Richard Kilgore

Interesting, Chris. Can you fill us in on how you brewed it - brewing vessel, leaf:water ratio, time and temp?

The preference period for those who did not receive samples in the last two Tea Tasting & Discussions is over. The free samples are now available to all members. If you are interested, please review the first post and PM me.

Started out with the Vithanakanda Estate, FOP Ceylon from Tea Source. Also today continuing my matcha adventures in the Everything About Matcha topic. So what teas are you all brewing today?

Today I also noticed that with at least one chawan I have been using a little more water than intended. This time I measured and both batches were 2.4 - 2.5 ounces. The first set of two scoops weighed in at 1.1 g and the second at 1.4. Both brewed at 160 F in a prewarmed Shigaraki chawan, the second one produced more foam and had a more satisfying, sweeter, richer mouth feel and flavor. The rapid whisking was about 40 seconds each time. Even with the larger amount of matcha, I could not get enough bubbles in the 20 second target I was hoping for.

Later today also brewed three infusions of the Organic Uji Tokusen Sencha from yuuki-cha.com. Now finishing a gong fu cha session with the Shui Jin Gui featured as one of the three Wuyi Oolongs in the ongoing Tea Tasting & Discussion.

The weight of "two" scoops of matcha varied a bit today. First set of two scoops = 1.1 g; second scoop = 2.0 g. I did not try to make them visually look the same, each time just dipped in the tin twice, grabbed two unsifted scoops and weighed them. Next time I'll see if I can shoot for some consistency.

Yesterday also brewed an aged TGY Oolong to continue seasoning a Yixing teapot. More on this in the Oolong topic. Then finished the evening with an Orange Rooibos from TCC. Starting the morning today with the Mariage Freres Queen Victoris Darjeeling from The Cultured Cup.

The seasoning of the 90 ml Yixing made of Qing Shui Ni clay with aged Oolongs continues to come along nicely. Just poured two rich and pleasant infusions from it, and another brewing session or two should put it in good enough shape to use regularly and do some comparisons. I have been using 4.5 grams of leaf (any one of three aged Oolongs) and using longer infusions than I would for most Oolongs: starting at 30 seconds, with temps at about 205 or higher. And leaving the drained leaf in the pot overnight to help with the seasoning. More to come in a week or two. I'll be in a better position then to compare the effects of using a couple of different Yixings and a gaiwan...in my usual pseudo-scientific manner.

Started the day with a 2008 Spring "Natural Habitat" WuDong FengHuang Dancong from Hou De Fine Tea. Began in a nice little 90 ml Yixing that I have been using for Dancong, but noticed two hairline cracks for the first time (a mystery), so now I am trying to figure out which Yixing among those available will do the best for Dancongs. More on this in the Oolong topic after I putter a bit. Also brewed four very nice infusions of the Organic Uji Tokusen Sencha from yuuki-cha.com. So, what teas are you brewing today in your part of the world?

In looking through my notes, it's a shorter initial whisking my Japanese Tea Friend recommended, 10 - 20 seconds. Hmmm. I am sure I have sometimes had longer whisking do better than shorter, but the critical factor may have been the gradual slowing down, or it could have been which one of several tea bowls I was using. I am going to have to keep notes on all aspects, including my timing, to get a better picture of what is happening.

Do you know where it is from - country, region? If it's in a can, it should say.

Sebastien and Jing at jingteashop.com have an interesting selection of fine (and pricey) Chinese teas, as well as some lower-priced ones that are good value for the money. Customer service over the last couple of years has been variable in terms of response to emails and providing tracking numbers, but the quality of the teas and service overall is so good that I tend to overlook it.

I am really curious about the tea baskets, Helen. Can you post a pic of your father's old tea basket in the Let's See Your Teaware topic and tell us more about it and how it is used?

