I liked that one. A nice medium roast - good for everyday, I thought.henley wrote:Been a busy & fun day. Time to wind down w/a nice cuppa. Enjoying White Tip Oolong that came as a sample from NMTea.
For me my second steep of this morning's AliShan.
For me my second steep of this morning's AliShan.
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Jun 28th, '08, 20:59
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Salsero wrote:I couldn't agree more that the right size pot is critical. I would go so far as to say that in the last analysis the size is more important than the design. Using less water in a larger pot does not work as well because the sencha tends to gather at the spout all the way to the top of the teapot, so you have to do an acrobatic act to get the small volume of water to wash all the sencha down into the water to brew in subsequent steeps.GeekgirlUnveiled wrote:I agree about the small size ... I suppose I could just fill them 1/2 way, but that just feels wrong somehow.
I have regretted it every time I have purchased a kyusu or Yixing style pot that is too big ... no matter how beautiful the pot is.
I am with you, Britt, that Geekgirl's pot is exquisite as is her rendering of it for us. I have the second of those three small Gyokko at the site, the Tobikanna kyusu. I guess I figured it looked more masculine and I already had two red kyusu. On June 19th I posted a TeaDay photo of mine (which also looks quite different in the flesh than on the Artistic Nippon site) and links to three additional photos of it.
My other small pot, which I use constantly, was from O-Cha but is no longer available through Kevin.
I've never cared for its appearance, but it is very functional. I love the obi ami filter. As you can see, I broke off the lid knob and had to glue it back on, but it still makes fine tea.
There is one in the Tokoname Yuyaku 2008 Catalog (item #380) that looks the same and likely is the same pot.
I definately have found that a smaller pot is better then just using a larger kyusu that is not filled very much...for the same reasons, but also sencha just tastes better possibly due to better water temp retention. I love the Hashiri in a smaller pot verses the larger pot I was using. It is definately better.
The broken knob, the broken lid, handle, or chipped spout. Really annoying when it happens. Partly because they are not cheap, and hard to replace. But each time I use a broken glued pot, my focus is drawn away from the tea and to the flaw, especially if it affects the function. I glued the knob on my first kyusu lid 20 times I bet over the first 7 years of drinking tea. Even though it disturbed me, I could not give up on it.
Jun 28th, '08, 21:02
Posts: 995
Joined: Feb 8th, '08, 14:22
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Contact:
auggy
WHO drinks more than a gallon of tea liquid per day, I'd like to know! 
Morningtime through lunch at work I resteep the same leaves in my mug and drink around 20 - 24 oz, then drink regular water the rest of the day. Once I get home I use gaiwan or tiny glass gongfu teapot to enjoy another 12 - 28 oz tea.
Then there are those days that are super insane, and believe it or not, I don't even have the time to dump some leaf in my mug and pour in hot water. Those are what I call bad days.
Everyone here remembers to drink WATER every now and then, right?
Had unhealthy food all day yesterday. In need of some puerh for the um...cleansing effects. The Jr. Husband and I went to Imperial Tea Court today to pick up a 4-stack of 1997 "New Year Puerh" (shou). I also got some mini tuocha for work for pizza days and those tasty but horrendous catered office parties. At this point we don't even pretend to know a whole lot about fine puerh. We largely appreciate it as a gentle digestif, and tend to favor shou vs. shen.
Morningtime through lunch at work I resteep the same leaves in my mug and drink around 20 - 24 oz, then drink regular water the rest of the day. Once I get home I use gaiwan or tiny glass gongfu teapot to enjoy another 12 - 28 oz tea.
Then there are those days that are super insane, and believe it or not, I don't even have the time to dump some leaf in my mug and pour in hot water. Those are what I call bad days.
Everyone here remembers to drink WATER every now and then, right?
Had unhealthy food all day yesterday. In need of some puerh for the um...cleansing effects. The Jr. Husband and I went to Imperial Tea Court today to pick up a 4-stack of 1997 "New Year Puerh" (shou). I also got some mini tuocha for work for pizza days and those tasty but horrendous catered office parties. At this point we don't even pretend to know a whole lot about fine puerh. We largely appreciate it as a gentle digestif, and tend to favor shou vs. shen.
Jun 28th, '08, 23:12
Posts: 307
Joined: Apr 16th, '08, 04:39
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:
bi lew chun
Jun 28th, '08, 23:34
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Our teaware can be so special. And it seems often the frequent use is what makes it valuable to us, even more so than it’s intrinsic value. That’s not to say we don’t always need more beautiful new things.Chip wrote:I glued the knob on my first kyusu lid 20 times I bet over the first 7 years of drinking tea. Even though it disturbed me, I could not give up on it.
I am so relieved you are still good and not evil. That cup is extremely charmant. We really did need a photo of it; I can sense these things. Geekgirl let a nice one slip through her hands this time! Can you give more info about the cup, like who made it?auggy wrote:Oh, no wait. I was just being lazy.
Onions and tea, what a fine combination … especially when a monkey is drinking it.
I vote Lew and Auggy co-captains of the squad. To be other than a dork on this forum is to be out of place.
auggy,
My husband's grandma had a huge set of the blue onion pattern that she used all the time. I always loved them and kind of hoped to get them when she passed away, but they went to a cousin who lives cross-country. (Plus she gave me a different set of china a couple of years before she died because we didn't have any to put in our built-in china cabinet ... no need to be greedy!)
Of course, what was really important wasn't inheriting her dishes but the fond memories I have of her and how great she was. Seeing your cup photo helped bring back some of those memories, thanks!
My husband's grandma had a huge set of the blue onion pattern that she used all the time. I always loved them and kind of hoped to get them when she passed away, but they went to a cousin who lives cross-country. (Plus she gave me a different set of china a couple of years before she died because we didn't have any to put in our built-in china cabinet ... no need to be greedy!)
Of course, what was really important wasn't inheriting her dishes but the fond memories I have of her and how great she was. Seeing your cup photo helped bring back some of those memories, thanks!
Jun 29th, '08, 02:40
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
It will be easy to go over a gallon as the hottest days of summer approach and the ice tea flows alongside the hot tea.Chip wrote:Last tea of the day is the Shizuoka Shincha from Joel a la Ito En. Really nice. Put the last steep cold in the fridge.
So...4 teas, many steeps...just over a gallon...more than norm, but a lot of fun.
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/