TeaForum.org

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:22 am

haha, i love the LCT mug

pedant wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:46 pm

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:22 am

haha, i love the LCT mug

Got that fox mug in Chicago. It's a lot thicker than the LCT mug, which is super thin.

Bainian gushu hongcha from Daxue Jiadao. As all other teas so far from them, a very clean tea. I am no expert on Chinese red teas, but it seems in line with what I had before – just a tad more layered and definitely more stamina perhaps. I have rarely had any red tea going for so long, before the flavour drops off, about 10 at least. That was the surprising part and its biggest strength.

Vaguely reminded me of similarily clean, yet more one dimensional Japanese red teas. Other than that I have to say I prefer the complexity and sweetness of Taiwanese oolong cultivar made Hongcha(not the assam ones like Ruby and N.18!).

But all in all another reminder of the curation skills @tjkdubya & partner.

@Bok - That sounds like a red I might enjoy. I would like Ruby and #18 but for the assamica twang. I was wondering aloud to myself about this twang. "who likes this?!" Hahahaha

Just a humble leafy everyday Dianhong from Lincang. That should explain both the not-so-complex part and the longevity part. Cheap and, most importantly, comfortable.

Baisao wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 01, 2021 8:06 pm

Bok - That sounds like a red I might enjoy. I would like Ruby and #18 but for the assamica twang. I was wondering aloud to myself about this twang. "who likes this?!" Hahahaha

haha, yes this one got a little of that twang as well! As @tjkdubya noted, an enjoyable, unpretentious tea. But also not too casual so a proper tea session would feel like a waste of effort, a nice companion for a quiet evening.

Yatra Tea Co Sakhira estate first flush 2019, from Nepal: floral and tart leaf scent on opening the sealed pouch. 1.9 grams in a porcelain gaiwan, water at the boil, about 60-70 mL per infusion. 3 infusions were floral, a little fruity, and even a bit musty--this bit was certainly my fault for the long gap between ordering and infusing.

Another really nice tea from Yatra.

Tongmuguan Laocong Yecha Taoke 2019 from Daxue:

Wonderfully thick tea liquor that tasted exactly like a malted milk chocolate candy(whopper).
The more sessions I did the better it tasted. Very rich and delicious. Its on my buy list

I have fallen in love with a hong cha that Bok kindly sent along with my teapot. Blackstrap molasses, candied plums, incense, candied plums, brown sugar, rose (but not floral if that makes sense) and honey. This reminded me of a deeper darker cousin of Ethan’s Oriental Beauty (Thng Fang Mei Jea). Very powerful and complex so a little leaf goes a long way although over long sessions I sometimes add more leaf. Similar yet distinct from most of the hong cha that I have tried.

Championship Back – This needs no introduction except to say that I am now among the fans of this fabulous tea. Similar to Bok’s hong cha with blackstrap molasses, candied pums, incense, brown sugar and honey..but with the addition of candied sweet potato (but not vegetal) and a touch of cinnamon in the background. This is not quite as dark and deep as Bok’s hong cha yet it has the addition of sweet potato and a pinch cinnamon that bring to mind the Fall season.

I will have to drink these two teas side by side using more exact measurements but they are both similar and yet unique visions of hong cha . I have never been quite as enamored with hong cha in the past – maybe because a part of me still associates with a childhood drinking ‘black tea’ with milk. However these two hong cha have completely converted me.

@oolongfan wonderful description! As autumn comes, black tea (both kinds) seems more and more appropriate.

Gushu Dian Hong from Hojo:

First steep, brown sugar and honeyed notes
Later steeps muscat grapes, tasted very close to wine.
Very enjoyable with a seductive aroma.

Hong cha, hong ni. My first venture onto this red tea page,

I haven't touched red tea in quite a while. I think that that is mostly because I got put off by some very tippy (and probably low quality) Yunnan reds a long time ago, but also because there's only so much time in any given day, and there's always some relaxing old tea or some interesting yancha to take up my time and my interest. Reds and greens have a hard time competing.

This one is a sample courtesy of @Bok; a Taiwanese high mountain hong cha (I assume that this is a wulong type, and not an Assam type). The tea in the picture is after several infusions.

I'm not experienced enough to comment much yet, but it is elegant, vibrant, fruity, fresh. A pleasant experience to confirm that I was wrong to neglect red tea for so long.

There are hints in the flavour of the kinds of things that I enjoyed in some second flush or Autumn Darjeelings back when I was starting out in tea some years ago.

Perhaps I should play with Taiwanese reds more often.

But I assume that it is a brave producer who turns a high mountain tea into a red tea, since I assume that there isn't the same market demand for them compared to high mountain wulong. Or are they perhaps hidden local secrets that don't make their way out of the country?

Andrew

Andrew S wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:36 am

Taiwanese high mountain hong cha (I assume that this is a wulong type, and not an Assam type). The tea in the picture is after several infusions.

Yes, these are leaves normally used for Lishan oolong. As far as I know the Assam cultivars are only used in lower elevations.

Andrew S wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:36 am

But I assume that it is a brave producer who turns a high mountain tea into a red tea, since I assume that there isn't the same market demand for them compared to high mountain wulong. Or are they perhaps hidden local secrets that don't make their way out of the country?

There are quite a few Gaoshan Hongcha on the market and a lot more lower elevation ones as well. I think it is more the demand abroad that asks for the Assam-kind more as that is what they are used to.

Locally, half-wild/wild Hongcha is not a secret, but more something that local tea houses and tea aficionados are looking for, yield is low and prices can be high for the finest of these... the one you have before you is more of a commercial kind of Hongcha, not the small batch, crafty tea.

Glad you like it! I have it on a regular basis and it has been a staple in my cabinet, basically since I started drinking Taiwanese tea. It has never lost its appeal for me.

@Andrew S still admire the magic light you have, even knowing the pot intimately, it gets a totally new quality under your lense...

oolongfan wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 24, 2021 5:54 pm

I have fallen in love with a hong cha that Bok kindly sent along with my teapot. Blackstrap molasses, candied plums, incense, candied plums, brown sugar, rose (but not floral if that makes sense) and honey. This reminded me of a deeper darker cousin of Ethan’s Oriental Beauty (Thng Fang Mei Jea). Very powerful and complex so a little leaf goes a long way although over long sessions I sometimes add more leaf. Similar yet distinct from most of the hong cha that I have tried.

Andrew S wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:36 am

This one is a sample courtesy of Bok; a Taiwanese high mountain hong cha (I assume that this is a wulong type, and not an Assam type). The tea in the picture is after several infusions.

I'm not experienced enough to comment much yet, but it is elegant, vibrant, fruity, fresh. A pleasant experience to confirm that I was wrong to neglect red tea for so long.

Joining the party courtesy of @Bok.

Brewed this gaoshan hong cha in hong ni.



A very interesting tea indeed! The soup is malty and sweet with dried fruits - balanced by a pleasant and lively acidity. The retronasal aromatics are strong and remind me of certain gaoshan. The tea deposits a nice coating in the mouth that prolongs the aftertaste.