind the smaller yield which may be reflected in the price. If you have had one of these teas, let the tea community know on Tea Deviant Facebook or Twitter which tea you’ve had and what you thought of it. 
 
This is just touching on the impact of drought. I may go further into this subject and how it changes things for the industry and the consumer, if there is interest.


For more on making a great cup of tea check out these posts:
Does your Tea Taste Like Crap? We can Fix That
Are You Having a Tea Crisis?

This is not a sponsored post



​

Meet Cacao Tea: Caffeine free, Guilt free, Creamy Chocolate Tea

10/17/2019

 

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It's fall! Even in the southland the nights are getting crisper and pumpkin everything is on the shelves. Another flavor that gives cozy comfort in the cooler months is chocolate. Now I don't believe in guilt tripping. I rather sip in joy, but if one of your cool weather concerns is getting too chummy with sugary comfort food, then you need to meet Cacao Tea. 

I already did one post on cacao husk that you can read here. When The Cacao Tea Co. reached out to me it was a great opportunity to try a few more options with this fun flavor.

(NOTE: There is no camelia sinensis in this product, so it is technically not a true tea, but rather an infusion. For ease and because of the name of the company, I will be saying 'tea' in the article. If you are a purist, I hope you don't break out in a rash).

Cacao husk tea is the outer husk of the bean and separated after the roasting process.  Cacao Tea Co. sources 100% pure husk from Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala. It is also organic.
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As you can see, this tea is finer than the cacao husk my friend Elexis brought back from Peru (looks less like potpourri) and doesn't have stevia. I like that this is the pure husk because then I can sweeten or not, depending on my mood. 

This is an amazingly flexible tea: hot, cold, sweetened, unsweetened, with or without milk, as a latte or as an infusing element.

As with the previous cacao tea, I really enjoy it without any additions. To me, the creamy mouthfeel and milk chocolate-like flavor alone is my second favorite way of enjoying this tea. My favorite way? One half cacao husk mixed with one half black tea, steeped in grass fed whole milk and sweetened with honey. Decadence! 

I did try cold brewing the cacao husk (8 hours in the fridge with filtered water). Maybe it is psychological, but other than cold chocolate milk, I think of chocolate beverages as a warm indulgence. 

Being a caffeine free, cold brew is not as big a deal because you aren't dealing with massive tannins in the hot brew. It has a lovely, light amber, cloudy pour. My understanding is the cloudiness is from oils as there is some cacao nib that sticks around. This also give the creaminess that is so lush.

Thanks to Cacao Tea Co. for providing the tea for this tasting adventure. Have you tried cacao husk tea yet? Let us know on social. 

Catching up with James Norwood Pratt at the LA Tea Festival

8/27/2019

 

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It was great to re-visit the LA Tea Festival this year in a new space - The Magic Box at The Reef in Downtown Los Angeles. This was the first tea festival I ever attended and covered.  

​I was also thrilled to reconnect with some of the people who jump started my deep dive into tea. James Norwood Pratt is a tea educator, speaker, writer and sommelier. He has a palpable passion for tea and for sharing the joy of it. We got to catch up after one of his classes and you can watch the interview below to learn how the tea revolution is spreading across the US.

 Musical performances, dance and a tea bar have been added to the festival festivities. Of course the bar had tea infused cocktails. I had one with a tea infused Jameson. Yes, I wanted another one!

​There were some familiar vendors from previous years, like Waterfall and Nepal Tea, and numerous ones I had not seen before. I was introduced to some new products and will share the experience with you as I work through my tea haul. Let me know if there is a particular product you are curious about.
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I covered the fest when it was at the Japanese American Museum (and had a Hello Kitty truck).  Being it is August in SoCal, I'm sure all of the vendors were thrilled to be indoors with AC this year. I was. ​ 

Time to put the kettle on. Yeah, it's August in SoCal , but my  love for tea transcends sweat. Cheers!
-Cassandra

This is not a sponsored post

Travel Tea Set from Umi Tea Sets

6/23/2019

 

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Umi Tea sets coarse pottery travel tea set
Quick take: This is a product review of a tea set from Umi Tea Sets. If you love beautiful tea sets and want to know how this one measures up read on.

You’ve got a sample of an excellent tea. You want to share it with your friend who you know has no tea making things. Bringing a full teapot and cups is overkill. Using a travel mug just doesn’t do the tea justice. The answer: a travel tea set.


