Tuesday TeaDay 10/27/09 Unfavorable flavor ... ?

[Chip]

Good TeaDay everyone. I hope you will step into our TeaDay and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed fav flavors of unflavored tea. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Dreamer called it! Vegetal, fruity, floral, grassy, smokey, umami, sweetness, nutty, marine, toasty ... which of THESE 10 flavor profiles is the MOST UNFAVORABLE with you in an unflavored tea? You can vote for as many as three. Please share your thoughts on this topic.

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[Ebtoulson]

The only flavor that I really don't enjoy is floral, not to say that I haven't enjoyed a few floral teas, its just that most are over perfumy for my liking.

btw chip you set it to only select one option

[Drax]

Hrm, I can handle most of these flavors in moderation. . . but smokey is the one that really gets me if it's strong.

Actually, I take that back -- I can't stand tea with a strong perfume power, either. I suppose that might technically be floral, but I'm referring to anything that makes me feel like I just took a swig of cologne or perfume.

Today will be my last day with the jig from Yunnan. I will move on, though it has been quite enjoyable, and return at some future date.

[Victoria]

In defense of florals notes I believe we are talking about naturally occurring floral notes not additives or even treatments like jasmine.

The note I dislike the most is marine followed by grassy.

[brandon]

I like all of those.
I'm drinking 2001 7542 out of Tim's office pot. Nobody tell him.

[chicagopotter]

Yeah, gotta say I like all of them too except marine.

[CynTEAa]

I'm drinking 2001 7542 out of Tim's office pot. Nobody tell him.

Hehehe! Shhhh!

The marine note in excess, when it actually becomes "fishy" is my least favorite characteristic. Bleh.

It's a chilly late October morning here. Yunnan Gold so far, now turning sencha. Can't seem to locate my gyokuro sample.

[Trey Winston]

I like all of these in the right context. If, for instance, a Silver Needle tea started having earthy tones, I'd be sceptical. And outraged, of course.

Having White Peony today. It's a great everyday tea, I find.

[Victoria]

This morning's tea is sweet and toasty - Koucha from Yuuki-Cha.
In a Japanese porcelain cup.

[brlarson]

So this poll is a choice of one, not of three.

All of these flavors can be wonderful, so I am choosing from the worst of the worst, the worst flavors of teas when at their worst: marine, earthy, smoky.

Marine: the most unpleasant marine flavors and odors have reminded me of the stink and decay at low tide of a place that wasn't particularly pleasant even at high tide.

Earthy: I really like almost all of the earthy notes that I've encountered, but one batch of old, cooked shu had a quality of not just earthiness but of moldy mustiness with strong hints of camphor. I attributed this to the aging of the tea, where this side effect seemed akin to the ``bottle stink'' that you find in some old wines. The worst of these flavors dissipated as the old shu breathed before I brewed it.

Smoky: I like smokiness in almost every place that I've fond it, except in really cheap Lapsang Souchong or Hu Kwa.

I'm drinking Tea Gallery's Kagoshima sencha this morning.

[olivierco]

No flavor is per se unfovarable for me.

Himalaya Gold this afternoon.

[clareandromeda]

smoky and toasty, I am a strictly green tea girl. I started on greens and am ruined for anything else.

[geeber1]

Smoky, Marine, Toasty. Although I like lightly toasty oolongs.

Hunan Black at home this morning. I forgot my water bottles at work so couldn't refill them at home - that means no tea during my work day today.

[Chip]

OK, sorry about that, I reset the vote to 3 votes. If you already voted for 1, I think you will be able to vote for 2 more.

[Chip]

Smokey is not smokin' in my books and easily tops the list. There might be a few occasions where I am tempted by a smoky tea, but generally very little appeal to me.

Earthy would be up on the list, but I have purposely avoided plunging head first into the realm of pu-erh which would likely change this.

Heh, I have actually had a few Japanese teas where the "marine" actually worked, but marine can be a turn off. But I did not vote for it.

Began the TD with tea with DW on our anniversary. Yutaka Midori from O-Cha was a great choice.

Next up, Sencha Premier from O-Cha.