Dan at yuuki-cha.com in Japan is contributing an Organic Kumamato Yabe Supreme for this Tea Tasting & Discussion. Yuuki-cha.com is the leading on-line purveyor of organic Japanese teas. I will mail free samples of 15 grams each of this 2009 mid-steamed organic sencha composed of a blend of Saemidori & Okumidori varietals to up to three eG Society members. More information on this organic sencha from the yuuki-cha.com website. Text and photo used with permission. While the tasting is open to all members who have posted at least ten substantive posts (questions, answers, comments that add to discussions) in the eG Coffee and Tea forum, preference will be given until midnight (EDST) Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 to those who have not participated in the last two tastings. The three free samples are available to members who also 1) will do three brewing sessions of 4 - 5 ounces each, with multiple infusions, from the sample, and 2) will report on their experience within one week of receiving the sample and participate actively in the discussion. Brewing suggestions to come. As always, everyone who does not receive a sample is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion. So, please PM me now for details if you would like to receive one of the the free samples and participate in this Tea Tasting & Discussion.

That's a loss. I really regretted missing the dinner with Bourdain. But the owner says she's going to rebuild.

Welcome, Gail! Those are high income monkeys! Where did you get it?

The free samples of Lemon Myrtle Rooibos from The Cultured Cup are still available. I'll keep the samples available until February 28th. If there is no interest among members in Rooibos at this time, I'll scratch it off my list. However, if you all are interested in Rooibos, but simply not this one, please PM me and let me know. Whether or not you have participated in a previous Tea Tasting & Discussion.

This morning it was the Vithanakanda Estate, FOP Ceylon from Tea Source that I like so much. Now continuing some infusions of the Norbu Tea Da Hong Pao I started too late yesterday to finish. This is one of the three Wuyi Cliff or Rock Oolongs featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion. I'll be posting the next Tea Tasting & Discussion tomorrow. If you subscribe to the Coffee & Tea Forum, you'll be among the first to know. So what teas are you all drinking today?

Thanks. I see what you mean now. They don't pre-heat the bowl, but use a higher temp than I am used to.

You also may want to try pouring the hot water at the recommended temperature. While the temp will probably drop 10 degrees in a minute or so, that still has hotter water hitting the matcha powder initially, which is likely to effect the outcome. Just like pouring 180 F water onto sencha leaves would effect it.

Also started a gong fu session with the Da Hong Pao featured in the Tea Tasting & Discussion. Comments to come in the TT&D.

I believe that if you list on Abebooks you can set it up so that it is also lists on amazon. Abebooks software may be easier to use than listing on amazon, but I have not looked at the current process for both of them. At any rate, one entry and two listings, with amazon getting an additional bite above what abe would take. The buyer pays less if they buy it on abe. Told to me by a book dealer friend a few years ago. You would have to check it out to make sure this is still the case.

Started the day with a red/black Chinese tea, the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. Still one of my favorite red teas. Since then, three infusions of the Organic Uji Tokusen Sencha from yuuki-cha.com. And now just starting a gong fu session of Ban Tian Yao, one of the three Wuyi Oolongs from norbutea.com featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion.

Any thoughts from you all on food pairing for these three Wuyi Oolongs?

Thanks for pointing to You Tube, WmC. This clip is not great, but there may be a better example available. He does not fill the bowl with warm water and add the chasen to pre-heat the bowl while moistening the whisk - then drying the bowl before adding the matcha; nor does he move back and forth in a M or W very much, staying more in the center. His idea of filling it up a third of the way is less than helpful, since chawan vary significantly in size. He ends up with very, very large bubbles. I'll look through them to see if there is anything better. My foam bubbles in post #12 above are too large. The ones in #7 are better, but I am now getting much smaller bubbles and the flavor does seem to have improved. A Japanese tea-friend told me to whisk furiously for at least a minute until the bowl is fully covered with foam. The whisk should be just off the bottom of the bowl. Then keep whisking, but very gradually slow down the whisking to get smaller and smaller bubbles. This works - you may want to give it a try. Since this is a Den's matcha, I would be inclined to follow their directions to a T for four or five attempts and then vary parameters in small increments if that does not suit you. Experience is probably the key, but certainly people prefer one matcha over another. Hope this addressed most of your questions, if in a round about way. If not, let me know.