When Umi Tea Sets offered to send me one of their travel tea sets they filled a tea lover’s need. Their website is filled with beautiful tea sets, travel and home versions. It was going to be a bit of a surprise as I didn’t know which one they were going to send.

The package arrived from China faster than I expected and it was well wrapped. Sending fragile tea things in the mail across thousands of miles and surviving customs is a tricky thing. The set got through without a scratch.
The Look:

This set is a glazed, textured pottery in natural brown and green colors. It has a historic look, like something you would find in a museum. Every piece nests one in the other, kind of like Russian dolls, with a simple fabric drawstring carry pouch.

There are 2 cups of different size/shape. The inside of the cups is a natural brown with a sandy texture. (If you prefer white interiors or glass to see the tea color, they have travel tea sets like that too).
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The Pour:

How a pot pours is a big deal to me. I hate it when I brew a really great tea, go to pour it and discover I have a dribble pot.  Nothing says ‘class’ like dribbling your tea all over. ​


This travel pot has three grooves in the base and three matching holes in the lid which together provide a smooth pour. Also the button on the top of the lid and two matching ones on each side of the base make for an easy, cool grip for pouring. I like that. I have had sets that I got rid of because the pour was terrible or it was too hot to pour easily. (or I turned them into a planter if they were too pretty to let go of but to silly to use).

Other notes:

I could hear the pieces clinking against each other when in the pouch. So, for extra insurance I wrapped the first piece in a cloth napkin I have and it was large enough to continue to wrap the whole. Solved!

If you are a makeup wearer, bear in mind lipstick will be a little harder to remove from this style of pottery. I am not a big fan of regular soaps on teaware but a good grease removing soap took care of the lipstick on the rim.

This tea set is available here at  Umi Tea Sets website. Their website has full tea sets, automatic sets, Chinese (including yixing and gongfu), Japanese, vintage, modern and more. Enjoy exploring and enjoying your love of tea!


Umi Tea Sets provided the tea set for this post, but I am not an affiliate and will not receive a percentage if you purchase from these links. I just think this was a cool product for real.

Cacao Husk Tea from Peru! Chocolate Taste Even Without Sugar

4/30/2019

 

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cacao husk tea from Peru
I love discovering new tastes and my friend Elexis brought me back this new experience from Peru that I am excited to share with you. Cacao husk tea is the shell of the cacao bean after it has been fermented, dried and roasted and then broken off from the bean itself. The bean is used for our beloved chocolate, but the husks have amazing flavor and nutrients when steeped.
PictureCacao husks and stevia leaves
The look: Cacao husk tea looks more like potpourri than tea or herb, really. Lightweight, sizeable, medium brown pieces dotted with whole dried stevia leaves.

The scent: This is one of those times when the dry, in this case ‘husks’ rather than ‘leaves’, smell the same as the steeped tea does: like a fresh, good quality milk chocolate bar. Other reviews said ‘dark chocolate’, but I smelled milk chocolate. Who knows what you’ll smell when you try it! Fudge? (Elexis has also been offering me great fudge lately, so I have fudge on the brain. I’m hoping it doesn’t go anywhere else. )

Picturecacao husk tea

​The color: It came out a beautiful amber color. Like that prehistoric bug encased in amber in Jurassic Park, but without the bug part. 
​

Steeping: There wasn’t any steeping advice on the package. In one way that’s annoying but in another way it leaves the door for experimentation wide open...and of course, internet searching. Generally, most sources said to use boiling water, as with most herbs, and to steep between 5-10 minutes. After experimenting I found I liked the 5-7 minute range best.

Taste: It resulted in a soft, aromatic cocoa taste that has just a hint of sour at the end. It even felt a bit creamy even though there is nothing creamy in it. More time brought out more of that sourness and that just isn’t my thing.

I tried adding sweetener first  and then milk but found I liked it best plain. In the 5 minute steep the sweetener was ok. I used honey once and sugar another time. I think the sugar paired better. Honey is a bit too, “Look at me!” (Yeah, honey, I love ya.)

The particular brand I had includes dried stevia leaves for natural sweetness and they perform beautifully. The chocolate scent and flavor is enhanced by the stevia. Those who are used to sugar, honey or just greater sweet taste in general will want to add their sweetener of choice.

