Compliments of SpaceSamurai, our man, Alex Miller.
Koucha (Japanese Broken Leaf Black Tea)
ITD Tasting Club Notes 1/08: Koucha (Japanese Black)
I seem to be the first to have received the sample, and thought I'd dedicate a thread to this tasting, and save our handsome host the trouble.
Compliments of SpaceSamurai, our man, Alex Miller.
Koucha (Japanese Broken Leaf Black Tea)
Compliments of SpaceSamurai, our man, Alex Miller.
Koucha (Japanese Broken Leaf Black Tea)
Got a little beat up by the post, but remained in a good shape.
Smaller pieces, but resembles closest to my Autumnal darjeeling from Adagio. Smells similar to the darjeeling as well, but perhaps will be stronger once brewed. I have to wait until tomorrow to try it. Must insure a good nights rest. Until then...
Smaller pieces, but resembles closest to my Autumnal darjeeling from Adagio. Smells similar to the darjeeling as well, but perhaps will be stronger once brewed. I have to wait until tomorrow to try it. Must insure a good nights rest. Until then...
Jan 13th, '08, 00:28
Posts: 1559
Joined: Jan 28th, '07, 02:24
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Contact:
Space Samurai
Fukamushi Dynasty wrote:Got a little beat up by the post, but remained in a good shape.
Sorry about that, I'll take better precautions on the next month I host. I sent the stuff regular post and I thought itd be okay. I feel like a dumb ass.There also seems to be a problem with the postage. I can not apologize enought. I went to the USPS site anc calculated the correct postage, but I guess something went wrong. Again I'm sorry.
Jan 13th, '08, 00:36
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
Everybody is getting excited about the mailings and it is becoming more difficult to avoid breaking at least one of Mary's two rules about the Intense Tea Discussion secret society. I quote from the rule book:
1st RULE: You do not talk about ITD on other areas of TeaChat, especially the IM.
2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about ITD on other areas of TeaChat, ESPECIALLY the IM.
1st RULE: You do not talk about ITD on other areas of TeaChat, especially the IM.
2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about ITD on other areas of TeaChat, ESPECIALLY the IM.
nobody does it better....than Mary. 
)
Jan 14th, '08, 18:34
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
Cute girl
Cute girl that Mary's fixed you up with there, Ed. I hope she can cook and won't drink up all your tea!
Got my (slightly flattened) Koucha from Space today. Thanks, Space! Brewed some up first thing using my standard Euro parameters: 2.5 gr to 6 oz water in preheated mug with infuser, 3 minutes. Must say I like it quite a bit. I could imagine ordering more of it someday! It reminds me of a sturdy, straight-forward Panyang Congou I got from Harney's recently, sort of a generic Chinese black without the honey and luxury you find in Yunnan Gold (that's Dian Hong, for you tea snobs). Both teas feel quite coffee-like to me: just a little more interesting and complex than your standard cup of joe.
FROM HERE ON I'VE EDITED TO CLARIFY AS A RESULT OF EVERYONE'S HELPFUL FEEDBACK
I got a good first infusion and an acceptable second infusion (by my standards, anyhow). TFactor's description is glamourized, but I can almost see what they mean when they say:
Thanks again, Space for sponsoring this tasting and for the large sample. You're a real mensch!
Got my (slightly flattened) Koucha from Space today. Thanks, Space! Brewed some up first thing using my standard Euro parameters: 2.5 gr to 6 oz water in preheated mug with infuser, 3 minutes. Must say I like it quite a bit. I could imagine ordering more of it someday! It reminds me of a sturdy, straight-forward Panyang Congou I got from Harney's recently, sort of a generic Chinese black without the honey and luxury you find in Yunnan Gold (that's Dian Hong, for you tea snobs). Both teas feel quite coffee-like to me: just a little more interesting and complex than your standard cup of joe.
