Fanatical Saturday and TeaDay 7/12/08

[Chip]

Fanatical Saturday and TeaDay 7/12/08

by Chip » Jul 12th, '08, 03:53

PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT POLL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE TOP OF THE TEAdAY CATEGORY...and the PHOTO FINISHED ANNOUNCEMENT AS WELL!

Yesterday, the majority of TeaChatters indicated that water out of the faucet was good enough for their tea...surprisingly. You can still vote and discuss this topic.

Welcome everyone to TeaDay, Fanatical Saturday! Shall we brew and share what is in our cups today, all day?

Today's TeaPoll and discussion subject is about TIME! How fanatical are you about brew times? From a slew of timers, to counting in your head to..."whatever." Where do you fall?

I am most certainly looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone! So, bottoms up, refill, repeat very many times!

Last edited by Chip on Jul 12th, '08, 04:19, edited 2 times in total.

[olivierco]

by olivierco » Jul 12th, '08, 03:57

Pretty fanatical, I try to time brews consistently, especially with japanese greens.

This morning, Darjeeling Puttabong SFTGFOP1 and now silver needles.

[Salsero]

Bai Hao Yin Zhen

by Salsero » Jul 12th, '08, 04:01

The only white tea to which I ever had much exposure was Doke Royal Snow Bud, 2nd Flush from Kashanganj, India, which was offered in an open tasting sponsored by T-Ching and Lochan Teas just about a year ago. That was a phenomenal tea once I learned to understand it on its own terms. Mary R.’s blog taught me to find tangerine peel and lilac, not tastes that I usually expect in my teacup. Her fine review is at http://palatabilitea.wordpress.com/2007 ... -snow-bud/. Brent’s equally excellent review is at http://www.teanerd.com/search?q=doke. With that amazing tea, I had maybe twelve sessions from the generous sample that the Lochans included in an order. I enjoyed the Doke enormously until it was gone, and then ... forgotten. I guess (at least in my life) white tea is the most easily forgotten tea. BTW, exactly the same tea is still available on the Lochan site at http://www.shop.lochantea.com/frameset.htm if anyone is interested.

That was then, this is now. Besides the Doke, I have only had three or four other whites, but the other day I made a point of getting some and had a session with it last night: pleasant change of pace for me. I brewed it for my son and for my daughter (neither one much of a tea drinker), who both drank it up, and from the same leaves got for myself maybe another ten or fifteen infusions. I had forgotten what a long distance runner white tea is. This stuff just keeps re-brewing until you get tired of it. Complex and subtle, a real joy.




As seems to be so often the case, clicking on the photo above will give you more TEAtail. For another view of this tea, CLICK HERE.

Mirroring the peonies on the gaiwan, the rose is a hybrid musk cultivar named Penelope after the legendary wife of Odysseus, famous for her constancy while her man spent ten years fighting the Trojan War and another ten years sailing home to her. I guess with that rose I should be using the matsuba yunomi, with its pine needle symbol of romantic constancy.

[omegapd]

by omegapd » Jul 12th, '08, 04:53

Very fanatical. I don't put water over the leaves until I make sure I'm near a timer or look at the second hand on my watch. Being a black tea drinker the majority of the times, I can't forget about it for too long or it turns awfully bitter.

Tried Adagio's Dewy Cherry yesterday from a recent order. Not bad at all for the times when i want something sweet and hot with no caffeine. It went over big with the wife but not the kids...too tart for them and they wanted sugar added.

Finishing up this night at work with a Ceylon mixed with a few left over crumbs of Teavana's Sweet Cranberry. For some reason, this week has been all about flavored teas for me. I guess because I've been stressed with a few things and you don't have to obsess over flavored tea much. Just drink it...

Enjoy the weekend!

EW

[Trey Winston]

by Trey Winston » Jul 12th, '08, 05:14

I've learned to be fanatical with white teas, since I like to get as many steepings as possible from the leaves. A timer is essential now.

[olivierco]

by olivierco » Jul 12th, '08, 05:59

Houjicha with my lunch.
Houjicha is quite impossible to overbrew so it is one of the few teas I don't use any timer for.

[hop_goblin]

by hop_goblin » Jul 12th, '08, 07:37

I think that the tea decides how long it will be brewed. Since most of my consumption is pu-erh, I have no option but to play it by hear since there are so many variables - age, quality, sheng, shu, stone pressed, iron pressed and so forth.

