Ethan Kurland

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LeoFox
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Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:46 pm

This is a very interesting idea!
viewtopic.php?p=37536#p37536

People should take advantage of this deal. The 2021 harvest really seems quite good.
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Ethan Kurland
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Tue Jul 06, 2021 5:44 pm

Comments about SHANLINXI for sale on list of teas on Page 5 post of June 5, 2021:

This tea is beautifully balanced & features a lot of flavors, none of them being overly dominant when I keep steeping time no longer than 25 seconds for the first 3 infusions. Each infusion differs which adds to the enjoyment. Aroma is pleasant but quite mild.
The 1st infusions sometimes seem sweet which I don't notice in other infusions. For 2nd & 3rd infusions sometimes I identify the taste of mint (which may be sensed as minerals) and/or vegetal flavor... all flavors present in a soft way--- really what is nice is the blend of flavors immediately getting along & are more delicious as aftertaste which does not last long.
A 4th infusion is much different. It is not as balanced & for me & is somewhat bitter: not as good immediately. I suggest drinking it because this last infusion provides lasting huigan, a light aftertaste on my tongue which can get strong if I suck in my cheeks which sort of gives me additional infusions without needing to drink.
(I should note that I have a history of being bothered by what I taste as bitterness that others often do not find bitter. If steeped longer than 25 seconds, the SLX gives me that bitterness. Others may think longer steeping gives the brew more depth.)
I won't comment much to compare SLX to the other 2 teas from the same mountain today. I am hoping to combine my thoughts with others who get back to me with their comparisons later. (Promotion for buying all 3 at once on bottom of page 5). I will say for drinkers who want depth & power from gaoshan the Longfengxia provides it very well.
I believe it makes sense to have this SLX in a rotation of lightly-oxidized oolong. One can easily enjoy this for all of the 2 - 3 weeks of daily drinking that one gets from a 50-gram packet.
Ethan Kurland
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Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:36 pm

LISHAN:

What I conclude about this tea may sound trite, but is admiration: this is a Lishan that gives me simplicity that I search for. I identify & enjoy a blended taste, mint & minerals; however, that is when I need to analyze (assess). Overall the impression is a most pleasant, balanced flavor that is smooth & flawless. As with other goashan, I enjoy inhaling through my nose while some of the brew is in my mouth or just after swallowing. This lets me feel as if I am drinking aroma. Immediate flavor is gentle as is the aftertaste which is not long lasting. (No worries about that. This is light on the body & great for 2 sessions a day.)

COMPARISION: 4 infusions of the LIshan seem identical. It does not need exact parameters. What I call a simple flavor is for a lack of a single word; the taste is a well-balanced combination of flavors that pleases me without anything in it that causes me to pause... (no too much of this or too little of that). For price I compare it to the SHANLINXI & think the 14 cents more per gram worth it, unless one likes differences of infusions. Then the less expensive SLX definitely makes more sense to buy.
faj
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Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:36 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:36 pm
As with other goashan, I enjoy inhaling through my nose while some of the brew is in my mouth or just after swallowing. This lets me feel as if I am drinking aroma.
Sorry for being off-topic, but that part caught my attention. Do you really mean inhaling? I find myself constantly blowing air very softly through my nose when drinking tea, with my mouth closed, both before and (long) after swallowing. It causes air that has been loaded with aromatics to contact olfactory receptors. Inhaling, it seems to me, brings in fresh air, so I am curious as to what it does for you. Obviously, for obvious reason one needs to breath both in and out, but in my case it is the "out" phase that I focus on when drinking tea.
Ethan Kurland
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Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:05 pm

faj wrote:
Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:36 pm
... I find myself constantly blowing air very softly through my nose when drinking tea, with my mouth closed, both before and (long) after swallowing. It causes air that has been loaded with aromatics to contact olfactory receptors.....
faj, I have done what you do & other things to enjoy aromatics or to taste all of what a tea offers. Lately I enjoy breathing in with the tip of my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth behind my front teeth. It seems more as expansion of my chest sends flavors or scents in my throat or mouth towards my nose & that act has do little to do with fresh air. It is different than sucking in my cheeks which works well for teas that seem to coat cheeks with flavor.
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Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:06 pm

