1605 replies to this topic

[Richard Kilgore]

What are you guys drinking today?

For me it's another Chinese red tea. It is called "Anhui Gift Grade Keemun Gongfu" from jingteashop.com. The site says it is what is served at important official meetings and to special guests. A very nice Keemun. I am not sure if the 'gongfu" in the name means that it is typically served gongfu style. I'll have to check that out.

[Richard Kilgore]

What are you guys drinking today?

For me it's another Chinese red tea. It is called "Anhui Gift Grade Keemun Gongfu" from jingteashop.com. The site says it is what is served at important official meetings and to special guests. A very nice Keemun. I am not sure if the 'gongfu" in the name means that it is typically served gongfu style. I'll have to check that out.

That tea was followed by a cooked Puerh - a 2007 Haiwan Lao Cha Tou Brick brewed gongfu style. It went about 10 steepings and was still going strong when I stopped. I enjoyed this one a good deal.

[Richard Kilgore]

Today I started with a 2008 Darjeeling Castleton 2nd Flush Wiry. Great! Followed just now by my second taste of a Mai Jian green tea from China. Very smooth, buttery and no astringency on the first infusion gongfu style.

[mikepetro]

I am drinking a 1980s Tebetian Musroom puerh http://www.pu-erh.ne...ull.php?Tea=194 While I originally thought it was a mixed puerh, ie shu and sheng, I now believe it appears to be a sheng puerh that has been exposed to wet storage at some point in its life. Wet storage is not always a bad thing when done skillfully, and without the intent to defraud. This particular tea is such a case. I paid $100 per mushroom about 3 years ago, but only after tasting the tea first. I obtained it from "The Tea Gallery" in NYC, an outfit known to be provide exceptional teas, but only if they think you are experienced enough to truly appreciate them.

I learned when I first got it that it tasted great if brewed fast and light, but could be very bitter if oversteeped. I brewed up 6.2g in a 110ml yixing pot reserved for aged puerhs. I used full boiling water and timings of 30-2-2-2-2-5-10-30-60-120

The liquor was very clear and a nice orangish brown. The aroma was reminiscent of a damp fall leaves after the trees had completely shed. The flavor was woodsy, sweet, with notes of nuttieness.

All in all a very satisfying puerh....

BTW, Richard, you had asked about my small traveling tea tray, Scott at Yunnan Sourcing has one on his site now very similar to mine.

[prasantrin]

An oolong from Taiwan called Eastern Beauty. I think I need to find proper brewing instructions for it. I've made it a bit weak, so I can't really taste any nuances.

[Richard Kilgore]

So far today it's the Indian Nilgeri I have mentioned recently. The first Nilgeri I have tried and really like it. I can see why andienji is a fan.

What are you guys drinking today?

[Richard Kilgore]

So far today it's the Indian Nilgeri I have mentioned recently. The first Nilgeri I have tried and really like it. I can see why andienji is a fan.

What are you guys drinking today?

Add to that a couple of cups of PGTips (doing better with brewing it now, but only try to get one infusion out of it).

Followed by the Lapsong Souchong from TenRen that pinned my eyes open one day upthread. I brewed it with a weaker leaf to water ratio and for 3 minutes. Much easier going down. Actually very good. But I have more of this than I will drink anytime soon, so I'll send a sample to the first 3 members who PM me with an address to send it to and who will report on it here in the Coffee & Tea Forum. I have some small sample bags to order for sharing, so I'll mail these out in a few weeks.

[mikepetro]

Today I am drinking a Red Robe oolong. It is a lightly compressed tea, compressed into fingers or sticks that you break off. Apparently this is an inexpensive tea commonly sold in Taiwan. A friend of mine got it at a convenience store there. It is a heavy roasted and aged oolong. I brewed it at a full boil using a yixing pot dedicated to oolongs. About 7g in a 140ml pot. Timings were 30,30, 30, 60,120,120. I probably could have gone a little shorter on the first 2 steeps. The liquor was bright redish orange, there was mild and pleasant astringency, notes of cream and apricot, with a very nice sweet finish in the later steeps.

I like this tea, it ages well, comes in a convenient form, and is forgiving of my clumsy oolong technique.

[Richard Kilgore]

So far today it's the Indian Nilgeri I have mentioned recently. The first Nilgeri I have tried and really like it. I can see why andienji is a fan.

What are you guys drinking today?

Add to that a couple of cups of PGTips (doing better with brewing it now, but only try to get one infusion out of it).

