Wednesday TeaDay 8/12/09 First Flush Tally?

[Chip]

Greetings TeaFans. Welcome to TeaDay, please stop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed our TeaRoots. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. How many First Flush Teas have you tried from the 2009 harvest to date? Please share some info and highlights on this experience including what general types dominated your tastings from this harvest. Thanks!

This should be interesting to see the summary of this harvest among TCers.

I am as always looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone. Drink what FF you like, like what FF you drink!

[Herb_Master]

Not sure if it is relevant for my Oolong, certainly not Wuyi or Dan Cong which both benefit from aging.

However I have had 3 different 2009 Spring Anxi Tie Guan Yin from Wan Ling UK, do they count?

[Salsero]

As first flush, I count only the South Asian teas, but quite a few of those, 11 to 13, and none of them really excited me. I think I may simply not be a first flush guy. Last year I had a Castleton Moonlight First Flush that was great, but nothing like that this year.

One of the best was this one. The Darjeeling-like Nepals seem to have so much more audience in Europe than in the States. Thanks to Olivierco for this special taste of a very European tea from Mariage Frères.

[Maitre_Tea]

I've sampled six different Shincha (three organic offerings from O-Cha, Zencha Takumi, Den's Kunpu, and Rishi Honyama). For Oolong, I've sampled three Taiwanese Oolong (two Li-Shan and one Dong-Ding) which were harvested this spring. I'm about to try some offerings from The Tea Gallery but I don't know if they're FF or not, since it's roasted Oolong it doesn't really matter too much...and does Matcha count as FF?

[entropyembrace]

The only first flush I've had this year was a sample of Osmanthus Shi Feng Long Jing AA...it was very smooth and slightly sweet, only slightly perfumey...it was really good

[olivierco]

I have bought so far this year 12 first flush teas:

Ippodo shincha
Kirameki
Asamushi shincha "Warashina Supreme"
Guo Bin Li Cha Mao Feng
Cha Wang Lu An Gua Pian
Cha Wang Tai Ping Hou Kui
Yang Yan Gou Qing
Emperor Long Jing
Lion Xi Hu Long Jing
Jun Shan Yin Zhen
Himalaya Gold
Saphir Himalaya

Ippodo shincha this morning.

[Drax]

I haven't tried too many first flush teas this year, maybe about three. That's even assuming the ones I was sold as first flush are actually first flush... but either way, I can't really report anything exciting beyond there.

This morning, I am trying a second sample of a yunnan green from the puerh shop.

[leiche2]

None of the teas I enjoy would benefit from being First Flush. Hm, and the FF teas I've had in the past were not to my liking, either. I think it's just because I'm generally not a fan of those teas at any time.

Tealess so far this morning, but I will make some East Friesian blend soon so I can stop staring bleary-eyed at everything.

[Chip]

As first flush, I count only the South Asian teas, but quite a few of those, 11 to 13, and none of them really excited me. I think I may simply not be a first flush guy. Last year I had a Castleton Moonlight First Flush that was great, but nothing like that this year.

What, no shincha?

In addition to close to 20 shincha, I had an unanticpated windfall of 36 FF Darjeeling compliments of Adagio. Of course Shincha was the main event and is what I crave, but having all these FF Darjeeling around has been very nice as well. I don't think there was a bad one in the bunch and some very nice ones indeed.

FF buying does require some extra effort, but is well worth it for me.

Began the TD with ... SHINCHA ... what else. A new one from Rishi today. Fukamushi Makinohara. A new Japanese black almost toppled shincha this AM ... maybe later today. SweeTea had her shincha while Fuji, Wulong, Pyrit all made an appearance to the TeaTable.

[Riene]

I've never had a first flush tea of any sort.

And I confess to getting the giggles, reading that aloud.

Bewely's Dublin Morning Blend black tea in the cup this morning. Ah black tea...dark and caffeinated...nectar of the gods, I swear.

[brlarson]

My only FF teas have been shincha. I bought four and have tasted two of them. These two shincha required more care than ordinary sencha when brewing, and their liquor had less ``flesh'' than sencha. I haven't opened the really big guns yet, Zencha's Ultimate and Sugimoto's Temomi, but that should happen within the next three weeks.

I finishing the last of my Teaspring Bai Hao this morning. Next up will be O-Cha's Ujibashi San no Ma.

[geeber1]

Ah black tea...dark and caffeinated...nectar of the gods, I swear.

The "Dark Side" FTW!

I haven't experienced any first flush teas either, but Chip, if you're getting tired of those Darjeelings ...

Fujian Baroque this morning at home, not sure yet what my workday tea will be.

[tea-guy]

I have tried two of this year's Shincha teas from Japan.

In my cup this morning: Jackee Muntz black Tea from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea.

[Herb_Master]

In my cup this afternoon more from the Chao Zhou stove

Seven Cups "Wild" Dan Cong.

In my garden the 'Blue Corner" looks good close up



Lavender - Hibiscus - Agastache

The Hibiscus is nice





and the Agastache is prolific and very popular with the Bees



The lavender was better a few weeks ago

[geeber1]

Beeeeeautiful Herb Master!