What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 2)

[Richard Kilgore]

Finishing the day with an aged TGY Oolong. Still using my aged ones to season a Yixing tea pot, so while the pot is progressing nicely, it's not steeping to my satisfaction yet - comments on aged TGYs yet to come in the Oolong topic.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Started with sencha select, then on to yunnan gold with osmanthus. Finishing with a hibiscus-chamomile herbal blend.

[Richard Kilgore]

Today a Puttabong Estate Darjeeling - first flush from TCC found its way into my cup early on. I let the aged TGY leaves rest in the Yixing overnight and got a really good infusion this morning. Nice!

So what teas are you all drinking today?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Fukamushi sencha from Dens to start the day.

[Richard Kilgore]

Had a Yellow Tea at The Cultured Cup today. Now continuing a gong fu session with the Shui Jin Gui that I started earlier. This is one of the Wuyi Oolongs from norbutea.com featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Another oolong afternoon--Summer High Mountain Beauty Ali Shan from norbu--and Dragon Well evening with the Imperial Long Jing from jingtea. Tonight's brewing is particularly good, and I begin to see how it justifies the startling price.

[Richard Kilgore]

Brewing the Long Jing in a gaiwan?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Actually, was going to do the usual gaiwan, but instead tried it in the new office gadget--a Kamjove plastic infusion pitcher thingy (brought as a travel kit, but pressed into service in the office after shattering the 3rd or 4th small glass teapot I've used here....).

My tea came out a bit more dilute than perhaps would have been perfect, because I was trying to get used to the mechanics of the pitcher, but the mix of sweetness, vegetal elements, and nuttiness was the best I've gotten from this tea.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Wholemeal Crank (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay, I know which thingy you are referring to. I gave one as a gift recently, but have not used one myself. A serious tea you are brewing in it.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I doubt I'd use it for this particular tea again, because I feel like I have better control in the gaiwan, and the gaiwan works well with smaller quantifies of this very pricey tea, and I fumbled with it enough to come quite close to seriously messing up the tea. But with practice, it should be ok for my bulk brewing to fill my thermos.

[Richard Kilgore]

Today greeted a cup of the Ceylon Lumbini Estate, FBOP from Tea Source, a very good Ceylon for everyday drinking. Since then I have whisked two bowls of organic matcha from yuuki-cha.com.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Three tea day: sencha select, summer Ali Shan oolong, and now smoky white bud puerh.

[Richard Kilgore]

I also had five very good infusions of the Organic Uji Gyokuro Gokou from yuuki-cha.com. More on this in the Japanese Green Tea topic soon.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Five infusions from a gyokuro? Do tell more!

[gingko]

Actually, was going to do the usual gaiwan, but instead tried it in the new office gadget--a Kamjove plastic infusion pitcher thingy (brought as a travel kit, but pressed into service in the office after shattering the 3rd or 4th small glass teapot I've used here....).

My tea came out a bit more dilute than perhaps would have been perfect, because I was trying to get used to the mechanics of the pitcher, but the mix of sweetness, vegetal elements, and nuttiness was the best I've gotten from this tea.

I have a kamjov in office too and I love it's convenience. Mine is 120ml (the upper cage). Nowadays they mostly sell 500ml ones and 300ml ones. I think 120ml is great for oolong and larger ones are probably better for green tea.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Started today with green, but dragon well, not sencha. Came out very nice in a gaiwan.

I'm getting more comfortable with the Kamjove after just a few brewing sessions, but it does have some limitations that make it less than desirable for most of my brewing. You can't brew very small quantitites, because the leaves are raised up off the bottom of the cup, and it needs a bit of care to rinse out the leaves after. But for brewing the afternoon thermos full of tea, it seems just right.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started this snowy Texas day with the fine Vitnanakanda Estate Ceylon, FOP from Tea Source.

[Richard Kilgore]

Started this snowy Texas day with the fine Vitnanakanda Estate Ceylon, FOP from Tea Source.

While the snow piles up, have also had two bowls of organic matcha and brewed a couple of aged TGY Oolongs to season a Yixing tea pot.

So, what teas are you all brewing today?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Another day, another Sencha--Fukamushi Sencha Maki from denstea.

[Richard Kilgore]

Deep in snow, brewing an aged (late 90s) shu pu-erh from yunnansourcing.com in a Yixing made of 70's/80's clay. Very smooth.

[Richard Kilgore]

Continuing making a bowl or two of matcha most days and learning more about matcha, the bowls (chawan) you make it in, and the whisking technique. Today two bowls and the best I have made with my current tin of matcha. More in the Everything About Matcha topic.

This evening more infusions from the aged shu pu-erh I started earlier.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Started the day with my first attempt at Matcha, which was not a rousing success, nor total failure. Then went back to some Sencha Select with more pleasing results.

Edited February 13, 2010 by Wholemeal Crank (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

The Keemun Hao Ya A from TeaSource.com to start the day off well.

Later had my daily bowl of organic matcha from yuuki-cha.com...and we're discussing, well, everything - matcha, chawan and other matcha making equipment, in the Everything about Matcha topic.

Followed by an Organic Uji Tokusen Sencha, also from yuuki-cha.com. Tasty!

[Wholemeal Crank]

After my morning reading about making matcha, including quite a few references to teaspoons and scoops in regards to the quantities of tea, I was inspired to waste some time making up this little demonstration, showing the difference in volume of the same weight of different teas:

And of course afterwards it was easier to brew them up, rather than to return them to their various tins, bags, and pouches.....

I think I gave myself a significant headache by drinking so much tea over the course of a relatively short period of time. But it was delicious up until the headache started.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Started with more Sencha select today, getting fairly monotonous in the morning. Just feels like a nice start to the day. Then a bulk-brewed shu puerh, Mangyan Guoyan Golden Peacock from Norbu, with lunch. Held up pretty well to chocolate/cherry cookies for dessert.

And I have been browsing the new Yunnan Sourcing website.....a very dangerous pastime. After enjoying the Yunnan Mao Feng from Norbu so much, I'm going to try a couple more yunnan green teas, and probably a puerh or two....