1604 replies to this topic

[Hassouni]

New package of Ito En Oi Ocha Ichibantsumi (first crop), or in other words, shincha, according Ito En themselves.

Very, VERY nice! very bright yet mellow, zero astringency, extremely smooth, somewhat vegetal and grassy, almost more Chinese in character than other, cheaper Japanese teas I've had.

[Wholemeal Crank]

It's been a rather chaotic month for tea: travel for vacation, family events, and to satellite offices, has limited my tea time and online activity. But I've managed some tea nearly every day: a cool-brewed thermos full of a light green oolong, or properly brewed hot tea, mostly mellower and more tolerant oolongs or shu puerhs. Today, things are getting back to normal: started with some Korean Hwang Cha, yellow or "oolong" tea, Honyama sencha, and shortly something else.....some kind of puerh, probably a more aggressive young sheng. Ahhhh.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Starting my day with Verdi on the stereo, fuzzy-cooked oats with pine nuts and blueberries, and some Gu Zhu Zi Sun, Zhejiang green tea from Norbu, drinking from my "Rock" Hagi teacup by Shibuya Eiichi. Such a nice way to start the day. Later, I'll be baking gingerbread houses and doubtless nibbling lots of spicy trimmings, so will probably go with something toastier and darker for tea--perhaps a nice Wuyi oolong?

[Richard Kilgore]

Have been out of pocket for several weeks, but nonetheless still drinking my usual rotation of black, green, Oolong, and Matcha, along with some new teas.

Had the same delicately delicious Gu Zhu Zi Sun Zhejiang green tea from Norbu today, WC, and just now brewing the Tie Luo Han Wuyi Oolong (also from Norbu).

[Will]

Today, Sea Dyke yellow tin lao cong shui xian (Wuyi yancha), then 80s Xiaguan "Traditional Characters" pu'er.

[Wholemeal Crank]

It's continuing as an all-Norbu day here: some Da Hong Pao after the Zhejiang green, San Nen Bancha for a toasty complement to a light supper of fruit and cheese, and now to some of this year's amazing White Oolong. It's so pleasant when I get to spend a day in the kitchen, cooking and enjoying tea throughout.

[jpr54_]

I received 4 samples from www.sensationaltea.com yesterday morning

zen flower oolong, tung ting oolong, green jade oolong, ti kwan yin

i tried the formosa green jade oolong this afternoon after shopping at farmers market-
nice aroma,not bitter

[Wholemeal Crank]

A very good treat indeed, to have a new group of oolongs to enjoy.

Today started with Song Zhong Dan Cong Oolong from Tea Habitat, continuing a session from yesterday--I packed so many leaves into my little pot that I am still barely able to do more than flash rinses to keep the infusions as dilute as I prefer, and I think I am up to 15 or so.

I took a break for some variety--Ya Bao white buds from Norbu, with a few disks of fresh ginger sliced into the pot. The combination was pleasingly zingy.

I've been drinking the usual abundance of oolongs, a little puerh, and morning sencha. I'm on the last of my senchas from my order from O-Cha, but have enough from Yuuki-Cha and Den's left so that I won't be ready for another order for months yet. I hope they have some of the lovely Kamairichas from our tasting still in stock by that time.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Tonight, for variety and an early night, I'm enjoying a felicitous combination of mostly gamro leaf, with a bit of mace, cinnamon, saffron, and galangal (should never run out of ginger, dumb me). Even without the ginger, it's very nice. The gamro gives the whole thing enough body that it doesn't taste like spiced cider or mulled wine minus the cider or wine.

Other teas lately have included lots of oolongs, deep roasted alternating with light, some Dan Cong occasionally, and a sad experience with a batch of Li An Gua Pian, the first I'd ever had, that seemed off from when I opened it--perhaps because it was one that I waited a long time to open after ordering it, and it sat waiting for me to finish off some other greens before I started with it. I'll definitely give it another chance, but will be more careful about freshness when I get it next time.

Has anyone else been drinking tea, or is it all turned to coffee through this odd winter?

