Introduce Yourself

Kupuntu
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:47 pm
Location: Finland
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:59 pm

I'm Kupuntu and I got here from the tea Discord server. I'm also a member of /r/tea on reddit.

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've drank tea for a long time but I started drinking loose leaf after the Christmas of 2014 so almost three years ago.

What kind of tea do you drink?

I started by getting just about every type of loose leaf and quickly noticed that I prefer sheng, shou (puerh in general but sheng more), some oolongs, green tea and white tea. These days I drink sheng almost exclusively, focusing on 1-5 year old sheng because it's cheaper.

How do you prepare your tea?

I have a Taiwanese 1980s clay pot that's about 100ml. I use 6.5g of leaf in it.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

Everything related to sheng puerh, pretty much.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

I heard about it on reddit and started buying loose leaf. reddit has a big influence on my hobbies so this was no surprise.

What is your location?

I live in Finland.
kaszimir
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:04 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:21 pm

Hey everyone! I'll just go down the line with these:

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since April of this year (but had 3 months prior experience with teabags)

What kind of tea do you drink?
Mostly pu'erh, but I enjoy most other types as well (white, oolong, black, etc.)

How do you prepare your tea?
Gaiwan or my Piao I! #gongfuorbust

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Right now, I'm beginning to really develop my palette and expand my knowledge on tea tastes themselves (in relation to mostly pu'erh)

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Can't stay awake in school, same for the second one [edit] I also love the art of it and it's a never-ending delight

What is your location?
NJ, USA!


A quick bit about myself:
I'm a 17 y/o aspiring tea enthusiast from NJ as seen above ^ and run the tea blog / IG account clinically_addictead and pioneer the #gongfuorbust. Nice to meet you all, excited for the future of this site!
JadedAnimal
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:17 pm
Location: lower rhine, germany

Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:43 pm

Greetings and salutations

Around 15 years ago I started drinking tea. Then it was teabags with enough added aroma you couldn't taste the tea below... Then I progressed to loose leaf tea, with the same amount of aroma, but you could taste the tea below. Then came green teas of mixed quality, whatever the tea shop in town had. For the last 4 years or so I drink mostly white teas and started into puerh about half a year so ago. I really like sheng puerh, but I'm still undecided about shou puerh.
By now I almost exclusively brew gong fu style or grandpa style.
The big advantage over Western style is the brew time, say the brew time is 4 minutes and there's a good chance I will remember my cup in half an hour, gong fu keeps my mind on the tea and allows me to experience it more. This in turn leads to tea being much more relaxing for me, which is a great plus.

I live in the beautiful lower rhine region in germany. Keep your eyes closed, think of a tropical island and Germany becomes the most beautiful place on earth 😂
LittleRoundFox
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:20 pm
Location: London, UK

Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:31 pm

Hi all - found out about this place by a post on /r/tea over on Reddit.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since I was in single digits.

What kind of tea do you drink?
A mix - breakfast blends (loose leaf and bagged), blacks (Assam might be my favourite), oolongs (still tasting my way through a lot of samples, but like them all so far), and just started trying pu'erhs

How do you prepare your tea?
In a teapot for loose leaf black, gravity filter for oolongs and pu'erhs, and a mug for bags. For most loose leaf I'm using quantities and steep times that are somewhere between "Western style" brewing and gong fu.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Learning more about oolong and pu'erh

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
The taste. Well, all the varied tastes.

I've always been a heavy black tea drinker - preferably strong with a dash of milk. I've been aware since my teens that there were other types, but didn't find much I liked - my first experience with green tea was disgusting, probably because I brewed it for too long with too-hot water. Then I tried an oolong with chocolate nibs in it in a restaurant, and rather liked it. Then I tried some plain oolongs, and now I have a rather large selection of samples of various teas, and a slowly growing selection of larger quantities of favourites.

What is your location?
London, UK
User avatar
Tillerman
Vendor
Posts: 446
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:58 pm
Location: Napa, CA
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:10 pm

How long have you been drinking tea?
I have been drinking tea since I was a child but became "serious" (tea shouldn't be too serious - it's tea, after all) while in grad school (long ago and far away.)

