What a difference a Yixing Teapot/Tea Pairing can make!

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JournalerMarie
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:47 pm
Location: Southern California, USA

Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:59 pm

I bought a rock oolong out of curiosity and was initially convinced that it wasn't for me. I tried it first in a porcelain gaiwan and found it both too much (chocolate! cinnamon! fruity/raisiny! all at once) and somewhat underwhelming because of the lack of cohesion. Kind of like I had mixed some hongcha, dancong, and something else I couldn't pinpoint. I also disliked that I needed to nearly boil it for it to taste its best. I tried it in a different Yixing clay- I can't remember whether it was a duanni or a zhuni, but either way I was dissatisfied. Then my Zini teapot came in the mail and WOW!!

It was like an orchestra that was playing at different tempos all synced up. It's so smooth and rich in flavor and texture, and it leaves a pleasant aftertaste and a kind of...almost oily feel (but in a good way!). It's all the same flavors, but without the unpleasant bite and with a much better mouthfeel. It has more of a PUNCH than dancongs too...but in a good way. I get it now. I really do. Wow.
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LeoFox
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Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:53 pm

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Bok
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Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:41 pm

Nice experience! A good reminder that some teas we don’t like have only been brewed in a less optimal vessel to hit our taste preferences.

Of course it gets more complicated than that further down the road, as this only means that that particular tea worked with that particular pot for you :) on that particular day - the list of parameter which could have an impact is long, but that’s also part of the fun! The ever changing parameters which make general assumptions difficult and the experience sometimes frustrating as well…
Andrew S
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Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:58 pm

If only it had been a terrible match; you could have saved yourself so much money on teapots and yancha...

Andrew
JournalerMarie
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:47 pm
Location: Southern California, USA

Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:43 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:53 pm
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=318
Yes, this guide and the discussion topic is so helpful! It helped me pick out tea/teapot pairings.

It also helped ruin my budget, because I bought a duanni pot based on the fact that I like shu pu-erh, and I bought some lightly-aged sheng pu-erh based on the fact that I have a thin-walled, quick-pouring zhuni pot, and I bought a zini pot because I want to try more hongcha dark roast oolongs and- :lol:
JournalerMarie
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:47 pm
Location: Southern California, USA

Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:11 pm

Andrew S wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:58 pm
If only it had been a terrible match; you could have saved yourself so much money on teapots and yancha...

Andrew
Oh, it's so kind of you to assume that this would stop me. I am so far down the rabbit hole that I would probably just try different teas, or a different teapot vendor. (Three of my teapots are from Mud&Leaves, one is from Red Blossom Tea because I had a generous gift card.)
JournalerMarie
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 9:47 pm
Location: Southern California, USA

Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:14 pm

Bok wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:41 pm
Nice experience! A good reminder that some teas we don’t like have only been brewed in a less optimal vessel to hit our taste preferences.

Of course it gets more complicated than that further down the road, as this only means that that particular tea worked with that particular pot for you :) on that particular day - the list of parameter which could have an impact is long, but that’s also part of the fun! The ever changing parameters which make general assumptions difficult and the experience sometimes frustrating as well…
Oh I actively enjoy playing with parameters, so it's all fun for me. Unless I accidentally stew my tea leaves or drop my teapot. (It happened once. Thankfully the teapot was empty and it fell onto a fluffy carpet.)
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Baisao
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Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:35 pm

I recently discovered that it’s also possible that a pot may not match a person’s technique or maturity.

I have a small Yixing pot I purchased from a Taiwanese friend in my first years of making tea. It always clogged and seemed too small. I held onto it because it looked unique but never thought much about it.

I dusted it off and tried it this year. It didn’t seem like the same teapot. It performs very well, surprisingly well! It never clogs and pours better than most of my pots. It fits in my hand just so and wants to pour best when tilted in-line with my radius.

The only change has been in my technique but I couldn’t tell you precisely what made the difference between a frustrating teapot and an amazing teapot.

It may be that we mature into certain teapots.
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