The milk covered the lovely chocolate flavor rather than enhanced it. Extending the steep time didn’t really change this. It just made the tea more sour instead of more robust.

Is it caffeinated?: No, it doesn’t have caffeine like tea or coffee, but like tea it does have theobromine, a slower acting, weaker stimulant.

Nutrients/minerals: It is high in magnesium, antioxidants and has the “bliss chemical”  anandamide.
My internet search also revealed that cacao husk flavor is impacted by it’s origin and conditions like our beloved camelia-sinensis is:  
“Depending on where the husk is from, there's subtle variation in the taste and aroma of the brew. Each single origin husk taking on its own unique flavour profile.”
More options: I mixed the cacao husk with black tea and really liked it. They work well together. Another idea I had but haven’t yet tried is to steep the husks in simmering milk directly to see if a latte-like taste could be achieved.
​
Picturegranadilla whole
Elexis also told me about a crazy fruit she had in Peru that looked kind of like brains but tasted great. She was surprised to find some at a local market here and got me one so I could have the sweet grey jiggling experience myself.

​The fruit is called granadilla. Though the look of it on the inside is a bit funky, the great taste is worth it. The flavor reminded me a bit of lychee, perhaps slightly less sweet and the texture like a passion fruit (it is in the same family). It was juicy and had seeds that gave a satisfying crunchy texture.

Picturepulp of a granadilla fruit
Have you ever had cacao husk tea or a granadilla? Have you ever visited Peru? Let us know. If you’d like to see more, my friend took some great pictures on her trip and you can view them on her Instagram.

Wishing you continued adventures in tea and life!

this is not a sponsored post


Tea and Guitar Pairing

3/15/2019

 

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Classic Teas and Classic Guitars
When I drink tea I often get sensations of places, colors, vibes. Every tea tells a story. 

How is tea like a guitar? I did a blind tea tasting for my Light Shadows bandmate Philip, who is a vintage guitar collector/seller. I was jazzed when he told me how these three classic British bagged teas remind him of three classic guitar brands.

(NOTE for the guitar geeks: Philip wanted to make sure I mention that he is specifically speaking about the vintage original pickups of these guitars. Let the  debate begin!)


The teas we tasted are some of the top sellers in the UK:  PG Tips, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea. All three are the bagged black blend, strong morning cuppa kind rather than single origin loose leaf stuff. Now I don’t generally prefer bagged tea, but when it comes to a classic milk and sugar kind of British tea though, I love these.

Nostalgia? Familiarity? I just like them.

Matching the Tea to the Classic Guitar:

PG Tips Tea and Gretsch

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Gretsch White Falcon and PG Tips tea
Philip said PG Tips tea reminded him of Gretsch, like the beautiful Gretsch White Falcon above, circa 1970.

By itself: He thought it was brighter, sharper and more original than the others.

With milk and sugar: The original taste comes through: round with a little sharpness at the end.

How it reminded him of Gretsch: 

Gretsch has a bouncy tone with a quick attack and pull back. Though less versatile than some,  when a classic Gretsch is put through effects it's original flavor comes through.

Typhoo Tea and Gibson

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Gibson 355 with Typhoo tea
Philip said Typhoo reminded him of Gibson, like the juicy red Gibson 355 from 1965 above.

By itself: He said at first it tastes murky, maybe even bland, but strong. (I like to say ‘ballsy’!)

With milk and sugar:  Typhoo t
ea is so strong it handles them well and together they make something better.

How it reminded him of ​ Gibson: 
​Gibson has a sustained tone and is very versatile. The sound is darker and when put through effects you hear the full measure of the effect and it is awesome!

Yorkshire Tea and Fender

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Fender Telecaster - a combination Telecaster with all current parts - and Yorkshire tea
Philip said Yorkshire Tea reminded him of Fender, like this cool combination or 'parts-caster' above.

By itself: He said Yorkshire tea has a nuanced taste that he thinks is the brightest of the three. (I thought PG Tips was, but that’s individual palate for you :)

With milk and sugar: The tea handles them well but original flavor still shines through.

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How it reminded him of  Fender: 
Fender has a shorter, twangy tone. The crunchy sound with more high end rings through when put through effects. ​

 So what do you think? Does tea make you think of something musical?

If you have strong feelings about these teas or these guitars let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

If you love guitars check out Philip’s Youtube page
where he sells and demos modern and vintage guitars. You can follow our alternative/electronic musical journey on our website and join us on Instagram!

