The Essence of Tea

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debunix
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Thu May 25, 2023 5:56 pm

I am a firm believer in mixing chocolate with tea: nibble the chocolate between sips of tea. I do not mind hints of chocolate flavor in tea, but I would rather pair them like this….
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“Flowery” Rou Gui from Jing Tea Shop with Pump Street 72% Madagascar cacao chocolate…tea cup & shino by Petr Novák, chocolate cup from studio of Yamane Seigan.
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Teafortea
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Thu May 25, 2023 11:44 pm

🤗 I do often have chocolate with tea, sometimes cheese also 😋.
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Bok
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Fri May 26, 2023 1:01 am

On a side note, I can not believe that this thread is still active five years later (almost to the day)! Happy to see that :)
Andrew S
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Fri May 26, 2023 4:56 am

LeoFox wrote:
Tue May 23, 2023 8:54 am
1980s tie Luo han

Indeed chocolate- but the kind of chocolate found on the top shelf in the closet that my mom once told me is for cooking, not eating
It's always interesting to read comments on teas that I've tried; they remind me of the different ways in which people drink tea.

I cannot recall the taste of this tea; I only remembered the feeling that it gave me. That probably reflects the low priority that I give to flavour and aroma...

I do recall having some fun brewing it 'hard', treating it as 'yancha' rather than as 'old tea', if that makes sense. .

Andrew
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LeoFox
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Tue May 30, 2023 12:49 pm

Now going for
2018 EoT House Lao Cong Shui Xian
Supposedly an old tree Shui Xian grown in Bi Shi Yan (碧石岩) from 40-50 year old trees.
https://essenceoftea.com/collections/wu ... -shui-xian

Tea starts off very strong - more like rougui - but then falls off quite sharply after third infusion.

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LeoFox
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Tue May 30, 2023 4:06 pm

Something a bit higher end -
2018 Hui Chun ~ Gushu

https://essenceoftea.com/collections/wu ... chun-gushu
this comes from outside the Wuyi scenic reserve.  In a village in the surrounding mountains, there is an abundance of very old trees which are growing without agrochemicals.  The varietal isn't clear, but the trees are estimated to be around 100-200 years old.  The environment is apparently quite similar to that inside the park, with cliffs and fast draining soil.  This comes through in the taste - a strong minerality, old tree depth and thickness
More about some kind of narcotic effect than flavors. Strong stuff. Really makes me wonder if some drugs have been slipped in, hahahaha (j/king...)

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Bok
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Tue May 30, 2023 7:58 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 12:49 pm
Now going for
2018 EoT House Lao Cong Shui Xian
Supposedly an old tree Shui Xian grown in Bi Shi Yan (碧石岩) from 40-50 year old trees.
https://essenceoftea.com/collections/wu ... -shui-xian

Tea starts off very strong - more like rougui - but then falls off quite sharply after third infusion.

At 40-50y that would not really count as Laocong... more like Gaocong
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Baiyun
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Tue May 30, 2023 8:48 pm

@LeoFox those kind of gushu reports make me add pricey things to carts :roll:

And have you tried brewing the first few infusions of that Shui Xian really quickly?

I initially pour just settled water in and start pouring as soon as the lid is on the pot. It's not quite a flash brew because that 60s spout isn't exactly a water cannon but close enough.

That way, the tea still presents on the tongue without feeling like I overleafed it. Then I extend brewing time significantly after the first four or so quick brews. I usually brew yancha quite long but this definitely wasn't the tea for it. Reducing leaf wasn't as good as reducing infusion times. I do like the feeling the tea gives a few infusions in and have not felt anything adverse in the stomach.

But your liquor is so dark that my suggestion there may not be to your tastes to begin with.
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LeoFox
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Tue May 30, 2023 9:03 pm

Baiyun wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 8:48 pm
LeoFox those kind of gushu reports make me add pricey things to carts :roll:

And have you tried brewing the first few infusions of that Shui Xian really quickly?

I initially pour just settled water in and start pouring as soon as the lid is on the pot. It's not quite a flash brew because that 60s spout isn't exactly a water cannon but close enough.

That way, the tea still presents on the tongue without feeling like I overleafed it. Then I extend brewing time significantly after the first four or so quick brews. I usually brew yancha quite long but this definitely wasn't the tea for it. Reducing leaf wasn't as good as reducing infusion times. I do like the feeling the tea gives a few infusions in and have not felt anything adverse in the stomach.

But your liquor is so dark that my suggestion there may not be to your tastes to begin with.
Thanks for suggestion. My approach so far with testing these teas has been a medium approach of about 7-8g/100 ml starting at around 15-20 seconds. I find this is a good way to assess a yancha, as faster infusions can hide flaws - and deeper infusions can muddle.

