Official what GREEN are you currently drinking?

[AdamMY]

Yame Gyokuro to end my coffee binge of a weekend.

[Tead Off]

Ippodo recommendations do not include the preheating of the pot, which can explain the +15°F, although it may seem a little hot for the second brew. I'll try to make some tests to see the difference.

Thanks a lot Chip.

You are welcome! Hm, does it show the preheating in their video I wonder ...

It is always a bit of a challenge figuring out whether or not the vendors' temp recommendations include the preheating of the pot. I have asked them at times and always get a kind of weird reply, kind of like "does not compute." One even said it does not matter, though I dispute that!

I sometimes wonder if our TeaExperiments go beyond the Japanese, even the vendors and growers.

It has been a while since I went with the non preheat and higher temp ... I have used this in the past mostly when preheating and lower temp leaves the tea flat and lifeless. It has been a while since I needed to kick start a tea with the hotter temp. With a non preheated pot, the higher temp kicks the tea and then quickly goes down to a safer temp, it is like having the best of both worlds.

But I might try the higher temp method and non preheated kyusu with the Kumpu to see what happens.

Makes sense to preheat the kyusu but I also think it really doesn't matter. Ippodo's brewing recommendations may have something to do with what you mentioned about their teas being blended to achieve a certain consistency of flavor. I find I need to bump up the amount of leaf and brew at a lower temp if I want more flavor. If I do this with some other tea, it doesn't work. I think each tea needs to be tweaked in its own way. But, I have to come back to my original statement about the 2010 harvest being a weak one for Japanese and other green teas. Ippodo's teas are not as good as 2009's, IMO.

[Chip]

Well, yes and no. It matters most if you make no adjustment in temp of water poured into the pot. Then you could be dooming that pot of tea, especially if erring too hot.

If you make the proper adjustments, it still has an impact I feel.

Of course an added benefit of preheating the pot, you can smell the dry leaves warming in the pot ... heaven!

[debunix]

Of course an added benefit of preheating the pot, you can smell the dry leaves warming in the pot ... heaven!

Yes, the best part of preheating.

[Chip]

Of course an added benefit of preheating the pot, you can smell the dry leaves warming in the pot ... heaven!

Yes, the best part of preheating.

... now send some of that abundant Tai Ping Hou Kui my way!!!

So, which one reigns supreme?

BTW, I know Long Jing also smells wonderful in a preheated pot, what about TPHK?

[Xell]

Yesterday saw a pack of Ureshino sencha in supermarket at around 3-4 euro for 100g. Got interested, since i'm drinking quite a lot of Ureshino first flush sencha from a local tea store. Today i tried to prepare it and compare, i didn't expect such a big difference. There is almost no taste, expect bitterness, either it's way to weak or way to bitter. Now i know myself that price difference really makes sense

[debunix]

Of course an added benefit of preheating the pot, you can smell the dry leaves warming in the pot ... heaven!

Yes, the best part of preheating.

I know Long Jing also smells wonderful in a preheated pot, what about TPHK?

I generally brew this one in my thin porcelain gaiwans, so am not preheating it. Hmm....I see a kyusu version coming soon. It should smell great!

... now send some of that abundant Tai Ping Hou Kui my way!!!

So, which one reigns supreme?

Haven't dug into the Jing Tea Shop package yet. Had a different tea tasting on the agenda first. But I'll be sure to let you know. And if the Jing Tea Shop version is so much better that I can't bear to drink the other anymore, I'll be sure to send the remaining WHF tea to you!

[Noahnoir]

Otsuusan Sencha right now. One of my favorite of the greens i tried so far.

[tortoise]

Having O-Cha's Sencha Sae Midori.

Has this one lost a lot of flavor because it's so late from harvest, or is it just a full tier lower than the other teas O-cha sells at the same price point?

I don't think it's bad at all, just not as flavorful as the YM's and Miyabi, etc.

[Chip]

Having O-Cha's Sencha Sae Midori.

Has this one lost a lot of flavor because it's so late from harvest, or is it just a full tier lower than the other teas O-cha sells at the same price point?

I don't think it's bad at all, just not as flavorful as the YM's and Miyabi, etc.

The varietal Sae Midori is a milder one and does not pack the punch of for instance YM or Miyabi. Many prefer its mild character. I too like something with a bit more ooomph, but will order SM at least once or twice a year.

[SlientSipper]

Currently I am drinking Se-Jak,
its a Korean Green.
Its similar to Genmai or Hoji.
Its quite light and has a very smooth texture.
It burns very easily.
The cost is quite high and doesn't re brew past the 2nd steep.
Still a very fine green tea.

I really want to know how you are brewing it. I have had several Se-jaks and found them great, and all have gone well beyond the 2nd steep. Also it tastes somewhat similar to a Genmai, but still quite a ways different as it has a slight nutty and toasted profile but to me lacks the overwhemling almost popcorn like taste of genmai. Though personally I feel it is a ways off from a houji as Sejak should not have been roasted till it was brown.

But really how are you brewing it that you are only getting two steeps? It looses some of the toasted and nutty character after the first two or three steeps, but after that it tends to be a very pleasant, highly drinkable, and somewhat sweet green tea.

I simply use the instructions on the box. I brew it at a little over 60'C
I let it brew for 2 mins and half and it comes out good. I bought it from Korean Arts. They are respectable online merchant. I'll see what I can do about a third brew of that. It does get rather bitter after the second steep.

[JeiKun4114]

Finally decided to use my 3 oz baby Kyusu for the first time First tea with her is Nichi-getsu from Ippodo

[debunix]

Where did you find that lovely sleek 3 oz baby?!

[JeiKun4114]

Where did you find that lovely sleek 3 oz baby?!

I found her in a very small family owned tea shop in Odawara, Japan

[auhckw]

Back to my hometown for 5 days to celebrate Chinese Year Year. Thinking to have a break from tea, so didn't bring any tea and teaware back...

But upon reaching my hometown, I found this unopened pack of Long Jing 2010, a gift from my auntie from Shang Hai to my mum who doesn't drink tea and has forgotten this.



Initially I wanted to try glass brew, but then I cannot find a long glass, so here is my traditional method... using whatever I can find in the kitchen.





My mum said that this is supposed to be high grade. But really I don't think so... then again, what the heck... having tea is better than no tea