Official what GREEN are you currently drinking?

[daidokorocha]

It isn't that pot in particular I am looking at. Rather it was just for use as an example. I see that the linked failed to post properly! Such is life. There are some nice ones on Hojo Tea that I was looking at, but I haven't seriously looked into it yet.

That is how I typically drink out of a 12 oz cup by filling it up whenever it reaches halfway (although sometimes I have no problem drinking straight down to the bottom first go) but I rarely do it like that for a pot. Actually, I have only ever done it in a pot for oolongs and for other teas I have not really considered it. Something in me suspects that because doing other teas in a cup is just so much more convenient than doing it in a pot, especially if they are the same size. Also, probably the only reason I do oolongs in a pot is more room for the leaves to unfurl. I will certainly give it a shot with a green and see how it turns out. I can only imagine it would be quite similar to normal grandpa style or "cow drinking" as you put it in the other thread if done correctly as it is with the oolongs. Now I am left wondering why I have not bothered to try that up until now.

Thanks for the information on the clay. I'll certainly look into it!

As a final note for the night, I just realised that I actually had no tea today. I knew something felt strange... tomorrow will not be as busy. Perhaps I will finish off the longjing by big pot brewing cow style!

[jayinhk]

It isn't that pot in particular I am looking at. Rather it was just for use as an example. I see that the linked failed to post properly! Such is life. There are some nice ones on Hojo Tea that I was looking at, but I haven't seriously looked into it yet.

That is how I typically drink out of a 12 oz cup by filling it up whenever it reaches halfway (although sometimes I have no problem drinking straight down to the bottom first go) but I rarely do it like that for a pot. Actually, I have only ever done it in a pot for oolongs and for other teas I have not really considered it. Something in me suspects that because doing other teas in a cup is just so much more convenient than doing it in a pot, especially if they are the same size. Also, probably the only reason I do oolongs in a pot is more room for the leaves to unfurl. I will certainly give it a shot with a green and see how it turns out. I can only imagine it would be quite similar to normal grandpa style or "cow drinking" as you put it in the other thread if done correctly as it is with the oolongs. Now I am left wondering why I have not bothered to try that up until now.

Thanks for the information on the clay. I'll certainly look into it!

As a final note for the night, I just realised that I actually had no tea today. I knew something felt strange... tomorrow will not be as busy. Perhaps I will finish off the longjing by big pot brewing cow style!

Sounds like a plan! I'm still working on gaoshan from two nights ago...getting every drop of goodness out. Oolongs are meant to be gongfu'd, IMO, but low grade stuff is commonly grandpa'd in HK by the majority. Using Yixings here makes you pretty special as it's considered something only the elderly are into! It's the same across the Chinese diaspora.

I think I'll drink some Thai Nguyen today.

[daidokorocha]

Yes, I typically gongfu my oolongs but if I am having some with a meal, I like to brew it in a big pot. Other times like when I am writing a paper/proposal or watching a movie or something it is a handy format. Of course, cheap oolong only! It reminds me of the discussion in the black tea thread about "every day tea" with Ethan. Brewing in a big pot is definitely the "great equalizer" among teas. I was happy to find a place that recently opened up in Philadelphia that does oolong in a big pot like this as well. A nice dongding over Taiwanese food is a very pleasant lunch.

So, I took your advice about the off the boil water and I must say I do not find it bitter in the least. It actually created a very pleasant cup with no off-putting notes. I taste some notes I would get in a lower quality Japanese green at high temperatures; or, I should also say really, really late season bancha. I did 1 and 1/4 tablespoon to 10 oz of water. I had heard about the Vietnamese using boiling water and just steeping it forever. Between your brewing method, Hatvala's various recommended methods, and what-cha's recommendations for this tea, I must say it reminds me of how versatile brewing can actually be.