Before I wrote that the DYL of Spring 2021 is as good as the Spring 2020 which was excellent. That is true, but I should emphasize that they are slightly different. The DYL of Spring 2021 is more "refined". I put the word in quotation because I could easily write that this DYL is gentler, smoother, more delicate, than the DYL of Spring 2020.
Spring '21's DYL is very tasty & pleasurable. I feel I am drinking top quality & enjoy it as such, especially being able to enjoy the notes of minerals and/or mint at peace with the other flavors of gaoshan. This is without an immediate "WOW'. Wow comes later. (explained below)
COMPARISONS:
1. This DYL does not have the boldness or strength of flavor that my Foushoushan & Longfengxia offer, making it a top quality goashan whose tea sessions seem like less of an event while drinking. The aftertaste lasts much longer than the aftertaste of FSS or LFX lasts while a gentle but noticeable feeling of well being spreads from my belly. There is a very nice astringency in my mouth after drinking while no dryness was perceived while drinking. I think of having attended a fun party that was not exhilarating; remaining after almost everyone has left & music stopped; &, then loving being with the hosts and a couple of remaining guests for special companionship.
2. I think of my Shanlinxi & LIshan because they are also gentle & well balanced. The high quality of the DYL is immediately noticeable but might not seem much greater than the quality of the cheaper SLX or LS, if the DYL did not provide such lovely aftertaste & physical feeling of well-being.
Last edited by Ethan Kurland on Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
oolongfan
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Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:07 pm

I found the Lishan to be quite complex, much more thaan I expected. There was a wonderful sweet spring grass and clover notes (without being vegetal) than reminded me a little of your past Da Yu Ling offering....but combined with a lovely refined orchid and honey note but not 'floral' per se. Hard to describe since most often orchid notes can be overly floral or "perfumey" but this is absolutely not the case with your tea. Rather the orchid note is so refined and balanced that I hesitate to even use the term because there are so many heavy handed orchid bomb light oxidized oolongs out there. The profile kept shifting in emphasis between the sweet spring grass clover notes and the refined orchid honey. There was also a hint of mint-vanilla but without any real menthol aspect. There was a fabelous minerality running throughout the session which gave this tea a rather ethereal aspect while still retaining depth and strength. So if this is your more 'simple' teas, I stand in awe because to me this tea had plenty of complexity.
Ethan Kurland
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Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:51 pm

oolongfan wrote:
Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:07 pm
... There was a fabulous minerality running throughout the session which gave this tea a rather ethereal aspect while still retaining depth and strength. So if this is your more 'simple' teas, I stand in awe because to me this tea had plenty of complexity.
Oolongfan, I thank you so much for describing this tea better than I can. I am not sure what I mean when I call a tea "simple". When I call a tea complex, I think it presents very discernible flavors that will not always effect someone the same way; &, the tea transitions a lot from infusion to infusion. Yet, when I say simple, I don't mean a tea is opposite of complex. I won't get better but will get worse at describing tea. (I'm not alone in this kind of situation: I talk with a master ice cream maker whose descriptions of his creations have gotten shorter & shorter. Also, he cannot even remember what he was aiming for on his way to coming up with a mix of flavors that is new & tasty.) I'm glad that you enjoy the lishan & the Championship Black.
oolongfan
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Sat Sep 25, 2021 3:33 pm

After having had both the wonderful Perfect (still can't believe the quality of this tea for the price) and the sublime Fushoushan I have to ammend my earlier comparison of the Lishan and last years DYL. While I still feel they share some similar qualities, I found both the Perfect and Fushoushan closer in taste profile and thick glyverol like texture to the DYL whereas the Lishan seem to have a unique orchid honey note that is not immediately apperent in the other teas (DYL, Perfect and Fushoushan). Having said that of course the Lishan also has some shared savory notes with the DYL....but in light of my recent tastings I felt the need to clarify and ammend. Nothing like tasting a bunch of teas side by side to clarify things.....need to do these sorts of tastings more often (besides talk about a delicous line up).
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debunix
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Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:02 pm

So enjoyable to compare and contrast fine teas like these, particularly since they tolerate extended sessions so well when you can only drink so much tea at one time.
Ethan Kurland
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Wed Sep 29, 2021 12:37 pm

1. I now have & offer Championship Black harvested & processed this September 2021. The pesticide-free leaves were grown purposefully to become a great black tea which they did. It tastes wonderful.

It is available in foil vacuum-packs of 80 grams for $60 (75 cents per gram) & in foil vacuum-packs of 150 grams for $105 (70 cents per gram).

2. To learn if a larger size pack is wanted, I have a 150-gram foil vacuum-pack of Father's Love available for $138 (92 cents per gram instead of $1 per gram for the tea in the 60-gram pack).

