Richard Kilgore
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore
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The last two days it's been my daily matcha from yuuki-cha and the Da Wu Yi Fenhuang Oolong from Norbu (more on this one in the Oolong Topic).
And you all?
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Da Wu Yi Fenhuang Oolong from Norbu.
On his site, Greg makes a strong case for brewing this tea gongfu cha style. I almost always prefer all Oolongs in a gaiwan or Yixing, but after blowing most of my 10 g sample this way, I decided to try it with a more or less western style leaf:water ratio in a larger Yixing that has been dedicated to DanCongs and similar teas. About 7 ounces of water and 3.2 g leaf. I am currently sipping my fourth infusion at nine minutes, and this tea may still have one more infusion to go. Still like drinking flowers. A cup with filter may not give the same result as this well-seasoned Yixing, but I would not say this is a tea to avoid if you have no way to brew gong fu cha.
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Ta Da!
The three members of the Society for Culinary Arts & Letters who will receive the free samples of the rare Japanese teas for this Tea Tasting & Discussion are...
aveserfi
Wholemeal Crank
lstrelau
You should receive your samples by the end of next week.
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There is one set of free rare Japanese tea samples available to a Society member for this Tea Tasting & Discussion. If you think you may be interested, please read the first post in this topic carefully, and then PM me.
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Thanks, I know of at lest one Lebanese shop in an area that probably has a few more. I have a couple of favorite, complex Ceylons from TeaSource.com that may work, too - though I have never tried brewing them to this strength. They are so smooth that they may be able to survive it.
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Beautiful, Elie. Nice piece of pottery, too. Where in San Antonio did it come from?
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Photo used with the permission of yuuki-cha.com.
Organic Miyazaki Kamairicha Okumidori
This particular organic Kamairicha comes from the same Gokase Town area in Miyazaki as the previous Sakimadori. The tea bushes, however, are grown from the Okumidori varietal and produce small-batch, first harvest leaves that are highly prized. Source: yuuki-cha.com. More here.
Photo used with the permission of yuuki-cha.com.
The top of the tea garden at about 700 meters has the most prized tea bushes and produces the highest quality tea leaves. Source: yuuki-cha.com. For more, click here.
Brewing suggestions to come - after the tasters for this TT&D have been announced.
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I am really intrigued by this method, Hassouni. Now to look for the Alwazah FBOP1 in the next week or two.
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Thanks for introducing us to Iraqi tea, Hassouni.
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ONLY ONE set of free samples of the three rare Miyzuyaki Japanese green teas. Interested? Please read the first post in this topic and then send me a PM.
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Just now started a gaiwan session with another 10g sample ordered from norbutea.com - a 2011 Spring Da Wu Ye Fenghuang Oolong. Wet leaf intensely floral, as Greg notes, almost but not quite Gardenia; liquor is yellow with the slightest cast of green, floral, subtly oily mouthfeel and bitter sweet with a long after taste. The floral taste just coats my mouth. I'll be interested to see how many infusions this will go.
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Photo used with permission of yuuki-cha.com
Looking down on this secluded tea garden surrounded by forest shows several varietals planted at slightly different elevations.
A little background on the two Organic Kamairichi green teas featured in this TT&D. Organic Kamairichi green teas are mostly grown on small family farms in hard to get to areas on the island of Kyushu. Traditional, pan-fired and rare, the two Kamairichi featured are from an area with a reputation for producing the highest quality Kamairichi - Gokase Town in the Nishiusuki District of Miyazaki. (Source: yuukicha.com, more here.)
Photo used with permission of yuuki-cha.com.
Organic Miyazaki Kamairicha Sakimidori
The first Kamairicha for our TT&D is made from the Sakimidori varietal, which was developed in Miyazaki from a cross between established varietals and native varietals. Source: yuuki-cha.com, more here.
Brewing suggestions to come after announcing the three Society members who will receive free samples of the three teas for this Tea Tasting & Discussion.
Info on the second Organic Kamairicha soon.
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Two bowls of Organic matcha this afternoon. But having only a few days left of my bag of Organic Shizuoka Matcha Iroka and completely out of gyokuro, I re-ordered the Iroka matcha and added a bag of Organic Honyama Gyokuro Haku-un - both from yuuki-cha.com. More on these later in the appropriate topics.
And what teas have you all been brewing in your part of the world?
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Just to keep it simple, you can start with a modest burr grinder for about $100+, good water (a water filter if your water doesn't taste great straight out of the tap $30 - $80, fresh recently roasted beans, and the pick out just one (1) inexpensive piece of brewing equipment and learn how to brew with it. After a month of trying two or three different styles of beans, try another inexpensive piece of equipment if you are not satisfied with what you're brewing. No need to try all forms of brewing coffee, or move on to espresso, start roasting your beans unless you just want to and have the time and interest.
Let us know if you have any more questions, and please let us know what you decide on and how that goes.
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Another of those 10g samples Greg is now offering that I got in my last order from Norbu - Aged 2001 Fo Shou Oolong. Brewing it first in a gaiwan before I try it in a Yixing, and after the first infusion (which is not bad, just a little heavy on the "aged" taste) this Oolong starts smoothing out. The color of the tea liquor is beautiful, a little darker amber than I expected. Three infusions into it and more to go. Another of those "interesting teas I have never run across before" that Greg finds with regularity.
