What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 2)

Richard Kilgore · February 1, 2010

Starting with the sencha select today. Looking forward some Wuyi oolongs next.
Hard to remember how afraid of green teas I was just a few months ago. Now I'm drinking as much of them as oolongs.

Really amazing, isn't it! And it appears you are enjoying increasingly richer leaf:water ratios, too.

Richard Kilgore · February 1, 2010

Started the day with a Dian Hong "Pure Bud" Black Tea (Spring 2007) from yunnansourcing.com. A malty, tasty one, though not in the same league as the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. I did not drink this when it was younger, so don't know if it is past its prime or not. A nice cup of tea, at any rate.

So what are you all brewing today?

beef_and_burgundy · February 1, 2010

Today it was Dimbula Ceylon with Matcha buttercream macarons; not a bad way so break up the afternoon.

Wholemeal Crank · February 2, 2010

Green, and greener, today: Yunnan Mao Feng for the long afternoon meeting, and now, a gaiwan of Imperial Shi Feng Long Jing.

LuckyGirl · February 2, 2010

A Darjeeling and an Assam from SpecialTeas dot com.

More here-

Wholemeal Crank · February 3, 2010

This afternoon, Spring Ali Shan Oolong from norbu; this evening, Imperial Long Jing from Jing Tea.

Richard Kilgore · February 3, 2010

Another eclectic tea day. First, brewed an aged shu that I started yesterday and had been sitting in the Yixing overnight. Still good.

Got in an order from yuuki-cha and have tried a new matcha and brewed a gyokuro twice today. And no, I have not turned green. More on these in the Japanese Green Tea topic after I have had a chance to play with them a bit more.

And there was a sencha in with this order that will be featured in an upcoming February Tea Tasting & Discussion, with three free samples available to members who have at least a mere 10 posts in this Coffee & Tea forum. Watch for it!

Richard Kilgore · February 3, 2010

Today it was Dimbula Ceylon with Matcha buttercream macarons; not a bad way so break up the afternoon.

Not bad at all! Welcome beef_and_burgandy! Can you tell us any more about this Ceylon?

Wholemeal Crank · February 4, 2010

While waiting to hear more about the Ceylon, I've been enjoying a brewing from a freshly opened package of the spring Diamond Tie Guan Yin from Norbu, a radiantly gorgeous tea as always.

Richard Kilgore · February 4, 2010

Mostly playing with brewing parameters for the two gyokuros from yuukicha. Plus first brews of two black Japanese teas and a Japanese Oolong...yes, you read that correctly...both from yuuki-cha, also. More on all these later after a bit more experience with them.

The newest Tea/Tisane Tasting and Discussion features an interesting rooibos from The Cultured Cup. Free samples for three members who have never received a free tea sample for a past Tea Tasting and Discussion. Check it out.

AdrianB · February 4, 2010

Makaibari Tea Estate (Darjeeling) Bai-mu-Dan (white tea). 80oC, 9 minutes first infusion, subsquents longer. No trace of bitterness. Golden, ethereal and a delight. Not sure it's going to help my beauty however!

Richard Kilgore · February 5, 2010

Welcome, AdrianB! Sounds like an interesting Bai-mu-Dan. Can you tell us anymore about it? Is this a regular tea for you, or do you enjoy exploring many teas?

AdrianB · February 5, 2010

Thank you for the welcome.

I enjoy a broad range of tea - the hardest problem is finding reliable, quality suppliers locally. The Internet is certainly helping that but Australia is a smaller market. The purveyors of tea locally are fine for your average leaf but finding anything more interesting or of higher quality (or freshness when appropriate) is tricky.

Importing direct from the estates or tea-growing countries seems to be the best bet. Some friends also have a few very special Oolongs from Taiwan they bring in (Oshmanthus Autumn etc. from an estate I always forget the name of!).

Green, black, white or in between doesn't bother me depending on the mood and situation. Favourites include: pu-erh (especially after a rich meal), gyokoro from Kyoto - but watch out for the caffeine; and Darjeeling of all sorts. Oolong is very special but I know so little of it apart from the one mentioned earlier; also great memories of great cups in Korea and Singapore with tea-loving hosts.

As for the Makaibari Tea Estate Bai-mu-Dan, it's not an expensive tea ($2.50USD for 25g) but offers a refined rustic honesty I find pleasing when I seek a delicate drink. You can find out more about Makaibari at: http://makaibari.com/ .

I look forward to reading this forum, learning plenty and sharing what I can.

Edited February 5, 2010 by AdrianB (log)

Wholemeal Crank · February 5, 2010

Starting with Sencha Select today. Last morning batch a few days ago was disapointing--I did something wrong and ended up with more bitterness than sweet and vegetable. I think I started with water that was a bit too hot. This batch was back to mellow and lovely.

AdrianB · February 5, 2010

Makaibari Tea Estate 'Silver Tips Imperial'.

Wholemeal Crank · February 6, 2010

That beautiful cup must enhance your tea pleasure quite a bit.

Wholemeal Crank · February 6, 2010

After the sencha start, an afternoon of Big Red Robe Wuyi from WHF, then a finish with Ban Tian Yao from the Wuyi Rock tasting now.

Wholemeal Crank · February 6, 2010

Starting again with sencha, today the Fukamushi Sencha from Dens. Followed their time/temp recommendations, 160°/45",then 180°/15". Now enjoying the jade-green cup.

Richard Kilgore · February 6, 2010

Started the day with the Assam Konghea Estate, Golden Bud from Tea Source. Followed by my daily matcha, now an Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori from yuuki-cha.com.

Wholemeal Crank · February 7, 2010

finishing the day with the Ginger flower fragrance dan cong from tea habitat, after the Da Hong Pao from the current Wuyi tasting in the midafternoon. There's nothing better than a toasty oolong on a drizzly day. Now that the rain has stopped, the more floral Dan Cong feels just right.

Wholemeal Crank · February 7, 2010

Started with sencha select from cultured cup, then on to norbu's spring diamond tie guan yin. Need something roasty next....

Wholemeal Crank · February 8, 2010

After another brewing of an oolong from the Wuyi tasting (actually, a bit of a sample of the same tea from a sample swap with LuckyGirl), I am finishing the day with some of the 2009 Lao Mansa sheng puerh from norbu. Used a boiling water steep, then cooler water for short infusions to fill up my thermos. A nice evening tea.

Richard Kilgore · February 8, 2010

Started the day with the fine Vithanakanda Estate, Extra Special Ceylon tea from Tea Source. Followed by the Ali Sha High Mountain Oolong (Fall '09) from Norbu Tea. Then later in the day the Da Hong Pao from Norbu Tea that's one of the Wuyi Oolongs featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion.

beef_and_burgundy · February 8, 2010

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the welcome. Any updates on the yuuki-cha Oolong experience?

I don’t know too much about the Ceylon unfortunately, except that it is a late-summer harvest from Dimbula and OP grade.

Following an odd logic, I keep seeing the discussing on Makaibari and thinking that it’s been a long time since I enjoyed Mokalbari Assam. I’ll have to put that on the shopping list for the weekend. It’s almost certainly the Scottish winter that’s making me favour strong dark tea lately.

Richard Kilgore · February 9, 2010

I'll leave some notes on the Japanese Oolong after I have had a chance to get to know the leaf a little better. Thanks for IDing the Cylon, b&b.

Last night I finished with the Lemon Myrtle Rooibos from The Cultured Cup featured in a new Tea Tasting & Discussion.

This morning it was a Keemun Hao Ya B from Tea Source. Then a bowl of matcha, an Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori from yuuki-cha.com.

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What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 2)

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