Tuesday TeaDay 7/28/09 Bad TeaDay reflections?

[Chip]

Greetings TeaFans. Please share what is in your cup with us today.

Yesterday most members indicated upon reflecting back on their TeaDays, they were often great. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Yesterday was GREAT TeaDays. To be fair, I guess I should ask, "How often do you reflect back and declare a BAD TeaDay?" Please share with us.

I am looking forward to sharing great TeaDays ... and bad ... with everyone today. Drink it as you like it, Like it as you drink it.

[Salsero]

Sometimes I look back and decide the cards were stacked against me, maybe one day out of ten. Most days there is at least one saving session that makes me forget any shortcomings in others. Many days are just home runs all the way!

I have withheld all reference to fish in today’s photo. Despite the Zencha bag in the background, the subject tea is actually Lupicia Nara. Thanks to Pentox for suggesting this as well as a couple others.

[Maitre_Tea]

If I have a bad brewing session, it stays on my mind until I have an awesome brewing session with the same tea. Which usually means repeated sessions until I'm satisfied. For instance, I tried Matcha for the first time today, and I had four sessions which made me a happy camper. I think my technique has improved, or the caffeine is rushing to my head...

Anyway, I just finished Session #4 and I am as high as a kite

[olivierco]

The only bad teadays I can remember are no tea teadays.

Otsuusan sencha this morning.

[Trey Winston]

Yes, only days completely without tea are bad teadays. They've become pretty rare.

Today will not be a bad teaday, for it already contains some White Symphony.

[Drax]

Sometimes I have withheld all reference to fish in today’s photo. Despite the Zencha bag in the background, the subject tea is actually Lupicia Nara. Thanks to Pentox for suggesting this as well as a couple others.

Hrm, no reference to fish, but this picture reminds me of a slug -- a cup of tea moving slowly across the table, leaving a trail of a arboreal pattern in its wakes, with nice orange accents.

As with others, I most often find that a bad tea day is one with not enough (or no time) spent with tea... again, that's if I ever reflect back on my day with tea, which I rarely do.

This morning, I am continuing with an anxi oolong from special teas...

[Victoria]

As others have stated, a bad tea day is one where there is no tea. It is rare, but it has happened.

In my cup this morning Camellia Sinensis Darjeeling Gopaldhara Wt-1 1st flush.
Figured I should use the correct name rather than just Darjeeling oolong.

Have a nice day everyone!

[brlarson]

I haven't had a day without tea for almost a year, but I have had a few bad tea days. They generally happened during searches for good, inexpensive, daily teas; every now and then I would find myself with all open bags of teas that were disappointing. That hasn't happened for a while (knock on wood) because now I'll open only one low-cost experimental at a time and only when I have good quality teas already open as backup.

My family was over again yesterday so I opened my takumi shincha and brewed it in the Hokujo. I put 10 grams into 8 oz of water and brewed at 140F for 45 seconds. The mouth feel is extraordinary with this tea, and the flavors are subtle. The shincha version of takumi has a fine grassiness where the sencha had more pronounced wheat flavors. This could be because I brewed for only 45 seconds. Now that it's open I'll have to experiment with different brewing parameters.

Jing's traditional shui xian is my breakfast tea today.

[clareandromeda]

Yes when I overcook my shincha in the first steeping!

[CutieAgouti]

There have been days where sleep deprivation or absolute oblivion have created for a bad tea day.

The one I always look back to is when I was making matcha. I didn't preheat the chawan or soak the chasen. I didn't sift any of the matcha or let the water cool down. Very bitter, powdery, and unsatisfying. What was worse is I drink this stuff pretty much everyday, so to screw up that bad was painful.

Matcha in my cup

[geeber1]

Sometimes I look back and decide the cards were stacked against me, maybe one day out of ten. Most days there is at least one saving session that makes me forget any shortcomings in others. Many days are just home runs all the way!

I have withheld all reference to fish in today’s photo. Despite the Zencha bag in the background, the subject tea is actually Lupicia Nara. Thanks to Pentox for suggesting this as well as a couple others.

Sal, your photo reminds me of those sliding rocks in the desert. Very cool!

I agree that the only bad tea days are no tea days! Even when I end up with 'bad' tea, it's usually a learning experience, so good in the long run.

[Artemis]

Sometimes. I mostly have bad tea days when I'm disappointed with my herbal teas

[depravitea]

Kind of along the same lines as yesterday.
I mostly take each tea individually. Since I may have several throughout the day, some are good, some are bad. Strikes and gutters. Since I've been weeding out what I don't like though, bad tea experiences are in decline.

This morning, no name green with some home grown mint thrown in. AWESOME!

[olivierco]

Guo Bin Li Cha Mao Feng this afternoon.

[leiche2]

Maybe, sometimes, but mostly when I'm away from home and end up drinking lots of bagged tea! Luckily, this only happens about twice a year.

It's far too hot out for my tastes, so I've been gulping down some cold-brewed iced tea I made using some Phoenix White Leaf tea from BirdPick. Definitely better cold than hot--what was somewhat bitter and astringent now has a honey-like flavor to it.