Thanks for your message,
I will keep it in mind,
for now I have
a good reception
with supply,
you do not need to apologize
What Black Are You Drinking
After having a conversation about how much we like Ruby Red #18, I opened up my collection of teas from ferg, and steeped a mystery red that was in the box. It is excellent, I think it is a Ruby 18, spicy, aromatic perfumed (but not cheap perfume), sweet, rich. Well delicious. Anyone recognize the writing?
Halogen lighting at night not so good.
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Huaxiang Minsheng???
Huaxiang would mean flower frangrance, Minsheng is a fairly common street name in Chinese culture, meaning peoples welfare.
Do not know any tea of that name though...
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Ethan Kurland
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I also had a conversation about Ruby Jade 18, although it was only with myself as I used the last leaves of what I bought 14 months ago. Mostly I wondered about variations in quality and characteristics of the a particular tea. Going through the differences, what day tea is harvested, what time of day, handling, processing..... I came to a simpler ?: What percentage of a tea being grown can be ideal?
Farmers who know that an ideal time to harvest has arrived, are not able to harvest all of the tea on a plot of land that day, correct? If there are a limited amount of the most ideal hours to harvest, how much of their tea leaves can be harvested then? Or, to be brief: What percentage of a tea can be the best of a harvest?
The consumer who can buy some of this best tea is lucky, of course. How lucky?
I've had a habit of getting extremely excited when I can purchase exceptionally good tea at a reasonable price or more than reasonable price. I do not think I have been wrong in assessing the rareness of availability of what wine people would call "vintage", but I have bought too much of some teas sometimes. Even if that one tea may not become available again, another of high quality at relatively low prices can be found from time to time, and one can prepare very good tea perfectly for tea sessions that rival some sessions using the "best" tea.
Yet,.... thus the conversation. Cheers
Farmers who know that an ideal time to harvest has arrived, are not able to harvest all of the tea on a plot of land that day, correct? If there are a limited amount of the most ideal hours to harvest, how much of their tea leaves can be harvested then? Or, to be brief: What percentage of a tea can be the best of a harvest?
The consumer who can buy some of this best tea is lucky, of course. How lucky?
I've had a habit of getting extremely excited when I can purchase exceptionally good tea at a reasonable price or more than reasonable price. I do not think I have been wrong in assessing the rareness of availability of what wine people would call "vintage", but I have bought too much of some teas sometimes. Even if that one tea may not become available again, another of high quality at relatively low prices can be found from time to time, and one can prepare very good tea perfectly for tea sessions that rival some sessions using the "best" tea.
Yet,.... thus the conversation. Cheers
Interesting thoughts Ethan.Ethan Kurland wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 11:50 amFarmers who know that an ideal time to harvest has arrived, are not able to harvest all of the tea on a plot of land that day, correct? If there are a limited amount of the most ideal hours to harvest, how much of their tea leaves can be harvested then? Or, to be brief: What percentage of a tea can be the best of a harvest?
As far as Taiwan is concerned, the farmers adjust the price according to the harvest’s quality, so you can tell by the price how good the tea is.
Only works though if you roughly keep buying from the same people.
As a foreigner buying in Taiwan things then tend to get diluted by often not being given the same prices as a local…
As with wine, the percentage of good tea varies each season. More rain usually makes the tea worse. The mentioned Ruby or black tea in general is not as affected by that, as the black tea processing can straigthen out quite a bit of defects. Hence a lot of black tea in Taiwan is made in Summer, when the leaves would not make for a good lighter oxidised tea.
Thanks Bok, Ferg thinks it might be 2013 Summer, Hualien Mi Xiang (Bug-bitten) Red Tea from Origin Tea. If you know of anything similar let me know, this was rich spicy sweet and complex through many steeps.
Yes, that makes more sense! Hualien is on the Eastcoast of Taiwan, usually not a traditional tea farming area, weather is a bit harsh and too many typhoons hit it head on, but I have heard about black tea from those areas, should be an interesting one! Mixiang means honey flavour, but they use that often to indicate bug-bitten. Or they just add Dongfang, as in Dongfngmeiren, Oriental Beauty as that is the original bug bitten tea.
If you can spend $80USD for 30g, Hojo's Special Tribute Keemun is one of the most rarefied black teas I've tasted that is both a) representative of the genre, and b) probably favorable also to drinkers accustomed to subtleties of Oolong.
I'd also recommend good second flush Darjeeling, but remaining stocks seem to be quickly disappearing
First Flush Darjeeling meets criteria b) but is as you probably know less representative, more its own category. I'd expect most of the good FF Darjeeling remaining to disappear and/or increase in price, too.
I’ve eyed that Keemun longingly for a while now but can never bring myself to buy some. Do you know if Hojo offers <10g samples upon request for teas like this? I’d love to buy a single sessions worth. It seems awfully expensive for what it is but I’m intrigued.joelbct wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:24 amIf you can spend $80USD for 30g, Hojo's Special Tribute Keemun is one of the most rarefied black teas I've tasted that is both a) representative of the genre, and b) probably favorable also to drinkers accustomed to subtleties of Oolong.
I'd also recommend good second flush Darjeeling, but remaining stocks seem to be quickly disappearing
First Flush Darjeeling meets criteria b) but is as you probably know less representative, more its own category. I'd expect most of the good FF Darjeeling remaining to disappear and/or increase in price, too.
Just went to buy tea and had something I didn’t even know existed: Fushou Shan Black tea! Yes, the same farm that normally has some of Taiwan’s highest and finest Oolong. The cultivar used is the one for Tieguanyin. So this makes it the highest possible black tea in Taiwan!
