Wednesday TeaDay 4/08/09 Typical TeaWeek?

[auggy]

At one point I had 90 teas open at the same time so I put everything into a spreadsheet and vac-packed most of them and created scheduling heuristics to plan them. I cycle through 3 Japanese Greens, 5 or 6 oolongs, and 2 or three other teas (Pu, white, yellow, ...) every week. I've been finishing 2 or 3 bags of the opened teas every week and my tea stocks are finally starting to settle down.

Your tea cycle scares me a little - so organized. Yet at the same time, I am envious. I love creating structure in my life.

I tend to have about 2 teas a day and I cycle through what I have with minimal repeats so I usually end up with anywhere from 11 - 16 different teas a week. Wow, that's a lot.

Spearmint and cream for me today.

[geeber1]

HerbMaster, thanks for sharing your garden photos! We're still on the edge of winter here in Oregon so it's very refreshing to see things blooming!

I voted 4-6, but now that I think of it, I usually have a different tea at work than I do at home in the morning, so it's probably closer to 10-12.

Had an unsatisfying blend of Ceylon and Assam this morning, hoping for something better at work!

[silvermage2000]

Hi I would think sometimes 1,or2,or3,or4.

[olivierco]

Kaboku sencha this afternoon.

[cherylopal]

deejarlings .

just realized that i discovered a new tea! read "darjeeling"

Herb_Master- awesome photos! What a great garden

[jazz88]

@ Herb_Master – how I envy your garden!
4-6 for me. Usually 1 black 3 or 4 green/white and herbal or white in the evening.

Having Darjeeling #22 from Adagio and then I'm pretty sure I will have some Sakura Sencha.

[brlarson]

Your tea cycle scares me a little - so organized. Yet at the same time, I am envious. I love creating structure in my life.

I had no choice. If I didn't impose a lot of structure on my storage and consumption teas would have gone stale. It was my lack of organization that forced me into this position. I have totally flexibility, though, to choose among my open teas, so I have a lot of choices. BTW, it sounds like you're drinking as many teas as me .

O-Cha's Yame Gyo with lunch.

[Intuit]

Many thanks for the lovely garden images, Herb_Master. Very much appreciated here.

I voted 4-6; some weeks its low and others a bit higher.

Jasmine oolong this morning.

[Salsero]

Many thanks for the lovely garden images, Herb_Master. Very much appreciated here.

+1!

[Herb_Master]

Thank you all for the comments on the garden, spring seems to be the best time for my back garden when everything comes to life.

The front garden is better in Summer.

Also the flowers all look better as close ups the garden itself has never been completed - I have only been working on it for 31 years.

Both gardens are small - so I have dispensed with lawns altogether and have a lot of items in pots. A 3 or 4 week visit to malaysia can be disastrous if the pots all dry out - but this year I was lucky as winter dragged on to the end of March.

[geeber1]

deejarlings .

just realized that i discovered a new tea! read "darjeeling"

HeeHee!

My daughter used to mix up words like that, for example waterlemon instead of watermelon and mazagine for magazine.

[Chip]

As always, enjoying the posts! Thanks for the photos, Herb Master and Sal. Our Japanese Maples are pushing out of the buds around here. And I love Japanese Maples!

I am going with 7-9. I try to fit in one odd ball on most days, then my normal open teas. So, I might have 4 Japanese teas in rotation during the week.

Started the day with an incredible session of Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha. SweeTea savored the flavor. Pyrit, Wulong, Ceylon, and the Lil Bit made teatable rounds today.

Yunnan Gold from Adagio was next. Yunnan will never be my fave, but it is still good stuff.

[hpulley]

Often just two types per week but other weeks more so on average I thought it was likely the 5-6 category. Hard to say.

This morning with snow up here again I took the hagiware winter chawan out of its tomobako and used it (meant to yesterday as well but forgot). Good for a cold morning. Matcha zen, 4 scoops tea, 2 ladles of hot water. Very good. Now Kyo no Tsuyu as my usual sencha.

[Janine]

I'm at the low end of that scale these days. I try to stick with one tea all day (rebrewing same leaves)... fairly large glass pot, checking steeps, etc.

I'm not counting herbal teas at night.

Thanks everybody for the photos.

Briarson, I wish I could import you to my home so that you vacuum pak for me and make me the same sort of spreadsheet that you have! Amazing. And a good idea if you can do it, giving the extraordinary amount of open bags of tea in my possession.

today - Queens Red from Tea Gallery. The first time I tried this tea, months ago, it seemed a bit astringent for me. It's a very tippy keemun (I think). Looking at it again today, it reminded me in look of the Yunnan golden tips I've been drinking, and the taste is somewhat similar too on retrying it. Astringency gone (or perhaps I have just accommodated to more teas, don't know)... a delicious red cuppa. On Tea Gallery's website, it's noted that Winnie says this would go perfectly with a black sesame dessert. Today I think I can taste a little sweet black sesame in here!

Why do teas always change in my home? Really, they do! Fortunately I always think it's for the better. And it's not just that I understand brewing better - I can leave it for a week or month or two and come back and the first steep is far better than before.

And Chip, I too love Japanese maples.

[Herb_Master]

Our Japanese Maples are pushing out of the buds around here. And I love Japanese Maples!

Maybe we will see some of your maples soon!?

I am a beginner mine are all only in their 2nd year with me.

All in pots, my garden is too small!

I want to try and semi-bonsai them - but am scared to start pruning - anyway too late now for this year.