Official what Oolong are You Drinking Right Now?

[debunix]

Ran out of water after 12 or 15 infusions of Norbu's 2009 Diamond Tie Guan Yin (spring). Love this stuff, but have to drink it up because the 2010 is on its way!

[Victoria]

Spring '10 Oolong from Hou De - Nan Tou Si-Ji - a non-roasted offering.
This is a very delicate floral. Nice, but a little roasting might be a good thing.

[guitar9876]

Ran out of water after 12 or 15 infusions of Norbu's 2009 Diamond Tie Guan Yin (spring). Love this stuff, but have to drink it up because the 2010 is on its way!

My first order from Norbu should be coming any day now! Got some of their Fall TGY, the 2010, and a fair amount of their other oolongs. So stoked!

[aya_s]

2010 Tung Ting in a big ol' sealed metal drum, brought back from Taiwan by my mother. She also gave me my grandfather's favorite tea tasting set, which consists of a small footed clay pot and four tasting cups in a bowl. Here's to you, Ojiichan!

[debunix]

Last night I got my new order from Norbu, so today I am again working on finishing off the 2009 spring Tie Guan Yin. I love this tea, and have been trying to discipline myself to finish off more of it before opening the one package of fall TGY I already have, anticipating a comparison between the spring 2009, fall 2009, and spring 2010, not to mention a sample from Jing Tea Shop that has been awaiting the same occasion before I open it.

Meanwhile, it's a pleasure to not feel like I have to dole it out anymore.

[Victoria]

Last night I got my new order from Norbu, so today I am again working on finishing off the 2009 spring Tie Guan Yin. I love this tea, and have been trying to discipline myself to finish off more of it before opening the one package of fall TGY I already have, anticipating a comparison between the spring 2009, fall 2009, and spring 2010, not to mention a sample from Jing Tea Shop that has been awaiting the same occasion before I open it.

Meanwhile, it's a pleasure to not feel like I have to dole it out anymore.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've got a decent amount of the good stuff now. Definitely feels more comfortable. Now the trick is to not overbuy from other vendors.

[debunix]

I buy a lot of smaller quantities to 'audition' a tea, but only have a few, like this one, that I will buy a lot of at a time. I overdid a bit last year, but I have winnowed down so there are a lot fewer 'clunkers' in the cupboards now. Just an abundance of good, better, and best stuff.

And now I'm drinking some 2007 Ba Xian 'Eight Immortals' Dan Cong from Tea Habitat. I was very careful to buy limited quantities of Imen's teas, and I drink them relatively sparingly: although I really do want to share them with the wider group, I just cannot conceive of doing the thermos routine with one of these exceptional teas, so they last longer with my mostly solo drinking. I just hope the web site (and store!) come back up before my current abundance runs low.

[brandon]

Spring 2010 Shan Lin Shi.

[Victoria]

Looks delish, sparkling light yellow, just like I like it. Yum!

[JD]

JAS-ETea.com's "Tie Guan Yin Premium".

[chittychat]

Mi Lan Dan Cong, forth infusion of 250 ml. Leftover from breakfast.

[guitar9876]

2009 Winter Ali Shan High Mountain Oolong from Norbu. I'm really enjoying the subtleties of this tea and the quality of the leaves is stunning. I frequently find myself playing with the leaves after each session, often finding 3-4 leaves to a bud. It's clearly evident this tea was handpicked.

[debunix]

2008 Winter Grade A Pin-Lin Bao Zhong, by Hou De

This is probably the 4th time I’ve brewed some of this wonderfully delicate tea, but I goofed in a way that probably limited the potential of the infusions significantly: I used a too low leaf to water ratio, and I was let the water cool too long before the infusions—too much attention to the camera setup as I was working on photographing what I was doing. In spite of that, the tea was good!

Leaves are twisted, large, green to black, with a light sweet scent.



2.2 grams of leaf into my 6 oz glass pot, because the leaves are so pretty as they unfurl.



1st infusion 175°F/79°C 30", sweet, hay, floral, but too light, should have been longer.
2nd infusion water closer to 160°F/71°C (let it cool too long, misjudged), let it go nearly 2 minutes, again a very light, sweet, floral infusion.
3rd infusion 175°F/79°C several minutes, similar—light, sweet, floral.
4th and 5th infusions were with water just off the boil, several minutes’ steep, and were still lovely.



I’d try water closer to 195 and 30" steep with 3-4 grams of leaf for the same pot next time around; or 2 grams in my 2 oz gaiwans, same temp/time recs as above.

[brandon]

Green TGY.

[SunKing]

Drinking some Tie Guan Yin "Iron Goddess of Mercy". good oolong, I like it.