[Riene]

by Riene » Jul 12th, '08, 09:08

Depends on the tea. With greens and oolongs, I watch the clock because I know so little about them I'm afraid there will be a catastroTEA and I'll render them undrinkable.

With my beloved black teas, I just eyeball them, and have been known to occasionally forget, due to morning rush. Stewed leaves...yum.

I downloaded Adagio's Tea Timer program. It's cute, but I'm not convinced it's not a spy-observation device for Oolongonians and Greens.

[kymidwife]

by kymidwife » Jul 12th, '08, 09:27

I think that the tea decides how long it will be brewed. Since most of my consumption is pu-erh, I have no option but to play it by hear since there are so many variables - age, quality, sheng, shu, stone pressed, iron pressed and so forth.

The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. And the tea chooses the time...

Ollivander, Master Wand Maker... Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

[kymidwife]

by kymidwife » Jul 12th, '08, 09:34

I used to be totally careless about tea, because I always made black tea, super strong and usually bitter, diluted it, sweetened it, and drank it as iced tea. Now, I still do that sometimes, because I like it... although I am more careful now about my black teas too.

With my oolongs, particularly my TKY, I love to drink these unsweetened, and even though they seem to be fairly forgiving, I do keep an eye on the clock, but I don't use a formal timer.

Greens... having gotten terrible results too many times on my early efforts, I use a timer and a thermometer now. I have also realized that my terrible early results were related to poor quality tea. I have some O-Cha Fukamushi Supreme open at home, and I have not had anything but a delicious result from this tea.

Still in Dallas at the Harry Potter convention.... I wish I had not come alone, it is rather lonely to be here and not know anyone, and everyone is rather clique-ish... but I am enjoying myself nonetheless. I got in trouble with Hotel Security last night for wearing my Deatheater Mask in the lobby (they TOLD us it was OK to wear costumes). Apparently they consider this a security risk because they can't see my face, even though I have a conference ID badge on. I wonder how they are going to handle the Masquerade Ball tonight.

Omega and I are on the same wavelength this morning. I had a cup of Mambo with a pinch of Sweet Cranberry Black added to it... very delicious way to start the morning. If I have time, I will brew up some Just Peachy (my sig blend of white peach and peach oolong) and make some iced tea to take along. Jim Dale, the actor, is presenting this morning.

Sarah

[olivierco]

by olivierco » Jul 12th, '08, 10:13

2002 Aged Rou Gui, the second half of the sample sent by scruffmcgruff (thanks again!)

Now time for some gyokuro (Ippodo Kanro)

[Carnelian]

by Carnelian » Jul 12th, '08, 11:03

Okay, this one I can say that I'm fanatical about. When my kitchen timer broke I just about lost it when it came to brewing tea.

[Ti]

by Ti » Jul 12th, '08, 11:05

Used to be that I didn't care too much about it. I'd make tea and when I figured it was done it's done. Thanks to this site I ran out and got one of these.





Today 2006 Haiwan Ripe Fang Cha.

[chamekke]

by chamekke » Jul 12th, '08, 11:06

Still in Dallas at the Harry Potter convention.... I wish I had not come alone, it is rather lonely to be here and not know anyone, and everyone is rather clique-ish... but I am enjoying myself nonetheless. I got in trouble with Hotel Security last night for wearing my Deatheater Mask in the lobby (they TOLD us it was OK to wear costumes). Apparently they consider this a security risk because they can't see my face, even though I have a conference ID badge on. I wonder how they are going to handle the Masquerade Ball tonight.

Sarah, if I were there I would hang out with you! Oh, why can't Dallas be closer to British Columbia?

And, if at all possible, I would love to see a photograph of "Deatheater Babe" in costume. Surely someone there will take your photo. Maybe you can be holding a teacup

[Victoria]

by Victoria » Jul 12th, '08, 11:29

Pretty fanatical, I try to time brews consistently. Not sure I see the difference between choice 2 and 3 but I choose 2 because it is important.

I downloaded Adagio's Tea Timer program. It's cute, but I'm not convinced it's not a spy-observation device for Oolongonians and Greens.

I do have timers upstairs and down as well as the downloaded Adagio one, where I keep track of you all! hahahaha!
.