Tasting: Fall 2008 Tie Guan Yin

[Chris Amirault]

I think that's right. I struggled a long time to try to isolate that slightly citrusy, slightly sharp element that I called lemongrass and kaffir, and wouldn't put the house on the block to prove it's accurate (whatever that means).

[Naftal]

Hello-I brewed mine gong fu- style. It tasted very light and crisp. It did not hold up to a second steeping.

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That's interesting, Naftal, since I got three infusions yesterday during the day and another later. We must be doing gong fu differently. Can you say more about how you are brewing? Time, temp, leaf-water ratio? Gaiwan or Yixing?

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Hello-I guess one would say I used a Gaiwan, though I actually used a small pot for brewing.The second steeping was 3 min. I think a third steeping went longer, but I was not as impressed with the second or third steep. That is what I meant when I said "it didn't hold up", perhaps I should have said that I was not impressed with the results of my resteepings. Or perhaps I should have let steeping #2 go for a longer period of time.

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Thanks, that helps to clarify the differences. You are using longer steeping times and mine are much shorter -- your second infusion was 3 minutes and mine was 20 seconds.

Next, what temperature was the water?

Then, how much leaf and how much water in the pot?

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Hello-Other TGY info:the water was 175-195 degrees F., leaf to water ratio was approx. 3g leaf to 8 oz water.

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Thanks. That helps clarify things further. I would think of this as western style brewing, Naftal. With 3 g to 8 ou I would expect only one or two infusions. You could try 3 g to 4 - 6 ou water, 195 F, for 1'30" for the first infusion and see how that does for you. Then extend the steeping time for additional infusions. (Perhaps 2: 2'30", 3: 4', etc.) Adjust for whatever works for you.

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Hello- Thanks for the info. You are probably not going to believe this, but I rechecked and We did indeed use 4g to 6 oz But, the difference in steeping times did make a big difference.I tend not to pay a lot of attention to numbers.The tea was brewed at Goldfish Tea by the people who work there and I neglected to get the exact numbers,which I have now: 4g to 6 oz.I got my previous numbers from a handout they give patrons. That explains why they were western-style numbers instead of gong fu style numbers like they should have been.

[Richard Kilgore]

Hello-I brewed mine gong fu- style. It tasted very light and crisp. It did not hold up to a second steeping.

←

That's interesting, Naftal, since I got three infusions yesterday during the day and another later. We must be doing gong fu differently. Can you say more about how you are brewing? Time, temp, leaf-water ratio? Gaiwan or Yixing?

←

Hello-I guess one would say I used a Gaiwan, though I actually used a small pot for brewing.The second steeping was 3 min. I think a third steeping went longer, but I was not as impressed with the second or third steep. That is what I meant when I said "it didn't hold up", perhaps I should have said that I was not impressed with the results of my resteepings. Or perhaps I should have let steeping #2 go for a longer period of time.

←

Thanks, that helps to clarify the differences. You are using longer steeping times and mine are much shorter -- your second infusion was 3 minutes and mine was 20 seconds.

Next, what temperature was the water?

Then, how much leaf and how much water in the pot?

←

Hello-Other TGY info:the water was 175-195 degrees F., leaf to water ratio was approx. 3g leaf to 8 oz water.

←

Thanks. That helps clarify things further. I would think of this as western style brewing, Naftal. With 3 g to 8 ou I would expect only one or two infusions. You could try 3 g to 4 - 6 ou water, 195 F, for 1'30" for the first infusion and see how that does for you. Then extend the steeping time for additional infusions. (Perhaps 2: 2'30", 3: 4', etc.) Adjust for whatever works for you.

←

Hello- Thanks for the info. You are probably not going to believe this, but I rechecked and We did indeed use 4g to 6 oz But, the difference in steeping times did make a big difference.I tend not to pay a lot of attention to numbers.The tea was brewed at Goldfish Tea by the people who work there and I neglected to get the exact numbers,which I have now: 4g to 6 oz.I got my previous numbers from a handout they give patrons. That explains why they were western-style numbers instead of gong fu style numbers like they should have been.

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I would think of 4 g to 6 ou as western style, just richer. For gongfu I usually start with 2 gr per ounce (about 30 ml) -- and a short first infusion time of about 30 seconds for this tea. Then adjusting the infusion time on additional infusions based on the first one.

I prefer as small a gaiwan as possible if doing gongfu style for just me -- my 50 - 60 ml gaiwan. If for three or four people, I use one of about 120 ml (but I would like one of about 90 - 100 ml).

It would be interesting if the people at Goldfish Tea could take your other 6 gr and brew it with 3 to 4 ounces of water for a much shorter first infusion -- maybe 30 seconds -- and see what happens with that and additional infusions. Perhaps they have a small Yixing pot or gaiwan that would fit this.

[Richard Kilgore]

I'm just finishing the cup now and realize that its lack of off-notes is very striking to me. I've been drinking Tealuxe and Tradition oolongs at work, and there are nearly always elements that leave the taste less smooth. I suppose that this is precisely what one gets for the extra bucks, eh?

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Yes, I believe that's part of what you get when you get away from grocery store and other lower quality teas. You also often get a larger number of quality infusions that off-set the higher cost of quality teas.

Perhaps Greg and others can speak in more depth to the question of what distinguishes better from lesser quality TGYs. And what factors cause those rougher taste elements in lower quality teas.

[Richard Kilgore]

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I really like it, though it's a lot more delicate than the oolongs I've been used to drinking. The color is a pale straw yellow, with almost a shale gray tone. I really like the aroma on this, with lilac, lemongrass, and kaffir lime notes. The color may be having an effect on my nose, but I also think I can detect sweet grassy elements like freshly cut hay. It tastes very smooth and slightly sweet at the end.

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Just read that some folks have green tints, which I don't really have. I used tap water here, which I've found produces a better cup than the spring water we get delivered. Can the different water quality can have that effect?

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The "pale straw color with almost a shale gray tone" is similar to what I am getting with Britta-filtered tap water for the tea liquor, Chris. We have a discussion topic on water here, but any effect of water on tea liquor color has not come up before now. Perhaps the color of the cup may have any effect. Even white cups can have a fairly wide variation.

What water source and color-tone of cup is everyone else using? Is your tea liquor more like the pale straw color or does it have a green shade?

[Richard Kilgore]

This TGY tasting appears to be winding down. Thanks to Greg Glancy for providing the tea and to everyone for participating in the discussion.

The next tasting is of an Imperial Dian Hong, a Chinese red tea (called black tea in the West).

[Richard Kilgore]

While we're getting the second tea tasting organized, I wondered if anyone has had a chance to brew this TGY more than once? Did you vary the leaf: water ratio? The time or temperature? If so, what differences did you notice, if any?

[Chris Amirault]

Norbu Tea has this oolong on sale right now. I just ordered a bunch.