Richard Kilgore

Handsome cup, WC. The last couple of days, for red/black teas it's been Ceylon Vithanakanda Estate, Extra Special and Nilgiri Glendale Estate Handmade, both from Tea Source, and Dian Hong Imperial and Yi Mei Ren, Wuliang Mountain Yunnan red/black tea, both from Norbu Tea. For green teas - 2001 Organic Asahina Kabusecha Shincha(many sessions) from Yuuki-cha, and Lots of Jade Dragon from Norbu. And a very nice session with the Old Plantation Qing Xin Oolong, 2009 Fall Harvest from Norbu. BTW, yet another Tea Tasting & Discussion offering will go up within the next day or two. If you subscribe to this Coffee & Tea Forum, you'll be among the first to know. So, what teas are you all drinking in your part of the world?

Do you all have any ideas about matching food with these teas? Specific dishes or ingredients that would work well?

As I recall, the body can not process the whole flax seeds. I'm with andiesenjie on the Golden Flax Seed meal - Bob's Red Mill, which was recommended also by Steven and others here.

Several teas over the past few days --- Black & Red Teas Castleton Estate Darjeeling wiry and Nilgiri Glendale Estate, Handmade, both from Tea Source; Fujian Bai Liu Gongfu from jingteashop.com. Green Teas Jin Xuan Winter Harvest 2009 (Taiwan) and Jade Dragon (Yunnan) from Norbu Tea, both featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion. Plus the interesting (almost included it in the TT&D) Green/Oolong Xue Dian Mei Lan, also from Norbu. And the 2010 Organic Asahina Kabusecha (Shincha) from Yuuki-cha.com. Oolong The 2009 Spring Harvest Shui Jin Gui Wu Yi from Norbu. I am sure I left out something. So, what teas are you all drinking in your part of the world?

The three sets of Darjeeling samples from Tea Source for the Tea Tasting & Discussion go to... baroness cdh shamanjoe Whether or not you receive the samples, all eGullet Society members are welcome to participate in the discussion, as usual.

Going fast! There is only one set of the free samples of Darjeeling teas left! If you are interested in the last one, PM me after reviewing the first post in this topic.

The free samples are now available to eGullet Society members who have at least 50 posts anywhere in the eG Forums OR at least 10 posts in this Coffee and Tea Forum. PM me if you are interested.

Thanks to Tea Source, Norbu Tea and The Cultured Cup for providing the teas for this Iced Tea TT&D. Thanks also to baroness and Shamanjoe for participating and sharing their detailed tasting notes with us. If there are any more comments on this TT&D by the participants or members in general, please post them here in this topic. Stay tuned for more Tea Tasting & Discussions. Currently there is an offer of free samples of Darjeelings from Tea Source for a TT&D, and there are two more TT&Ds lined up. If you subscribe to this eG Forums Coffee & Tea Forum, you will be among the first to know.

I see now. These are Nilgiri frost teas. Tea Source carries a Nilgiri frost tea; that's the only other tea merchant I am aware of that carries this type of tea, but there may be others. Anyone else know of other sources?

The period for giving preference for the free Darjeeling samples to members who have never received free samples before ends tonight. After that it will be opened up, as described above. If you are interested, please review the first post in this topic and PM me.

I'll be interested to read your posts about the Jade Dragon in the Chinese Green Tea TT&D, WC. Started the day with the Nilgiri Glendale Estate Handmade from teasource.com, and am now sipping - yet again - the 2010 Organic Ashina Kabusecha from yuuki-cha.com. I'm brewing it in various Japanese teapots to see if one does better than the others with this green tea.

Slow, but good, tea day. In addition to the Dian Hong Imperial early today, Another very nice brewing session with the 2001 Organic Asahina Kabusecha (Shincha) from yuuki-cha.com. Interestingly, the fifth infusion was probably the best of many good infusions!

Yesterday, the Nilgiri, the 2010 Organic Asahina Kabusecha featured in a previous TT&D and a Phoenix Mountain (DanCong) Oolong. Starting out the day today with the Dian Hong Imperial, Hand Processed Yunnan Black (Red) Tea from Norbu Tea. What teas are you all drinking today? (There are free Darjeeling tea samples from Tea Source available to eGullet Society members. Check out the topic for the details.)

Yes, if you - or anyone else - do not have 10 posts in this Coffee & Tea Forum at this time, it is pretty easy to add to the many existing topics on tea here, or to start a new topic. Questions, answers, comments - all good.

Searching "frost tea" on the chado site, I can't find it. Can you supply a link?

Started out today with the Castleton Estate Darjeeling, Wiry from teasource.com. I got his at least a year ago and it is beginning to fade; still good, but I should have been drinking more of it sooner. During the Rangers vs Yankees game I sipped the 2010 Organic Asatsuyu Shincha from yuuki-cha.com in an unsuccessful attempt at keeping me calm. Now finishing the day with the Bai Mu Tan White Tea from The Cultured Cup. There's a new Tea Tasting & Discussion in this forum featuring three first flush Darjeelings from Tea Source. Free samples! Check it out.

