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Richard Kilgore

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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore

    Tea Tasting: Kukicha Fukamushi Japanese Green Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    I ended up doing three infusions and surprisingly liked the third the best. All at 175 degrees with a pre-heated brewing vessel (a cup) and pre-heated drinking cup (a large yunomi). 3.5 grams of leaf, and the water varied from 5 ounces to eight ounces, with the tea liquor put through a strainer into the yunomi. Infusion times of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 minutes.

    I'll try to do another brewing tomorrow and get some photos up. I have not yet decided how I want to alter the brewing parameters. It would be great if anyone else brewing these can post some images, too.

    How is it brewing for you, lperry?

    Tea Tasting: Kukicha Fukamushi Japanese Green Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted · Edited by Richard Kilgore (log)

    Okay, I have brewed it with the parameters above and think that's a reasonable place to start. If the first infusion tastes good to you, then increase the second one a little. If the first infusion was too weak, increase the second one more.

    If you want to try the intensely high astringency version that Hiroyuki favors, you can use the remaining 6.5 grams in your sample in about 6.5 ounces of water at about 195 - 205 degrees for 5 seconds first infusion.

    Edit: I just recalled that the sample packets are 10.5 grams rather than 10.0. I asked this amount from The Cultured Cup so that you can do three brewings of 3.5 grams each if you wish.

    Tea Tasting: Kukicha Fukamushi Japanese Green Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    I suggest you brew more conventionally to start. 175 degrees for 1.5 minutes, 1.5 tsp/3.5 g per 8 ounces water. You should be able to get two or three good infusions out of this by increasing the brewing time 30" - 60" each time. This should give you a cup with little astringency.

    You could try that first and then adjust to your taste the next time you brew it.

    Edit: spelling

    Gaiwan Gongfu Style Tea Brewing

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Just a heads up. While the green teas and black teas we will be using for the Tea Tasting discussions in this forum will do fine brewed western style in a teapot or large tea cup or mug, I am sourcing some quality Oolongs and Pu-erhs for later in the summer that will show their best when brewed gongfu style (gongfu = with skill) in a gaiwan of 100 - 150 ml. So for those teas, I'll give preference to members who have a gaiwan to brew in.

    Even quality red teas from China become another experience brewed gongfu style.

    If you have questions or comments about brewing in a gaiwn, how to choose a gaiwan, or about gongfu style brewing, ask away!

    Oolong Teas: a complex world between green & black

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Shu Gu Ping Oolong

    from jingteashop.com

    Harvesting : Early spring 2008 (pre Qing-Ming) - First Pick

    Grade : AA

    Origine : Feng Huang Mountain, Shi Gu Ping Town, Chao Zhou city, Guang Dong Province.

    Plantation attitude : 650 meters above sea level.

    Plantation varietals : Shui Xian variety.

    Certification : Small production directly from local farmer.

    This is an interesting tea, similar to a Dan Cong and probably difficult or impossible to find in the US. The description on the jingteashop.com site is very much what I found brewing it gongfu style in a tiny 55 ml gaiwan. The first infusion had a strong gardenia aroma and what they called oily and I called buttery mouthfeel. Indeed it did develope a balanced taste profile by the third infusion.

    3.1 g leaf. Rinse 10, 1:20, 2: 15, 3: 20", 4: 15, 5: 20", 6: 30"...and more to go, maybe 12.

    This package of tea came with an order last year and I opened it a few months ago. Still in great shape.

    This is a very nice light Oolong, and worth exploring if you enjoy Dan Cong's.

    Has any one else tried this tea?

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Earlier today I took a tip from Yajna Patni's post above in order to use up the last 3/4 of a teaspoon each of a nice Ceylon and a too nice Darjeeling. It was okay, but not as nice as the Darjeeling alone.

    Now I have begun brewing an Oolong tea from Guang Dong Province. It's called Shi Gu Ping Oolong and is similar to a Dan Cong. The first 20" infusion is wonderfully floral and buttery. Hard or impossible to source in the US, I ordered it last year from jingteashop.com I'll post more detail in the Oolong topic soon.

    So what teas are you all drinking today?

    DIYS Tea Blending

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Today I am drinking my own blend. Something i never did before. I have been wanting a Russian Caravan, and can't find one i can afford, so i mixed it myself. 1/3 Oolong, 1/3 lapsang souchong, 1/3 keemun. I like it a lot.  The flowery oolong and the smoke mix very well, and the keemun give is body and fills in the background.

    I will make this again!

    What type of Oolong are you using in this blend, Yajna?

    Anyone else blending their own teas?

    Just not your cup of tea?

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Tastes in teas - just like tastes in wine, cocktails, pastry and just about anything else culinary - vary widely.

    A recent post in the "What teas are you drinking today" topic had me thinking about this overnight: I did not care for a particular tea hot, but then tried it iced and liked it a lot.

    But over the long haul it has been Earl Gray - just too much bergamont in my face. (Add to that a lot of Scented and flavored teas.) However, I have found blends that are not a traditional Earl Gray with less bergamont in them that I enjoy.

    Any that are "just not your cup of tea"?

    Any that you did not like at first, but developed a taste for later?

