What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 3)

[Richard Kilgore]

Hime hikari, a Japanese black tea from yuuki-cha.com, in my tea pot this morning. Yes, a Japanese black tea.

Just now sipping a 2010 Organic Asatsuyu Shincha/Sencha, also from Yuuki-Cha. The package was opened well over a month ago and this tea is holding up nicely.

What teas are you all drinking in your part of the world? In LA I assume you are sucking on tea made into ice-pops. How about everyone else?

[Shamanjoe]

As much as I'd love an iced tea pop, I've been downing copious amounts of regular iced tea, with LOTS of ice. Nothing special, I ran through all of the Classic Iced Tea from the tea tasting thread in a couple of hours, so I had to switch back to the Lipton Cold brew for now.

[Wholemeal Crank]

No tea ice-pops, but several cups of cold-brewed green teas, last few days--even took the leftover leaves from brewing a thermos of oolong (to be enjoyed hot) and left them with cold water to sit in the fridge all day, and drank the result in the evening--not great, but cool, and gently tea-like.

At work, in the A/C office, plenty of hot tea--Huang Jin Gui yesterday, and a positively brilliant brewing of Yunnan Mao Feng this afternoon that really stood out from the many good prior brewings of this tea. Wow.

And some Tai Ping Hou Kui to end the evening.

[Richard Kilgore]

Last night it was the white tea Pai Mu Tan from The Cultured Cup. Brewed in a Yixing, which brings out the flavor even more than regular brewing in a gaiwan.

This morning, the Ceylon Lumbini Estate, FBOP from teasource.com. And later in the day, several infusions of the 2001 Organic Asahina Kabusecha Shincha/Sencha from yuuki-cha.com, brewed in an small older Japanese Bizen ho-bin. Maybe a cup of chamomile before calling it a day.

So what teas have you all been sipping?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today is puerh day: just two puerhs, but a long time enjoying each. First, some of the Norbu Lao Mansa 2009 sheng, bulk brewed in the thermos, and now some 2007 Rui Cao Xiang wild arbor Wu Liang sheng from yunnan sourcing, a long gongfu session as I mostly fail to concentrate on paperwork.

[Richard Kilgore]

This morning had a couple of infusions of the American Breakfast Tea from The Cultured Cup. Nice Irish Breakfast style black tea. A little iced tea this afternoon and now sipping the second gaiwan infusion of a sample of the delicious Jin Xuan Green Tea - Spring Harvest 2010 provided by Greg at Norbu Tea as part of the process of selecting teas for a Tea Tasting & Discussion. Unfortunately he sold out before I could turn around (and before I could order any), so we're featuring a close cousin - the Winter Harvest, 2009 as one the the two Chinese green teas in the new Tea Tasting & Discussion.

A lesson re-learned that if I really, really like a tea - enough to want to order again - I had better do it sooner rather than later.

NOTE: There are only two sets of free samples for this Chinese green Tea Tasting & Discussion, so please PM me if you are interested.

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

(Edited to correct the harvest above from Fall to Winter 2009.)

Edited October 2, 2010 by Richard Kilgore (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

This evening brewing the Winter Harvest 2009 Jin Xuan green tea from Norbu Tea. Also very nice.

[Wholemeal Crank]

More puerh yesterday, some Menghai 2007 Golden needles white lotus, and if there is a next time, I will get the beeng and not the brick. I got so frustrated trying to chip enough off of the brick, and in the end I had too much tea for the brewed volume--lost track of how much all those fines really added up to, because most of it was fines. Fortunately, it's a forgiving tea!

[Richard Kilgore]

What are you using to chip the pu, WC?

A Ceylon Kenilworth Estate OP in my cup this am. From a sample sent by Tea Source. As a hot tea this morning, I'll have to try it iced later.

[Wholemeal Crank]

A letter opener--thin, sharp but not too sharp, and really a lot like the tea knives I've seen online. Also have worked on this particular pu with a knife, screwdriver, but haven't yet broken out the vise grips.

[Richard Kilgore]

A few years ago Scott at Yunnan Sourcing told me that the pick style tools work better than the knives, although he carries both. So I got one and it works very well on dense bricks. The pick works around the leaves a little better than a knife, which tends to be more likely to cut them. An ice pick should work just as well. Just gently pick layers off. I often break up a whole brick at one time and store it in a container so it can air out.

Today, I also had the 2010 Organic Saemidori Shincha/Sencha from yuuki-cha.com. Three very nice infusions. Could have gone at least one more, but I needed to stop for the evening.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I have little trouble with any of my beengs--the layering there seems to break up more naturally with something slipping between the layers. But the bricks and one small tuo are super dense and very difficult. Coarser tools won't penetrate and fine tools are too delicate.

Since I like to drink a little of this one and a little of that one, breaking up the whole thing at once doesn't appeal. But I may have to make an exception for these few--break up a large portion of them at home to bring to work, so I don't end up with tea scattered all over the keyboard and carpet again.

The Lao Cha Tou from norbu is equally dense, but there the preformed nuggets break up quite easily and neatly.