To order, email me at merrill23@yahoo.com or PM me here. I mail to the USA for a flat fee of $8; Canada for $15. These teas & others I offer are described in my list of teas posted June 5, 2021 on page 5 of this thread. (The post is updated often.)
Ethan Kurland
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Thu Sep 30, 2021 11:11 pm

I should have written that this latest Championship Black is very much like last years. I discern no differences of note. I do feel flavor is more powerful; maybe because I was out of the CB 2020 for several weeks. (So, good to be drinking such a top tea again.)

It remains so tasty, deep in dynamic flavor, well-bodied, smooth (no harshness)....= wonderful!

80 grams $60; 150 grams $105.

Order by merrill23k@yahoo.com or PM me here. Full list of teas on page 5, post of June 5, 2021. Postage $8 USA; $15 Canada.
Ethan Kurland
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Wed Dec 15, 2021 10:24 am

UPDATE:

1. Current list of available teas remains on page 5, June 5th post towards bottom of page.

2. Only 4 packets of Father's Love are available. No more rests in unopened urns. So, I have for sale 3 packets of 60 grams & 1 packet of 150 grams w/ no possible re-stocking.

3. This Winter season seems to be excellent. Tea has tested very well & tastes delicious. Though I feel confident about what I plan to have for sale, I am staying with my policy of not selling new teas quickly. I believe it is responsible to see how tea behaves after it has had time "to open up". I know that testing reveals whether flavors are on the weak side or bitterness lurks within the leaves (so to speak); yet, even if what develops is very likely to be positive (such as more flavors presenting themselves), choices should be made on information easily gathered with giving the leaves some time to show more of themselves.
Also tea from last Spring was harvested quite late & remains at its peak condition (& better than its first month for sale). I enjoy new recognition of very light notes & subtle characteristics from some of the teas that I did not appreciate months ago. (Is it me or the tea or both?)
Back to this Winter Season:
a. Gaoshan: there is much more power in the taste & aroma than most seasons.... I will probably offer Perfect, Lishan, Foushoushan, & Longfengxia.
b. A wonderful new roasted tea is also very likely to be available, Championship Organic High-Mountain Medium Roasted Oolong. I will hold the accolades, but it promises real pleasure....

Orders taken for teas on list of June 5, 2021 (page 5) & ?s answered. merrill23k@yahoo.com New tea for sale in a few weeks
Ethan Kurland
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Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:48 pm

20% is #7 on list of teas for sale on Page 5, the June 5, 2021 post.

I've been puzzled by the flavor of this tea. It has reminded me of something I enjoyed very much at one time but could not remember what I had enjoyed nor when. Today it came to me.

When visiting Taiwan once when it was very hot, I had begun days by preparing some cheap Dong Ding to be strong & pouring it into a water bottle. During the day I would mix about 30 ml of the dong ding with 150 ml of cold water. I found it refreshing. Today I did the same thing by accident with 20%. It is almost the same as that dong ding: Nicer than plain water & better than the proper brew of 20% that I have drunk hot, I believe the 20% has a place in the cupboard to hold all on its own.

What is most interesting, is that preparing 20% as a very weak brew does not get the same result as preparing a strong brew that is later diluted greatly.
Last edited by Victoria on Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Mod edit: added link
Ethan Kurland
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Mon Jan 10, 2022 9:19 am

Rating tea after a resting/opening up period:

I decided not to sell any tea before it has had time to show its features fully. I believe that many teas change significantly a few months, even inside vacuum packs.

Additionally drinking teas for a few months leads to better assessments than drinking them for a few weeks. The extra time not only gives me greater personal experience with the teas but garners more opinions from other drinkers.

With more time to come to conclusions of what may be special or disappointing about a particular tea it is easier to offer useful comments about it. Some examples of this clarity from the Spring of 2021 are:

1. Dayuling after a few months presented pleasant minerals which seemed to have gone missing from oolong years ago; moreover, one can taste minerals w/o accompanying bitterness which was common years ago. Nonetheless, special but very subtle character of the DYL does not mean it competes so well against Foushoushan which outshines the DYL in the top quality section of gaoshan (the FSS offers much greater flavor, a richer experience by far); &, Longfengxia also offers so much flavor at a lower price than the DYL.

2. 20% Roasted oolong drunk hot w/ normal preparation is not special. It has a unique taste (which I & some others like), not WOW! It is great for making tea-water, a regular brew of tea added to a lot of water to drink at room temperature or colder. Then this tea is very useful: tasty, refreshing, & economical.

Reminder: List of teas available now is on page 5, post of June 5th. I won't sell from 6 February 2022 to 12 March 2022. Cheers
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