It has been a long while since I have had the motivation for even a single round... The few times I have attempted comparisons, it was with the same tea infused in different teaware. It was fun, but I found it difficult to avoid the tasting becoming kind of a blur as aromas become inevitably mixed. Also, in a head-to-head type of tasting, a bolder tea is likely to seem better than a slightly weaker one, just as slightly louder music is interpreted by the brain as being of higher sonic quality in A/B testing. In the end, I prefer testing one tea and set of parameters at a time, in consecutive days, taking notes, revisiting successes to validate them. It seems to me a slow and deliberate approach gets me results quicker than trying to do everything all at once. As they say : "slow is smooth, smooth is fast".Victoria wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:08 pmHaha, I do have three Hokujo kyusu that I only use with roasted oolong, except they are kind of large (250,250,200ml) for a solo side-by-side, and filling them 1/3 will not stay hot enough. Maybe three 100ml hongni yixing that I have could work.... but do I have the motivation to go another round
What Oolong Are You Drinking
Wenshan Bao Zhong today to switch things up. Decided to steep using intermediate temp. previously I experimented with 185f, 195f, 208f and at that time preferred using cooler temp./more time, 195f works well also. 10g/160ml/195f/1.20min in 200ml modern zhuni
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Looking through an assortment of open packs, I came across an unopened Dong Piang that has been vacu-packed since Feb 2018. It was sourced somewhere in Nantou county by a friend, a hand picked later winter harvest oolong that is lightly oxidized. I used slightly cooler than off-boiled filtered tap, with a splash of distilled water to lower tds. Very fresh, fruity, floral oolong, that is buttery and viscous as well. A pleasant alternative to Lishan.
These can be very economical too!Victoria wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:15 pmLooking through an assortment of open packs, I came across an unopened Dong Piang that has been vacu-packed since Feb 2018. It was sourced somewhere in Nantou county by a friend, a hand picked later winter harvest oolong that is lightly oxidized. I used slightly cooler than off-boiled filtered tap, with a splash of distilled water to lower tds. Very fresh, fruity, floral oolong, that is buttery and viscous as well. A pleasant alternative to Lishan.
having lishan primitive wild light roast from chen hua yin / 2088taiwan. this is some of my favorite hongshui.
Oriental Elder Lady, from 2013 
The only OB I’ve ever liked and for good reason it’s not similar to any of that gag inducing perfumey styles that this tea is famous for. Part of it is of course it’s age, but according to my source it’s been a different tea to begin with.
Small batch originally, of which the remainder now is in my stash to be enjoyed away slowly... lovely!
The only OB I’ve ever liked and for good reason it’s not similar to any of that gag inducing perfumey styles that this tea is famous for. Part of it is of course it’s age, but according to my source it’s been a different tea to begin with.
Small batch originally, of which the remainder now is in my stash to be enjoyed away slowly... lovely!
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Looks like a good session Bok, interesting reduction fired pot. Inspired by @pedant’s post I pulled out Chen’s Lishan Primitive Wild from 2019. It is so good, there is a certain thickness and mouth filling aspect of flavor compounds that I find hard to describe, except that they are salivation inducing and have long lingering effect. I hope he continues to make this oolong, this past winter it was not available.
Last night I opened up TXS Iron Arhat (Tie Luo Han). The flavor profile is very similar to a Rou Gui, it has a well balanced camphorous expansive cinnamon rock aspect, with rich aromatics into many steeps. The saved 1st steep was so rich, a nice finale to the session. Good value to quality as well, I’d get this RG again. It was more balanced in Yamada Sou's mayake kyusu than in a porcelain gaiwan. 8.3g/80ml/212f/10,10,25...sec
I will add I am the lucky recipient of this very special wabi-sabi kyusu that at first I thought was just so-so, but I have grown to truly appreciate its depth and intensity. I hope Yamada Sou makes more pieces like this; thin walled, dense, and wonderfully gnarly with an expression of tightly wrought up tension.
Grandpa in the rear
I will add I am the lucky recipient of this very special wabi-sabi kyusu that at first I thought was just so-so, but I have grown to truly appreciate its depth and intensity. I hope Yamada Sou makes more pieces like this; thin walled, dense, and wonderfully gnarly with an expression of tightly wrought up tension.
Grandpa in the rear
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I've started re-training myself on Taiwanese high mountain tea. It's been a while...
Seeing these posts contributed to getting me back, as did enjoying a bit of some 1988 or thereabouts vacuum-stored high mountain tea that I got quite a while ago.
Do people age much wulong by themselves? It seems like it should be simpler than ageing puer, and with no need for particular storage conditions if it's stored in a sealed bag, but I haven't yet seen people discussing DIY wulong storage.
And @Victoria: have you tried many TXS yan chas? Would you say that they're on the lower- or higher-roasted side of things? I haven't yet tried them and some of their photos don't show the wet leaves.
Andrew
Seeing these posts contributed to getting me back, as did enjoying a bit of some 1988 or thereabouts vacuum-stored high mountain tea that I got quite a while ago.
Do people age much wulong by themselves? It seems like it should be simpler than ageing puer, and with no need for particular storage conditions if it's stored in a sealed bag, but I haven't yet seen people discussing DIY wulong storage.
And @Victoria: have you tried many TXS yan chas? Would you say that they're on the lower- or higher-roasted side of things? I haven't yet tried them and some of their photos don't show the wet leaves.
Andrew
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Wow looks like a great session! Is this a tie luo han - rou gui blend? I only see the tie luo han available on their siteVictoria wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:36 pmLast night I opened up TXS Iron Arhat (Tie Luo Han) Rou Gui. It has a well balanced camphorous expansive cinnamon rock aspect, with rich aromatics into many steeps. The saved 1st steep was so rich, a nice finale to the session. Good value to quality as well, I’d get this RG again. It was more balanced in Yamada Sou's mayake kyusu than in a porcelain gaiwan. 8.3g/80ml/212f/10,10,25...sec
I will add I am the lucky recipient of this very special wabi-sabi kyusu that at first I thought was just so-so, but I have grown to truly appreciate its depth and intensity. I hope Yamada Sou makes more pieces like this; thin walled, dense, and wonderfully gnarly with an expression of tightly wrought up tension.
Grandpa in the rear
https://txs-tea.com/collections/tea/pro ... uo-han-50g
Very nice juxtaposition of generational jozan pots!
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You are right @LeoFox I didn’t even notice I’d done that. The flavor profile is so similar to Rou Gui that I tacked that onto the nameLeoFox wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:55 amWow looks like a great session! Is this a tie luo han - rou gui blend? I only see the tie luo han available on their site
https://txs-tea.com/collections/tea/pro ... uo-han-50g
Very nice juxtaposition of generational jozan pots!
. Edited my post to make correction. Your link is correct. The last time I had a Tie Lou Han was from Origin Tea from Guidong, that was planted in Hui Yuan, in the region of Feng Fe Keng (still trying to find that exact location). Was a mind glowingly excellent yancha. Unforgettable really.I wonder if this TLH is actually a rougui since TLH is supposed to be rare and very very expensive.Victoria wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:13 pmYou are right LeoFox I didn’t even notice I’d done that. The flavor profile is so similar to Rou Gui that I tacked that onto the nameLeoFox wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:55 amWow looks like a great session! Is this a tie luo han - rou gui blend? I only see the tie luo han available on their site
https://txs-tea.com/collections/tea/pro ... uo-han-50g
Very nice juxtaposition of generational jozan pots!
Here are links to images of rougui and tieluohan leaves
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