And after a pleasant sencha start (almost done with the Sayamakaori), and some chilled Yunnan Mao Feng, puerh sounds very fine. It's even cooling off enough to make the very hot-brewed tea sound appealing. But I'll be working on some loose tea or samples of beengs, no pick or hammer required!

[Richard Kilgore]

Three teas today, in addition to the ubiquitous generic iced tea that I am phasing out now that the temp is drifting lower: The Assam Konghea Estate, Golden Bud from teasource.com; a Wu Niu Zao Chinese green tea and a Shi Feng Long Jing Chinese green tea, both from jingteashop.com; and a Pouchong Oolong from The Cultured Cup. More in the Chinese green tea topic after I have played with those two a little more.

A pleasant day of tea here. How about all of you?

[Richard Kilgore]

Hime Hikari Japanese black tea from yuuki-cha this morning, the best brewing of it so far, richer flavor with a citrus note coming through. More on brewing this rare Japanese black tea in the Unflavored black tea topic after I play with the parameters a little more.

Now brewing the Old Plantation Qing Xin Taiwan Oolong from Norbu Tea - gongfu cha in a gaiwan. Delicious!

So what are the rest of you tea drinkers sipping in your part of the world?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today was the first drizzly rainy day of fall, so I had to break out the White bud sheng puerh. Nothing better for a dank gray day. Now thinking of something lighter and greener as a followup. Lots more paperwork to get through this evening....

[Le Master]

I'm drinking some lemon-flavored Throat Coat this morning. Some pre-vocal warmup lubrication.

[Richard Kilgore]

Welcome to the eGullet Society, Le Master!

Started the day again with the Hime hikari Japanese black tea. There may yet be a few infusions left of last night's Oolong, so that's next for me.

[Richard Kilgore]

Last night I closed the day with a Sunset Orange Roibos from The Cultured Cup

Open the day today with a Dian Hong Imperial, Hand Processed Chinese red/black tea from Norbu Tea. Later brewed (and am still making infusions of) the Wan Sia Shan Long Jin Chinese green tea from jingteashop.com - a lovely tea.

So, what tea(s) are you all drinking today?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Indeed, welcome!

Today I was running late as usual for my meeting and dropped a few clumps of the Lao Cha Tou shu puerh from Norbu into my thermos, added hot water, and got myself through the meeting and afternoon just fine.

This evening, some Sichuan yellow tea, Meng Ding Huang Ya, from norbu, a tea that has been touchy at times but today is behaving very nicely. Mmmm.

[Richard Kilgore]

Yes, those tea nuggets can be quite pleasant.

Started a gong fu cha session dipping into a small sample of a 2005 Lin Cang Thousand Year Tea Co. "Gu Shu Zhen Pin" that I got from Yunnan Sourcing a few years ago. Ran out of time so I'll continue with this tomorrow. Very light with typical infusion times, so I'll brew it longer than usual in the morning.

[Richard Kilgore]

Had a couple of infusions of the Nepal Chiyabari Estate black tea from The Cultured Cup this am. I have come to like this rather hard to find tea a great deal. With luck tehy will have some in stock next time I am in the store. Late in the day I am brewing the early Spring (pre-Ming) 2010 Wu Niu Zao green tea from jingteashop.com. Such a lovely tea - nutty aroma and delicate taste with a vegetal hint.

What tea(s) are you all drinking today in your part of the eGullet world?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Today so far, just a thermos of SeaDyke Ti Kuan Yin. Soothing.

After a nap, hope to work on some of the older Essence of Tea Puerh samples.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Glad I didn't start the evening with the aged EoT that I was considering to start off with, because I burnt my tongue and mouth more than a little while eating some pizza at lunch today, and simply can't take the heat. Sigh. Here I am at home, it's early enough to start a long gongfu session, and I have a bunch of puerhs I want to work with, and I can't drink them.

Bummed. Seriously bummed.

[sherrid]

I love tea. I'm actually preferring it to coffee! :eek:

I love all styles of Earl Grey and Russian Caravan tea is great too (nice smokey, intense flavours). I prefer loose-leaf and have a wonderful 2 cup tea pot from "Zero Japan". I use a variety of brands - but here in Australia I often use Somage tea as well as the common Twinnings.

I do also enjoy Chai tea. I'm using a local loose-leaf one a the moment with hints of cinnamon, cardamon & ginger. Lovely and warming. I also am partial to Chai Lattes made with either soy or low fat organic milk with a dash of honey. Cinnamon sugar on top too! MM

Celestial Seasonings is my fav herb tea brand (tea bags) with Sleepy-time my No 1 pre-bed drink. I also like most of their other flavours.

Peppermint tea and green tea are both refreshing!

[Richard Kilgore]

Welcome to the eGullet Society and the eG Forums, sherrid! Hope to see more of you here in the Coffee & Tea forum. Lots of interesting discussions about all kinds of teas and tisanes, as well as regular Tea Tasting & Discussions.

Tea Source's Nilgiri Glendale Estate, Hand-made in my Brown Betty this morning. Such an elegant Indian black tea. Followed by five pleasant infusions of the 2010 Organic Saemidori Shincha from Yuuki-Cha. An Oolong next.