If you are unfamiliar with Hatvala's recommendations, they are as follows: 300 ml, 4g at 85C for 2 minutes, 4 infusions for "Western Brewing". 200 ml, 5g at 85 C for 50s, 4-5 infusions for "Eastern Brewing"

What-cha I looked up this morning out of curiosity. Their recommendation is: 1-2 teaspoons of leaf per cup, 167F/75C for 5-15 SECONDS.

For me, I really like this off the boil cup as I work my way through it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[debunix]

http://media.photobucket.com/user/dlb_1 ... sort=1&o=0

Dead link

[Ferg]

I christened this Gisui with O-Cha's Tsuen AOI shincha from the 2016 harvest. I've only had a few asamushi's up until this point in time, but would have to say I enjoyed this one the most thus far. It had a nice vegetal flavor with a subtle lingering sweetness. The first three steeps were best, but I must have given it a good six steeps in total. The sweetness has stayed with me over time, which is a quality in tea I find I enjoy most. It made for a relaxing brew.

[jayinhk]

For me, I really like this off the boil cup as I work my way through it. Thanks for the recommendation.

No problem! That's the only way I'd consider drinking most Vietnamese and Chinese greens. Lower temperatures make for a much less flavorful cup and I feel like it's a waste of leaf. I saw lots of Hanoians hanging out on the sidewalk with their teapots late at night. I enjoyed drinking good Thai Nguyen at a cafe in the Old Quarter that was mostly frequented by foreign tourists. I was the only one drinking Vietnamese tea, which the staff loved and the tourists looked at with interest. Pretty nice to be sitting outside in the city with a big teapot first thing in the morning.

I don't ever big pot brew oolongs, unless I'm out for dim sum with family (they can't drink shu after I told them how it was made, lol), but I also don't keep much of the cheaper stuff around. I do have entire jins of cheaper TGY and Benshan oolong at work, but I still gongfu em as they aren't bad at all!

[daidokorocha]

For me, I really like this off the boil cup as I work my way through it. Thanks for the recommendation.

No problem! That's the only way I'd consider drinking most Vietnamese and Chinese greens. Lower temperatures make for a much less flavorful cup and I feel like it's a waste of leaf. I saw lots of Hanoians hanging out on the sidewalk with their teapots late at night. I enjoyed drinking good Thai Nguyen at a cafe in the Old Quarter that was mostly frequented by foreign tourists. I was the only one drinking Vietnamese tea, which the staff loved and the tourists looked at with interest. Pretty nice to be sitting outside in the city with a big teapot first thing in the morning.

I don't ever big pot brew oolongs, unless I'm out for dim sum with family (they can't drink shu after I told them how it was made, lol), but I also don't keep much of the cheaper stuff around. I do have entire jins of cheaper TGY and Benshan oolong at work, but I still gongfu em as they aren't bad at all!

Oh dear... doing this with the Lu Shan Yun Wu I did not care much for and am surprised that I enjoy it much more now. I had thought that increasing temperature might bring out more of the "putrid" elements, but it is not the case whatsoever. Probably, it balances them. I also wonder the effect of a new pouring method I am using in an attempt to not "stir the leaves". I will say I contest your claim of lower temperatures as I feel many Chinese greens work very well at low temperatures - although typically not TOO low of temperatures for me personally. For instance, longjing works very well at 175F/79.5C for drinking in a cup.

[jayinhk]

For me, I really like this off the boil cup as I work my way through it. Thanks for the recommendation.

No problem! That's the only way I'd consider drinking most Vietnamese and Chinese greens. Lower temperatures make for a much less flavorful cup and I feel like it's a waste of leaf. I saw lots of Hanoians hanging out on the sidewalk with their teapots late at night. I enjoyed drinking good Thai Nguyen at a cafe in the Old Quarter that was mostly frequented by foreign tourists. I was the only one drinking Vietnamese tea, which the staff loved and the tourists looked at with interest. Pretty nice to be sitting outside in the city with a big teapot first thing in the morning.