So, what's in your tea cup?
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Among several teas today, I destructively brewed a very good tea - the Song Zhong Fenghaung Oolong from Norbu. Despite getting distracted and walking away - for several minutes - from a second infusion that probably should have been about 15 seconds [Yikes!], it recovered sufficiently over a few more infusions for me to know I'll be ordering more.
BTW, the current TT&D free rare Japanese tea samples are available to two members. If you are interested, read through that topic and shoot me a PM. TT&D newbies are welcome.
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There is now a waiting list for members who have participated in a TT&D in the past. You'll be in line if two TT&D newbies do not sign up by the deadline. Please send me a PM if you are interested.
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Image used with permission of yuuki-cha.com.
Organic Miyazaki Oolong Tea Kuchinashi
The yuuki-cha website describes this, the first of our three rare Japanese teas, as a Japanese Oolong tea grown organically in Miyazaki on Kyushu Island. The tea was processed using traditional pan-fired techniques - in contrast to the steam processing we are familiar with for Japanese green teas such as sencha. (Click here for a map showing Gokase Town, the growing area, in Myazaki Prefecture and click here for a map of Japan). As you can see Miyazaki Prefecture is on the southernmost of the large Japanese Islands.
Two Japanese tea bush varietals, Takachiho and Minami Sayaka, were used to produce only 20 kg during the first spring harvest in May 2010. Lightly oxidized, it was also lightly pan-fired.
This information was adapted from yuuki-cha.com where you will find more info on this Organic Miyazaki Oolong Tea Kuchinashi. More to come on brewing suggestions.
And more on the next two Japanese teas featured in this Tea Tasting & Discussion. If you would like to receive free samples and participate, please read the first post above and then send me a PM.
(Edited for Location/map correction.)
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A variety of teas over the past several days, including a red/black tea from Norbu in the morning and usually the Organic Shizuoka Matcha Iroka from yuuki-cha.com in the afternoon. The past couple of days nursed a rich Anxi Aged 2003 Te Guan Yin from jingteashop.com, brewed in a small Yixing dedicated to aged TGYs. Just now brewing a sample from Norbu that I dug out of a bin, a Spring 2010 Jin Xuan Green Tea; still good - though not the same as fresh - despite the effects of time.
Note that a new Tea Tasting & Discussion has started in this eG Coffee & Tea Forum. Check it out for some rare and unusual Japanese teas.
So what teas are you all brewing in your part of the world?
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Although I prefer to do this head-on, it should still work: lightly sprinkle salt and pepper and fill the cavity with small wedges of lemon and one or more fresh herbs. Wrap loosely (but sealed) in aluminum foil. Cook open a campfire or bake in the oven. Easy and delicious.
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One free set of teas goes to a Society member new to the TT&Ds.
Two more available.
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Japanese Pan-fired teas?
Japanese Oolongs? Really?
Japanese Kamairicha tea - what's that?
Miyazaki - where's that?
Patience Grasshopper, all will be revealed.
Dan at yuuki-cha.com is providing three fascinating organic Japanese teas for this Tea Tasting & Discussion. The featured teas are grown in Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu, one of the traditional pan-firing regions of Japan.
Organic Miyazaki Oolong Tea Kuchinashi
Organic Miyazaki Kamairicha Sakimidori
Organic Miyazaki Kamairicha Okumidori
More details soon on each of these rare Japanese teas in the next three posts.
How This Tea Tasting & Discussion Works
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 (this post and the three following soon) and then PM me.
The free 10 g samples are available to members who 1) will do at least one brewing session with each of the three teas, and 2) will begin to report on their experience within one week of receiving the sample and participate actively in the discussion with the other tasters and other members.
These teas may be brewed 1) in a gaiwan, or preferably 2) in a Japanese side-handle teapot. Please avoid brewing in a mug or western style teapot - it just will not be the same.
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 or 10 in the Coffee & Tea Forum. This preference will last five days, until Midnight, Thursday, September 29, 2011 (US Eastern). If that sounds like you, please PM me ASAP.
As always, everyone who does not receive a sample is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion.
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Just several boilng water treatments and two or three of those with baking soda.
I am just now doing a session with the last bit of a Dan Cong from The Cultured Cup. The first infusion showed evidence of baking soda; the second one is okay. Before I brewed I poured hot water into the Yixing and then poured it out; the water looked golden like Dan Cong, but tasted mostly of baking soda. This is my only pot that has seen such long term use that when I first got it, Oolong water resulted from simply pouring in hot water. So just brewing a lot of Dan Cong may do it.
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Good news. Bad news. The musty smell is gone, at least for now. But the seasoning of many years and many pots of Fujian Oolongs is also gone. I need to brew a number of pots of Dan Cong to see what I really have here. Hope I don't have to truly take it back to day one in its tea brewing life.
Oolong Teas: a complex world between green & black
in Coffee & Tea
Posted
Thanks for the detailed tasting notes on the Aged Fo Shu, WC. I happened to brew it the same day and also found that a few weeks of just sitting in the zipped bag after being opened the first time really took the edge off the roasted component to the taste...and as you know, I drink mine with a much higher leaf: water ratio than you do. Impressive improvement. I may get another sample of this to see how it does after many more months, just because I am really curious about the various aged Oolongs that are finding their way westward. Just a few years ago most of us assumed that only Puerh was intentionally aged.