TeaForum.org

Victoria wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2019 5:25 pm

I tried Hojo’s Jubuzan at 5.6gr/90ml /176f (80c)/50sec., it was more flavorful than Akira’s recommendation. Unfortunately, I only had a sample so couldn’t play around much with it.

Thank you for sharing your parameters, I bet it would yield a better cup. The temptation to switch my order to Hojo is definitely me wanting to play with it more and not being able to

I don’t do well with sencha so I’m jealous of the shincha drinkers. My solution - freshly picked Chinese greens. First up, tai ping hou kui in a Hong Seong-il gaiwan. Not a typical shape, but after all it was made by a Korean Potter not bound by Chinese gaiwan traditions.

I love the moment when I pour in the hot water over the TPHK leaves and then gently push down on the dry tips that are sticking up, and watch the long leaves progressively hydrate, soften, and slip down into the liquid. It's just neat-o. And the tea is delicious.

I skipped Chinese greens last year and I’m pleased that I’ve ordered my old favorites this year - TPHK, anji bai cha and long jing. It’s also an excuse to use some of the tea ware that doesn’t work for Japanese greens.

I started with the TPHK since the shape adds to the interest, the way that whisking adds to the experience of matcha.

Janice wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 6:21 pm

I skipped Chinese greens last year and I’m pleased that I’ve ordered my old favorites this year - TPHK, anji bai cha and long jing. It’s also an excuse to use some of the tea ware that doesn’t work for Japanese greens.

I started with the TPHK since the shape adds to the interest, the way that whisking adds to the experience of matcha.

Where do you buy your Chinese greens from?

I just cracked a long jing from tea trekker that is a knee buckler!
I also have 2 oz. of Anji B, that sold out before it even arrived, I have not opened that one .......
Two others are not stand outs, or I may need to fuss around with brew paramerters.....

Woozl wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 9:33 pm

I just cracked a long jing from tea trekker that is a knee buckler!
I also have 2 oz. of Anji B, that sold out before it even arrived, I have not opened that one .......
Two others are not stand outs, or I may need to fuss around with brew paramerters.....

Welcome to TeaForum @Woozl looking forward to your introduction. Like the sound of a knee buckler .

Steeping 2016 O-Cha’s Sae Midori (refrigerated till 04/2019), in Tachi Masaki shigaraki ball filter kyusu. Interesting, today it is much more vegetal and richer than steeped in denser reduction fired Gyokuryu sesame filter kyusu. It might be due to difference in water used, the relative humidity in the air today, or the kyusu that’s making a difference in results. I think to investigate further, a side by side, real time comparison is probably in the works for next time.

Shine Magical wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 8:38 pm

Janice wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 6:21 pm

I skipped Chinese greens last year and I’m pleased that I’ve ordered my old favorites this year - TPHK, anji bai cha and long jing. It’s also an excuse to use some of the tea ware that doesn’t work for Japanese greens.

I started with the TPHK since the shape adds to the interest, the way that whisking adds to the experience of matcha.

Where do you buy your Chinese greens from?

I bought from Tea Trekker this year. I generally enjoy their TPHK. I refuse to order greens directly from China because sometimes it seems like the post office there has a special hot storage room where they keep tea for a few weeks before putting the boxes on the plane.

Victoria wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 9:41 pm

Steeping 2016 O-Cha’s Sae Midori (refrigerated till 04/2019), in Tachi Masaki shigaraki ball filter kyusu. Interesting, today it is much more vegetal and richer than steeped in denser reduction fired Gyokuryu sesame filter kyusu. It might be due to difference in water used, the relative humidity in the air today, or the kyusu that’s making a difference in results. I think to investigate further, a side by side, real time comparison is probably in the works for next time.

Following up with a side by side of O-Cha’s refrigerated 2016 Kagoshima Sencha Sae Midori and 2018 Kirishima Organic Asamushi Sencha. The Tachi Masaki shigaraki kyusu may accentuate the greener aspects of Sae Midori while smoothing out the rough edges of the Asamushi. Hard to be sure though. What I'm sure of is these two side by side are better than on their own. They compliment each other on the palate, both still have some bitterness at 165F/50seconds, with the Asamushi being mellower and the Same Midori more in your face bold and vegetal. I now think the maximum time for sencha in the refrigerator is around 2 years, it is still green but has lost vibrancy. Has anyone else kept their sencha refrigerated this long? I think the 2019 Sae Midori is much smoother and less up front vegetal green than 2016, but I think that has to do with the harvest.

Left: O-Cha's Kirishima Organic Asamushi Sencha in Tachi Masaki shigaraki.
Right: Kagoshima Sencha Sae Midori in reduction fired Gyokuryu kyusu.

Victoria wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 9:41 pm

Woozl wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 9:33 pm

I just cracked a long jing from tea trekker that is a knee buckler!
I also have 2 oz. of Anji B, that sold out before it even arrived, I have not opened that one .......
Two others are not stand outs, or I may need to fuss around with brew paramerters.....

Welcome to TeaForum Woozl looking forward to your introduction. Like the sound of a knee buckler .

Youz may remember the woozl from the last list. I even swapped some tea with you. I joined here a year ago but have not been active. Although lurking a bit. My wife is still throwing pots in her “spare” time.

Have you tried TeaTrekker oolong? Some interesting stuff comes through seasonally, I like it, but I really don’t have enough experience to know the grade the oolongs are.....good for the money for sure!

So, yay! spring. An Ji Ba is cray!

Woozl wrote: ↑

Fri May 17, 2019 10:28 pm

Victoria wrote: ↑

Thu May 16, 2019 9:41 pm

Welcome to TeaForum Woozl looking forward to your introduction. Like the sound of a knee buckler .

Youz may remember the woozl from the last list. I even swapped some tea with you. I joined here a year ago but have not been active. Although lurking a bit. My wife is still throwing pots in her “spare” time.

Have you tried TeaTrekker oolong? Some interesting stuff comes through seasonally, I like it, but I really don’t have enough experience to know the grade the oolongs are.....good for the money for sure!

So, yay! spring. An Ji Ba is cray!

Welcome back to the future, and our new forum. Now I remember you, you’ve been drinking seriously for a while. Refresh my memory, which tea did we swap. I haven’t tried TeaTrekker yet. What type of teas are you mostly drinking these days, and what oolong were you thinking of trying?

Enjoying some Biluochun I got from lazycattea, really rich hazelnut flavour with no bitterness at all, spring is here

I’ve been playing around with my leaf ratio for O cha’s 20th anniversary sencha, and it was never quite what I wanted. Then, today I made a happy mistake and discovered that I like this tea with less than the recommended leaf ratio, rather than more, which is what I had been doing. I put part of the leaf in, walked away, and then forgot to add the rest when I came back two minutes later. It was perfect! The ratio was around 0.8g per 30ml. I also raised the temp to 164F, which brought out a lovely hint of astringency that balanced out the richness of the tea perfectly.

Hi V,

I am not sure what I sent you, but you sent me my first taste of really good Oriental Beauty. So floral that when I brewed a cup the entire room was filled with the scent. My wife even asked me what I was up to, lol.
And to this day, I have not had such wonderful Bao Zhong ever again. And not for lack of seeking........

in praise of o-cha's 20th anniversary SM shincha --

as others have said, it's like pea soup, but to clarify, it's like fresh peas + umami broth richness. not cooked peas.
surprised by this tea's stamina, and at the end, you can push it to ~200°F -- still pleasant. the (very soluble) umami has left, but the fresh pea remains. a lot of senchas become gross when you push them like that.