Ethan Kurland

[d.manuk]

Tasting notes:

2023 Shan Lin Xi - Definitely has very similar low and mid range flavor notes to Da Yu Ling of years past, floral and soup can get pretty thick. Tasty!

[Ethan Kurland]

New Spring Teas of 2023 are listed in current list of teas just updated.

Last 2 posts of page 7 have the list & a few comments.

Suggest you try some now, especially the Lishan Green which is best the first few months after it is produced. Shanlinxi is already gone & no longer listed.

Cheers, Ethan

[Victoria]

Enjoying Ethan’s Black Championship from 2019. Still very good even though pack has been open and clipped for a while. It’s still silky and viscous with honey notes from the bug bitten Lishan leaves. Thank you

[Ethan Kurland]

teas last post of page 8

Cheers

[Ethan Kurland]

Dear Friends, Page 8 bottom has list of teas available

[GaoShan]

Has anyone tried the Lishan Dong Pian Ethan was selling several months ago? I'd love to hear what others are thinking about it, particularly if they drank it fairly recently.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, so feel free to move it elsewhere.

[Ethan Kurland]

Selling tea again. Scroll down for list of teas.

[bebop8]

Has anyone tried the Lishan Dong Pian Ethan was selling several months ago? I'd love to hear what others are thinking about it, particularly if they drank it fairly recently.

I don't have much experience with gaoshan yet, but for what it's worth, I was impressed with the sample I just finished.

Thick, rich, but nuanced, my first impression is a sort of lemony, honied coconut cream with hints of spice (cloves?), floral and fruity. Vegetal/grain notes (peas? wheat?) ground it and give it body.

It sounds like a lot going on at once, but I actually found it quite elegant. I'm impressed how flexible and long lasting it is; I drank it all day, must have gotten around 10 infusions, but even with haphazard timing it was never bitter. Watching the tiny rolled balls slowly unfurl into massive leaves over the course of the day was a joy as well.

A very interesting tea. I would definitely order more. Did you try it? What were your thoughts on it?

[GaoShan]

Has anyone tried the Lishan Dong Pian Ethan was selling several months ago? I'd love to hear what others are thinking about it, particularly if they drank it fairly recently.

I don't have much experience with gaoshan yet, but for what it's worth, I was impressed with the sample I just finished.

Thick, rich, but nuanced, my first impression is a sort of lemony, honied coconut cream with hints of spice (cloves?), floral and fruity. Vegetal/grain notes (peas? wheat?) ground it and give it body.

It sounds like a lot going on at once, but I actually found it quite elegant. I'm impressed how flexible and long lasting it is; I drank it all day, must have gotten around 10 infusions, but even with haphazard timing it was never bitter. Watching the tiny rolled balls slowly unfurl into massive leaves over the course of the day was a joy as well.

A very interesting tea. I would definitely order more. Did you try it? What were your thoughts on it?

Sounds wonderful! I just ordered 25 g, so I'll be trying it soon. Did you use a tiny amount of leaf like Ethan does (2 g in 230 ml, if I remember correctly)? I typically use 5-6 g in 120 ml for gaoshan, though I go a bit lighter with some greens.

[bebop8]

Did you use a tiny amount of leaf like Ethan does (2 g in 230 ml, if I remember correctly)? I typically use 5-6 g in 120 ml for gaoshan, though I go a bit lighter with some greens.

I tried 4g 80ml 185F, 20s, 40s, 60s. The flavor was nice, but it was a bit subtle for me, so I added the rest of the sample, for a total of roughly 7.5g per 140ml, and increased temp to ~205F.

Yeah 6g per 120ml sounds about right. Next time I have this tea, that's the ratio I would use.

[GaoShan]

Did you use a tiny amount of leaf like Ethan does (2 g in 230 ml, if I remember correctly)? I typically use 5-6 g in 120 ml for gaoshan, though I go a bit lighter with some greens.