Let the music play!

This is not a sponsored post. Just the musings of  a tea and music fiend.

Tea & Music: Interview with G4L Records CEO, Markus Muller-Stach

11/16/2018

 

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Markus Muller-Stach (M STack), Founder and CEO, G4L Records, chilling at the Sunset Marquis
Hey there! Grab a cup of your favorite tea and check out this fun hang with Markus Muller-Stach (M Stack).  I met him at a music festival last year. We got talking about the label he was launching, G4L Records. Schedules aligned and we got to meet over tea at the legendary Sunset Marquis to talk about his label and how he came to the wild world of music. Enjoy! - Cassandra (TD)

A Non-Traditional Route to Music


TD: You were born in Germany

M Stack: Yes I was.

TD: ...and quite a story to come out here.

M Stack: It’s crazy. I told my parents when I was three months old that I wanted to move to America. So that’s how we got to America.

TD: You were so precocious.

M Stack: (laughs)Yes

TD: Do you like it out here?

​M Stack: I love it out here. I love California. I love LA.

TD: So you started in the business world before coming to music.

M Stack: Yes, I have a non-traditional route that I have taken to come to the music industry. I started as a stockbroker with Smith Barney and ended up in software sales for many years.

Then along this journey found my way to starting a marketing agency with no marketing experience in the early 2000s, closed a big account and staffed up with a number of employees and ran that for nearly ten years. About four years ago just one thing led to another and the call of music pulled me up to LA to start a record label.

I’m that guy that everyone told not to do this. Everybody I talked to in the industry is like, “What the fuck are you doing? Do not start a label.” And I’m like, “No. Follow your heart. Live a meaningful life. Go for it.” And here we are.

I spent the last four years up here in Hollywood getting plugged into the Sunset strip. Seen over 600 live shows. It’s allowed me to kind of understand how the industry works, develop relationships, build out my team, get a clear vision for my label and we launched two months ago with our first artist.

​The Beginning of G4L Records

PictureM Stack hanging with Blondie at the Sunset Marquis
TD: And you started the label with the lead singer of Candlebox, Kevin Martin.

M Stack: That’s right. I started the label, I’m the Founder and CEO and Kevin Martin, a multi-platinum selling artist still out there successfully touring, he heads up my A&R. We just really click well.

He’s a very talented individual just so passionate about giving back to artists. He’s had some terrible label experiences. He’s got so much talent and so much history and understanding coming up as one of Seattle’s greatest rock bands, I mean it’s legendary. He’s got a lot of character and ethics as well.

TD: Do you think that by having Kevin on board with the label you have some of the elements of an artist imprint label?

M Stack: Yeah, it’s truly great. My vision and Kevin’s vision really align in trying to build a truly artist-centric record label. You know, find the right artists that fit up with what we are trying to do beyond musically: personality types, work ethic, character, things of that nature, and empower them.

Develop them. Develop their music. Leverage that with my business/marketing/advertising background put [in] some capital, put them on the road, properly market them, promote them through radio, pr, digital, social media.

It’s all about best practices and empowering the artists and starting from that standpoint. We wouldn’t have an industry if it wasn’t for the artists. It’s all about the artists. It’s about generating synergies versus adversarial relationships.

TD: I want to hear about your first artist that you signed, a metal artist, how you found them and where they were in their personal development of their own doing prior to you finding them.

M Stack: That’s a great question. So our first artist is called To Whom It May. They’re a three piece out of Galveston, TX and Kevin Martin found them. He got referred to this artist and they just blew him away. He’s like, “Markus I think I got our first artist for us.” He played it for me and I’m like “This is great. This is good.”

The funny story there is that Kevin’s like, “Hey, let’s go fly out there.” And I’m like, “I’ve got to be lean startup Kevin. I’ve got to be careful how I manage the books here at the label.”

So what did Kevin do? He ended up setting up a tour with these artists in Texas.
So I’m like “Ok, Kevin you’re smart. I’m going to go. You got me out there.” I saw them and they blew me away.

They play to multiple genres, which we like. They play metal but they’re not necessarily purely metal they’re hard rock and progressive as well, so they play to both audiences. The vocals just have an amazing quality. They play heavy, the can play to the commercial side. The lyrics are very deep and intense too.

