Tuesday TeaDay 5/17/11 Sam Pulled?

[entropyembrace]

I prefer 10-25g for sample sizes...that lets me get at least two sessions with most teas...I think having enough to give two tries in the sample is important.

I don´t buy many samples though, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I will like or not...but I really appreciate being able to buy small quantities of expensive teas...and I really wish for 25g "samples" of high end gyokuro quite often.

[JRS22]

Yeah JRS, where is the cup from? Thanks for coloring our TD!!!

Thanks Nenugal and Chip for asking about the cup. I made it myself in handbuilding class. It's part of a set of prototypes for cups designed to fit my tea pots. I was inspired by a photo of a beautiful cup posted here a while ago that's roundish inside and squarish outside.

[Spoonvonstup]

Agreeing with lots of people here on today's question. It's always best if you can get at least two sessions out of your sample. If it's really interesting, you've got to have enough to invite folks over for round two!

Having some Yabao today at work; it's been sitting in my cup basically all day. I keep adding more water, and it's not giving out. It's a nice tea for the beautiful spring weather outside here in Minnesota.

[Drax]

It sounds like even with a "2 sessions minimum" philosophy, that for different people, that will mean different amounts -- not surprising, given the different sizes of vessels we use.

For greens, I tend to use a 4oz gaiwan, so a 10g sample works for me in many cases.... but I have different sized gaiwans, so I can often adjust to different sample sizes, too.

No tea for me tonight, but had a great shincha and matcha session today at work!

[debunix]

This afternoon, some Da Hong Pao from Norbu (first tried as a sample from a tasting in another forum), and this evening, some Wood-roasted Shui-Xian from HouDe, bought without a sample first. Good stuff all round.

[Chip]

Great TD! Next up, Kurogi Yame sencha from Umami-Chaya. And finishing up with Zhu Ye Qing from a TCer.