[jpr54_]

I am drinking second flush darjeeling --
goomtee- several weeks ago i purchased a few of sample size teas from www.uptontea.com

I still prefer drinking -oolong esp. baozhong

[Wholemeal Crank]

Morning sencha, still the most common start to the tea day (Sayamakaori from Yuuki-cha). But after that, more oolong than anything else.

[jpr54_]

I did something unusual for me anyway this morning-
I made small melitta filter coffee-columbian suprema bean finely ground with small burr grinder.
WOW did it taste good.

I am stilling drinking tea-as beverage of choice-

[Charcuterer]

My morning cup is usually the Scottish Breakfast Blend from www.Culinaryteas.com they have some wonderful blends including my new favorite afternoon blend called Royal Bengal Tiger. I just did a little searching and found that the original "Royal Bengal Tiger" tea was a mix of citrus, tea and cognac. Sounds nice but probably not appropriate at work.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Still drinking tea.....lots and lots of it.

Today, I started with Honyama sencha from Yuuki-cha, moved on to a mix of some Jin Guan Yin and Tie Guan Yin from Norbu (tail end of one, eeked out to a thermos-full with the other), and this evening enjoyed many infusions from another new green tea from Norbu, his Kai Hua Long Ding, quite delicious and clearly in the Dragonwell style, and then on to Mi Lan Dan Cong, a mellow and quite reasonably priced Wudong oolong that is better than most of the 'commercial' DCs/Phoenix oolongs I've met (not that many yet, but a few that weren't very nice).

[teadrinker]

A French Earl Grey from T2 In Australia. The lady at the store told me this was one of their most popular teas and I can understand why. People seem to really enjoy flavoured teas. They are certainly less geeky than more traditional teas, and more herbal-like.

But this French Earl Grey is not for me. For one I don't like tinkering with timeless classics like an Earl Grey (which some may say is already a tinkered tea). But also there are too many floral high notes and too much perfume in my cup. Although the flavours are anchored in what I think is a good quality black tea blend, I just didn't feel like I was drinking tea.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Welcome to eGullet, and the tea forum, teadrinker. Hope you've got some tea that's more to your liking since that post.

I'm currently enjoying a session with some Tie Guan Yin from Norbu, a very tasty straight-up oolong. Sweet, floral, but unflavored/unscented, just delicious C. sinensis. Unless I'm skipping C. sinensis entirely, I pretty much stick to plain teas. I do drink scented/flavored teas on occasion (mostly when my usual teas are not available), and I've tried Earl Greys quite a few times, some fancier and some less expensive brands, and I have never been able to enjoy any of them. I think I must be missing some scent receptor that enables one to experience pleasure from bergamot. But that just means more Earl Grey for the rest of you, right?

[Wholemeal Crank]

This topic has been quiet for a very long time. I've been drinking a lot of tea, still mostly drunk hot despite the warmer weather. Recently, I'm working through some Jin Xuan processed as a green tea from Norbu, a last remaining packet (sent as a gift from Greg at Norbu) of the summer 2009 High Mountain Beauty Alishan oolong I enjoyed so much, and had a recent Dan Cong frenzy with both some less pricey but still very tasty Mi Lan from Norbu and some pricier but superb (as usual) DCs from TeaHabitat, including the end of some Honey Orchid, Song Zhong, and Po Tou, and newly opened a Zhong Ping Lao Cong Zhi Lan Xiang. Greens and puerhs have been around too, some standby Sea Dyke TKY, and more. The hotter weather also brings out some more herbal teas for drinking cooler--hibiscus, mint, lemon grass just feel better in summer. Just haven't been writing about it daily here.

[CKatCook]

It is supposed to be hot here where I am at and I have to get out in the garden, my peppers are looking scary. So I am making up a big batched of sweet tea for when I come back in. Just plain ole' sweet tea....house wine of the south!

[Naftal]

I had iced Gunpowder (green tea). I had it at Goldfish Tea, and it was wonderful.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today, started with some old puerh--probably a shu, ?15-20 years old, that I inherited without any additional information about it's origins. It was probably a souvenir of a trip to Hong Kong, which has a really thick earthy broth, with a strong cinnamon spicy aftertaste--a lot like what Rou Gui seems like it should be (but since I haven't yet tried many of these, I don't know how characteristic it really is of typical Rou Gui).

