Wednesday TeaDay 6/25/08

[Chip]

Yesterday, TeaChatters by a huge margin, let their sense of taste do the talking! You can still vote in yesterday's poll and discuss this topic.

Welcome TeaFriends to TeaDay...shall we brew and share what is in our cups today...all day? You can reflect back on your TeaDay if you need to.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic was suggested by Auggy. She wondered how persistant you were with a new tea that initially you did not like. Do you give it a couple tries and then abandon the effort...or keep trying til it is gone? What happens to the tea in question if and when you finally give up on it.

I am looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone today. So, bottoms up, refill, repeat often...

[tenuki]

fp

Immediately. I will not finish drinking even one cup of bad tea.

[Trey Winston]

Life is too short to drink tea you don't like. One cup is enough if it isn't good.

[olivierco]

It depends. Sometimes with a new tea, the first brewing attempts could be difficult, so I usually try a tea four-five times, unless it is really bad or hopeless.

This morning silver needles and Kirameki shincha in a few minutes.

[bi lew chun]

It depends. Sometimes with a new tea, the first brewing attempts could be difficult, so I usually try a tea four-five times, unless it is really bad or hopeless.

That's about how I feel.

[Salsero]

From the Thiashola Estate, this Nilgiri is displayed in a Feminine Powercup. This is only the second Nilgiri that I have had, but they have both been really fine. The leaves look pretty fully oxidized*, but the taste is tangy and fruity, something I would more expect from an oolong than a black tea. Go figure. The fifth infusion of this puppy was getting a little weak, but I got four very satisfying steeps from a modest amount of leaf.

• Further examination of the above available to those who are willing to CLIK

*Spent leaf voyeurs may see all HERE.

[britt]

It depends very much on whether I think the tea is bad or my brewing skills are to blame.

My first and only order of Taiwanese oolong from Tea from Taiwan literally went down the garbage disposal after very few brewing attempts, all $66 worth. In comparison to similar tea from Hou De, it didn't take long to see that this was very bad tea. Many are happy with their TFT purchases, and maybe TFT made a mistake on this order, but this stuff was terrible and not worth any additional time or effort.

On the other hand, I've struggled quite a bit with O-Cha's Hatsumi shincha. Knowing the quality of this vendor very well, and how tempermental shincha can be, I kept trying until I finally got acceptable results. Thanks to Chip and several others for offering suggestions that were helpful in conquering this beast. Although still not my favorite of the five shincha I tried this year, IMO it certainly belongs in the company of the others, providing one has the persistence to see it through. I don't blame those who give up, but I feel the extra effort was worth it.

Of course, I'm drinking Hatsumi as I write this.

[Aphroditea]

I will agree with Oliverco and others. It depends on how difficult the tea might be to get right. I have been blessed, so far, with a good sense of temps and times for my teas, but there have been a couple that I have had to experiment with.

Haven't made my cup, yet, but I am thinking it will be Wuyi Ensemble this morning.

[jogrebe]

From the Thiashola Estate, this Nilgiri is displayed in a Feminine Powercup. This is only the second Nilgiri that I have had, but they have both been really fine. The leaves look pretty fully oxidized*, but the taste is tangy and fruity, something I would more expect from an oolong than a black tea. Go figure. The fifth infusion of this puppy was getting a little weak, but I got four very satisfying steeps from a modest amount of leaf.

Wow how did you brew a black tea to get 5 infusions? n

[Carnelian]

If a tea doesn't seem to work the first couple of times, I'll usually wait a week or two and go back to it

[omegapd]

2 tries for me. Anymore than that and I'm just wasting my time...

Already had a couple cups of Upton's Osmanthus Oolong this morning. Woke up about 5am, couldn't go back to sleep, so watched the sun come up with some tea and a nice cigar. Wish I could start every morning like that...

EW

[chamekke]

watched the sun come up with some tea and a nice cigar

Sounds nice!

I wish the sun would offer refreshments up here, but I guess Canada is too far north.

[hop_goblin]

I think everything and everybody deserves a second chance.. Well all except a few people poltics that I am glad will be leaving.

[olivierco]

Houjicha karigane with my lunch and now some asa giri gyokuro.

I have just seen asa giri gyokuro is out of stock.

[TimeforTea]

Usually, between 2-4 times--I'll try different temperatures, amount of leaf, or brewing time. Sometimes, however, it's after 1 time--if the tea tastes just awful and I know that changing brewing parameters will not make a difference.

This morning, I had something totally different: Masala chai. I found it to be to peppery. This afternoon, I will try it iced and with a lot of milk.