Tuesday TeaDay 3/31/09. Fave tea for March?

[Salsero]

My first 2009 First Flush Darjeelings from Tea Emporium!!!!

Dang, you beat me to the punch! Mine are still in the mail. Going by price, I'm guessing the Puttabong is the star of the show, but it will be fun trying them all.

I just went back to one of the Second Flush teas (Risheehat Flowery) I got from them last year and it is still wonderful.

As for the taxonomy of blacks and oolongs, I suspect a lot of monkey business. The theory (as best I understand it) is that a very "hard wither" makes them black even though they are green.

To wit:
Oxidation requires the presence of moisture. At high altitudes with low humidity, the hard wither dries the leaves out, leaving them too dry for much oxidation to occur, even though they are allowed to oxidize to the max. Hence they are fully oxidized (=black) but they are green.

Finishing up some Silver Needles at the moment.

[brlarson]

For Kanro and Ippoen gyokuro I use about 7g for 80-90ml, 90s for first steep, 5-10s for the second one and 10-15s for the third.

With Kaboku sencha I usually use about 4-4.5 g for 100 ml and 80s for first steep.

So I am close to their brewing guidelines, but I don't follow their "you need 10g of leaves even for a single serving" advice.

So you're roughly at the 5:4 gram/oz ratio for sencha that Zencha recommends for their highest quality sencha. Do you brew it at 80C or at a cooler temp? I am just being nosy.

Wow! 7g per 3oz for gyo! I guess you're getting the whole umami experience.

You've given me a good place to start.

Thanks!

B

[brlarson]

My fav for this month is an oolong.

Pu Dude! I didn't know you could even spell oolong.

[murrius]

I have a "tie" for favourite of the month: Tie Guan Yin from Rich Barbarian and Keemun from Adagio. Drank more black tea than usual this month as my 2008 greens gave up the ghost. No Long Jing, no fukamushi sencha, and what asamushi sencha I did have left was loosing flavour faster than bubblegum on a bedpost. I must say though that the TGY blew my socks off.

[Chip]

Thanks again, everyone for the wishes of a great day on my birthday. It was a very nice day filled with great tea, and a lot of international food thanks to my wife. Japanese, Chinese, and Italian ... likely my fave 3.

Teawaise, Hankook Taiwan oolong was next up before a late lunch which included nice genmaicha served in a tetsubin, then complimentary dessert of matcha icecream which was quite good.

Back home, Zuiko sencha from Den's finished a great TeaDay!

[olivierco]

So you're roughly at the 5:4 gram/oz ratio for sencha that Zencha recommends for their highest quality sencha. Do you brew it at 80C or at a cooler temp? I am just being nosy.

I use a cooler temperature (70-75°C, preheated kyuusu)

[Tead Off]

Da Yu Ling, Winter 2008, from TeafromTaiwan.

Phenomenal, organic, high mountain Oolong cha. 2400 metres. You could hear the birds singing

[cherylopal]

No Hagi in the box, sorry! Someone already bought it all!

LOL!!

[silvermage2000]

I would say probley a black tea.

[Shelob]

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY CHIP!!!

Sorry this is soooo late, hope you had a Fabulous Birthday along with a TeaPartay or two with your wife!

What other choice would there be but GREEN!

[chamekke]

Extra-belated Happy Birthday to you too, Chip! Sorry I missed congratulating you on the big day.

I hope you got lots of tea-related presents, or - perhaps even better - some tea-related GIFT CERTIFICATES!!!!

Long life and good health

[Chip]

Extra-belated Happy Birthday to you too, Chip! Sorry I missed congratulating you on the big day.

I hope you got lots of tea-related presents, or - perhaps even better - some tea-related GIFT CERTIFICATES!!!!

Long life and good health

Thanks to you both.

Yes, got teabucks , but I am still accepting TeaGifts from members in B.C. to Kagoshima and all points in between.
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