FROM HERE ON I'VE EDITED TO CLARIFY AS A RESULT OF EVERYONE'S HELPFUL FEEDBACK
I got a good first infusion and an acceptable second infusion (by my standards, anyhow). TFactor's description is glamourized, but I can almost see what they mean when they say:
"Barbeque" makes sense to me if it means the slightly burnt exterior of meat that has been grilled on a barbeque. It doesn't taste like "barbeque sauce," and the plums would be dried plums, not fresh, and the creamy and woody are a stretch even for me. So, that leaves a black tea that is not as astringent as an Assam, tastes more like coffee than like oolong. I think it was BHale that said it tastes like Darjeeling, but I don't see that at all.TFactor wrote:Notes of stone fruits like plums and pecans, mildly woody, creamy with a lightly smoked sweet barbeque aftertaste.
Thanks again, Space for sponsoring this tasting and for the large sample. You're a real mensch!
Last edited by Salsero on Jan 14th, '08, 21:01, edited 1 time in total.
Jan 14th, '08, 18:34
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Mine arrived today, expect to taste test tomorrow. I need to think how I will brew this one. It is not touching my kyusu, but my stainless steel screened kyusu would handle the dusty nature better than any other brewing vessel I have.
The dry leaf has a different aroma...
The dry leaf has a different aroma...
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
Jan 14th, '08, 19:30
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smokin' koucha
LOL, I thought it was the Japanese BBQ sauce. Hmmm, who says you have to smoke green tea in the TEAbong...this stuff is giving me the munchies!!!
Jan 14th, '08, 19:52
Posts: 1559
Joined: Jan 28th, '07, 02:24
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Contact:
Space Samurai
I botched this whole thing up.
Some of you have received the tea, but all mashed up, others haven't becuase it has found its way back to me, something about insuficient postage. Which greatly confuses me, because I checked the rates on the USPS web site, and I used my digital scale which reads 1/10 of a gram...
For those who have it, I hope you can enjoy it to some extent. Next month I will repurchase the tea and send it out again, using safer packaging, and I'll go to the post office this time instead of using stamps.
I was in a rush because things have been busy at work. Again I apologize to all of you. I feel more than a bit embarssed by this whole thing.
Some of you have received the tea, but all mashed up, others haven't becuase it has found its way back to me, something about insuficient postage. Which greatly confuses me, because I checked the rates on the USPS web site, and I used my digital scale which reads 1/10 of a gram...
For those who have it, I hope you can enjoy it to some extent. Next month I will repurchase the tea and send it out again, using safer packaging, and I'll go to the post office this time instead of using stamps.
I was in a rush because things have been busy at work. Again I apologize to all of you. I feel more than a bit embarssed by this whole thing.
Jan 14th, '08, 20:11
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
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Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
...shit happens...we all live and learn. Don't sweat it, Alex. We can all learn through this as we proceed. 
I have learned that I am going to get a bunch of sample tins (same style as the Upton sample tins, but smaller) and use those for shipping, I think. I am looking for small boxes to ship them in.
I have learned that I am going to get a bunch of sample tins (same style as the Upton sample tins, but smaller) and use those for shipping, I think. I am looking for small boxes to ship them in.
That was hott lol.
My sample made it all right...'cept my dad intercepted it. Then he wouldn't give it to me until I answered a bajillion questions about who this "Alex Miller" character was and what he wanted with me. My dad's not overprotective or anything. In fact, he's underprotective. He just likes to antagonize me sometimes. It's how we roll...
Some friends of mine have a parent whose done just about every type of job the post office offers. I can ask him how best to send tea, I guess. I know that the various offices have different sorting machines, and for some larger operations there's one type of machine that uses a sort of double roller to move along the envelopes. That would really crush tea, but would be bypassed if you used, say, a bubble mailer. I think those are considered 'packages' and are processed differently.
Ed: Next time I edit your posts to include semi-pornographic material, I will indeed PM you.
Some friends of mine have a parent whose done just about every type of job the post office offers. I can ask him how best to send tea, I guess. I know that the various offices have different sorting machines, and for some larger operations there's one type of machine that uses a sort of double roller to move along the envelopes. That would really crush tea, but would be bypassed if you used, say, a bubble mailer. I think those are considered 'packages' and are processed differently.
Ed: Next time I edit your posts to include semi-pornographic material, I will indeed PM you.