TD: They had done some self-releases?

M Stack: Actually they had not. That’s a great question. They had a lot of songs that we just loved and decided to roll out with 'as is' for our first album. It’s called “The Great Filter” by To Whom It May. A true testament to the band’s talent, and the producer Dean Dichoso did an amazing job with them, and Jonathan [Jourdan] who’s the primary songwriter just nailed it.


Tea Memories

TD: This is also a tea blog and we did share a little bit of tea earlier.

M Stack: We had some amazing tea. Where was that from, by the way?

TD: That was an English Breakfast from Harrods in London.

M Stack: That is awesome. That was my first time having tea from Harrods.

TD: Cool. I did make it a bit strong. I was thinking “He can handle a strong tea.” I got that impression from you.

M Stack: It was ballsy.

TD: It was ballsy! (laughing) You used my favorite word when I’m talking about a strong black tea - ballsy!

Did you grow up drinking tea? Is the German culture in your opinion a heavy tea culture?

M Stack: I started drinking Jack Daniels at the age of five. (laughs) I’m just kidding. I did grow up drinking a lot of tea in the household.

TD: Was it predominantly black tea?

M Stack: Yes it was. And then I believe Earl Grey, Mr. Grey. And then of course some green tea came along.

TD: Did you have to reach a certain age before they would allow you to have tea?

M Stack: I don’t think I had to reach an age limit though. Coffee was different though. They drew the line on that.

TD: Really? They didn’t want little Markus climbing the walls too young.

M Stack: Yes. To be addicted on caffeine at that age, which I am now, yeah.

TD: You’re a coffee drinker.

M Stack: Mm hm. Too much so.

TD: Too much?

M Stack: Well, I don’t know can you?

TD: I think it’s personal. Whether it’s tea or if it’s coffee I think it’s a question of what can you handle, what feels good to you.

M Stack: Oh, I can handle it, let me tell you. (Laughs) It’s a lot of hours right now, as it should be. It’s a startup.

TD: Being that it is a startup, what is your vision for your label, G4L Records?

M Stack: My vision is to create an artist-centric label to bring music to the population that transcends the status quo. Things that are outside the box, multi-genre. Our first artist as I mentioned, To Whom It May is Metal/Hard Rock. Our second artist, that’s alt rock/indie-pop. Our projected third artist is singer-songwriter/country. We believe if that deal goes through, moves forward, we believe she could be like a female Johnny Cash.

So we’re looking for the best artists we can find, that fit our criteria. All sorts of genres, we’re open to everything. We have through Kevin Martin and other team members, access to Grammy winning/nominated songwriters and producers.  

I’m looking to sign a handful of artists that really blow us away, that meet our requirements, that we feel we’re going to work with and be great partners together. I view this as a partnership between the managers, the artist and the label.

TD: Realizing that business is human. Music is human and long-term relationships that benefit everybody start with that kind of basis of mutual respect.

M Stack: Yeah, call me crazy I think people matter. I think relationships matter. I think you should treat artists like people. I think you should empower them, treat them like business owners, and talk to them appropriately. Treat them respectfully, be respectful of boundaries. I know it’s a crazy concept for some people to get their arms around, but not for me.

Musical Influences

PictureM Stack acknowledging Johnny Cash and Iggy Pop at the Sunset Marquis
TD: What were some of your early influences musically?

M Stack: Elton John, Billy Joel, The Beatles of course. I’ve grown up listening to all sorts of genres. My parents coming from Germany they were heavily into classical music, so that was played prevalently in the household. I still like to listen to that when I’m working depending on what mood I’m in.

Then I really found my groove with the Led Zeppelin’s of the world, The Who, Bad Company all those sorts of artists. Then the heavy metal bands of the world Black Sabbath, Dio, Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, the hair bands. Then the Seattle [bands].

Honestly, it’s very surreal in a sense that, hey, Kevin Martin and Candlebox was a big album in my life in the early 90s. I spun that CD a shit ton. About two years ago I ended up meeting him at the Viper Room. So here’s one of my idols, and we got connected to each other and a year later we’re working together. So how rad is that!

My favorite type of music is rock n roll driven, blues, hard rock, metal, pop. I like the Duran Duran’s of the world, bands like that and Depeche Mode, Muse. It all starts with the Beatles as far as my generation.

What’s Next?

TD: So what are we going to see next for G4L Records?

