Saturday shall be TeaDay 6/21/08

[Chip]

Yesterday, most TeaChatters indicated they have used every teapot they own, yet many had teapots they have never used. You can still vote and discuss this topic.

Welcome TeaFriends to TeaDay, shall we brew and share what is in our cups today...all day! If you need to you can also reflect back on your TeaDay.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic is a diversion from the teaware topics of the last several days...but we will be back on teaware again very soon. Today we discuss the importance of a tea's scent/aroma/bouquet on your tea drinking experience...both dry leaf and tea liquor. So, how important is it to you??? Please share.

I am looking foarward as always to seeing everyone on TeaDay. So, bottoms up, refill, and repeat often....

[Salsero]

Vithanakande is an estate in the Ratnapura region of Sri Lanka where full-bodied, dark teas are the norm, much like in Assam. Of 4 growing regions in Sri Lanka, Ratnapura produces the darkest brew, this one a deep cherry red. This is a tea designed for tough guys like Omegapd, Hop_Goblin, and me.


Clickable pic

The flower is a Blood Lily (Scadoxus multiflorus or Haemanthus multiflorus). A native of southern Africa, it blooms briefly but spectacularly. About the shiny, rather hideous cup, it is old; but otherwise, I think the less said the better.

[chrl42]

Good tea is composed of not just one factor. Aroma, taste, shape, brewed color and freshness. All of things should be satisfied then it qualifies to be a good tea.

Aroma is just one of them and as important as other factors I mentioned, in my opinion.

[Selaphiel]

It is of high importance for me. Things like the teas history, body, color and freshness are also important. Reading about a special tea while you drink it is something I myself find very rewarding. Nothing like reading about the Tsuen tea shop in Uji while drinking a tea from that place

[olivierco]

It is of high importance, just as the actual taste of the tea.

This morning silver needles and now houjicha with my lunch.

[Ladytiger]

Scent is not so important to me because I've encountered some great smelling teas that didn' taste so good then there are teas that don't smell too good but are.
The morning I'll have to see what I pull out of the box. *bows to it*

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I find the scent of tea to be very important. It is not the most important aspect of tea as it should be combined with the flavor and body of the tea for the complete experience. I have not been able to drink certain teas after smelling them though, like Yunnan Gold, plain Rooibos, a few flavored Rooibos, and Yerba Mate. Even though the teas may taste good, if they do not smell good too, I don't enjoy drinking them as much.

This morning I found that I couldn't sleep as much as I hoped, so I am making a cup of Organic Monk's Blend to try it as a hot tea again.

[omegapd]

This is a tea designed for tough guys like Omegapd, Hop_Goblin, and me.

Actually, the Ceylon I had from that estate was just way too bitter for someone even like me. (But thanks for including me in the tough guy comment)

As to the question, aroma is second only in taste to me. This morning has been a very stout Lapsang I picked up off of E-bay awhile back. I love the stuff...

Have a good day, everyone-

EW

[TimeforTea]

Scent and aroma do play an important part, even though taste is what matters most. I definitely enjoy the scent and aroma of many of the oolongs I have tried, and that is what keeps me coming back to them!

This morning, I enjoyed a nice mug of white peach. Then I ate a nectarine.

[kymidwife]

I voted for "high" importance... but not utmost. Sniffing of dry leaf in Teavana is what started my journey of purchasing loose teas... and I have to admit, as much as I favor Adagio's teas over Teavana's so far, I really deeply miss the opportunity to experience the aroma of a tea before I purchase it. Maybe they can give us downloadable smells or a scratch and sniff catalog! LOL.

For me, the perfect tea has a wonderful aroma that is matched or surpassed in actual flavor. I've had some lovely-tasting teas that didn't have the aroma... and I have smelled some fragrant leaf that didn't translate well in the brew and disappointed me. And... on a rare occasion, I enjoy the aroma of a leaf/brew, but not the taste... such is the case with rooibos.

Today, I will experiment again with the greens I bought yesterday at the Asian market. The matcha was absolutely disgusting, and I guess I overbrewed the shincha, but I think it has potential. For now, I am having a cup of an adagio blend called Cherry Cordial... too chocolately for me, and I am trading all my chocolate teas off to another teachatter today, so I sampled it one last time to reassure myself I was making the right decision. Right decision, most certainly... chocolate in my tea is not doing it for me at all.

Happy Tea Day...

Sarah

[chamekke]

Scent/aroma/bouquet is absolutely of high importance. It very much adds to the perception of the flavour of the tea.

Particularly if that tea happens to be Jasmine Pearls!

[witches brew]

Aroma is of high importance in a tea. Ideally, we should engage as many of the senses as possible when enjoying tea.

In my cup this morning, Ito En's Makaibari Darjeeling Silver Tips. The rich and fruity apricot bouquet of this tea is an equal pleasure to it's sweet, round taste.

[bronzebed]

i voted utmost importance. first thing i do when i hobble out of bed like a zombie is make my way to the kitchen. i open a canister of tea and inhale deeply. it is only then that i start to wake up. the aroma of tea is just so important to me, if i don't like the smell then i just won't like the taste. before purchasing a tea at a store i must smell it. though taste is the most important, smell is right up there.

this morning i had a cup of silver needle.

[Beidao]

I was the crazy person voting "outmost". I did so because I am mad about smelling teas. I can sit for ten minutes just smelling the tea. *sniff sniff*

I've been away from the forum a while - busy I've been drinking Puerh Menghai 1997 those days and a lot of Mei Shan Jin Xuan. And some other stuff. And I had Ali Shan! And a Sencha that was close to the best tea I've ever tasted, so strongly vegetal, made me think of cooked artichokes with butter. Have to go to tea store soon, have to go to tea store soon... If Sencha can taste like this, I'm gonna dive in to it straight away.

I've managed to get a person really interesting in good tea. And I made pu for some poor people that couldn't empty the cups

Hope your teadays have been as good! Today: Have had Yunnan Gold, now having Kokeicha.

[ThinkingOutLoud]

I voted high importance. The smell of a tea can completely turn me off or completely turn me on. I will admit to loving teas I thought I could not based on smell and hating teas I thought I would love based on smell. But generally, if I can't stand the way the tea smells, I cannot bring myself to brew it.

No tea yet this morning and I'm even thinking of getting some coffee. What is my world coming to?????