Thur 2/07/08 How many times do you start a tea each day?

[Ladytiger]

I'm mixing it up a little bit with the Chinese Zodiac, so I bleet (in other words I'm a sheep/ram I'm all ram! I'm an Aries and I was born in the year of the ram, go figure). Okay, I'm second tea of the day is Assam Melody.

[daughteroftheKing]

Year of the Monkey. It says we're "erratic geniuses". Hmm, I don't know that I want to elaborate any further on that.

Today was our weekly "Tea at Three on Thursdays" at the office, and I served one of their favorites: Peach Oolong.
Started with TKY, and I've been drinking Oolong #40 most of the day. Threw in a bit of Raspberry Green to have it on ice.
Tonight I'll probably relax with a nice cup of peppermint herbal after dinner.

[tenuki]

Today, this blossomed for me, wow. I accidently brewed it for too long, a timer issue. So, I accidently vastly improved the brew.

Isn't that funny, I've recently rediscovered the idea of finding the max brew time before astringency for every new tea via experimentation and it turns out a lot of teas I had been 'overleafing' to get the flavor I like just needed brewing longer. I keep making the resolution to rediscover every new shipment of tea by experimenting, then promptly forget it.

Second pot today is a Tea Spring Dong Ding, yes, brewed 2:30 in a gaiwan instead of my usual :50 in a YiXing, and yes, much better thank you very much. The smokey flavor is now strong enough to not be mistaken for bitterness.

[JT]

I'm brewing up some Long Jing. Made Yutaka Midori and Miyabi earlier. The green warriors seem to be helping my system kick this sinus/respiratory infection. I can taste again! Maybe tomorrow I'll open up a few of my oolong samples I just got from red blossom.

[Chip]

I'm brewing up some Long Jing. Made Yutaka Midori and Miyabi earlier. The green warriors seem to be helping my system kick this sinus/respiratory infection. I can taste again! Maybe tomorrow I'll open up a few of my oolong samples I just got from red blossom.

Ahh, someone I never asked this, JT, what is your opinion of the Yutaka Midori? Did you have it last harvest also? If you read my earlier posts, I am feeling it is a little down this year.

2006 harvest YM blew me away. 2007 harvest is very good but maybe not quite as good.

[Wesli]

some fuka supreme....

I might try some of Den's organic sencha later.

[JT]

My opinion of the Yutaka Midori is very favorable. This is my first bag of it (almost gone now). I find it very unique compared to other sencha I've tried. My first sip was followed by surprise, by the way it hit the taste buds on the sides of my tongue. It's hard to describe...maybe Umami would fit??
I love the thickness and color of the second steep. Seems almost deeper green than some fukamushi.

[caradrake]

I usually only make one batch of tea a day, and then get 2 or 3 steepings out of it.

I am just about to have my first cup of the day. It will be miyabi. Rob says I'm ready for it, so here goes!

[Chip]

JT, perhaps the 2006 was sooo outstanding that it created such a huge expectation for the 2007 harvest. Thanx for your input, it is still a fav of mine.

Cara, wow, it took me 7 years to worl up to the Miyabi, Padre has you in the express lane!!! Let us know how it goes!!!!!!!!

Some say these two sencha are the best available.

[Ladytiger]

On to some Foxtrot! I can't stand the smell of it, but it tastes really good.

[Tsukiko]

I usually have 5 or 6 cups of tea but recently my schedule has been totally nutty so I haven't been keeping up with my tea-drinking *lowers her head in shame*

BTW, Happy New Year as well! I just finished writing an article for my site about The Year of The Rat. Now I have to get it posted on the site.

Oh! And I'm drinking a cup of Fruit N' Nuts tea as we speak. It's marvelous.

[Chip]

Neon Green Geisha give me nightmares!

[Tsukiko]

Good! That was my purpose *wink* LOL

[Chip]

Yes, I got it!

[Tsukiko]

And I just realized that I posted a totally irrelevant answer to the poll question. Here is what I should have said: I brew a new batch of leaves every time I make a cup so...since I have about 4 cups of tea every day, I make 4 batches.
So wasteful I am