M Stack: We are going to see an artist that is kind of a Radiohead meets Lana Del Rey with kind of Interpol vibe. Alt Rock/Indie Pop. We are very excited. Again every artist that I’m going to sign is going to blow us away and hopefully it blows the market away.

We’re getting very good success with To Whom It May. We moved them up the charts. As a little boutique label we got them up to iTunes Metal chart right between two Metallica albums. I mean come on, who fucking does that? Very proud of that. We got them up to Billboard’s Heatseeker #10. They charted high on the college network stations. Then it’s just a function of keep getting them out there, keep marketing, touring them properly. And we’re going to move them upstream.

TD: We can find To Whom It May through your website and their website.

M Stack: Yeah. They have some shows locally. They have some touring dates with Drowning Pool, with Ten Years. They’ve toured a number of dates previously with Nothing More. So for that genre those are big hitters.

We are finalizing the tour for 2019 and I can’t really say who our touring partners would be. I’d love to share it right now but I can’t. We’ll throw in of course a handful of Candlebox shows. That’s a given. That’s kind of a built in advantage for G4L is every artist we sign most likely is going to get a handful of Candlebox tour dates.

TD: Not bad at all.

M Stack: Not bad at all.

TD: Pretty fantastic I’d say. Well congratulations on the launch of G4L. I wish you great success and thanks so much for taking some time to talk about it.

M Stack: Cassandra than you so much for having me on. You do an amazing job. You’re an amazing person and a very talented artist. I really had a great time here. Thank you so much.

TD: Thank you! (blushing and loving it!)


This is not a sponsored post

Tea Halloween Style

10/29/2018

 

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Tea Deviant becomes Tea Dragon for Halloween
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This is not a Yes that's makeup. I was inspired by a beautiful illustration of a Chinese dragon to turn myself into one for Tea Halloween style. My bandmate Philip and my friend Elexis also let me get creative with their lovely faces and you can see the results in the gallery below.

I love the creativity of Halloween time. To me every day is Halloween in that way, but it is great to have so many more people join in - the costumes (especially the creative mash ups), the decorations and the Halloween inspired tea settings! It is also the time for warming spices, the flavors of fall. 

I did a simple scones and tea for my friend Elexis and I. I had some leftover pumpkin puree from another recipe and wanted a scone that used that.  Seek and ye shall find upon the internet! I found this cool recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction. It has some great, specific baking tips in it like freezing and grating the butter which results in deliciously flaky scones (if you don't overwork the dough, easy does it). 

I was feeling my inner child and gave these scones a Halloween twist with a coffin cookie cutter and some red icing for fun. Kind of reminded me of the first short story I ever wrote when I was nine. A vampire story of course. I still remember how hilarious it was acting it out in front of the class.

​Have you enjoyed a Halloween Tea yet? Share your pictures with us on Facebook and Twitter. And show us your costumes so we can celebrate your creative spark!!!

​This is not a sponsored post

Cassandra Vincent

I'm a singer, performer, writer who loves tea, sharing while I continue to learn. Email for business inquiries. 
For more on music and mayhem visit Light Shadows and the Tea Deviant Music Series

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Halloween makeup 2018 Elexis Tea Deviant
Halloween makeup 2018 Philip of Lightshadowsband on Tea Deviant
Halloween makeup 2018 Cassandra of Lightshadowsband on Tea Deviant

Does Your Tea Taste Like Crap? We Can Fix That.

10/18/2018

 

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I have had multiple people tell me that they are still hazy on how to steep tea and some even tell me they don’t really like it. I’ve found the reason for this is often one of the following. So this isn’t a moral judgment, but an insight into why you are having a less-than-stellar tea experience. We can fix that.

Temperature - Come on in! The water’s fine...or is it?

I used to dislike green tea. It was a real hit or miss experience for me. As I learned more and more I discovered multiple reasons for this. One was this heat thing. Green tea is generally not meant to be steeped at the same temperature as black tea. Here is why, green tea is much less processed than black tea. Like white tea, green tea is more delicate in flavor (and will also go bad/stale faster than black tea, by the way). When water that is too hot is used it scalds the tea and makes it taste like a bitter beast. I’ve also experienced and been advised that the higher the quality of the green tea generally the lower the temperature for steeping.