I tried 4g 80ml 185F, 20s, 40s, 60s. The flavor was nice, but it was a bit subtle for me, so I added the rest of the sample, for a total of roughly 7.5g per 140ml, and increased temp to ~205F.

Yeah 6g per 120ml sounds about right. Next time I have this tea, that's the ratio I would use.

I can confirm that this is an excellent tea. At 5 g in 120 ml of 185-190F water, it tastes and smells like lemon cookies, with lots of orchid florality and tropical notes of pineapple and guava. I used steep times of 20/15/20/25/30, etc. With slightly longer steep times, I get the coconut cream you mentioned, though not consistently. The tropical notes drop off for me around the eighth steep, and the tea starts becoming more vegetal, though not unpleasantly so.

In one session, I steeped about 2 g of leaf in 150 ml of water, approximating Ethan's parameters, but the tea was too light for me to notice much. Ethan is definitely a super taster!

[bebop8]

I can confirm that this is an excellent tea... With slightly longer steep times, I get the coconut cream you mentioned, though not consistently.

In one session, I steeped about 2 g of leaf in 150 ml of water, approximating Ethan's parameters, but the tea was too light for me to notice much. Ethan is definitely a super taster!

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I'm relieved you noticed that coconut cream flavor too. I kept second guessing what I was tasting (sometimes when I taste tropical flavors I think my mind fills in the blanks, often associating it with coconut), and felt kind of crazy writing about that, like I was branding myself a wannabe Don from Mei Leaf or something.

I strongly suspect Ethan's a super taster too. I had much the same experience yet again with his Perfect: tried a slightly stronger version of his parameters but couldn't taste much of anything.

[GaoShan]

I can confirm that this is an excellent tea... With slightly longer steep times, I get the coconut cream you mentioned, though not consistently.

In one session, I steeped about 2 g of leaf in 150 ml of water, approximating Ethan's parameters, but the tea was too light for me to notice much. Ethan is definitely a super taster!

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I'm relieved you noticed that coconut cream flavor too. I kept second guessing what I was tasting (sometimes when I taste tropical flavors I think my mind fills in the blanks, often associating it with coconut), and felt kind of crazy writing about that, like I was branding myself a wannabe Don from Mei Leaf or something.

I strongly suspect Ethan's a super taster too. I had much the same experience yet again with his Perfect: tried a slightly stronger version of his parameters but couldn't taste much of anything.

I've tasted coconut in gaoshan before, though not often. Ethan's spring 2021 Longfenxia was another coconut tea. I also have trouble pinpointing tropical flavours and usually guess pineapple.

I have maybe 2 g of the Dong Pian left and will try it in my 80 ml pot, though with longer steeps than Ethan recommends. Hopefully I'll get some flavour out of it.

[Ethan Kurland]

I am in the USA offering some excellent tea, most of it totally new. List is next post.

[Ethan Kurland]

CURRENT LIST OF TEAS FOR SALE (UPDATE JULY 2024):

I. Teas from Taiwan:

A. HIGH-ALTITUDE BLACK TEA:

1. Lishan Black (a.k.a. Championship Black): Again, this LB is top quality & continues to be my favorite tea. Western preparation (steeping 2 minutes so) makes 2 wonderful infusions offering the taste of an array of spices & more; gongfu preparation feels slightly lighter w/ a touch of tangy fruit. Everybody likes this tea. LB is one of the best teas ever: delicious, interesting, satisfying, ... = pleasure & great value for $. 75 grams $54 (72 cents per gram); 60 grams $45 (75 cents per gram). *

2. Dayuling Black: A most pleasing surprise: These leaves were originally destined to be gaoshan; but my favorite source thought they would be better as black tea so let them oxidize fully before uniquely processing them. The result: numerous infusions of superb flavor. I have varied parameters & all worked well. My favorite preparation is using water slightly off the boil to steep 2 minutes or so for 2 wonderful infusions full of a unique black tea flavor. (Sometimes the 1st infusion amazes me!) Quicker steeping produces slightly milder flavor & makes 3 infusions. 75 grams for $60 (80 cents per gram).