I have difficulty to explain the flavour of this tea as it is so different to the other black teas from Taiwan. On the first sip something happens in the mouth like an aftertaste but immediately and a bit energising! Liquorice is one flavour I can detect, lightly and pleasant.
An amazing tea and luckily not for sale... one of those you taste and remember.
I have difficulty to explain the flavour of this tea as it is so different to the other black teas from Taiwan. On the first sip something happens in the mouth like an aftertaste but immediately and a bit energising! Liquorice is one flavour I can detect, lightly and pleasant.
An amazing tea and luckily not for sale... one of those you taste and remember.
That sounds really good. I have a Maokong tieguanyin black that is really quite nice. I bet the Fushoushan one would be very pleasant!Bok wrote: ↑Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:22 amJust went to buy tea and had something I didn’t even know existed: Fushou Shan Black tea! Yes, the same farm that normally has some of Taiwan’s highest and finest Oolong. The cultivar used is the one for Tieguanyin. So this makes it the highest possible black tea in Taiwan!
I have difficulty to explain the flavour of this tea as it is so different to the other black teas from Taiwan. On the first sip something happens in the mouth like an aftertaste but immediately and a bit energising! Liquorice is one flavour I can detect, lightly and pleasant.
An amazing tea and luckily not for sale... one of those you taste and remember.
Drinking zhengshan souchong from my uncle; day two and the flavor is surprisingly intense. I'm using cooler water than usual and wow. This session seems to be much better than my last one with this tea. Not sure if it's the late 60s hongni but I'm loving this tea and can't believe how much longevity it has! A really enchanting floral aroma. The Chinese say zhengshan souchong should have a paulownia aroma. I don't know what paulownia smells like, but there's definitely something going on here! Nice sweetness too and body at 90 degrees Celsius. Glad I have a bunch more to drink over the years! Hopefully my uncle keeps giving me these gift boxes. Apparently he has a bunch of clay teapots he's been gifted as well and has absolutely no desire to use! I wonder if they're any good...
Wow very cool, FuShoushan Black. Since the leaves are so thick did the tea steep longer also?Bok wrote: ↑Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:22 amJust went to buy tea and had something I didn’t even know existed: Fushou Shan Black tea! Yes, the same farm that normally has some of Taiwan’s highest and finest Oolong. The cultivar used is the one for Tieguanyin. So this makes it the highest possible black tea in Taiwan!
I have difficulty to explain the flavour of this tea as it is so different to the other black teas from Taiwan. On the first sip something happens in the mouth like an aftertaste but immediately and a bit energising! Liquorice is one flavour I can detect, lightly and pleasant.
An amazing tea and luckily not for sale... one of those you taste and remember.
Had a nice surprise yesterday with Norbu’s 2015 AliShan Red Oolong, super rich, spicy sweet, with a long aftertaste through multiple steeps into the next day. Going through my tea boxes, trying to clear space for the new year. I would get this one again for sure, much richer and bolder than their other greener offerings.
It couldn't hurt to ask. Or just take the plunge.MmBuddha wrote: ↑Fri Dec 01, 2017 11:09 amI’ve eyed that Keemun longingly for a while now but can never bring myself to buy some. Do you know if Hojo offers <10g samples upon request for teas like this? I’d love to buy a single sessions worth. It seems awfully expensive for what it is but I’m intrigued.
I took the risk on $80USD for 30g because I suspected it was the same grade of Keemun as I'd had several times from 2007-2012, which if I had to pick one, was the finest black tea I'd ever tasted.
And lo and behold, it was indeed the same thing. I'd drink this Keemun every day, if only I'd bought 1000 bitcoins when they were $1.... sigh. As it is, I'm happy to splurge on 30g a few times a year, for occasions when I can savor it.
I searched for more info or outlets of this grade of Keemun, form the original state-owned Keemun Black Tea Factory. Hojo's information and this article was about all I could find in english language: https://www.shine.cn/archive/sunday/Two ... aily.shtml
Sounds like an amazing tea, one I hope to try someday. Don’t mention Bitcoin.. I almost bought £50 worth the year after it started. I dread to think how much that would be worthjoelbct wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:00 amIt couldn't hurt to ask. Or just take the plunge.MmBuddha wrote: ↑Fri Dec 01, 2017 11:09 amI’ve eyed that Keemun longingly for a while now but can never bring myself to buy some. Do you know if Hojo offers <10g samples upon request for teas like this? I’d love to buy a single sessions worth. It seems awfully expensive for what it is but I’m intrigued.
I took the risk on $80USD for 30g because I suspected it was the same grade of Keemun as I'd had several times from 2007-2012, which if I had to pick one, was the finest black tea I'd ever tasted.
And lo and behold, it was indeed the same thing. I'd drink this Keemun every day, if only I'd bought 1000 bitcoins when they were $1.... sigh. As it is, I'm happy to splurge on 30g a few times a year, for occasions when I can savor it.
I searched for more info or outlets of this grade of Keemun, form the original state-owned Keemun Black Tea Factory. Hojo's information and this article was about all I could find in english language: https://www.shine.cn/archive/sunday/Two ... aily.shtml
I’d be drinking a lot of Special Tribute Keemun, put it that way.
Curious how are you steeping your Keemun? and other blacks in general, leaf/water/temp/time.joelbct wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:00 amI took the risk on $80USD for 30g because I suspected it was the same grade of Keemun as I'd had several times from 2007-2012, which if I had to pick one, was the finest black tea I'd ever tasted.
And lo and behold, it was indeed the same thing. I'd drink this Keemun every day, if only I'd bought 1000 bitcoins when they were $1.... sigh. As it is, I'm happy to splurge on 30g a few times a year, for occasions when I can savor it.