What kind of tea do you drink?
I drink all types but mostly oolongs from Taiwan and China.

How do you prepare your tea?
Yixing pots and gaiwans.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
The development of tea and the tea industry in Taiwan.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Hedonism and intellectual curiosity.

What is your location?
Napa CA
gatmcm
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:06 am
Location: Porto, Portugal
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:26 pm

Guess I will introduce myself since I haven't yet:

How long have you been drinking tea?
Since childhood but as a hobby I started 2-3 years ago.

What kind of tea do you drink?
Mostly puerh and yancha but I have a bit of everything from time to time.

How do you prepare your tea?
Gongfu or grandpa, once in a while I'll drink some Darjeeling or hong cha western style.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Slowly exploring aged/semi aged sheng from different storage areas, sadly my wallet defines my rhythm :lol:

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
It is a very nice topic to nerd out on, possibilities are pretty much endless, there are a ton of regions I haven't even tried and the ones I did I don't feel like I even scratched the surface.

What is your location?
Portugal.
User avatar
teafarer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:30 pm
Location: Virginia, USA

Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:51 pm

Hello All!

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've drank iced tea since I was a kid and tea bags in my teen/college years. In the last 5-6 years I've started to get into loose leaf tea.

What kind of tea do you drink?
Pretty much all "pure" teas (white, red, puerh, oolong, green, etc). I generally don't do tisanes or blends. The farthest I venture outside is yerba mate and rooibos. I still have the occasional tea bag from time to time (in a pinch or a moment of convenience) but now I generally stick with loose leaf.

How do you prepare your tea?

Depends on the day, but most commonly I brew Western-length steeps in a clay Kyusu. Otherwise it's either gongfu/gaiwan or a glass teapot. As I add to my collection I'm sure it will vary even more.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

Tea history, tea processing, tea as it differs between cultures. Really anything. Would love to become really well-learned when it comes to tea.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
It's difficult for me to remember a turning point, but I think it may have had to do with watching Diggnation / following Kevin Rose and his podcasts and so forth, because he was really into tea. I also have, in the same timeframe, become really interested in meditation and Buddhism (though I wouldn't claim I am a Buddhist...) so that also may have helped. Lastly, I've always had an interest in overseas cultures, particularly Japan/Korea/China, and have been to China a couple of times which is where I truly may have had my first loose leaf tea!

What is your location?
East Coast, US (Central/Southwest VA). Hi mrmopu, nice to meet someone somewhat close by! :D

Other Random Stuff
Thinking about starting a tea blog called Teafarer but right now I stay tired often so I haven't gotten around to it. I frequent /r/tea, tea blogs, TeaDB, and more so I've been around, just mostly lurking. 8-)
Last edited by teafarer on Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Chi-Lin Lu
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:06 pm
Location: Taiwan

Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:00 pm

Hi, friends. I am Chi-Lin Lu. I am from Taiwan.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Too long to remember, should be more than 40 years.

What kind of tea do you drink?
All kinds of tea, oolong, Pu-erh, wuyi rock tea mostly.

How do you prepare your tea?
Traditional Taiwanese style with some tea friends.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
All kinds of topic.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Brewing tea is my daily life, it make me feel relax. Besides, I like old Yixing teapots. Old tea with old pot, very enjoyable. :D :D

What is your location?
Taiwan
Rasseru
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:00 pm
Location: London, UK

Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:17 pm

How long have you been drinking tea?

my whole life, but more special loose leaf, about 3-4 years, 3 years or so hanging at steepster

What kind of tea do you drink?

All Oolongs, Puerh (mostly sheng), whites, greens,heicha. Lesser Darjeelings & red/blacks

How do you prepare your tea?

mostly gongfu, but partial to grandpa style greens & whites.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?


Current productions, and just general new tea knowledge

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?


Giving up coffee, and the vast range of flavour & aroma kept me diving deeper
What is your location?

London, UK
User avatar
FloatingLeaves
Vendor
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:05 pm
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:45 pm

Hello all
My name is Noah and I have apprenticed at Floating Leaves long enough to be a part of Floating Leaves

How long have you been drinking tea?
Seriously, about 10 years. There was an Alishan that blew my teenage mind.