Conversely, if the water isn’t hot enough particularly for a black tea, the steep may not extract enough flavor to please you and you basically have muddy water (no insult to the awesome blues man Muddy Waters. Can never have enough of him).

If you look up tea steeping temperatures you’re going to see a lot of disagreement and different temps. I’ve been given suggestions varying from 160 - 185 for white and green teas and 180 - 205 for oolong and 200-212 for black teas. You will need to play within these ranges to find what suits you and the tea you are making.

Ok, so how do you know the temperature of the water?  You can use a thermometer or a temperature specific kettle. Some kettles can even be programmed for the exact temperature of choice while others, like mine, have a number of temperature options.

Alternatively you can use the Chinese temperature method which looks at the size of the water bubbles as indication of temperature - bigger bubbles = higher temperature.

There is also the Korean method of boiling the water and pouring it into another vessel to cool to the desired temperature before using.


Time - Don’t forget your hourglass

Everyone has a different palate so this, as with many of these tips, is based on taste preference. The longer most tea steeps the more tannins are released causing more bitterness. You may need to experiment to find the timing sweet spot for you. Also consider cold brewing which releases very little tannin but doesn’t shortcut flavor.

If tea is not steeped long enough the leaves may not give over enough flavor. This depends again on many things:  
  • Tea category - black, oolong, green, white, puerh...and now purple 
  • How broken the leaves are - The fuller the leaf the more slowly they release flavor. A more broken leaf has more surface area for the water to work on and releases flavor more quickly.
  • Brewing style - Gongfu tea style uses more leaves with less water for multiple short steeping times compared to western style brewing for example.
  • Processing -  Growing region and harvest time impact flavor and preferred steep length.
  • Personal preference - You may like some types of tea steeped stronger than others. I tend to like a more intense black tea but a really light steep for most green teas.
  • Palate - The ability to discern different subtle levels of flavor will depend on how developed your palate is too. Sometimes you may not be able to taste a difference that someone else thinks is huge and that’s ok. Like what you like and be prepared for the possibility that will change over time.    


Heat - The Warm Up Act

Remember those science classes as a kid? Heat transfer and heat conduction. Metal is a great conductor. Porcelain, China, some types of glass, though they don’t conduct like metal, do experience heat transfer. When the liquid poured into a vessel made of these materials is hotter than the vessel, the heat of the liquid will transfer to the vessel until its temperature matches the water. So, if you pour hot water over tea leaves in a cold vessel some of the heat of the water is transferred to the vessel before even having a chance to extract the flavor from the tea.
Result: crappy weak tea and many tears.

This is why it is so baffling when you order tea at a restaurant and they bring you hot water in a cup, with a metal spoon in it and the teabag on the side. There is no hope in that scenario. To make it worse I’d bet they never heated the cup before putting the less-than-boiled water in it anyway. Meanwhile your friend gets a well-made latte with creative foam art on the top, and you’re like “what did I do to deserve this?” Dramatic, yes, but it sucks to pay $3-$5 for something poorly made doesn’t it?


Quantity - Too much Too little Too late

This is another personal taste thing. I love a good strong black tea that can stand up to milk and sugar. So the average amount of tea in a US teabag rarely does it for me. Kinda tastes like lightly flavored water. Blech.  I also like moderate bitterness, nothing too crazy. So I up the tea quantity and lower the steep time. This way I get fuller flavor and less bitterness.

The size of your teacup comes into play here. Most teabags/servings are meant for 8 ounce cups. This is America. Who drinks 8 ounces or less of anything? (Okay, bourbon drinkers, I hear you, but alcohol is the rare exception. And if any of you wine drinkers say you drink less than 8 ounces I am disinclined to believe you:) I use 16 - 20 ounce cups, so I up the tea quantity accordingly.

Water - Take me to the River, but don’t steep my tea in it

Tap water has a large number of particulates. Distilled has none. The sweet spot is in-between. This was proven to me through a tasting at the World Tea Expo back before I had even started this blog. David Beeman of Global Customized Water steeped the same type of tea with Las Vegas tap water, distilled water and GCW’s reverse osmosis process water with a specific mineral content. Every other aspect of each pot was the same: same amount of tea, same temperature, same vessel, same steep time.

The taste difference was amazing. The tap water made the tea taste like it had been dragged through a garbage bag compared to the other two. The distilled had a fainter aroma and only a slight pop of flavor and then it was gone like mist on the wind. The filtered water with the mineral complex had the greatest aroma, and most impactful, satisfying and lasting flavor.

