Yixing Questions
I am looking to buy a yixing tea pot, but dont know that much.http://www.enjoyingtea.com/baststte.i like that pot but i was wondering if anyone could tell me if that is worth the money and if anyone has ordered from there.
Apr 17th, '07, 18:25
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jogrebe
I don't think that is a yixing pot as the top of the page has it listed as "pad
Home > Teapots > Porcelain Teapots > Bamboo Style Stone Teapot". Why a porcelain teapot showed up under the yixing page I have no idea but I would strongly recommend emailing them first to see if it is made of porcelain or yixing clay before buying it.
Home > Teapots > Porcelain Teapots > Bamboo Style Stone Teapot". Why a porcelain teapot showed up under the yixing page I have no idea but I would strongly recommend emailing them first to see if it is made of porcelain or yixing clay before buying it.
John Grebe
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
Apr 17th, '07, 22:15
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jogrebe
If you want to buy I yixing pot I'd recommend taking a look at http://stores.ebay.com/Chinese-Teapot-G ... idZ2QQtZkm
John Grebe
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
Thanks, ill probably order one this weekend.jogrebe wrote:If you want to buy I yixing pot I'd recommend taking a look at http://stores.ebay.com/Chinese-Teapot-G ... idZ2QQtZkm
Jul 9th, '07, 20:16
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Proinsias
A question for yixing brewers -
I am currently drinking:
"The Macallan Fine Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old, Matured in a unique, complex combination of bourbon & sherry oak casks"
Drinking this I realise that some of my favourite whisky has been left for some time in sherry or some other type of cask. Relating this to yixing, would a fresh green oolong perhaps be given a new character by brewing it in a pot seasoned with qimen or aged pu-erh, would the brew contaminate the pot much? I imagine using lighter teas in pots for darker teas shouldn't be a big problem as long as it is occasionaly use.
Just wondering if anyone crossed-brewed between pots? If there were any tried and tested mixes or if I'm as well keeping some very conservative pots.
I should add that my reference to an aged pu-erh yixing is wishfull thinking and not quite a reality as yet.
I am currently drinking:
"The Macallan Fine Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old, Matured in a unique, complex combination of bourbon & sherry oak casks"
Drinking this I realise that some of my favourite whisky has been left for some time in sherry or some other type of cask. Relating this to yixing, would a fresh green oolong perhaps be given a new character by brewing it in a pot seasoned with qimen or aged pu-erh, would the brew contaminate the pot much? I imagine using lighter teas in pots for darker teas shouldn't be a big problem as long as it is occasionaly use.
Just wondering if anyone crossed-brewed between pots? If there were any tried and tested mixes or if I'm as well keeping some very conservative pots.
I should add that my reference to an aged pu-erh yixing is wishfull thinking and not quite a reality as yet.
The comparison really isn't exact. It's not that your favored Scotch was given a sherry 'n bourbon twist, rather, that's the way Scotch is made. Historically, Scotch makers recycled the oak barrels from sherry and/or bourbon because oak was dear and the barrels most eminently adequate for the whisky makers' purposes. Now, everybody does it. I should think it rather difficult to find a Scotch not matured in old sherry casks.
As far as yixing use goes, I'm pretty sure a fair bit of cross-brewing goes on. But, like the initial recycling of the oak barrels, I think it's mostly just a pragmatic use of the pot. I don't know if some people actively seek to augment different characteristics by cross-brewing. My initial guess is no, seeing as how so much emphasis is placed on the pedigree of the leaf itself.
As far as yixing use goes, I'm pretty sure a fair bit of cross-brewing goes on. But, like the initial recycling of the oak barrels, I think it's mostly just a pragmatic use of the pot. I don't know if some people actively seek to augment different characteristics by cross-brewing. My initial guess is no, seeing as how so much emphasis is placed on the pedigree of the leaf itself.
Jul 9th, '07, 22:35
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Proinsias
I'm fairly certain that the use of sherry casks is not simply 'the way scotch is made' or reusing casks for economy. Many well known varieties will have several variations from the same distillers one of which may be a sherry, or other, cask which is used to impart ' a deep, rich colour with hints of dried fruit and spices' in the words of the macallan that i'm still enjoying.
By favoured whisky I mean that I've found I prefer the version that states 'sherry cask' on the box to a whisky of the same brand which doesn't have this. They use big casks, wee casks, sherry casks and port casks all to impart a different flavour to the finished product.
I'm convinced that the single malt distilers were looking to augment characteristics in the liquor using other casks.
To explain my passions I present this:
I fell head over foot for chinese tea when a chinese lady explained to me that she had traveled alot and came to scotland to sell tea as the two greatest water sources she had tasted were scotlands and chinas - China gave the world tea, Scotland used it to give us whisky. A few drops of good tea in a nice whisky can work beautifully, hence the cross-contamination question.
By favoured whisky I mean that I've found I prefer the version that states 'sherry cask' on the box to a whisky of the same brand which doesn't have this. They use big casks, wee casks, sherry casks and port casks all to impart a different flavour to the finished product.
I'm convinced that the single malt distilers were looking to augment characteristics in the liquor using other casks.
To explain my passions I present this:
I fell head over foot for chinese tea when a chinese lady explained to me that she had traveled alot and came to scotland to sell tea as the two greatest water sources she had tasted were scotlands and chinas - China gave the world tea, Scotland used it to give us whisky. A few drops of good tea in a nice whisky can work beautifully, hence the cross-contamination question.
I'm sorry, I guess I skipped a couple steps in my logic train as I didn't want the post to ramble on. I thought by including the word 'historically' I could cut a couple corners. What I had thought evident was that the practice started out as an economy but turned into an art. You can find all sorts of whisky matured in a variety of different casks that had begun their life storing sherry, bourbon, port, cognac, etc.
I'm not a Scotch expert, but I did grow up as a country club brat of sorts, and part of that included listening to the dads go on about choosing a good Scotch. So I was under the assumption that all Scotch was matured in either a sherry or bourbon oak cask and that some specialty blends mixed it up with a finish of port or maderia or whatever. I had not heard of maturation in a new oak cask. If this is wrong, I do apologize for spreading misinformation.
I'm not a Scotch expert, but I did grow up as a country club brat of sorts, and part of that included listening to the dads go on about choosing a good Scotch. So I was under the assumption that all Scotch was matured in either a sherry or bourbon oak cask and that some specialty blends mixed it up with a finish of port or maderia or whatever. I had not heard of maturation in a new oak cask. If this is wrong, I do apologize for spreading misinformation.