What kind of tea do you drink?
Oolong all the time, puer usually once a day

How do you prepare your tea?
Grandpa style for breakfast, gongfu in the shop

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Brewing better tea through mindfulness

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I was 14 when I first tried Alishan oolong. At the risk of sounding dramatic, it shaped my outlook on health, food, the world, etc. I worked part time tea shop jobs through college, and got acquainted with Shiuwen (owns Floating Leaves) while searching for tea knowledge in Seattle. She took me on as a student after a year of helping out, and I'm now studying with her to share happiness through tea.

What is your location?
Seattle, Washington
User avatar
Michael M.
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:49 pm
Location: Vancouver

Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:15 pm

Hi My name is Michael.
I am a comicbook artist and tea lover

How long have you been drinking tea?
I have drank tea for my whole life but only began seriously in the last couple of years.

What kind of tea do you drink?
I drink most types of tea but focus mostly on Chinese tea and puerh specifically.

How do you prepare your tea?
Gong fu cha (gaiwan or yixing pots)

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
All aspects of tea culture.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I met a very knowledgeable tea seller and he introduced me to the wonders of gong fu cha.

What is your location?
I am located in Vancouver British Colombia.

Top
User avatar
mrmopu
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2017 5:48 am
Location: Blacksburg Va.
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:21 pm

teafarer wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:51 pm
Hello All!

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've drank iced tea since I was a kid and tea bags in my teen/college years. In the last 5-6 years I've started to get into loose leaf tea.

What kind of tea do you drink?
Pretty much all "pure" teas (white, red, puerh, oolong, green, etc). I generally don't do tisanes or blends. The farthest I venture outside is yerba mate and rooibos. I still have the occasional tea bag from time to time (in a pinch or a moment of convenience) but now I generally stick with loose leaf.

How do you prepare your tea?

Depends on the day, but most commonly I brew Western-length steeps in a clay Kyusu. Otherwise it's either gongfu/gaiwan or a glass teapot. As I add to my collection I'm sure it will vary even more.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

Tea history, tea processing, tea as it differs between cultures. Really anything. Would love to become really well-learned when it comes to tea.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
It's difficult for me to remember a turning point, but I think it may have had to do with watching Diggnation / following Kevin Rose and his podcasts and so forth, because he was really into tea. I also have, in the same timeframe, become really interested in meditation and Buddhism (though I wouldn't claim I am a Buddhist...) so that also may have helped. Lastly, I've always had an interest in overseas cultures, particularly Japan/Korea/China, and have been to China a couple of times which is where I truly may have had my first loose leaf tea!

What is your location?
East Coast, US (Central/Southwest VA). Hi mrmopu, nice to meet someone somewhat close by! :D

Other Random Stuff
Thinking about starting a tea blog called Teafarer but right now I stay tired often so I haven't gotten around to it. I frequent /r/tea, tea blogs, TeaDB, and more so I've been around, just mostly lurking. 8-)
Awesome! I need a local tea friend. No one around me has the same interest.
User avatar
RoswellStrange
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:45 pm
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:33 pm

Hello!

My name is Roswell Strange, or just Ros for short! I'm coming over from Steepster where I use the same username, just looking to explore another discussion board and see a different side of the tea community.

Some fun facts about me:

- I have eight tattoos, one of which is the phrase "Camellia Sinensis"
- I have two pets; a rat named Wasabi, and a hairless guinea pig named Eilert
- My favourite smell in the world is petrichor
- At the time of this post, I have over 450 unique teas in my stash...

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've been drinking tea somewhat seriously for about four years, but it's only within the last two years or so I've expanded out from flavoured teas to more traditional styles of tea and tea drinking, like Gong Fu! I started branching out around the time I began getting my Sommelier certification.

What kind of tea do you drink?

There are a few things I'm not typically a fan of (green tea and Chai for example) but I like to say that I'll drink anything at least once. I drink about a 50/50 ratio of flavoured tea and straight teas, and my personal stash is filled with a HUGE array of different tea options. I'd say I'm pretty well rounded in terms of consumption, with a toe in each different category. Lately, I've been REALLY into Shou and compressed aged whites, though.