Followed by the Lapsong Souchong from TenRen that pinned my eyes open one day upthread. I brewed it with a weaker leaf to water ratio and for 3 minutes. Much easier going down. Actually very good. But I have more of this than I will drink anytime soon, so I'll send a sample to the first 3 members who PM me with an address to send it to and who will report on it here in the Coffee & Tea Forum. I have some small sample bags to order for sharing, so I'll mail these out in a few weeks.

Here in the light of day, the offer above for samples of this smoky Lapsong Souchong, a famous Chinese tea, is still good.

[andiesenji]

I just finished a pot of Golden Dragon Aged Oolong, a tea from Taiwan that is exceptional.
Ordered from Teas Etc., some months ago but not brewed until today. (Stuck the container behind a huge tin that once held McVities Biscuits.)
Well, it is "Aged" and is now just a bit more so.

The flavor is complex, rather sweet and has a wine-like finish that in my opinion makes it a perfect afternoon cup. It is also supposed to be somewhat of a digestive aid.

It does have some larger leaves and twigs that some people find objectionable, but as I brew the tea loose in a pot that has perforations between the body of the vessel and the spout, I have no problems with it.
I can understand that anyone who uses a mesh infuser might not like the twigs but they don't bother me.

[Richard Kilgore]

Today I am drinking a Red Robe oolong. It is a lightly compressed tea, compressed into fingers or sticks that you break off. Apparently this is an inexpensive tea commonly sold in Taiwan. A friend of mine got it at a convenience store there. It is a heavy roasted and aged oolong. I brewed it at a full boil using a yixing pot dedicated to oolongs. About 7g in a 140ml pot.  Timings were 30,30, 30, 60,120,120.  I probably could have gone a little shorter on the first 2 steeps. The liquor was bright redish orange, there was mild and pleasant astringency, notes of cream and apricot, with a very nice sweet finish in the later steeps.

I like this tea, it ages well, comes in a convenient form, and is forgiving of my clumsy oolong technique.

This sounds different fom Big Red Robe - Da Hong Pao, Mike. Is it related?

[Richard Kilgore]

What are you folks drinking today?

Looks like this is green tea day for me. Yesterday, too.

I tried gongfu brewing a new-to-me Chinese green from jingteashop.com -- a Pre-Ming Ding Huang Ya, but couldn't get it to work. I'll try a gongfu style brewing again, but decided to do it western style today and all went well. Yesterday vegetal in an unpleasant way; today vegetal in a pleasant way, with a slight buttery flavor and richer mouthfeel. This is my first exploration of Chinese green teas beyond the well-known ones.

This tea is no longer listed on their website and must be sold out, so I can't say much about it right now. I have emailed Sebastien at jing and asked if he could send me the text of the description. I'll post later if I receive anything.

[Richard Kilgore]

This morning it's a Nilgiri - Glendale Estate, Handmade from TeaSource for me. Brewed Western style. I really, really like this Indian black tea.

What are you guys drinking today?

[qrn]

Just made some TI KWAN YIN from the local tea store..My first oolong..
This forum has been very helpfull in figuring out how to brew it..I pre heated a teapot and used about 2 1/2 tsp, loose in the pot, to make 20 oz. (enough for my cup) 4 mins steep time for 4 steepings...Amazingly, they were all very good...Still getting used to a new tea however..
Bud

[Richard Kilgore]

This afternoon it's a fresh Chinese Tie Guan Yin Oolong - Fall Harvest 2008, from Anxi County, Fujian - a free sample that Greg Glancy sent me to try. I am brewing it gongfu style in a gaiwan and am on the second of two 30 second infusions. It clearly has several more to go. Very clear yellow-green liquor. The first had a slight, very pleasant vegetal taste and aroma with a hint of sweetness. The second is less vegetal, thicker mouthfeel, buttery, lingering aftertaste. Wonderful!

[andiesenji]

I too had a hankering for a Nilgiri tea today and just brewed a pot of Tiger Hill Nilgiri FBOP, picked in January '08.

A lovely tea that brews up the color of claret and especially nice with milk or half & half, sweetened with just a teaspoon of agave syrup.

Edited by andiesenji, 20 November 2008 - 03:51 PM.

[Naftal]

Hello-I had a pu'er, a 2006-07 Beencha that was really nice, I also had an older Beencha.

[Richard Kilgore]

This afternoon it's a fresh Chinese Tie Guan Yin Oolong - Fall Harvest 2008, from Anxi County, Fujian - a free sample that Greg Glancy sent me to try. I am brewing it gongfu style in a gaiwan and am on the second of two 30 second infusions. It clearly has several more to go. Very clear yellow-green liquor. The first had a slight, very pleasant vegetal taste and aroma with a hint of sweetness. The second is less vegetal, thicker mouthfeel, buttery, lingering aftertaste. Wonderful!