I asked Dave what the rest of us, people who can’t easily obtain reverse osmosis water with a specific mineral blend, can do to improve their tea experience. He mentioned filtration of course. Even a carbon filtered pitcher is better than nothing. Also, GCW sells these A&B bottles of minerals that can be added to distilled water to approximate the GCW water, if you want to go the extra mile. Then there is Spring water. When I use spring water for tea the result is a step up from a basic filter.

The point is, depending on where you live, tap water has so much going on the tea has to compete with it. This is especially noticeable with the more delicate white and green teas. If you are going to shell out for high quality tea it is worth it to use high quality water.

There it is. There are more factors and I may do another post on this topic, but these are the basics. Have you experienced any of these? Let us know about your tea ‘aha’ moments.

Feel free to share this post with your fellow tea drinkers.
Friends don’t let friends drink crappy tea.

-Cassandra Vincent



This is not a sponsored post

Travel Mug Tips for Tea Fans

10/6/2018

 

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Tea travel mug - a necessity for tea lovers on the move
We love the teapots and the gaiwans but travel mugs for tea are so important in our busy lives. Just because we are moving from place to place at speed doesn’t mean we can’t have our tea fix. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve used  that make using a travel mug a more enjoyable experience.

Stay Dry

Test that the lid is on tightly BEFORE putting the mug your bag or walking around with it (who has experienced this fail with me?). To make sure you have a good seal after putting the lid on tilt the mug over the sink, or turn it fully upside down if you’re feeling cocky. If it dribbles, runs or pops fully off try securing the lid again.

Check your Gasket

The thin rubbery rings you find on tea mug lids act as a sealant when working correctly. If they get damaged, out of place or stretched out they don’t work right. Some are replaceable. Check with the manufacturer of your mug before giving up on it and condemning it to the trash bin.

Keep it Clean, People

Travel mugs often have grooves and moving parts that can hold residue (ick) that can make your tea taste nasty and get in the way of a good seal. Baking soda is a great natural way to remove tea residue from travel mugs (and cups too). You can use an old toothbrush to get into the harder to reach grooves. For the twisty tops, a good soak in white vinegar and water may help get to the places a brush can’t reach. Remember to clean under the gasket too, especially if you have milky teas. That build up is particularly gross.

Some Like it Hot

If you use a metal, insulated travel mug these can have amazing heat retention. I had forgotten to finish a travel mug of tea and discovered it was still drinkably warm 12 hours later! The only downside to this level of insulating heat is it may take hours before your tea reaches a drinkable temperature. When using these mugs I found it easiest to let the tea cool to a drinkable temp before putting the lid on.

If I’m not planning on drinking the tea for a while or have to transport it a long way then I just put the lid on while hot. Some travel mugs are a bit risky to use if the lid is put on while the tea is piping hot. The heat can create a seal where either the lid is very hard to remove or when it is removed it tends to cause the spillage of scalding hot tea. Ouch.

Turn Up the Heat

​If your mug doesn’t do a good job of retaining heat give it a boost by heating the mug before putting your tea in it or steeping your tea in it.  This is just like you would heat a teapot (if you’ve not tried this it could be one the reasons your tea sucks)

Play Tetris

If you have one of the ridiculously shaped travel mugs that won’t fit in a standard car cup holder, there are gadgets that can be attached to car windows which are adjustable so that you don’t have to do the dangerous drive with your scalding hot beverage between your legs thing. That’s ridiculous.

Don’t Cross the Streams

I have nothing against coffee. I have had good times with coffee also (Don’t worry. Tea knows and is ok with it). But when it comes to odors and residues, tea is like the clean, coiffed girl at the gym and coffee is the guy that gets on the elliptical next to you and smells so strong you have to move, not to another machine but to another room...and want to make sure you clean every machine you use before you use it (you do that, right?).  Coffee lingers. The smell. The oils. So unless you want a stale coffee-laced tea keep your tea and coffee travel mugs separate.

What tips have you discovered in your travel mug experience? Share with us on FB and Twitter. Together we can create a better tea experience.

Cassandra Vincent

I'm a singer, performer, writer who loves tea, sharing while I continue to learn. Email for business inquiries. 
For more on music and mayhem visit Light Shadows and the Tea Deviant Music Series

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