How do you prepare your tea?

I'm open to almost anything, and I love learning and experiencing every different way of making tea. Right now though, I'd say I'm 75% Western styled consumption (including hot, iced, cold brewed, and lattes in that category) and 25% more traditional. In a perfect world I think I'd want to be more 50/50 but I work for a very Westernized tea company so I drink A LOT of Western styled tea at work and am very much surrounded by that aspect of the tea world.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

I've been very into Shou as of late, so I'm really interested in finding people who are at a similar level of education/exposure to what I am and continuing that journey together - having someone to compare notes with would be great!

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

I started where I think a lot of people often start; by being introduced to a large scale Western chain/retailer. In my case it was DAVIDsTEA. I've always been the kind of person who feels compelled to "collect" or "catalog" things and it opened up this MASSIVE window for me of consumable things to collect and catalog where there was no 'limit', as blends are always been created and released and there are new, differing harvests every year - and don't even get me started on the cataloging potential of Pu'erh. It was an addictive rabbit hole. From there I started reviewing on Steepster which expanded my knowledge of things to try/experience and then, inevitably, also review/catalog. I passed 5000 reviews this year and am well on my way to 6000 with an additional goal of hitting '2000' unique, individual teas tried and recorded by mid 2018.

Inevitably I looked at further ways to expand my tea knowledge and that led to my getting my Sommelier certification earlier this year, and then transitioning from the job I was working at to working for DAVIDsTEA - where I still currently am employed. So, in a way I've come full circle! So, I guess what's keeping me in the world of tea is a mix of passion, obsession, and the fact that the tea world essentially pays my rent.

What is your location?

I'm in Saskatchewan, Canada!
nugget
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:15 pm
Location: Quezon City, Philippines

Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:52 pm

Hey everyone!

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've been drinking tea seriously for around a year now. It started when friends of mine would visit other countries like China, Japan, and India; they'd ask me if I want them to get me anything, and I found myself asking them to get me tea. Getting to taste those first teas - the Jin Jun Mei, Sencha and Hojicha, and Cardamom Chai that were gifted to me got me spending time doing research and learning about tea.

What kind of tea do you drink?

After a while, I realized that puer tea - especially sheng - is what really fascinates me. Ever since around January of this year, that's all I've been focusing on when it comes to my tea journey. There's so much to learn! Although, every now and then, I like drinking oolong or green teas.

How do you prepare your tea?

More often than not, I gongfu my puer. I have two sets of teaware that I keep at work and in my home. Being in a predominantly coffee-drinking country, I don't know anyone from here who has the same kind of interest in tea/gongfu/puer as I do. So I haven't really been in any public or private tea sessions other than my own.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

Puer, puer, puer. I've learned quite a lot the past year, but the lack of friends to drink with doesn't really help the learning. I'm still relatively at the beginning of forming my taste and learning tea.

What factors do you think brought you to delve in the world of tea?

I love culture; both mine and others. I think being curious about the culture of other countries, especially those that have tea as strong elements of their culture, drove me to ask for tea when those friends of mine would travel.

But after starting to learn about it on my own, the Jianghu that is puer keeps me on this journey to keep learning.

What is your location?

Quezon City, Philippines
User avatar
Greywacke
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:00 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:22 pm

Hello. I'm another 'port from Steepster and TeaChat--where I go by AJ and Arkose--and am a tea-drinking Canadian geologist.

How long have you been drinking tea?
Ten years to life.

What kind of tea do you drink?
Anything at least once, but I am partial to interesting blacks, darker oolongs (dan congs in particular), and some puer.

How do you prepare your tea?
By gaiwan, or by mug. I have a few other lesser-used brewing vessels, a fake yixing pot, a shiboridashi.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
I always end up focusing in on tea history, although I also read about tea culture and chemistry. I am currently reading about the evolution of the tea economy in China.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I'm unsure. Steepster, maybe. Or realizing I could use my university library for research.

What is your location?
Canada.
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