I am trying something new.
I really don’t know anything about music, and haven’t made any serious attempts to expand my taste during my 40+ years on the planet. I recently decided that this has to change, so I’ve been listening to some new and unfamiliar music in recent weeks, which is a lot of fun.
Anyway, I got to thinking that it might be fun to pair up my discoveries with tea, and write up my pairings in a single review. I don’t plan on doing this too often: For one thing, matching tea and music is hard, and secondly, I don’t know anything about music, so making a habit of writing about it would be arrogant. But I see nothing wrong with a bit fun now and again.
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Name & Brand of Tea: Zoubrovka
Name of Song & Band: Bhangri La from the Payback Time
Type of Tea: Flavored black tea
Form (Tea): Loose leaf
Review:
The Song
A few months ago, I discovered Tummel via a showing of the video for Bhangri La on Link TV. Tummel is a Scandinavian world music band that fuses klezmer (secular Yiddish traditional music) with jazz and other folk music styles. Their stunning performance caught my fancy, and I immediately bought their album. While their other songs are great, Bhangri La‘s combination of swingy, exotic eastern-folk and a bit of modern-pop makes it my favorite.
On one level, “Bhangri La” is an infectious, fun ditty that practically commands its listeners to dance. On the other hand, there is nothing even remotely vapid about this “fun” song. It is well produced, and performed by skilled musicians. It’s roots in traditional music give it depth and structure and make it worthy of some serious attention.
The Tea
I’ve never made any bones about the fact that I adore Kusmi‘s offerings, and am in awe of their tea-flavoring alchemy. However, I wasn’t in a hurry to try this one. I think it has something to do with the (singularly uninspiring) label copy, describing the tea as a “genuine Polish blend scented with buffalo grass.”. I normally jump head first into Kusmi teas, but let this one sit around for awhile. “Buffalo grass” just wasn’t that high on my list.)
When I finally did open the tin, I regretted not doing so earlier. This stuff smells good. Buffalo Grass, also known as “sweet grass” has a light, sweet, vanilla scent that I find extremely compelling (I’d love to find a buffalo grass perfume.). Buffalo grass essence is blended with somewhat broken, dark brown tea leaves, which infuse to a light-medium amber, dominated by the sweet, spicy vanilla.
On the palate, the flavor is initially sweet (though not as sweet as the nose would suggest), but then develops into something far more substantial. The vanilla flavor possesses a decidedly “green” quality: It is obvious that this flavor comes from a plant rather than a pod or a seed. I detect a faint aniseed backnote as well.The flavor of the buffalo grass is supported and structured by a Chinese black tea that is light bodied, slightly sweet, with a touch of bitterness in the finish.
So why the pairing of Bhangri La and Zoubrovka? I do suppose the Eastern European connection has something to do with it, but there is also a happy synchronicity between the layered quality of both song and tea. Each may initially seem to be an amusing diversion, but if you pay attention, you can appreciate the care and talent that went into their production. You can also hear, and taste, the substance of the tradition that support both Bhangri La and Zoubrovka: Bhangri La’s roots in traditional folk music and Zoubrovka’s quality China black tea base keep their respective charges on point.
Brewing Tip: The Zoubrovka is best served hot. It works ok as an iced tea, but the buffalo grass tends to fade when chilled.
Sample Provided by Manufacturer?: No
Affiliate Links in this Post?: Yes
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