an elaborate TeaChat DHP experiment

[augie]

I've been having trouble brewing oolongs that don't just taste like women's bathroom soap for a few weeks now.

Never underestimate the power of TeaChat.

How do you know what womens' bathroom soap tastes like? hmmm

Maybe Oolong just isn't your thing. You've gone to a lot of work to get a good brew, though.

[Sydney]

There's a strong correlation between scent and taste, and although I am Satan's gift to women, this has not stopped a good number of them from getting educationally close.

[hop_goblin]

If I'm not mistaken, that's the DHP BRR from DTH. High-fired, no?

Yes, I do believe it is High Fired.

[Salsero]

Personally, I have often found that Dan Cong oolongs remind me of laundry detergent aromas. I suppose the scents they add to the detergents are meant to be floral in some way, so I figure those teas described as having floral aromas are just going to smell that way.

The lightly oxidized oolongs -- Dong Ding, lighter TGY, Pouchong (Bao Zhong), Se Zhong, and the Taiwanese Gao Shan -- are all candidates to smell to Padre like women's soaps, unless they are aged or roasted. Wuyi Yan Cha, Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty), and Shui Shan are less likely to have floral aromas.

[skywarrior]

The lightly oxidized oolongs -- Dong Ding, lighter TGY, Pouchong (Bao Zhong), Se Zhong, and the Taiwanese Gao Shan -- are all candidates to smell to Padre like women's soaps, unless they are aged or roasted. Wuyi Yan Cha, Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty), and Shui Shan are less likely to have floral aromas.

Hmm, maybe, maybe there might be a reason I don't taste floral -- I haven't eaten soap! (JK Padre!! )

Actually, the tea I've been drinking has been Wuyi, Bai Hao, and TGY -- none which have a floral taste. So, maybe, maybe I have unintentionally avoided the floral oolongs?

[Sydney]

Can't speak to the range of oolongs, personally. I just begged enough of this stuff to make a couple of cups and don't have a big frame of reference.

But the results of the elaborate experiment didn't have the problem with overly pronounced fragrance, so preparation technique seems to be key.

[Chip]

I guess I am in touch with my feminine side and love those floral sweet green oolongs, especially from Taiwan.

I have heard snickers about these types of oolong...I simply say what Phyll the pu guy who uses a wine line here... "drink what you like and like what you drink."

[Sydney]

I'm with ya on appreciating the fragrance. But after the team effort to produce a better brew, I found it much easier to appreciate.

I don't think it's necessary to go all Rube Goldberg to produce a good cup of tea, but it was really cool to experience the esprit de corps that went into solving the challenge I faced that day.

And in the process, I collected readings on a number of kitchen items re: heat retention, and have been able to further fine tune the already good brewing processes I'd been using for teas generally. (Not that one process is used for all these teas, though.)

[Chip]

Padre, you have proven to be the father of TeaScience of TeaChat.

All I could say was, wow! Thinking out of the box...you never know what miracle tea you may create. There is a thread on thinking out of the box for brewing green tea that is going on in a parallel universe as we speak.

I enjoyed both.

[Sydney]

High praise from the Chipster! Nice.

In that spirit, you may find this follow-up blog entry worth note:

http://tinyurl.com/3xcam4