I have been buying quality teas from Bill Waddington's teasource.com for several years, and am pleased that he is continuing to support these Tea Tasting & Discussions by contributing the three first flush Darjeelings for this TT&D. Bill is a prominent figure in the tea world, and here is a brief bio from the Tea Source website.

Yesterday, more of the Old Plantation Oolong; the Winter Harvest 2009 Jin Xuan Green Tea from Norbu Tea; the 2010 Organic Asatsuyu Shincha from yuuki-cha.com; and a puerh that Wholemeal Crank gave me last year. An interesting tea day. Today I started with the puerh held over from yesterday. Delicious! Followed by the 2010 Organic Magokoro Shincha from yuuki-cha.com. Next? Probably a hojicha brewed in my truly weird lidless kyusu.

I pulled out a piece of the beeng that Wholemeal Crank referred to uptopic and sent to me last year. Not sure my tea memory is good enough to make this a strong statement, but it is better than the first time I brewed it. The pu may have developed a little in the meanwhile, and I am also brewing it this time in a Yixing with good old clay dedicated to older shu. At any rate, it's smooth and delicious. Thanks again.

A Darjeeling is just a Darjeeling, right? That's what the mass market grocery store tea vendors would have us think. It's. just. not. so. Different Darjeeling tea estates and different flushes during the year make for interesting variations when the tea meets the mouth. So the purpose of this Tea Tasting & Discussion is to give us the opportunity to compare the differences in three first flush Darjeelings (known as the champagne of teas) from different estates. Bill Waddington at teasource.com is providing the Darjeeling tea samples. Namring Upper Estate, 1st Flush, FTGFOP1 Puttabong Estate, 1st Flush, SFTGFOP1 Castleton Estate, 1st Flush, FTGFOP1 Sets of the samples will go to up to three eG members active in the forums: if you have at least 50 posts anywhere in the eG Forums in the past 12 months, or if you have at least 10 posts in the Coffee & Tea Forum and are interested in receiving the free samples and participating in this TT&D, please read on and then PM me. The Details The set of three Darjeeling tea samples (10g each) will go to each of up to three eGullet Society members who will begin brewing, tasting, posting and discussing the teas within one week of receiving the samples. These teas may be brewed 1) "western style" using a small teapot or infuser cup. Please, no tea balls since they do not allow the loose leaves to open fully and infuse well. Brewing suggestions in an upcoming post. Preference will be given to eGullet Society members who have never received tea samples and participated in a Tea Tasting & Discussion, and who have at least 50 posts anywhere in the eG Forums in the past year. This preference will last one week, until midnight October 21, 2010. If that sounds like you, please PM me ASAP. Others who have at least 10 posts in the Coffee & Tea forum, may PM me their interest at any time. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to post them here or PM me.

An Oolong day today, ranging from a 2009 TGY, to the 2009 Fall Harvest Old Plantation Qing Xin, to the 2009 Fall Harvest Bai Yun Wu Lang Mountain - all from Norbu Tea. Brewed the first of the group gaongfu cha in a gaiwan and the other two gong fu cha in a dragon egg shape Yixing in order to see if more oxidized or more roasted Oolongs would do well in this Yixing. More on that later after brewing in it for a week worth of sessions.

A Chinese green tea, the Tai Ping Hou Kui from jingteashop.com to start an early day today - incredibly large, flat leaves that poked out of the gaiwan until the hot water hit. This followed later by the 2008 Spring "Natural Habitat" WuDong FengHuang Dancong from Hou De Fine Tea. And now another Oolong, the 2003 Aged TGY from jingteashop.com, a treat that I have not brewed in months. So, what teas are you all drinking in your part of the world?

Wholemeal Crank is right, I am sure, Chris. The Kamjove and similar brewing devices are good for brewing at western ratios, and you can still get at least two to three infusions from a ratio of 2.0 - 2.5 g per six ounces of water. Essentially brewing it like you have been doing with black tea. Or if you are now using a tea pot with an infuser, you can use the same ratio. As a side note - given your tastes, my best guess is that you would also enjoy an older shu (cooked) puerh. Best to get one at least two years old and at least five years old may be better. Some from the early 2000s and the 1990s are very nice and not astronomically expensive. Small samples help cut your loses if it is something you really don't care for. Most tea merchants offer samples of 25 - 50 g. ( But don't throw a less than desireable puerh away. They can improve with a little airing out after shipping - I always allow at least 10 days - two weeks - and my brewing technique for that specific pu may improve, too. I always suspect first that I am the culprit when a tea does not live up to its reputation.)

Chris, I should also mention the Yunnan Golden Tips from theculturedcup.com. I think this one would fit your tastes well. If it's not on their website, call rather than email. Don't know why, but email communication is not always reliable.

Started the morning with a Yunnan Golden Tips from The Cultured Cup, another really fine black tea. The last hour or so I have been brewing an Aged Sheng Puerh, a 1980s tuo that I got about a year ago from The Essence of Tea. The tuo came without a wrapper, so it is at this point something of a mystery to me. Apparently wet stored and the first two infusions were pretty musty, but now improving with the third. More on this in the Puerh topic after playing with this for a day or two. So, tea sippers, what teas are you drinking today?