Fanatical Saturday and TeaDay 7/12/08

[Victoria]

This morning in my cup is a lovely dargeeling sample form Salsero - Lochan Teas Darjeeling, Giddapahar Muscatel Imperial, 2nd flush 2007. Wow! This is smooth, fruity and delicious!



~clicky~

Hey, Victoria!

I found the missing second mat - it's in your picture!

Oh thanks!

[geeber1]

I voted fanatical, I always use a timer because I'm still pretty new and haven't done much other than black teas.

Today I drank assam melody and ceylon sonata, mixed and iced.

I'm getting ready to have some Yogic Chai White Masala Chai now. This is good, it has a white tea base with chai spices and it's a lot milder than regular chai. I have been drinking it without milk, it's so light that it seems that adding milk might ruin it.

[Chip]

Here's a pic of the
Shan-Linn-Shee (Fir Creek) Oolong from TeaHome
in my new lily teacup that was near impossible to photograph, so
I gave up after this try. You get the idea.

Really interesting cup...I never saw one like it!!! I can see it would be difficult to photograph. What if you would raise it up?

I'm sipping a chawan full of o-cha's Fukamushi Sencha Supreme right now, Each time I have it I find myself enjoying it more and more.. I guess Sencha might be an acquired taste.

How many infusions do Senchians usually shoot for and do you rinse first?

I do 5 steeps almost everytime if it is a good sencha...and I never rinse sencha. I just finished Fukamushi Supreme today, but I have a bag in the TeaFridge unopened!

Currently, Chiran Kagoshima/Ito En from Joel. This is my least fave of the 3 he sent, but it is still good. Definitely more astringent than many sencha.

[auggy]

I paid close to 30 bucks EACH WAY to go to the Galleria yesterday... and since I have a date scheduled there with Auggy on Sunday, that will likely be the only other trip I make outside the hotel.

Holy monkeys! Wow, I feel loved that you're still gonna meet me tomorrow instead of blowing me off because of $60 cab fair! If you get directions from the Galleria to your hotel, I'll drive you back so it'll save cab fair one way, at least. Consider it a bribe!

I use a timer for EVERYthing I brew. If it is more than a minute brew time, I tend to get distracted, so I need something to remind me that I have tea steeping.

Yesterday was a bad day at work (I'm so close to quitting) and then I come home to find my oldest kitty (almost 17) not doing well. She was at the vet Monday and had a full work up done - nothing is wrong. I think she's just given up. She's doing even worse now. She's starting to look a lot like her sister did a day or two before she passed away. I don't know if she'll make it through the weekend.

I'm really not ready for this. Especially so soon after Nibby....

[Chip]

Oh no, Auggy, I am very sorry to hear this. I hope for a recovery of course.

[tenuki]

yunnan gold shared with my inlaws for breakfast
FLT baozhong for lunch
spit out uncontrollably bad darjeeling for supper. literally.
now a chip off some 15 yr old shu pu brick

[olivierco]

Gyokuro from Yame prefecture...pretty good stuff. This would run 50 bucks per 100 grams.

This stuff is best brewed in small infusions in a small pot with a lot of leaf, think gonfu, Japanese style. And starting with VERY low temp..100-115* for the first steep.

...this time around I am using 4 grams per 2 ounces in a tiny gyokuro like pot from Korea. Not a hint of astringency...just has WOWness. I am on my 5th steep brewed much hotter now at 180*.

Gyokuro has more caffeine too I suspect...I definitely caught a buzz off of this.

Brewing gyokuro at 2g/oz is just what is needed to fully experience gyokuro.

Gyokuro has about 50% more caffeine than sencha

Where did you buy your Yame gyokuro?

[Chip]

Olivier. It is Zencha...the Utimate, which is not on their site. I suspect they will be restocking gyo soon.

But this has wowness.

Yeah, 2 grams per ounce...really rich tasting. And for me, best in very small brewings. Plus it would cost a fortune otherwise.

I do not think I would use this 2:1 for an inferior gyo though.

[olivierco]

Olivier. It is Zencha...the Utimate, which is not on their site. I suspect they will be restocking gyo soon.

But this has wowness.

Yeah, 2 grams per ounce...really rich tasting. And for me, best in very small brewings. Plus it would cost a fortune otherwise.

I do not think I would use this 2:1 for an inferior gyo though.

I have some ultimate sencha in my fridge. Their ultimate gyokuro is on my list.

Is inferior gyokuro still gyokuro?

[Chip]

Is inferior gyokuro still gyokuro?

No, not in the sense that this is Gyokuro, inferior is simply gyokuro.

[auggy]

Oh no, Auggy, I am very sorry to hear this. I hope for a recovery of course.

Thanks, Chip. At this point, though it would be a miracle. She's just a few weeks shy of her 17th bday and her sister passed away last year so it is not unexpected. Unwanted, but not unexpected.

[bi lew chun]

I use the timer on the microwave. I may need a dedicated timer after moving, as I probably won't be brewing tea in the kitchen anymore.