Monday TeaDay 6/29/09 Open tea satisfaction?

[MASALACHAAAAIIIIII]

Just finished off my bag of Nepal llam Fikkal Fk-2 from Camellia Sinensis NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! It was a great tea, too bad it disappeared so quickly *cries, finally got my parameters perfectomundo too *cries. Now time to open some ff darjeelings!!! FIRST Darjeeling Risheehat Dj-22 1st flush 2009.....tasting....looking around....BAM!!!.......*SERIES OF STRANGE NOISES LIKE A YAK....RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES.....WOW pretty dern good mannnnnnnn, a lighter tea, slightly burnt my tongue though ahaha which explains the behavior....kinda... so beautifulage.

I'll stick with 100% still heehee, time to weez da juice.

[tea-guy]

I would say I am 90-95% satisfied.

Highlight: Quanzhou Milk Oolong from David's Tea
Lowlight: Blackberry Mate from 52teas

In my cup this morning: Jackee Muntz from Andrews & Dunham - Damn Fine Teas

[Janine]

I have so many open teas I couldn't answer. Although the most recently tasted of the open teas is nearly 100%.

I have to say that yesterday I had a fantastic visit to a teahouse. I was up in Napa, California and visited Tillerman Tea Company http://www.tillermantea.com/
at the Oxbow Public Market.

I have known one of the owner/partners for years, and he's one of the most thoroughly knowledgeable tea people I know (and that ranks with people who are acknowledged masters). Both partners travel extensively to tea regions, their sources tend to be organic traditional farmers, and everything I tasted was of very high quality. I was impressed. Their website is up and I'd encourage anybody to give them a try and give them a call.

Today I'm drinking Yunnan Black Gold from Tillerman Tea! And it is robust, full and delicious, I'm happy to say.

[sriracha]

Today's poll was a hard one for me, I'm still not sure but I voted for 75%. Have had a few duds, a few wonderful teas and a fair number that weren't exactly disappointing but didn't wow me either.

Tonight I opened my sample pack of Funalliance's Tie Guan Yin King which I liked a lot even though I brewed it a tad on the weak side. This is the third TGY for me and definitely the best so far.

Started my teaday with the same old Yunnan, I want to finish it and move on to better things. Or at least something different, the Ceylon

Another mini tuocha in the afternoon, I find these work really well, it's so neat just bunging one in a empty paper filter and filling up my glass with water from the coffee machine(which conveniently tells the water temp). I can keep one of those going for the whole afternoon with a bit of planning.

[GalileosDaughter]

I am very satisfied, likely 95% and just am not saying 100% because there is always room for improvement.

This.


Also, the bloom is off the rose a little for my beloved Assam Melody. Maybe the warmer weather is affecting my tastes, or maybe they're just changing. When I drink black tea now, it's almost always a Ceylon that I choose. I'm becoming more enamored with green teas, as well.

[Chip]

Moved onto Sencha The Ultimate from Zencha. Yame goodness.

[Herb_Master]

Yesterday, I Chose Bird

I am 40% satisfied with that

specifically I was thinking Osprey

I am 90% satisfied with that


I am glad I did not choose Swift

Todays papers were full of pictures of a Hobby chasing a Swift for 30 minutes, then catching it in mid air



then commencing to devour the swift

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... light.html

[Herb_Master]

Todays papers were full of pictures of a Hobby chasing a Swift for 30 minutes, then catching it in mid air

Supposedly very rare, but here is a video of the same from February

http://everydayexplorers.nationalgeogra ... aid=489183

The male catches the swift, then the female robs him of it

[clareandromeda]

I am really happy with my O-cha matcha and shincha. I am less happy with my ito-en sencha, it is nowhere near as yummy as the o-cha, which i was hoping. It was cheaper to be fair. I have some Ito-en gyokuro unopened.... It's my first gyo, waiting till i have the guts! I have some open japanese grocery store matcha that I will never use since I've tasted kiri-no-mori. Ive been meaning to do some baking to get rid of it.

[Chip]

Kame Jiriu Shi gyokuro right now. 100% satisfied!

Of course!!! This is on my current short list.

Kukicha with Matcha from Maeda-en with DW. I quite like this combo. The first steep has more ummph than kukicha, then the next couple are just very good kukicha tasting.

Harrumph, seems I likely have Lyme Disease again. Well, 90% certain from this lay doc's diagnosis.

[DoctorD]

Finally back after a month spent wandering Utah canyons and Virginia mountains, basically out of range of computers--and tea. Of about 18 open teas in the cupboard at the moment, not counting the odd sample, I'd say all but maybe two are satisfying, give or take. So that puts me at, what, 90%. The vendors will be pleased. (Except maybe one; the two duds are both from the same source ) One Chinese green that I had mentally blacklisted awhile back has miraculously switched to the OK list, by the simple expedient of a quick pre-steep rinse... That'll teach me to take shortcuts, even at the office.

Tonight's cup features Den's Sincha Kunpu. I was underwhelmed when I initially tried it, before my departure for parts unknown, but tonight...oh my, must have hit the parameters right. I'm quitting at five steeps; the second, third, and fourth were--I think the technical tasting term is: absolutely yummy. I'll either sleep really well tonight, or not at all--

[clareandromeda]

I'm sorry about the lyme's Chip!

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I am satisfied with some of my teas, but not others. My two favorite black teas are awesome. I have a few mediocre blacks that work well for iced teas, but are sub-par as hot teas. My Japanese greens are not thrilling me. Yutaka Midori was not quite as good as last years, which is a bit of a let down and though it is tasty, it is not stellar. I have experimented with the other Japanese green in my collection three or four times so far but cannot get it to last past the 3rd steep without getting bitter no matter what I do to it. I really miss the Fukamushi Sencha Supreme that I finished off a few weeks ago. The one Chinese green that I have is great for an everyday morning tea. The other greens work perfect for cold brew iced tea. I am severely lacking on oolongs, but I have restocked my non-caffeinated "teas" to a very satisfactory degree. Some how that works out to about 50% satisfaction. Hopefully when I get a few more teas finished off, I can get some better ones.

Started today with High Mountain Organic Chinese green tea from the New Mexico Tea Co. Had a cup of Organic Monk's Blend with dinner and some cold brewed green tea later in the evening while tutoring my friend in math. She was enjoying a cup of slightly sweetened iced orange black tea.

Chip, I hope you feel better.

[geeber1]

Chip, sorry to hear about your recurrence.

A friend of mine's niece is currently in India having some kind of treatment for Lyme Disease (a stem cell transplant of some kind). I think it has helped her quite a bit but I guess it's pretty controversial, and the reason she went to India.

[Dreamer]

I said 100% satisfied with my current open teas...I've had a dud but I tossed it out. I'm not has happy with the o-cha YM sincha as last year (my first ever sincha/sencha) but I still like it.

Today, Nilgiri to start the day. This afternoon YM sincha and later iced Nilgiri.
It was a great tea day!

Later,
Dreamer