Shan Lin Xi

Semi-oxidized tea
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LeoFox
Posts: 1777
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:01 pm
Location: Washington DC

Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:15 pm

GaoShan wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:41 pm
Bok wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:26 am
GaoShan wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:52 pm
Maybe we're talking at cross purposes. When I say "vegetal," I mean the grass, spinach, and other flavours that accumulate when oolongs are steeped a few times.
Sounds like you might over steep/cook your teas... maybe your vessel is too thick/large, staying to hot for too long, or you steep too long.
I steep my oolongs at 6 g for 120 ml at 195F for 25/20/25/30/30/30/45/60/90/120 seconds. If anything, I'd think my steeps were too short. I have a run-of-the-mill porcelain pot, and was hoping for recommendations on how to improve my tea brewing vessel.
Show us a pic of your pot. Also, do you make sure to keep lid off the pot in between?

Water could also be an issue. What water do you use?
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Bok
Vendor
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Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:55 am
Location: Taiwan

Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:14 am

@GaoShan could be your porcelain teapot is too thick walled and cooking the leaves. Or it’s the teas problem.
GaoShan
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:06 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Fri May 14, 2021 8:56 am

LeoFox wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:15 pm
GaoShan wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:41 pm
Bok wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:26 am
Sounds like you might over steep/cook your teas... maybe your vessel is too thick/large, staying to hot for too long, or you steep too long.
I steep my oolongs at 6 g for 120 ml at 195F for 25/20/25/30/30/30/45/60/90/120 seconds. If anything, I'd think my steeps were too short. I have a run-of-the-mill porcelain pot, and was hoping for recommendations on how to improve my tea brewing vessel.
Show us a pic of your pot. Also, do you make sure to keep lid off the pot in between?

Water could also be an issue. What water do you use?
I must be the only person without a camera, so I can't provide a picture. However, it's a thin-walled, low-profile, wide-mouthed pot that might actually not be the best for oolongs. However, I bought a porcelain dragon's egg pot from Taiwan Tea Crafts that's supposed to work better with them, and I still get spinach/grassy flavours in later steeps. I use standard Ontario tap water, but do remember to take the lid off between rounds.

Would different water temperatures or steeping times give better results?
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LeoFox
Posts: 1777
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:01 pm
Location: Washington DC

Fri May 14, 2021 10:43 am

GaoShan wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 8:56 am
LeoFox wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:15 pm
GaoShan wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:41 pm
I steep my oolongs at 6 g for 120 ml at 195F for 25/20/25/30/30/30/45/60/90/120 seconds. If anything, I'd think my steeps were too short. I have a run-of-the-mill porcelain pot, and was hoping for recommendations on how to improve my tea brewing vessel.
Show us a pic of your pot. Also, do you make sure to keep lid off the pot in between?

Water could also be an issue. What water do you use?
I must be the only person without a camera, so I can't provide a picture. However, it's a thin-walled, low-profile, wide-mouthed pot that might actually not be the best for oolongs. However, I bought a porcelain dragon's egg pot from Taiwan Tea Crafts that's supposed to work better with them, and I still get spinach/grassy flavours in later steeps. I use standard Ontario tap water, but do remember to take the lid off between rounds.

Would different water temperatures or steeping times give better results?
I had a lot of trouble with that dragon egg pot. For me the aromas vanished, and the brew was awful. I am wondering if the porcelain they used was fired improperly. The tea stain would go deep below the glaze at the rim over time. I only use it for bitter black teas now
GaoShan
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:06 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Fri May 14, 2021 11:07 am

LeoFox wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 10:43 am
GaoShan wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 8:56 am
LeoFox wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:15 pm
Show us a pic of your pot. Also, do you make sure to keep lid off the pot in between?

Water could also be an issue. What water do you use?
I must be the only person without a camera, so I can't provide a picture. However, it's a thin-walled, low-profile, wide-mouthed pot that might actually not be the best for oolongs. However, I bought a porcelain dragon's egg pot from Taiwan Tea Crafts that's supposed to work better with them, and I still get spinach/grassy flavours in later steeps. I use standard Ontario tap water, but do remember to take the lid off between rounds.