B. RUBY 18 (MEDIUM-ALTITUDE BLACK TEA):

This is the most popular hybrid created through Taiwan's decades of creating hybrid cultivars; nonetheless, most Ruby 18 is awful, & even the best farmer/producers often have bad seasons for this tea. Now I have a great Ruby 18. It is different from my other black teas but alike in many ways. I suggest steeping for 2 minutes for 2 very tasty infusions that offer many flavors. The deep malty taste (think Assam) is a great base for other flavors such as spices like those of Oriental Beauty. Leaves were grown higher than most Ruby 18. 60 grams $39 (65 cents per gram). *

C. ORIENTAL BEAUTY (80% oxidized):

This provides a most pleasing balance of several flavors. Different parameters highlight different characteristics: sweetness or subtle spices or an underlying dried-fruit base, etc. Good for numerous excellent infusions. This tea is liked by everyone. Top quality = dynamic, smooth flavor & great value for $. 75 grams $45 (60 cents per gram); 60 gr. $37.80 (63 cents per gram). *


D. LIGHTLY OXIDIZED HIGH-ALTITUDE OOLONG, a.k.a. green oolong or gaoshan of Spring 2024:

All of these are high quality: Quick steeping for aromatic, fragrant flavors, w/o bitterness for at least 3 infusions. Great value for $ because the difference between this & higher quality teas is not as great as difference in price. This Spring I suggest 85 - 88 C temperature for steeping. Longer steeping adds depth, a taste some people call umami, which to me is like a camphor which I use to feel was bitter, but now I like it. I often follow rounds of quick steeping w/ a last round of long steeping.

1. Perfect: A tea that I have offered most seasons for years. This Spring, Perfect again is smooth w/ enough flavor to satisfy. I always like this as part of my rotation of gaoshan. 50 grams $20 (40 cents per gram).

2. Si Ji Chun: In the past I hardly liked this when sampling it (so never bought it). That SJS was grown around Nantou at 600 meters high, but this much better Si Ji Chun is grown elsewhere at much higher altitude. This matches Perfect regarding quality & value, but they are somewhat different. 50 grams for $20 (40 cents per gram).

3. Shinlinxi: Uncomplicated flavor that pleases most with its interesting aftertaste that lingers for quite a while & is somehow quite satisfying. I must use short steeping time because more steeping makes it taste bitter to me; however, others drinking the same long-steeped brew don't agree w/ me (they taste pleasant deep flavor that just gets stronger w/ longer steeping). 50 grams for $38 (76 cents per gram).

E. MEDIUM-ROASTED HIGH-ALTITUDE OOLONG:

Red Alishan 10% roast (Spring 2024): A hard-to-obtain tea. It is more popular to roast tea much > these leaves were roasted. (There are many ways to taste charcoal in our lives so overly roasting great tea leaves seems foolish to me). The quality of the leaves' inherent flavors is not totally buried as we enjoy the flavor of the roasting. 50 grams for $20 (40 cents per gram).

II. HIGH-ALTITUDE TEA FROM NEPAL (January 2024):

Himalayan Snow, an Organic White Tea: This tea provides the unique flavors that we get from top quality First Flush & Second Flush Nepali/Darjeeling tea in a brightly refreshing, light-bodied brew w/o astringency. It feels delicate (what we usually want from white tea, not thick soup) but gives strong flavors (including muscatel of course) for 2 excellent infusions that may be followed by fair rounds of weaker flavor. This HS will be good for years judging from past years' HS. Great value for $. 100 grams $40 (40 cents per gram); 50 grams $22. *

Notes: * = pesticide-free tea.

Shipping: Flat charge of $9 for mainland USA; $17 for Canada; $31 for Australia by USPS 1st class.

To order I suggest email, merrill23k@yahoo.com, but you can also PM me here or post on this vendor thread. If you want to speak w/ me, send me your phone #, & I will telephone you. I have a Paypal account, Ethan Kurland w/ same email above & also take mailed checks drawn on American banks.