TeaChat

STA SEP.09 Paring with 2012 Gaoshan Golden Needle 2600 meters.
Powerful earthy with spicy tone pair well with high coco floral of this high mountain red tea. Smooth thick aftertaste of this yunnan coated the mouth to throat, blanketed with a spicy and mature tobacco smoke.

Just noticed this thread today & thought to add a few words: For 10 years I liked smoking cigars. For several years I loved smoking cigars, once I had learned more.... I drank ordinary black tea w/ milk while I smoked & when I was not smoking. Guys talking about perfect pairings w/ $150 bottles of spirits was a bit much for me. A great cigar w/ something to drink that did not get in the way = enough.
Last year, a congenital problem w/ my esophagus (that runs in my family) worsened & brought my smoking to an end.
It's not the same as smoking, but a bit of devotion to tea is starting to provide me a lot of pleasure. Before I liked tea. Now I love really good tea & it looks like I might not miss the tobacco.
I'm learning about tea: Buying better teas, brewing properly etc.
My first dedicated Yixing pot & my first gongu seesions w/ a wonderful milk oolong......Great! I'm pairing w/ nothing. It's really enough pleasure.
Now what to do w/ 260 well-aged cigars?

ethan wrote: Now what to do w/ 260 well-aged cigars?

I am sure you can find more than a few friends who would be willing to take them off of your hands. I would volunteer myself, but I am not much a cigar guy, only rarely.

You should really get into puer, if you are not already. I find some puers have a lot of similaraties to cigars, probably more so than oolongs. (But, even then, some oolongs like shuixian or yancha go towards that end of the flavor universe for me)

I think you made a good trade from cigars to tea

Twodog2, Yes, pu-erh seems to have complexity & flavors that compete for one's notice, like a good cigar that transitions as one smokes it, providing deep body as well as sweetness....
Whoa, better I go slow w/ purchasing pu-erh since it is quite a challenge. I liked one & hated another. I hope that one day I am sitting w/ someone w/ a good collection & knowledge who intuits what I like, provides a few cups of a few, & then trades me a good supply of that best tea for me for some cigars.... A dream. So, as you suggest, I give some cigars away, but I only have one friend who still smokes cigars who is not overstocked already. He only needs a couple a month.
I am so new to really good tea that experimenting w/ teas & steeping is not only a healthier pastime than smoking, but for now more engaging as well. Thanks for the encouragement.

Lovely pictures Tim.

Alex wrote:Lovely pictures Tim.

absolutely but against rule no. 4
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=12775

Paring a 2012 Chen Yun Hao Spring old tree Nannuo with A Punch Clasicos Editión Regional 2011 (Suiza); Thank you Bio!

Perfumed and oily, Sweet and present qi. Smoothing the Spicy wood of this very limited edition smoke. Beautifully constructed, perfect draw with a traditional pull. The tea could use another 10 years, so does the Suiza.

I enjoy a cigar every now and then but mostly on special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas etc). I'm a whisky kinda gal BUT sometimes there is nothing like a nice strong black tea to match with the cigar smoke. This Christmas I know I will be smoking a cigar and steeping a nice strong black tea in my gaiwan. I just have to pick which tea to have ahead of time so I can make sure I have it available but I always have a good variety on hand.

Yiwu 2006 first harvest with a Punch DC 1996.
Spice, Sandalwood, tobacco with dried rose and prosciutto cotto.

Do you want to kill me via jealousy, Tim? I will never have a Punch DC 1996 and probably will never comprehend your reference to prociutto cotto (which I assume is ham that is cured in a cave for years & years & costs more for 4 ounces than I earn in a month).
Happy New Year!

2012 Guoyun. Power house.

Ying Kee luk on brewed in a zini shuiping, followed by a Montecristo cigarillo that I've had aging for a few years. Very nice combo! For me, personally: I like to follow the tea with the smoke. Otherwise I find the taste of the cigar overpowers the tea and makes for a less enjoyable experience.

Fun thread going here!

Our very own TIM was just interviewed by Steeping Around on this very topic... http://www.steepingaround.com/show102/

Great interview, bud! You should have told us! Too modest!