Wednesday TeaDay 2/25/09 Uttering shincha or new harvest?

[auggy]

Maybe. I'm not all about the new harvest, but it does make my toes tingle just a little to think of all the new tea coming. Strangely enough I'm not all that excited about the new crop of Darjeelings... it seems that I have craved them less as the weather has warmed up. So perhaps my tea tastes do change with the weather.

My grumpiness is leftover from yesterday. I tried to temper it with some Rose Marzipan tea and it worked somewhat. Most people will be gone today from work so it should be quiet for me. That's a good thing. I brought a book. If it gets too quiet, I will be learning more about Yakuza.

[geeber1]

I voted 'maybe,' not much of a green or darjeeling drinker.

This morning I had some Water Sprite Oolong. I'm not sure what I thought of it, I'll have to try a 2nd steep when I get home tonight.

[cherylopal]

I walked into my classroom yesterday and found this! Thought geekgirl would appreciate it.

The crane is leftover from our japanese unit- a second grader made it last year for us. My coteacher stuck it the vase of flowers not sure why but there it is.

gotta go- will try to post opix later...sorry

[Intuit]

Yay and Verily, 'Spring Harvest' is a meaningful term applied to many types of tea - our Autumn harvested stock is depleted, we've been imbibing our hearty oolongs and blacks and patiently waiting on teas that are freshest and most flavorful in Spring - greens and lightly oxidized oolongs, as well as high-elevation blacks.

2008 wasn't a stellar year for many tea varietals due to the weather. Many vendors are caught without supply of certain teas and blends for the first time in many years.

No-name but decent Ceylon on the cup.

[Randoom]

Just received some Teasampler form a German tea site

China Sensha >Gyokuro<
Japan Sensha >Gyokuro<
China Pi Lo Chun
Lung Ching First Grade

I was allowed to order 5 Samples out of their stock, so I ordered simply the best rated because I did not really know what was good or bad.
Tested the first 2 so far and must say that I have to get use to the Sensha stuff. It is quite different to the Chinese greens I've tested so far.
Next comes the Pi Lo Chun, hope that is more my liking

Feel free to correct me if I witting some crap stuff, because my English has got a little rusty^^

Have a nice tea!

[Pentox]

I brought a book. If it gets too quiet, I will be learning more about Yakuza.

Let me know if it says how to join.

Today some Guangzhou milk oolong from Davids tea. Very odd tea.

What is this shincha stuff of which you speak?

[Chip]

Most definitely, though I am better stocked this year than last when I had virtually nothing left til shincha finally arrived. It is always exciting to see the new tea announcements popping up much like Spring blooming perenials! My ears are to the ground listening for their arrival.

The great thing now is, we can get ours within days of citizens of tea producing countries, I can tell you this is a pretty new phenom.

Started the TeaDay off with Sencha Premier from Adagio. Very good as always, an easy brewing first flush! SweeTea enjoyed it as much as I did, Pyrit was present again ... just hangin' out.

[olivierco]

Ippodo sencha teabag this evening. Quite good, for a teabag.

[Chip]

rishi's jade cloud- two quick steeps together in my hagi cup- should i be dedicating my hagi cup to just my sencha or is ok to drink other green teas in it???

Should you? More a matter of can you, certainly. I plan to more or less dedicate hagi since the clay and glaze is rather porous! I am not sure if any I get would touch anything but Japanese greens

I am currently enjoying Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha in this new member to the family. Big sucka, holding 14ish ounces. It is by Yamane Seigan.

[gingkoseto]

I am excited about new tea, but am not willing to pay extra chunk of price just for them being new

In recent years when shifting large part of my interests in oolong, I may get more excited about winter new tea oolong than spring new green tea

[gingkoseto]

I found this Nepal to be quite nice, much like an oolong or a light Darjeeling, spent leaves are medium size, fairly intact, few tips, various degrees of apparent oxidation.


(click photo for a closer look at leaves)

Nice! I've been hearing people talking about Nepal oolong, but seeing it makes me more tempted!
Does it taste somewhat similar to oriental beauty?

[auggy]

I brought a book. If it gets too quiet, I will be learning more about Yakuza.

Let me know if it says how to join.

With the way work is going, I'm thinking some yakuza ties might be beneficial.

To me. Not necessarily to my coworkers.

[Salsero]

Nice! I've been hearing people talking about Nepal oolong, but seeing it makes me more tempted!
Does it taste somewhat similar to oriental beauty?

It isn't billed as an oolong but a black tea. Just as with a lot of Darjeelings and other South Asian teas, I don't understand why something that behaves so much like an oolong is called a black tea, but there you have it. It doesn't taste nearly as oxidized as the Oriental Beauties that I have had. Maybe more like some of the very low roast Wuyi oolongs, but more fruity. As you can see from the photo, it is not a very dark tea.

A half-ounce sample is only $4.00. Some of the best tea values around today can be found among those rare, hand-made gems from the Subcontinent.

[silvermage2000]

I would say mabe.

[shogun89]

I for one am not only thinking about the new harvest but yet the awakening of my puerh collection. Cant wait for the rise in humidity and temp to fill my room with that sweet honey smell.