Monday TeaDay 11/03/08 Drat, my tea cooled?

[olivierco]

I have just opened a new package of Hibiki-an SP sencha this afternoon.

[Chip]

For me, this depends as much on which steep it is as what tea it is. If it is the 1st to maybe 3rd steep, I want it warmer, but a 4th or 5th steep, etc. can be room temp.

In the rare event I am drinking iced tea, it will be gone before it warms too much.

Started the day with Organic Kagoshima from Rishi. I wonder what leaf this is? This sencha won best Japanese style tea at the Expo. It is very good. Sweetie enjoyed it as well. The peanut gallery who chose not to try it included Gandalf, Precious, Pyrit (yarrrr, gimme yar treats or get a head butt), and Wulong.

[omegapd]

Due to popular demand (the V.I.P. Treazure) here is my new travel mug. I didn't want to ruin the whole teapots and teacup thread, so posted it here:



Notice the sleek Chinese engineering and the nickle plated lid. It actually works very well. It's glass lined and keeps the tea quite hot for when I want to bring a cup with me waiting in line to pick my kids up from school.

And yes, that's Red Rose in those tea bags, if there was any doubt.

EW

[Maitre_Tea]

For me it really depends on the kind of tea, because some teas taste really funky as they cool down, but I won't toss out the tea simply because it's cold though. As tea cools down I don't really enjoy the subtle nuances and what have you.

Only one day until the election, and I hope that everyone (that can) votes, regardless of political belief or party

[Salsero]

Due to popular demand

Very modern styling. Its uncompromising, clean lines and authentic Asian provenance combine to make a powerful statement.

[Smari]

I usually have my greens and oolongs hot- it never tastes right to me once it hits room temperature or below. As far as disposing of it once it gets too cold, never did because I make sure I down my tea before it even gets cold. I just hate wasting good stuff.

Feeling a cold coming on this morning, so brewed up my usual ginger, lemon, honey tea to beat it.

Sal - love the photo

[geeber1]

I enjoy the changes in flavor, at least until it gets completely cold. Tea rarely stays in my cup that long, but when it does, I usually dump it.

I don't put ice in my iced tea, so I'll drink that even when it gets to room temperature.

Omega, that is one stylin' travel mug! I think I'll need to visit my local WM and see if I can find one for myself!

Salsero, lovely photo, as usual. It makes me feel very serene. Perfect for a Monday morning.

[murrius]

I like all teas best after they cool just past the "peal the skin off your toungue" temp. However, having said that, I will drink them even if they are stone cold in my cup. I like the changes in flavour - particularly with the greens. To me they seem to get slightly more astringent as they cool, which is weird.

This morning it's sencha Hatsumi.

[kongni]

I like hot tea to stay hot and cold to stay cold. The reality is that it never works out like that for me at home. At work we have a hot/cold water dispenser and I usually goose my lukewarm tea with a bit of hot water at the expense of diluting the tea.

More farmer's shincha this morning. Matcha coming up next!

Happy tea day everyone!

[kymidwife]

I voted already before I went to bed... but thought I would share what's in my cup.

I tried 2 of the new Adagio teas this morning... the White Symphony, which reminds me alittle of the standard Adagio White Peony, perhaps more flavorful. One of the best whites I've had... but Peony has been my favorite of all prior to this. First infusion (gaiwan) was moderately astringent with a light floral aroma. Second infusion was not nearly as astringent, but a bolder flavor with a more fruity undertaste and aroma. The color was stronger than my other whites... a deeper golden, almost light caramel color. The spent leaves are huge with lots of buds, really lovely color and aroma. It's a nice white, especially if whites are usually too mild to your tastebuds.

Now in my cup is the Keemun Rhapsody. It is VERY different than the Keemun Concerto. I can't really pick up on much smokiness at all. I brewed it for about 2 minutes and the color and aroma was so rich, I poured the cup early... but the taste wasn't developed yet, so I returned it to the pot for another minute or so. I get a very sweet, fruity aroma, no floral... reminds me of raisins, a dark/sweet/fruity fragrance. The taste matches it, but with alittle bittersweet chocolate aftertaste. Very smooth, just astringent enough, was nice both without sugar and with a spoonful added. Nice morning cuppa.

And, I did make one other, which I didn't really drink... LOL. Chip and I have been exploring the world of mugicha... so when I was at the Asian market last time, I was looking for barley to roast, and also for already-roasted ready to drink Mugicha. I found a package of "almond and barley tea" with 99% of the writing on the package in Japanese. It wasn't expensive, and I thought... hmmm... roasted almonds mixed in with roasted barley might make a really interesting flavor. So, I bought it.

It's instant stuff... white powdery stuff that looks like Coffee Mate and smells like it, too. I put a packet of it into a cup of hot water... and got smacked with a loud almond extract smell. It's uber-sweet, alittle frothy/creamy, and not remotely mugicha-like or tea-like. Blechhhhh. I will be taking this to work and I'll tell them it's coffee creamer... I think it would work great for that.

Adventures in tea-drinking... gotta love it.

Sarah

[geeber1]

Voted and forgot what was in my cup. Enjoying Nilgiri Blue from Tao of Tea, once again courtesy of Victoria. Good stuff!

[Victoria]

In my cup this morning sad to say is an average Darjeeling called "Smoke" something or the other from Stash. Everything I have tried from them in the loose leaf black category has been average or less.

I'm glad I re-ordered my Spring Darjeeling from Adagio.

Have a nice day everyone!!

[jazz88]

I'm unable to drink anything too hot – it must be warm. If the tea is too hot it burns my mouth and I feel just "hotness" and not the flavors.

I admire people able to drink boiling hot beverages.

Will brew Sagittarius signature blend in a sec.

[Salsero]

Thanks once again, Geeber1 and Smari, for the nice comments on my pic. That Luxi tea tastes a bit funky. My notes say, "Tastes of dark mushroom, loam, rotted manure, vanilla ... This would probably not be a good sheng for a beginner." Despite all that, I did enjoy it quite a bit.

Edkrueger, seriously, I'd love it if you could post a few pics now and then. With Geekgirl getting so covered up with work, we are down to Omegapd posting photos of Walmart travel mugs. If there was ever a time we need more visuals, this is it! Me loves me those photos.

In my cup, Lupicia Nilgiri BOP courtesy of Pentox. Thanks, Pen, it's not bad for a BOP, but probably doesn't compare to the Lupicia Japanese offerings you describe so beautifully ... and so often!

[auggy]

For me it's a bit more complicated than the options can really convey. If I were to try to describe it, when a tea cools from hot to ambient temperature, there is an increase in enjoyability where the temperature doesn't feel so prominent, but it is still a warm cup of tea, but after that it tapers toward room temperature and that is not as enjoyable. But on the other hand if I have a cold brewed tea it's a pure decrease in enjoyment as it warms up toward room temperature. So I guess if you were to chart my enjoyment against the temperature of the tea, scaling temperature from 0-100C you would get a dropping slope until you reached ambient which would be the low point, which would then slope up exponentially to the enjoyable somewhat cooled, but still hot point and then taper back down as the tea is hot enough that it is difficult to drink. So somewhat in the shape of an M.

What Pentox said. Though sadly I couldn't explain it near as well.

Going to make some more orchid oolong. And watch my new tv!