TeaChat

Essence of Assam from 52Teas.
Very nice flavor and hard to overbrew. Nothing extraordinary but it's a good, solid Assam.

http://www.52teas.com/2010/06/08/essence-of-assam/

Drinking a Turzum 2nd Flush Darjeeling from Tea Emporium. It almost tastes like it has cream in it, but I love the citrus notes and the darjeeling spike is mild, which I also like. This is a very good tea!

Darjeeling FF Jungpana from Mariage Freres. A pure China bush selection, which I generally prefer to clonal. Beautiful, small hand-plucked leaves with abundant silver tip. Very penetrating aroma and a long finish. I rate it a 9/10.

last year's Lochan Jungpana muscatel.

NOESIS wrote:Darjeeling FF Jungpana from Mariage Freres. A pure China bush selection, which I generally prefer to clonal. Beautiful, small hand-plucked leaves with abundant silver tip. Very penetrating aroma and a long finish. I rate it a 9/10.

I like Jungpana. I couldn't find a shred of it in Darjeeling.

Tead Off wrote: I like Jungpana. I couldn't find a shred of it in Darjeeling.

One of my favorite gardens year-after-year, along with Sungma/Turzum and Castleton. This years FF Jungpana SFTGFOP1 is exceptional. Worth the splurge from Mariage Freres...and I think Thunderbolt had a more moderately priced selection from them as well.

NOESIS wrote:

Tead Off wrote: I like Jungpana. I couldn't find a shred of it in Darjeeling.

One of my favorite gardens year-after-year, along with Sungma/Turzum and Castleton. This years FF Jungpana SFTGFOP1 is exceptional. Worth the splurge from Mariage Freres...and I think Thunderbolt had a more moderately priced selection from them as well.

Can you post pics of the leaves both dry and wet?

Russian Style blend from McNulty's.

I blended some blacks together today. Gold tips, irish breakfast, Simao black gold and Assam. Came out very rich and satisfying!

It also inspired me to create a new Signature Blend!

Shizuoka Red, a Japanese green tea which is fully oxidized. Tasted like a Darjeeling FF

Keemun Mao Feng

This time, I share your contempt, TIM. Not really even as nice as a (non-oolong) FF. Very smooth with a touch of spice. So smooth, you forget about ever drinking it.

shah82 wrote:This time, I share your contempt, TIM. Not really even as nice as a (non-oolong) FF. Very smooth with a touch of spice. So smooth, you forget about ever drinking it.

Sorry for your experience shah82.... perhaps yours went stale?
The 2010 im having did have a brisk floral finish, not smooth per se, but lively.

Huysmans, are you a Buster Keaton fan?

I've been a huge fan of Buster Keaton for decades. I love his work!!!!!!!

No, it wasn't stale...

I really enjoy Houde's more outrageous taiwan black teas. I also enjoy good n18 leaf teas. However, most taiwan and japanese teas are too easygoing for me. I really tend to prefer things like assam if it's something I've not had before because they are so in your face.