I was able to continue brewing this the next day after leaving it on the counter overnight and have had a total of 9 infusions. It still has a few more to go, but I am going to stop at this point. I need to try it Western style and see how it does.

[Richard Kilgore]

What have you been drinking today?

For me it's a 2004 Spring Wuyi Yen Cha Shui Xian that I ordered from Hou De for a good, inexpensive everyday tea. I think I may have gotten the last of it, because their site says "Sold Out", but they have a 2007 that's a little more expensive and I have not tried it. I have done it Western style a few days ago and didn't get it quite right. I'll have to try that again.

Today I brewed it gongfu style in a 120 ml gaiwan with 5 g leaf. 13 sec rinse, 30 sec est, then infusions - 1:20", 2:20", 3:30". More left to go. Of the three, I liked the second best and the third better than the first. May be better with a shorter first infusion of 10 sec.

[jsmeeker]

Not in the mood to drink any of my new teas right now. I think the only thing to ease the pain is a cocktail.

Tomorrow morning, I think I will try my French breakfast tea.

[jsmeeker]

OK.. It's a new day and it's the morning, so it's my chance to try some of the teas I bought yesterday.


First up is the French Breakfast tea.

1 tsp. into a mug. Boiling water. Steep for 4 minutes. pour into another mug with my little infuser basket from my pot to strain. Nothing added.

This was pretty good. But not as bold as the supermarket English Breakfast tea I have. I think the most notable thing about this French Breakfast is that I picked up a sweet chocolate scent in it. That was nice. Overall, it seemed very "smooth"


Second up is a Ceylon Sultane.

1 tsp. into a mug. Boiling water. Steep for 4 minutes. pour into another mug with my little infuser basket from my pot to strain. Nothing added.

Tastes like tea. I dunno how else to describe it. Nothing really remarkable about this, I don't think. I don't mean that in a bad way, rather it just tastes like the way I expect a tea to taste. But I can't really pick out anything that says "this is so much better than what I have had before"

But it's still early in the game. I suppose it could take some time and a lot of tastings to appreciate a real quality tea. Brewing one cup at a time using two cups is a bit cumbersome. I may need a better method, but I am not sure how often I'll really be drinking like this long term.

[Richard Kilgore]

Today it's a red tea from China: Anhui Gift Grade Keemaun Gongfu from jingteashop.com. I am brewing it gongfu style: 5 g in a 120 ml gaiwan and have had 4 good infusions so far. A very nice Keemun.

Anyone else drinking tea today?

[jsmeeker]

drinking iced tea right now.

Made it with a ginger peach apricot flavored black tea from Teavana. Makes for a nice iced tea, I think.

[Richard Kilgore]

What are you guys drinking today?

For me it's a Japanese Kukicha green tea. Full of tea twigs and stems and roasted, so an interesting contrast with sencha. I got this from TCC a couple of months ago and am sure it's 2008 Fall harvest. Brewed Western style.

[Gregory Glancy]

I've been sipping on a 90's aged Nan Tou Oolong (from Taiwan) that I got about a year ago and completely forgot about. I'm enjoying certain aspects of it...to me it has the aroma of roasted barley or some kind of toasted grain, a dried fruit/warm and toasty flavor, but a bit of a sour & tinny aftertaste that doesn't make me remember it for very long. The description says it has a "slightly acid taste balanced with a licorice-like sweetness." I don't get an acid taste or a licorice sweetness at all, but this is what I love about drinking tea. The experience of taste is completely different from person to person!

[Naftal]

I just finished the first steeping of a young pu'er. Life is good

[Richard Kilgore]

This morning it's PGTips. Yes, PGTips. I have learned how to brew it and find it to be an okay CTC quality morning cup. I don't know that I would buy another package of it, but my curiosity is satisfied.

[mikepetro]

Today I am drinking a 1992 Bamboo puerh. It is smooth, has a nice hay like finish, and has lasted about 12 steeps.

[LB Howes]

Since eating way too much rich Thanksgiving food, I've been having a cup of mid-grade green tea every afternoon.

[Richard Kilgore]

This morning it's PGTips.    Yes, PGTips. I have learned how to brew it and find it to be an okay CTC quality morning cup. I don't know that I would buy another package of it, but my curiosity is satisfied.

Tonight it's a Longjing Dragon Well from The Cultured Cup. Brewed gongfu in a gaiwan. I'm on the third infusion with more to go. Very good, but not as deliriously good as it was a few months ago when it was fresh.