    Oolong Teas: a complex world between green & black

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Just a brief note on this tie guan yin from norbutea.com that we used for the tea tasting discussion earlier this year. I went back to it today and brewed it in a Yixing tea pot instead of a gaiwan. With the gaiwan I felt that the tea was a little weaker than when I originally got it. But today in the 110 ml Yixing it was much better. The first infusion was barely okay, but the 2nd and 3rd were wonderfully floral, the 4th through 7th were slightly less intense but still very good, and the 8th I just drank showed a little more sweetness. This has a few more infusions left in it.

    Hard to know what all accounts for the difference. The Yixing pot for sure. Curiously my leaf to water ratio was a litttle lower than I usually start at - a little less than 6 grams rather than 7.

    I have come to like these greener tgy Oolongs a great deal, coming from a preference for the more traditional roasted versions.

    Anyone else brewing tgy, green or roasted these days?

    Anyone tried any of the Spring 2009 crop?

    Indian Teas - Assam, Nilgiri, Darjeeling...

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    andiesenji posted the follwing in the What Tea Are You Drinking Today topic.

    This morning I brewed a pot of Meleng FTGFOT, one of the Assams from Special Teas.

    I like the malty flavor of Assams and this one has the characteristics but not as pronounced as other Assams.

    Unlike most Assams, I like this one without milk.  It is very aromatic and has a lingering aftertaste that is very pleasant and complimentary to savory breads.

    A couple of days ago I brewed a pot of the Mangalam FTGFOT, also from Special Teas, which has a more pronounced malty flavor, fruity and slightly spicy, a very faint hint of pepper. 

    I prefer this one with milk and one of the raw sugars - although it needs less sweetening than many teas.

    It is a terrific complement to almost any type of food, especially the stronger-flavored meats and goes beautifully with hearty cheeses.

    Also wonderful with sweet pastries, cakes, scones, etc.

    Both of these teas are somewhat expensive but both can be infused multiple times and I use half the amount I would require for other, less full-bodied teas, so they are quite economical when brewed this way.

    I brewed both for only 90 seconds for the first infusion - that produced an excellent flavor, beautiful color and quite enough strength for my taste.

    Thanks for the detailed comments, andiesenji. I agree, higher quality teas are more expensive per ounce, but generally no more expensive per cup due to their capacity for making numerous infusions. How many infusions did you get out of these Assam's and how many do you usually get with an average one?

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Started of Monday with a Russian Breakfast Tea from TCC. I have not found a regular Earl Grey that I like; the bergamont is usually overpowering for my taste. But the bergamont is turned down in this tea and much to my liking.

    Moved on to one that may win the "Weird Tea of the Week" award.

    This sample of 2007 Haiwan Lao Cha Tou Brick - Fermented Ripe Tea Nuggets is tasty, but strange. Discussion here.

    So what tea are you all drinking today?

    Pu Ehr Tea : Also Puerh, Pu-erh, Puer. . .

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    2007 Haiwan Lao Cha Tou Brick - Fermented Ripe Tea Nuggets

    25 g sample from a 500 g brick

    Source: Yunnan Sourcing on eBay, located in China

    I ordered this last year from Scott at Yunnan Sourcing and brewed it once soon after receiving it. Liked it then and liked it again today.

    That said, this is rather strange brewing, strange looking stuff. The nuggets (one, two and three years old in 2007), which are essentially by-products of pu-erh production do not leaf-up in brewing water. They become plump slime-balls. Unappetizing looking, but tasty. Just put the lid back on; you're not eating them after all.

    Brewed in a 100 ml Yixing pot dedicated to shu pu-erh, with 6 grams of the nuggets at 212 F.

    Rinse: 4, Rest: 60", 1:10, 2: 5, 3: 10, 4: 20, 5: 35, 6: 60. More infusions possible.

    This tea liquor has a medium dark red-amber hue. No off-tastes and from the first infusion it thickly coated my tongue and had a hint of fruit. The second infusion was darker and richer with leather over wood. From the third infusion on there was more of a unified smoothness, with the flavors very gradually receding and continuing to be pleasant and drinkable. I stopped at the sixth infusion, and may continue tomorrow. But I estimate these tea nuggets could provide at least another 4 - 6 satisfying infusions.

    I think I have a sample of a similar tea nugget made by another factory. I'll rummage around in my samples and see if I can find it for comparison.

    Has anyone else tried pu-erh tea nuggets?

    Oolong Teas: a complex world between green & black

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    2007 Winter Feng Huang Wu Dong

    Old Bush Dan Cong Huang Jing

    Medium-light wood hand roasting

    35% Fermentation

    Source: Hou de Fine Teas at http://www.houdeasianart.com/

    This is the last of this Dan Cong in an order of three Dan Congs from Hou de last year. I brewed it gongfu style in a 130 ml Yixing with the last of these large, beautiful leaves (sorry no photos, but you can see them on the Hou de site). I heated the water to 195 f for the first three infusions and then 208 f for the last one, since I decided to end the session early.

    This is is an intensley floral tea liquor with minimal astringency to start, and more infusion by infusion. It seemed to be a bit thinner than the last time I brewed it, which may be due to the leaf:water ratio. I would bump it up to 7.5 - 8.0 grams next time, that is, if I had a supply of leaf to do it with.

    This is a little different than what people think of as the classic Dan Cong flavor profile, but very good on its own terms, and the leaf - both dry and wet - is worth the price of admission. I have never seen Dan Cong leaf like it, or more beautful.

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