Monday TeaDay 3/7/11 Great TeaDay ... odds are?

[dokpm0]

It looks like this tea day is going to do an Energizer bunny imitation and keep going, and going, and going, and going. Near the end of the day shift today I got the exciting news that the graveyard shift operator had to take tonight off at the last minute. So, after working the day shift I get to also work the graveyard shift today. I'm so excited.

This tea day started out with a Lapsang Souchong Imperial from Upton Tea. I really like this tea at home, but I can't seem to brew a descent cup of it at work. I think I've figured out what the problem might be. I'm using Adagio's glass mug/infuser at work and a PersonaliTEA pot at home. The mug infuser is finer than the pot infuser. One reviewer of the tea describes the liquor as "thick", much like coffee. I think the mug infuser might be too fine for this particular tea.

Having to work a second shift today I get to try a solution to the above problem sooner than I expected. It would appear the infuser was the culprit. I brought a tea strainer to work with me tonight. I just brewed a mug of the above Lapsang Souchong in the same Adagio glass mug I used earlier, but without the infuser. I then strained it into another mug. Boy, what a difference. With the infuser the tea was weak and much lighter in color than what I brewed at home. Without the infuser the tea is even darker and stronger than what I brewed at home. With the tea in a ceramic mug just looking at it I'd swear it was strong coffee instead of tea. I was already wondering about the virtues of infusers. It looks like I've found one good reason to try to kick the infuser habit.

[Peacock]

My tea days are always almost 100% great, with the only exception being that I'm in a rush to do something. So if I can't take out time to fully appreciate tea and contemplate my day then it won't be 100%.