So I got some "Purple Beauty" Sun-Dried Oolong Tea and some "Purple Beauty" Green Tea from Lancang * Spring 2016. What I'd like to know is... how should I brew these?
Yunnan recommends 185F (85C) water with 5-6 grams of leaf per 100ml of water for green tea and 203F (95C) 4-5 grams of leaf per 100ml of water for oolong, but these are general brewing suggestions. Does that sound good to y'all, or would you do something different?
Jul 3rd, '16, 16:07
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NateHevens
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
I'd probably go 15 - 20 degrees cooler on the green, but that's just me... I'm always partial to cooler temps on greens.
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
I'd try both temperatures as suggested, then go hotter. Boiling for the pu and 90-95c for the green, if it can handle it. As with all teas, experimentation is key to find your own personal sweet spot.
Jul 4th, '16, 02:30
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NateHevens
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
I tend to go cooler just because I try to avoid astringency where I can. I'm not a fan of bitter, so I like to try and coax out the sweeter side of teas.
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
Gotcha, I tend to go as hot as the tea will allow without excess astringency or bitterness so I get the most flavor. In that case you might want to try YS' suggestions and go cooler if needed.
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
I ordered that oolong myself and was planning on trying it out tomorrow. I will come back with my impressions! I will say though, that I have been doing all of my greens from YS so far 10F degrees lower than the recommendation (~175F). However, if you go too low on some of them, I find that it does not develop the full flavor profile. You often hear that going cooler is better with greens, but I have found with many Chinese or Vietnamese greens that hotter actually makes a tea better whereas cooler makes it unpalatable.
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
Yes, going too low can mean robbing yourself of the flavor that a tea has to offer.daidokorocha wrote:I ordered that oolong myself and was planning on trying it out tomorrow. I will come back with my impressions! I will say though, that I have been doing all of my greens from YS so far 10F degrees lower than the recommendation (~175F). However, if you go too low on some of them, I find that it does not develop the full flavor profile. You often hear that going cooler is better with greens, but I have found with many Chinese or Vietnamese greens that hotter actually makes a tea better whereas cooler makes it unpalatable.
Aug 22nd, '16, 01:58
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NateHevens
Re: Just Got Some Purple Tea from Yunnan Sourcing
We're well into August, but... any update? How was it? How did you brew it?daidokorocha wrote:I ordered that oolong myself and was planning on trying it out tomorrow. I will come back with my impressions! I will say though, that I have been doing all of my greens from YS so far 10F degrees lower than the recommendation (~175F). However, if you go too low on some of them, I find that it does not develop the full flavor profile. You often hear that going cooler is better with greens, but I have found with many Chinese or Vietnamese greens that hotter actually makes a tea better whereas cooler makes it unpalatable.