What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

[Richard Kilgore]

Early today it was the earthy Keemun Hao Ya B from Tea Source, brewed in an old Brown Betty that Kerry Beal sent me last year. Since then I have had two sessions brewing the Sencha Select from The Cultured Cup offered as free samples in a Tea Tasting & Discussion here in this forum. More on this one after everyone has their free sample.

[Wholemeal Crank]

retreating to the safety of the Diamond Tie Guan Yin for a last cup of the day, while finishing up a bit of paperwork. Gentle even on a burnt tongue.

[LuckyGirl]

Maybe I'll try that when I run low on the Big Red Robe Wuyi, since TenRen is easier to get to than Chado.

I got 3 nice cups and 1 so-so cup out of it today. I must have used more tea and less water when I first tried it.

[LuckyGirl]

This morning I decided to return to sampling some of the Dragonwells that I ordered from Ten Ren.

I am drinking their "First Flush Organic Dragonwell".

After drinking Oolongs for the past week the Dragonwell's veggieness was a little intense at first (maybe intense is too strong, more like notable or striking)but I quickly settled into enjoying this tea. It does have vegetal tastes but not sharp, green ones like asparagus but rather like a light, roasted veggie flavor. Does that make sense?

This tea offers lightly nutty and toasty qualities in addition to the mild vegetal qualities. It is lightly sweet with a mellow sweet finish. I was struck by something like mango or apricot in the first steeping but that is gone with the second brew. It doesn't seem this is a tea that would offer more than two steeps when brewed Western Style even though I was a little generous on the leaf to water ratio. I guess I wasn't expecting many steeps for a green tea but rather was hoping that I might be able enjoy more than the first cup. I'm learning, I'm learning.

I think I have settled into enjoying Oolongs more than I initially enjoyed greens, specifically Dragonwells, but as I taste and learn I'm guessing I will find that I move back and forth between the two.

I like this tea but I'm wondering where it will fit into my tea drinking i.e. when I will want the more mellow cup of green vs. the more robust oolongs.

[Wholemeal Crank]

the Dragonwell's veggieness was a little intense at first (maybe intense is too strong, more like notable or striking)but I quickly settled into enjoying this tea. It does have vegetal tastes but not sharp, green ones like asparagus but rather like a light, roasted veggie flavor. Does that make sense?

I think I have settled into enjoying Oolongs more than I initially enjoyed greens, specifically Dragonwells, but as I taste and learn I'm guessing I will find that I move back and forth between the two.

I like this tea but I'm wondering where it will fit into my tea drinking i.e. when I will want the more mellow cup of green vs. the more robust oolongs.

Plate O'Shrimp! I was just drinking a bit of dragonwell yesterday, probably my best brewing yet. I only tried for two infusions--three seemed to be pushing it. Soon after I got the tea I was thinking it was a mistake, I would never really like it that much,and it was so expensive; but the infusion yesterday was so delicate and sweet and yes, nutty and vegetal too, just like you mentioned, that I do want to keep working with it.

I especially enjoy coming back to a particularly nice tea after a while drinking a bunch of something else. Rediscovering the pleasure of a smoky roasty oolong or a delicate sweet nutty dragonwell is always lovely.

Unfortunately I was distracted and rushing out the door this morning and I am not drinking any tea today because I did not make any, and the lunchroom here only has lipton. Sigh.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Wholemeal Crank (log)

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today starting with gyokuro again. I think this is an excellent tea to start the day.

[Wholemeal Crank]

At the office today, Rishi Golden Yunnan black tea. Good to be reminded that some black teas are brilliant. This one is particulary nice with some ginger shortbread cookies. It has the oomph to stand up to a lot of cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper.

[Richard Kilgore]

Yesterday and today I enjoyed the Ceylon Vithanakanda Estate, Extra Special from Tea Source in the mornings. Today I also have been drinking the 2009 spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-erh featured in one of the current Tea Tasting & Discussions here. Todays gong fu cha infusions were the best I have brewed so far. Delicious, and I'll post about the tweaks on that topic later.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Looking forward to hearing more about the Lao Mansa Puerh. It does seem to take some tweaking to get the full potential of this tea.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today, mostly drank the Diamond Tie Guan Yin from norbutea.com. Finished off the work evening with a bit of gyokuro, brewed in a gaiwan at work. I was too distracted to get the timing just right--need to set a timer to avoid the oops, overdid it syndrome--not a problem with the forgiving oolong, but very poor form with delicate gyokuro!

