TeaChat

Decided to try an experiment today with a new tea/teapot combination. Tossed two teaspoons worth of gunpowder green a friend gifted me in my hobin which hasn't been getting much love recently. 90s later, I was treated to a deliciously thick, slightly sweet brew with no hint of bitterness! I have a new favorite way to brew a tea that I've never much liked before.

It's a mix-and-match session with a Petr Novak yuzamashi, Seong-il hobin, and Shawn's cup that feels like it was carved straight out of a rock.

Eclectic gunpowder green tea session by Devoted135, on Flickr

The second (45s) brew was equally good.

Untitled by Devoted135, on Flickr

It is 5:20 in the morning.... I guess that means Asatsuyu before breakfast, work, etc...

Devoted135 wrote:Decided to try an experiment today with a new tea/teapot combination.......I have a new favorite way to brew a tea that I've never much liked before.

It's a mix-and-match session with a Petr Novak yuzamashi, Seong-il hobin, and Shawn's cup that feels like it was carved straight out of a rock.

Sounds like it was a lovely success all around!

debunix wrote:

Devoted135 wrote:Decided to try an experiment today with a new tea/teapot combination.......I have a new favorite way to brew a tea that I've never much liked before.

It's a mix-and-match session with a Petr Novak yuzamashi, Seong-il hobin, and Shawn's cup that feels like it was carved straight out of a rock.

Sounds like it was a lovely success all around!

It really was! I was surprised by how many steeps I got out of it as well, it was something like 8 or so!

Asatsuyu Shincha. This one is almost gone.....

Tasty afternoon sencha today--first time in a while that the Oribe Hagi has met sencha, and presented it beautifully as always. The emerald sencha looks almost yellow against the deep sea blue-green of the cup--a pleasing contrast.

It feels good to be brewing with my lins ceramic kettle again now that I have a working hotplate again. To celebrate its inaugural run Ssangke Jungjo Sejak green tea.

Morning sencha from O-cha (Tsuen Aoi)--vegetal, delicate, greeeeeen. Mmm. So nice, almost worth getting up for this!

Stentor wrote:

Stentor wrote:

Chip wrote:I had a bag of Shincha SM from Kagoshima from O-Cha sitting here and decided to give this a go with the adjusted parameters. Outstanding!!! Better than any previous attempts with O-Cha's Kagoshima SM.

I would say that the Shizuoka offering is more veggie while the Kagoshima offering is sweeter. Both really good but different!

Sounds good! I have a bag of O-Cha's Kagoshima Sae Midori here just waiting to be opened.

I have brewed this a couple of times now. I have not quite nailed it yet. Sae Midori fukamushi has always been a little difficult for me to get just right.

Chip, would you mind sharing your exact brewing parameters, not just ratio but exact grams and ml/fl oz.?
I have noticed in the past that some teas seem to require a certain minimum amount of leaf to be good; i.e. a tea brewed at 1:1 with only 1 g wouldn't work, whereas 1:1 with 3 g it would turn out fine. Have any of you noticed the same?

Sorry Stentor for my tardy reply!

I brewed this "rich." About 1.3:1 (30 ml), so stronger. The results pay dividends with a richer brew. I went with low 150s* (67ish* C) for over a minute. I think I did 75 seconds. I also did not preheat the pot.

Hope this makes it (and you) sing!

No problem!
Yeah, I think lower temp and longer time seems to be most important with this one. I guess I had been getting a bit lazy with my brewing, drinking mostly the same kinds of teas lately.
Also, taller kyusu helped, I think!
I haven't tried this high a leaf to water ratio yet. I usually go quite a bit lower with fuka than with asa but I'll give it a try Thanks.

A lovely session with Aoi sencha from O-Cha, hit an extra-sweet spot with this particular session.

Finally three new sencha selections ... enjoyed the previous selections a lot but have been drinking the same teas for months.

Yame Asamushi Grade 1, reallllly good!
Uji Asamushi Premium, realllllllllly good!!!
Tenryu Special Asamushi, reallllllllllllly freakin' good!!!

More on these selections soon.

You've got my attention

Stentor wrote:You've got my attention

I was beginning to think I was so subtle that I put everyone to sleep.

The selection of these 3 outstanding asamushi was long and arduous ... but someone had to do it

It was a few days ago that I enjoyed this Tai Ping Hou Kui from Wing Hop Fung, but I'm just now doing some photographic housekeeping....



I love the look of these leaves.