And now, moving back to a nice Alishan oolong--Tsou Ma Fei from Norbu. Spicy and floral and sweet.

[haresfur]

Feeling sorry for myself, working on a manuscript on Australia Day. Drinking Australian Sencha packed by McIvers (at the Victoria Market in Melbourne). I'm no expert, but it is nice - perhaps not as 'grassy' as I like.

I just read an item from a media watch regarding Ito En sourcing tea from Australia and sure enough: http://www.itoen.com...duct/index.html

I guess that means that the tea in my Costco green tea bags may circumnavigate the Pacific from Australia to Japan to the US and back here.

[Chef Joel]

I just finished a pot of my favorite Lapsang Souchong, from Mountain Rose Herbs. I am finishing it off by smoking a bowl of toasted Vanilla Cavendish tobacco in my Turkish Meerschaum pipe, while sitting on the porch, looking at the trout stream behind the house, listening to the whippoorwills, the gurgling water, and tree frogs, and watching a lightning storm come in over the mountain. Life is good.........

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today, a lovely Tie Guan Yin from Yunnan Sourcing (their 2012 'Imperial' spring TGY), and some Mansai 2010 sheng puerh from Essence of Tea. No help in the tea enjoyment from the surroundings--a rather bare, shared office that is brightened up mostly by my small tea set (Oribe Hagi cup by Yamane Seigan, celadon porcelain teapot and tea pitcher from Yi Yong Cheol.

[Chris Amirault]

It's finally tea season here, and I'm enjoying this robust mug of Ye Sheng Hong Cha Yunnan wild black tea. It's wild, all right, slightly sweet and malty but with all sorts of crazy stuff going on in a very long woodsy finish. My clear favorite tea of the moment.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I think I have a sample of that tea from a recent order, that I haven't drunk yet. I've enjoyed the tea buds, compressed 'tea log' from the Ye Sheng varietals before but have been a little anxious about this version being a black tea, and my general distrust of black teas has kept it sitting in the back of the cupboard. I do need to give it a chance. Today, enjoying some Imperial Pearl from MountainTea.com, a very oxidized almost black tea that is quite unusual and delicious. My palate may be readier than I think for some fully oxidized black teas....

[rod rock]

Earl grey tea is something that i drink in last few weeks.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I've tried to avoid Earl Grey for years, and occasionally couldn't dodge a cup of it--when there was nothing else available--and always regretted it. It just doesn't agree with me, but that means there's more to share among those who do love it.

Enjoying several different teas today: started with some Jin Guan Yin, a nice lightly oxidized green oolong from Norbu, then moved on to the end of a package of a Taiwanese 'White Oolong' from Norbu, a splendid tea that seemed aptly named as one that has the delicacy of a white tea but a delicate oolong richness as well; and am finishing an all-norbu day with some of last year's Gu Zhu Zi Sun, a green tea from Zhejiang that was hoarded in my cupboard a little past it's prime, but that is still quite tasty and vegetal.

[vimaladevi]

It's still warm here, so today we've been enjoying the this cold brewed & vacuum extracted, slightly fermented (lactic acid / non-alcoholic). very nice.

I have another cold brew of lemon verbana going now, we'll see how long that takes to ferment and I'll let you'll know how it tastes.

I just finished a pot of my favorite Lapsang Souchong, from Mountain Rose Herbs. I am finishing it off by smoking a bowl of toasted Vanilla Cavendish tobacco in my Turkish Meerschaum pipe, while sitting on the porch, looking at the trout stream behind the house, listening to the whippoorwills, the gurgling water, and tree frogs, and watching a lightning storm come in over the mountain. Life is good.........

Life is good!

[Wholemeal Crank]

Curious: was it deliberately fermented, or just happened to ferment because that's what happens under your brewing conditions? And how does that affect the taste?

[MikeTaster]

I'm drinking 2nd brew of my milky oolong.