[Yajna Patni]

I have been drinking and English Breakfast from my tea parcel several months ago. It comes in a pretty tin, and is made by wedgewood. I think it is a mixture of darjeeling and perhaps an assam. It tastes like a ready made of the classic Indian mix of green label and red label, which is leaf darjeeling and assam ctc. The ctc makes the tea deeper coloured than the darjeeling on its own, so it dosnt get washed out when you put the milk in.

[LuckyGirl]

Tuesday and yesterday I spent the day drinking Ten Ren's Dark Oolong, First Grade. I think I steeped the same leaves 6 or 7 times and they still have a good amount to give.

Today I am enjoying the Norbu Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-erh.

[LuckyGirl]

Ten Ren's Organic Superfine Dragonwell.

[LuckyGirl]

Plate O'Shrimp!

There have been several occasions in the short time I've participated on the coffee & tea forum where you and I have been drinking the same tea. Enough times that I made a mental note of it. From now on I will post when that happens.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today I'm drinking the Rishi Tuo Cha Puerh. Reliably mellow, earthy, hints of sweet. I was having trouble finding it for a while and bought several tins at once, so have a lot to drink my way through. I haven't ever tried it gongfu style, hmmmm.....

[Richard Kilgore]

The last few days I have been enjoying the Norbu Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-erh and the Sencha Select featured in two current Tea Tasting & Discussions.

Today, after two infusions of the Lao Mansa Pu-erh from yesterday, I am brewing gong fu cha in a Yixing tea pot a 1999 Shu Pu-erh "Old Tree" Ripe brick from Yunnan Sourcing.

[LuckyGirl]

Right now I am enjoying Ten Ren's First Grade Pouchong brewed gong fu style in a makeshift gaiwan.

Later today I will try the Sencha Select that I received yesterday for the tasting.

[LuckyGirl]

Ten Ren's, King's Dark Superfine. Of all the teas I ordered to try this has been one of my favorites.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started out with the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. This has been one of my favorite Chinese red/black teas for a few years now.

The last time I got some teas from norbutea, Greg gave me a small sample of the 2008 Medium Roast Ali Shan Oolong shipment that came in recently from his Taiwan tea grower. Interesting middle ground with the floral still present along with the roasted flavor. I am going to play with the gong fu cha brewing parameters and report on this in the Oolong topic Oolong topic soon.

[LuckyGirl]

Started out with the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. This has been one of my favorite Chinese red/black teas for a few years now.

The last time I got some teas from norbutea, Greg gave me a small sample of the 2008 Medium Roast Ali Shan Oolong shipment that came in recently from his Taiwan tea grower. Interesting middle ground with the floral still present along with the roasted flavor. I am going to play with the gong fu cha brewing parameters and report on this in the Oolong topic Oolong topic soon.

Gah! I just placed a small order from Norbu and I thought about trying the winter, medium roast Alishan but didn't. I ordered a few different pu erh samples.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started out with the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. This has been one of my favorite Chinese red/black teas for a few years now.

The last time I got some teas from norbutea, Greg gave me a small sample of the 2008 Medium Roast Ali Shan Oolong shipment that came in recently from his Taiwan tea grower. Interesting middle ground with the floral still present along with the roasted flavor. I am going to play with the gong fu cha brewing parameters and report on this in the Oolong topic Oolong topic soon.

Gah! I just placed a small order from Norbu and I thought about trying the winter, medium roast Alishan but didn't. I ordered a few different pu erh samples.

Shoot Greg an email and if he has not shipped it he should be able to add it if you still want to.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Yesterday, just the two teas from the current tastings, the lao mansa puerh, the best infusions yet, and the sencha select. Both wonderful teas.

Today, started with the sencha select again, and am following up with the Diamond Tie Guan Yin. It was an interesting contrast to the sencha--not as overwhelmingly sweet, but more of a hay/caramel/honey note.

[CKatCook]

I am kind of chilly after my round of baking and the oven has died down, a warm cup of chai spice is what the doctor called for.

[cteavin]

I'm enjoying a pot of White Tea from Taiwan.

[Richard Kilgore]

Ending the day with a Houjicha from Dan at yuuki-cha.com. I'm still working on a 100 g bag he sent me free with the quirky lidless kyusu. Nice low-caffeine tea and I only have a few nights worth left.