I don't ever big pot brew oolongs, unless I'm out for dim sum with family (they can't drink shu after I told them how it was made, lol), but I also don't keep much of the cheaper stuff around. I do have entire jins of cheaper TGY and Benshan oolong at work, but I still gongfu em as they aren't bad at all!

Oh dear... doing this with the Lu Shan Yun Wu I did not care much for and am surprised that I enjoy it much more now. I had thought that increasing temperature might bring out more of the "putrid" elements, but it is not the case whatsoever. Probably, it balances them. I also wonder the effect of a new pouring method I am using in an attempt to not "stir the leaves". I will say I contest your claim of lower temperatures as I feel many Chinese greens work very well at low temperatures - although typically not TOO low of temperatures for me personally. For instance, longjing works very well at 175F/79.5C for drinking in a cup.

I agree that longjing must be brewed around 80C if you're grandpa brewing, but some people even gongfu it with boiling water!

[steepedteamelanie]

Vanilla Matcha Latte.... Its so good.

[daidokorocha]

Vanilla Matcha Latte.... Its so good.

Sigh, I miss a good matcha latte. One forgets what a luxury living in Japan is with regard to all the wonderful matcha-flavored goods. Trying to get the equivalent anywhere else leaves me just . Even the "famous" (all marketing) Japanese places that are opening up in places like Toronto honestly are not very good in my opinion.

[Ferg]

Enjoyed tea with the Bishop tonight. Finally got to try O-Cha's Yutaka Midori. The smell of the tea from the bag was incredible. The taste was even better! It had an extremely sweet grassiness to it. I couldn't stop smelling the kyusu after pouring the tea, it was so sweet.

[debunix]

Bat Cave Gua Pian, a bonus 'free' tea sent with the Tea Habitat tasting set last year. Lovely delicate sweet vegetal flavors--so delicate as to be almost fruity, but lacking entirely in the tartness that usually prompts me to characterize a tea as fruity.

Bat Cave Gua Pian by D B, on Flickr

Brewed in a Yi Yong Cheol pot at the satellite office: cup by Ginkgo, on Mirka's tea tray, with placemat by Studio Edgart. The setup is getting to be pretty nice.

[debunix]

Hou Village Bai Nie Jian from the 2015 green tea tasting set from TeaHabitat: long lovely green leaves, like a Tai Ping Hou Kui, leaves that shine even when they're sticking out of the the pot

Hou Village Bai Nie Jian by D B, on Flickr

after the photo, I added the hot water and carefully herded the stray leaves down into the water with lid and fingers, to avoiding breaking a single one. They're lovely deep green even after the first infusion

Daily tea by D B, on Flickr

Spicy-sweet, vegetal, delicate, lovely.

[Ferg]

Lovely looking leaves! I'm surprised you were able to get them into the pot without snapping any. The spicy characteristic sounds enticing.

Noticed these are from spring 2015. Do you they lose anything in terms of flavor over the course of the year? Only ask because I still have some packs of Tony's 2014 DYL on hand that I have yet to crack open.

Adorable pictures of your two cats btw!

[debunix]

Lovely looking leaves! I'm surprised you were able to get them into the pot without snapping any. The spicy characteristic sounds enticing.

Noticed these are from spring 2015. Do you they lose anything in terms of flavor over the course of the year? Only ask because I still have some packs of Tony's 2014 DYL on hand that I have yet to crack open.

I find it not too hard: I shook a few leaves out at a time, and funneled them into the pot. Then when you pour hot water over the whole, the portion of the leaves that are already *in* the water soften and bend and let you push the dry outside bits down into the water without snapping off. But it does take some patience!

Adorable pictures of your two cats btw!

Thanks! They're ridiculously cute, and so far, they haven't broken any teaware, although my clumsiness in a setting where I don't often use my nice teaware has sadly resulted in the loss of two cups so far....