What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 2)

[Wholemeal Crank]

Last tea of the night, Golden Yunnan Xtra Fancy from Chado with some osmanthus blossoms. 2nd time I've combined them and it is fabulous.

I may have to make up some of this combo to give as gifts for christmas.

Today, starting with Yunnan Mao Feng green tea from norbu.

[Richard Kilgore]

It was an American Breakfast tea (all or mostly all an Assam I think) from TCC this morning. Sometime today I'll continue infusing the cup of Harry Crab Oolong from norbutea.com.

So what's in your tea cup today?

[BerrySweeet]

I normally wind up drinking green tea like I did last night/this morning...all day everyday unless it's a special morning and I need an extra push of caffeine. Then, I'll have earl grey with a touch of half & half!

[Richard Kilgore]

What type of green teas are you drinking, Berrysweeet?

More of the aged (1999) ripe pu-erh from yunnansourcing.com today, followed by my now daily bowl of matcha (Organic Yame Matcha from yuuki-cha.com) in a new tea bowl. What next? Hmmmm.

Just a heads up about the Tea Tasting & Discussions coming up in 2010. In addition to continuing the one tea tastings we have been doing this past year, I'll be organizing some very interesting comparative tastings featuring two or three teas each time. Greg at norbutea.com, Kyle at The Cultured Cup and Dan at Yuuki-cha.com have already expressed a good deal of excitement and enthusiasm for this new format. The first of these will come in early to mid-January 2010. If you subscribe to the Coffee & Tea Forum, you'll be among the first to know when I start a new topic for a Tea Tasting & Discussion.

[Richard Kilgore]

In the middle of a gong fu cha brewing session of another interesting Oolong from norbutea.com: a Bai Yun (white Cloud) Oolong from Yunnan that was processed in the manner of Taiwanese Bai Hao (Orinetal Beauty). Greg gave some of this to me to try a few weeks ago. With long twisted dry leaves, it produces a beautiful amber tea liquor with citrus and floral notes. Greg does not mention it on the norbu site, but the aroma and to a lesser extent the flavor, has a spicy note. So what did I eat last? Tacos! So the spicy note may be in the tea or this may be the notorious "Taco Effect", so easily overlooked by tea tasters everywhere.

[Richard Kilgore]

So far today it's been a Keemun Hao Ya B from tea Source, followed by my now daily bowl of matcha - Organic Yame Matcha from yuuki-cha.com in a bold Shino style chawan made by Aki Shiratori, a Japanese-American ceramic artist, from The Cultured Cup.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Richard Kilgore
to ID potter (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Here's one image of my set up for making matcha. I'll post more later tonight in the Matcha topic.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Alishan High Mountain Spring oolong.

Working my way through the spring 2009 Oolongs so I will have room in my cupboard for the 2010s....

[Richard Kilgore]

Alishan High Mountain Spring oolong.

Working my way through the spring 2009 Oolongs so I will have room in my cupboard for the 2010s....

It's a tough job. I'm glad we have someone to do it.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Fortunately, I have help. Today supplied four colleagues during clinic, and ran out before really starting my evening paperwork session.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started the day with the Mariage Freres Noel from The Cultured Cup, mentioned in the Holiday Tea topic.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Orchid oolong today....this one is a blend of oolong and osmanthus blossom. Not sure where I got it from, but lately have enjoyed osmanthus mixed with golden yunnan black tea that I won't be too sad when I use it up.

[Richard Kilgore]

I made my bowl of matcha today in an older Shigaraki chawan made by the Japanese ceramic artist Zuiho Sugimoto. I am still drinking the Organic Yame Matcha from yuuki-cha.com.

[Wholemeal Crank]

This morning, Yunnan Mao Feng from Norbutea.

Yesterday, Big Red Robe Wuyi.

And also yesterday, pleased to see some tea at the office gift exchange that was not being given by me to one of my usuual suspects tea circle. We're taking over.....person by person, cup by cup....

[Richard Kilgore]

This morning the MF Queen Victoria Darjeeling - second flush, from The Cultured Cup. Later a bowl of matcha from yuuki-cha.com, and now a cup of Chamomile, also from TCC.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started the day with an elegant Lapsang Souchong from jingteashop.com, but I brewed it way too light. Another day.

Also my daily matcha from yuukicha.com. I am really enjoying this.

So what teas are you all drinking today?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Started with a pot of gyokuro, unfortunately got a bit distracted and infused too long. Made up for that with some Dan Cong Oolong.

[Richard Kilgore]

Ended the day last night with a Houjicha Select from The Cultured Cup...the one featured earlier this year in a Tea Tasting & Discussion. Still nice.

Started the day today with the Ceylon Lumbini Estate from Tea Source. A best bang for the buck smooth Ceylon.

[Richard Kilgore]

I finished off the last of the Spring 2009 Alishan High Mountain - first flush in a gong fu cha brewing session that started yesterday and continues into today. Lovely tea, though not at its peak anymore, of course. Four infusions down and at least a few to go.

And made my now daily Organic Yabe Matcha earlier.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Drinking my original favorite red-label ti kuan yin today--very earthy, dark, and perfectly in tune with the short winter day.

[Richard Kilgore]

Finished the day last night with a relaxing Chamomile from TCC. Kyle has consistently sourced incredibly good Chamomile for years. Makes the grocery store stuff look like dregs off the factory floor.

Today starting out with a Mariage Freres Assam Napuk, also from TCC.

[Richard Kilgore]

Add my daily matcha to the day's teas.

So what teas are you all drinking in your part of the eG world?

[Wholemeal Crank]

First time making the Yunnan Mao Feng from norbutea by the thermos-full, and it worked great. I was running very late, had to make do with water from the water cooler tap which is not hot enough for the oolongs, used a higher than usual leaf to water ratio and one long infusion, and diluted it to a thermos full of very nice tea, still holding up well at the end of the afternoon. It is doing much better in this role than the more delicate dragonwell or gyokuros did.

[Richard Kilgore]

Now brewing the current Sencha Select from The Cultured Cup. Brewed in a Banko kyusu. The grassy-vegetal aroma when the dry leaf hits the warmed kyusu is wonderfully intoxicating. Sweet with little or no astringency.

[Wholemeal Crank]

STarted the day with Genmaicha with matcha in two versions, and then badly mauled the last of some ginseng oolong with careless brewing--was ok but watery in the end, and finished with a mellow pot of dragonwell. I think I just am not the target audience for dragonwell, despite its superb reputation.