Wholemeal Crank

Another day, another Sencha--Fukamushi Sencha Maki from denstea.

Brewed up a bit of all three again tonight, and it's so very hard to decide. I think the Da Hong Pao is probably my favorite, being the smoothest combination of toasty and fruity, and the Shan Jui Gui next. Still, it's hard to be sure which of the differences I'm tasting are due to the intrinsic properties of the teas, and which to a few seconds longer infusion or few degrees cooler water when doing the comparative tasting; I can clearly say that all of them are quite delicious one by one.

Mine is still unopened in the cupboard; I have the whisk, and a reasonably sized and shaped bowl, and just need a quiet weekend day to make my first attempt. Probably will break into it within a week or so.

Started today with green, but dragon well, not sencha. Came out very nice in a gaiwan. I'm getting more comfortable with the Kamjove after just a few brewing sessions, but it does have some limitations that make it less than desirable for most of my brewing. You can't brew very small quantitites, because the leaves are raised up off the bottom of the cup, and it needs a bit of care to rinse out the leaves after. But for brewing the afternoon thermos full of tea, it seems just right.

Five infusions from a gyokuro? Do tell more!

Three tea day: sencha select, summer Ali Shan oolong, and now smoky white bud puerh.

I doubt I'd use it for this particular tea again, because I feel like I have better control in the gaiwan, and the gaiwan works well with smaller quantifies of this very pricey tea, and I fumbled with it enough to come quite close to seriously messing up the tea. But with practice, it should be ok for my bulk brewing to fill my thermos.

Actually, was going to do the usual gaiwan, but instead tried it in the new office gadget--a Kamjove plastic infusion pitcher thingy (brought as a travel kit, but pressed into service in the office after shattering the 3rd or 4th small glass teapot I've used here....). My tea came out a bit more dilute than perhaps would have been perfect, because I was trying to get used to the mechanics of the pitcher, but the mix of sweetness, vegetal elements, and nuttiness was the best I've gotten from this tea.

Another oolong afternoon--Summer High Mountain Beauty Ali Shan from norbu--and Dragon Well evening with the Imperial Long Jing from jingtea. Tonight's brewing is particularly good, and I begin to see how it justifies the startling price.

Started with the Fukamushi Sencha from Dens today, and after several brewings, I think there is more umami in it than in the Sencha Select from the Cultured Cup. I think I prefer the less steamed version with the sweeter lighter flavor, but it will take more brewings of both to really be sure, especially when I'm not really comparing them head to head.

Fukamushi sencha from Dens to start the day.

Started with sencha select, then on to yunnan gold with osmanthus. Finishing with a hibiscus-chamomile herbal blend.

After another brewing of an oolong from the Wuyi tasting (actually, a bit of a sample of the same tea from a sample swap with LuckyGirl), I am finishing the day with some of the 2009 Lao Mansa sheng puerh from norbu. Used a boiling water steep, then cooler water for short infusions to fill up my thermos. A nice evening tea.

After this discussion of the winey character of the SJG, I am doing a comparison of the SJG with the 90s aged Lao Tie Guan Yin (also from norbu). The aged TGY is one that I also thought of as winey. Interestingly, this pairing brings out all the toastiness of the SJG that is a bit drowned out when comparing the SJG to the other two Wuyi Rock teas. Fascinating.

Started with sencha select from cultured cup, then on to norbu's spring diamond tie guan yin. Need something roasty next....

finishing the day with the Ginger flower fragrance dan cong from tea habitat, after the Da Hong Pao from the current Wuyi tasting in the midafternoon. There's nothing better than a toasty oolong on a drizzly day. Now that the rain has stopped, the more floral Dan Cong feels just right.

Today brewed the Da Hong Pao same as the other two, in the small gaiwan. I think I like this one best of the three, less fruity, not at all winey, but spicy, toasty, sweet, gorgeous.

Starting again with sencha, today the Fukamushi Sencha from Dens. Followed their time/temp recommendations, 160°/45",then 180°/15". Now enjoying the jade-green cup.

After the sencha start, an afternoon of Big Red Robe Wuyi from WHF, then a finish with Ban Tian Yao from the Wuyi Rock tasting now.

Drinking the Shan Jui Gui now, brewed 2g in the 60mL oolong yixing. THis one starts brassier, tarter, more like wine, then mellows on later infusions, but still isn't as earthy and toasty as the Ban Tian Yao. It reminds me of the one aged oolong--IIRC a Tie Guan Yin--that I've tried--in the fruity/winey character.

That beautiful cup must enhance your tea pleasure quite a bit.

Starting with Sencha Select today. Last morning batch a few days ago was disapointing--I did something wrong and ended up with more bitterness than sweet and vegetable. I think I started with water that was a bit too hot. This batch was back to mellow and lovely.

While waiting to hear more about the Ceylon, I've been enjoying a brewing from a freshly opened package of the spring Diamond Tie Guan Yin from Norbu, a radiantly gorgeous tea as always.

This afternoon, Spring Ali Shan Oolong from norbu; this evening, Imperial Long Jing from Jing Tea.

A thought on the Imperial Shi Feng Long Jing, which is a very high grade Dragon Well type of tea (about $20/oz), and the two Dragons Well teas I got from Wing Hop Fung (one about $15/oz and another $10/oz): I think I liked the 'Royal' Dragon Well better than either of the two higher grade teas, because I was getting a sweeter and less astringent brew from it. When just considering the two from WHF I was unsure whether the difference was increasing skill in the brewing, but I've been working with the Imperial Long Jing as closely as possible to the same conditions I used with the Royal DW, and still see less sweetness and more astringency in the Imperial than I recall finding in the Royal. Tonight's insight: perhaps the stronger astringent vegetal flavors of the other two are the prized 'nuttiness', precisely what makes them worth more to the traditional drinker of chinese green teas.