Personally- if a tea needs a faster flush, I deem it a bit lower quality - I will try it again this way - but in the end,.I don't think this is a tea I would order again.

That gushu is expensive but..wow.
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Baiyun
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Tue May 30, 2023 9:18 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 9:03 pm
Personally- if a tea needs a faster flush, I deem it a bit lower quality - I will try it again this way - but in the end,.I don't think this is a tea I would order again.
I agree, this one is really more about getting the best out of the remainder of the sample, just made for more enjoyable sessions than having it sit for long. And I am probably around 4-5g/75ml to begin with as I tend to find more in teas with a bit less leaf, unless they are outstanding and will linger for hours.

One I will reorder from my recent sampling is the 17 Old Tree Mei Zhan. That one agrees with me.
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LeoFox
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Tue May 30, 2023 9:20 pm

Baiyun wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 9:18 pm
LeoFox wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 9:03 pm
Personally- if a tea needs a faster flush, I deem it a bit lower quality - I will try it again this way - but in the end,.I don't think this is a tea I would order again.
I agree, this one is really more about getting the best out of the remainder of the sample, just made for more enjoyable sessions than having it sit for long. And I am probably around 4-5g/75ml to begin with as I tend to find more in teas with a bit less leaf, unless they are outstanding and will linger for hours.

One I will reorder from my recent sampling is the 17 Old Tree Mei Zhan. That one agrees with me.
I will hit that one next in a few days.
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LeoFox
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Wed May 31, 2023 9:43 pm

Baiyun wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 8:48 pm
LeoFox those kind of gushu reports make me add pricey things to carts :roll:

And have you tried brewing the first few infusions of that Shui Xian really quickly?

I initially pour just settled water in and start pouring as soon as the lid is on the pot. It's not quite a flash brew because that 60s spout isn't exactly a water cannon but close enough.

That way, the tea still presents on the tongue without feeling like I overleafed it. Then I extend brewing time significantly after the first four or so quick brews. I usually brew yancha quite long but this definitely wasn't the tea for it. Reducing leaf wasn't as good as reducing infusion times. I do like the feeling the tea gives a few infusions in and have not felt anything adverse in the stomach.

But your liquor is so dark that my suggestion there may not be to your tastes to begin with.
Tried again with fast gaiwan infusions. Somehow even more astringent and stomach took a worse hit. Soup was thinner.
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Andrew S
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Wed May 31, 2023 9:59 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Wed May 31, 2023 9:43 pm
Tried again with fast gaiwan infusions. Somehow even more astringent and stomach took a worse hit. Soup was thinner.
Image
Ha, perhaps another example of where we depart in tastes, I guess...

I was going to say before that I enjoyed this one with the pot packed very full, and either fairly short brews, or else very long ones (in which case, crushed leaves, etc)., but nothing in between of those extremes. The long brew approach gave me some really good results, and some... learning experiences.

The rougui equivalent was more tolerant of mistakes, but less rewarding when luck was on my side. Brewing one or the other of those two during Covid lockdowns every single day was very useful to me (but I agree, that kind of profile is not for everyone).

At least your reaction to the Gushu was very consistent with mine. Good to know that I'm not the only one whose leaves feel like they're getting laced with something extra to justify the price...

Andrew
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Baiyun
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Wed May 31, 2023 11:35 pm

@LeoFox I haven't tried porcelain but I wouldn't call that tea astringent... liquor still looks dark compared to mine with your quicker brews, must be the leaf to water ratio. But then again your approach should probably be similar to one of @Andrew S' suggestions.

Hopefully the Mei Zhan will do the trick :) I had the SX and then the MZ yesterday, and the latter is definitely a few leagues above in my book. Keen to hear your thoughts on it.
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LeoFox
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Thu Jun 01, 2023 10:35 am

Baiyun wrote:
Wed May 31, 2023 11:35 pm
LeoFox I haven't tried porcelain but I wouldn't call that tea astringent... liquor still looks dark compared to mine with your quicker brews, must be the leaf to water ratio. But then again your approach should probably be similar to one of Andrew S' suggestions.

Hopefully the Mei Zhan will do the trick :) I had the SX and then the MZ yesterday, and the latter is definitely a few leagues above in my book. Keen to hear your thoughts on it.
Hahaha the house sx was a pretty bad experience for me. The soup brewed this way was thin and mild. The astringency manifested in throat prickles and then hard stomach pains as if it was conventional factory young sheng. The after taste seemed "dirty" - won't go on hahaha. It is approaching some very bad yancha I've had at the 20$/100g level. Oh well.
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