Would different water temperatures or steeping times give better results?
I had a lot of trouble with that dragon egg pot. For me the aromas vanished, and the brew was awful. I am wondering if the porcelain they used was fired improperly. The tea stain would go deep below the glaze at the rim over time. I only use it for bitter black teas now
I haven't used the dragon egg pot enough for it to really stain. If I wanted to stick with a porcelain pot of 120 ml or less, where would be a good place to go? These pots are incredibly hard to find, and clay pots suitable for high mountain teas are rather expensive. (Hmm, this should probably be in the teaware section...)
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LeoFox
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Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:01 pm
Location: Washington DC

Fri May 14, 2021 11:09 am

Use a porcelain gaiwan. Also I pmed you just now
GaoShan
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:06 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Mon May 17, 2021 2:27 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 11:09 am
Use a porcelain gaiwan. Also I pmed you just now
Gaiwans seem like an exercise in frustration and potential self-injury. I'd rather find a decent porcelain pot if possible, or even move to clay if I can find a pot that's both affordable and suitable for high mountain oolongs (a difficult task, I know).
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LeoFox
Posts: 1777
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:01 pm
Location: Washington DC

Mon May 17, 2021 5:36 pm

GaoShan wrote:
Mon May 17, 2021 2:27 pm
LeoFox wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 11:09 am
Use a porcelain gaiwan. Also I pmed you just now
Gaiwans seem like an exercise in frustration and potential self-injury. I'd rather find a decent porcelain pot if possible, or even move to clay if I can find a pot that's both affordable and suitable for high mountain oolongs (a difficult task, I know).
Pmed you
oolongfan
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2018 9:40 am
Location: Indiana, USA

Tue Oct 05, 2021 12:23 pm

Ethan Kulrand offers a Shan Lin Xi that I am planning to order later this month. I would be happy to send you a sample of the SLX when the order arrives.

While I have never tried Ethan's SLX, I am familiar with his Lishan, DYL, and Fushoushan . All them share a thick glycerol 'fat' texture that you might find appealing. As far as vegetal it might be easier to say what the teas are not, since vegetal covers many things include many flavorable attriibutes.

What they are not:
-They are not bitter type vegetable nor overly vegative in the nuclear green oolongs.
-They are not one dimensional as in only cooked spinach type oolongs.
-They don't bring to mind bitter cooked spinach taste-wise

What they are:
-Thick slippery glycerol texture that feels fat enough to chew in the mouth
-Varying degrees of subtle orchid without being overly floral or "stemmy" (vegeative)
-Sweet without 'tasting sweet' with some savory aspects too, more like the aroma of sweet spring grass, red and white cloer, sweet pea blossoms, fresh cut spring and summer hay suggestions of honey
-Refined and subtle yet powerful. Flavors don't hit you over the head but rather reveal themselves politely and with discretion. Having said that not under flavored by any stretch of the imagination - flavors are there but very refined and delicate - think of a polite deep conversation versus a brash and loud. one that lacks depth.

I realize this covers several different teas, none being SLX but I think it will give you an idea of the character of Ethan's teas.

There are many other excellent vendors here to try from. My expierence is limited due to health and budget so hopefuly others will chime in. I can't say that I have tasted tropical notes in my oolong experiences but remember there is a large degree of sensory variation among us that sometimes it is just easier to try as much as one can afford.

Again I am happy to send you a sample of the SLX from my next order. Due to health issues my tea drinking is limited to twice weekly so I really don't mind sharing : )

edited to amend tasting notes
GaoShan
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:06 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Tue Oct 05, 2021 1:34 pm

oolongfan wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 12:23 pm
Ethan Kulrand offers a Shan Lin Xi that I am planning to order later this month. I would be happy to send you a sample of the SLX when the order arrives.
Thanks for your offer to send me a sample. I actually took advantage of Ethan's Shan Lin Xi promotion earlier this year and got all three of his SLX oolongs. I've finished the Perfect, which was sweet and floral like a Baozhong with lots of the orchid notes you mentioned. I'm now working my way through his mid-range Shan Lin Xi, which has gardenia, orchid, cookie, honey, and apricot notes, and, though I find it a bit more vegetal than the Perfect, doesn't have the cooked spinach taste I've found in some other oolongs. Thanks for taking the time to recommend these teas! :)
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