TeaForum.org

There's a surprise snow outside and I'm celebrating with some sencha, a Yamakai cultivar from Tamakawa I received from Thés du Japon.


I drink organic teas almost exclusively, and received this in error instead of the organic Yamakai, but am happy to try a tea of this grade. It has very strong scents and flavors, one of which to me is close to ripe pineapple. It also has qualities of Chinese greens, which is new to me in a sencha. It maintains these qualities through all 5 cups. Very nice! My daughter keeps me grounded, about to go outside and freeze in the snow with her! Maybe this tea will keep me warm.

Enjoying some Houjicha, and I can't remember where this package came from, so can't give proper credit for this pleasant toasty stuff.

It feels odd to discuss Houjicha here, because it *feels* more similar to a deep roast oolong in taste and mouthfeel than to Long Jing or sencha or Mao Feng...but it's not fermented or oxidized, just heated enough that it takes on a very earthy quality.

debunix wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 24, 2017 2:03 pm

Enjoying some Houjicha, and I can't remember where this package came from, so can't give proper credit for this pleasant toasty stuff.

Nice, thanks for reminding me about houjicha. I haven't had it in a long time, and it seems like the perfect time of year to try it again.

It was just right for evening drinking when I didn't want quite the same caffeine buzz. Enjoy!

Talking about low caffeine teas, I got some high roasted Iribancha from Ippodo in NYC, also known as Kyobancha. The large unfurled leaves are picked in the fall from the lower part of the stem. Wow, Ippodo’s version has a super smokey aroma even outside the unopened bag. On the train someone asked me if I had been smoking a pipe, or if something was smoldering on the train I have read a few different accounts of this tea’s history; one that it was discovered after a forest fire, another account that during World War II there was a shortage of metal pans, as many were melted down for munitions, so bullet ridden and older holier pots were used for roasting tea resulting in an even smokier batch.

This bancha really is equally delicious in both flavor and aroma, and while overly smokey roasted oolongs turn me off, in Iribancha I find the smokiness really enjoyable.

I rarely use my tetsubin and decided I would today. Was planning on brewing up some Vietnamese high mountain assamica green in a Purion pot I got from CWarren. Well, I reached for the wrong bag and ended up with high mountain assamica hojicha! I roasted the tea myself a year or two ago and had forgotten about it. It was very interesting; roast notes, natural aroma from the parent material and lovely sweetness. Very smooth, too, and lots of cha qi. The original green tea had the most powerful cha qi of any tea I'd ever had. Two years later, it can still fill me with calm. Just such great material and so different when roasted!

2016 Zhe Jiang Mao Jian from Jing Tea Shop: I decided to go hotter and dilute for this one, apropos of the discussion in this topic on tea Quality, and had a better session than I've ever had with it. Hotter infusion with more tea, then diluted a bit with cool water to taste. Light, vegetal, floral, sweet, perfect.

Trying to put some new lessons to use!

I rarely use my tetsubin...

I had to stop reading right there.

Chingwa wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 30, 2017 9:28 am

I rarely use my tetsubin...

I had to stop reading right there.

I'm concerned about forgetting about it on the stove or letting it rust!

Just opened Sae Midori from O-Cha. I perennially order this selection, but this year it is different ... and I quite like it.

Bolder, sweet deep umami flavor profile with a long rich finish that lingers nicely. Very little bitterness as expected for this cultivar.

As always, Sae Midori intensely beautiful green color.

Typically at least 5 enjoyable steeps.

Very easy brewer ... I tend to go on the stronger side and a touch cooler. Regional spring water. 1.5 grams to 1 ounce (30 ml) water. Probably around 155° for about a minute.

Chip wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:11 pm

Typically at least 5 enjoyable steeps.

Very easy brewer ... I tend to go on the stronger side and a touch cooler. Regional spring water. 1.5 grams to 1 ounce (30 ml) water. Probably around 155° for about a minute.

Chip - can you share with us your temp/time for each of the next 4 steeps?

I typically get only 3 good steeps out of Sencha.

Finally I tried Lu Shan Yun Wu. My tasting is not at 100% right now so I won't try to describe flavours. It was slightly sweet though. Lately I drank mostly jap greens because chinese greens were flat, bad but I bought most of them in local tea shops and probably weren't fresh. This one is actually good and I'll try different methods for brewing. I used a 120ml Kamjove this time due to lack of thin walled gaiwan. I should have gotten a Jingdezhen gaiwan already. Hmm, my tiny shiboridashi is calling me. Maybe it's a sin but Lu Shan will be put in there. :O

Anyway, does anyone know a good source for this tea? I know the default answer will be YS. Consider the shipping time maybe I should just wait for the first harvest this year.

Noonie wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:29 am

Chip wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:11 pm

Typically at least 5 enjoyable steeps.

Very easy brewer ... I tend to go on the stronger side and a touch cooler. Regional spring water. 1.5 grams to 1 ounce (30 ml) water. Probably around 155° for about a minute.

Chip - can you share with us your temp/time for each of the next 4 steeps?

I typically get only 3 good steeps out of Sencha.

3 good steeps ... and the rest are enjoyable and precious time well spent.

I have not been measuring time (except for the first steep) nor temps for a while. I used to measure everything, now I usually do measure how much tea I use and roughly measure water volumes based on the level in a yuzamashi and/or cups. I measure time only for the first steep.

I am likely brewing cooler overall than I used to, I can touch the water in a yuzamashi with my finger without feeling tremendous urgency to remove it.

I may be increasing the temps a little with successive steeps, but never intentionally scalding hot.

Roughly ... 2nd steep around 30 seconds, then around 60 ... and perhaps increasing time a little each steep.

Started off this morning with kabusecha from O-cha, next up at the TeaTable, gyokuro!

Jo wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:22 pm

Started off this morning with kabusecha from O-cha, next up at the TeaTable, gyokuro!

O-Cha gyokuro? or....