Thursday TeaDay 5/14/09 New harvest trifecta?

[spot52]

Japanese greens for sure.

I am with you, Japanese Greens are the only ones I really enjoy in the list.

Today's menu at cafe spot

WuYi


and Creamy Earl Grey

[silvermage2000]

I am not sure. I had some rishi osmanthus silver needle today.

[Victoria]

In my cup this afternoon an surprising little oolong from
Camellia Sinensis
Pinglin Bao Zhong winter harvest

Light and sparkling, just the way I like it. A sweet little tea.

The company is impressing me.

[kymidwife]

Can't really find any reviews of '09 FF Darj whites, so what am I to do?

I got a Margaret's Hope White Darjeeling 09 FF from Tea Emporium. It is smooth and delicate and nice... but I have determined that white Darjeelings are probaby TOO mild to suit my palate. I enjoy a standard greenish first flush much more than the white. But if its white you seek, check them out... I have had great results with Tea Emporium as a Darjeeling vendor.

Sarah

[DoctorD]

I'm agnostic on this one. If you'd asked a couple years ago, I would have said Darjeeling, hands down--one of the most satisfying teas I can ever recall tasting was a Singbulla Estate FF about eight years ago--but it would likely be FF from a slightly later pick, not the absolute earliest invoice. Since then, my taste preferences have migrated from south Asia to east Asia, so I guess now it would be between China and Japan. My very first sincha (88th night variety) is actually due to arrive tomorrow, which means I can't opine on that sacred cow just yet, but here too I expect I will like the slightly later picking better than I would have liked the first-leaves-off-the-bush stuff that the sinchaheads keep emoting about. If I had to vote right now, I guess it would be Chinese, if only because fans of Chinese brews on this forum don't seem as berserk on the subject as the sinchaheads. Give me 36 hours and I may change my tune... On the whole, though, I resonate with intuit and daughteroftheKing on the value-for-price thing. Beaujolais nouveau off the first flight from Paris isn't usually very good wine for the price, despite the hype, and I doubt that first-invoice Darjeeling or air-freighted sincha is really worth the premium either. Fresh is nice for the kids, but... (Would it surprise you to know that I'm in the 60-64 age group in road races?)

No tea yet today, due to an overcrowded schedule (which may explain the dyspepsia), but a terrific local microbrew IPA with a colleague this afternoon was almost enough to compensate. Haven't decided yet what the evening holds.

[kymidwife]

Oh, and I abstained from voting... unwilling to choose between Darjeeling FF and shincha. I have *loved* shincha this year... but I love Dj too, and seem to be craving both in equal quantity. I have never had a Chinese green I loved at all, but to be fair, I've never had a first flush.

I'm drinking Yutaka Midori this afternoon... had some Sae Midori and some Jasmine #12 throughout the day at work.

Sarah

[Dreamer]

Japanese greens!!!!!!!

I have only had black tea today so far...I am craving some green, but it is pretty late in the day for that.

Also, all my Mother's Day tea orders arrived today...
- SpecialTeas 321 Ceylon Vithanakande (I already know I love this one!)
- SpecialTeas 251 Assam Hazelbank (new to me)
- SpecialTeas 614 Formosa Pouchong (my first pouchong)
- Teasource 2012 Ceylon Lumbini Estate (description sounded like a winner!)
- Teasource 1508 Nilgiri, Glendale Estate (my first Nilgiri!)
- Teasource 5024 Tung Ting Oolong (I enjoyed a sample to Tung Ting from
SpecialTeas, hope this one is nice too).

I can't get the family into Japanese greens, but they will drink blacks, so maybe they'll enjoy some of these with me! The Oolongs are all mine (well, maybe I'll share with them if they beg a little bit!).

Happy Teaday,
Dreamer

[leiche]

Not a huge fan of any of the options, but I chose Japanese greens for choosing's sake. Roasted Japanese greens don't count for this one, eh?

Today, I was pleasantly surprised by an Anxi TGY from Red Blossom that turned out sweeter than usual.

[Chip]

I had a feeling today's poll and discussion topic could ruffle a few feathers, which it did.

Sipping mugi blended with some not so great "sencha" to finish the TeaDay.

[geeber1]

Japanese greens!!!!!!!

I have only had black tea today so far...I am craving some green, but it is pretty late in the day for that.

Also, all my Mother's Day tea orders arrived today...
- SpecialTeas 321 Ceylon Vithanakande (I already know I love this one!)
- SpecialTeas 251 Assam Hazelbank (new to me)
- SpecialTeas 614 Formosa Pouchong (my first pouchong)
- Teasource 2012 Ceylon Lumbini Estate (description sounded like a winner!)
- Teasource 1508 Nilgiri, Glendale Estate (my first Nilgiri!)
- Teasource 5024 Tung Ting Oolong (I enjoyed a sample to Tung Ting from
SpecialTeas, hope this one is nice too).

I can't get the family into Japanese greens, but they will drink blacks, so maybe they'll enjoy some of these with me! The Oolongs are all mine (well, maybe I'll share with them if they beg a little bit!).

Happy Teaday,
Dreamer

Dreamer, I'm a big fan of TeaSource's Glendale Nilgiri teas. The Handmade is excellent as well as the FOP! I did not like the Dooars or one of the others which I can't remember the name of now!

I have also enjoyed their "Sweet Flower" Oolong, which they told me is a Tung Ting Oolong with Osmanthus flowers. I couldn't detect any flowery taste to it like you would with a Jasmine, in fact, I was surprised that there was anything flowery in there at all.

It looks like you will be sampling a great variety of teas! I hope you'll share your thoughts on all of them.

[JP]

I'm thinking Chinese greens, or more specifically sheng puerhs.