What Green Are You Drinking

[Victoria]

Just metaphorical sweetening by having the flowers on the tea table, no flowers added to the tea. I broke a few stems as I was photographing them this morning.

210626 In the Garden DEB_1289 copy by debunix, on Flickr

Such a beautiful buckwheat flower and photo debunix. I’ve been trying to make hydrangea tea from fresh green leaves here in the garden, I’ll share process in another post.

Finally having a shincha, first time since I left LA. Basically, with changes in water I’m using here I tend to hold off with Japanese greens until I’ve adjusted to the new water situation. Pulled out the lightly steamed Tsuyu Hikari shincha from Shizuoka. Fresh green and savory seaside umami notes

[debunix]

Five Penny (Yen Bai) green tea from Hatvala, Vietnam

Five Penny is a highly refreshing wild green tea from Suoi Giang in Yen Bai province. The tea produces a smooth, sweet liquor with light floral notes that become sweeter and more grassy with each infusion. A gentle hint bitterness on the tongue serves to emphasis the sweet aftertaste that lingers long after the tea has been drunk.

Five Penny is a one bud and two leaves green tea...

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leaf is delicate curls of deep green to white thin leaves, deep vegetal scent with hint of fruitiness
4.3 grams in 80-90 mL Petr Novak unglazed shiboridashi

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first infusion 60 seconds with water 180 degrees
scent like cooked peas, tea is delicate, a hint of floral, a little cooked spring vegetables; leaves are lovely rich green

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second 30 seconds, water cooled a bit to 170 degrees
more cooked peas, delicate, floral is gone, more light vegetables with astringent/bitter hints in aftertaste

3rd another 30 seconds, water to 160, haven't reheated
bitter coming out over cooked peas

4th at 30 seconds, water off boil
delicate and even floral vegetal notes are back but bitterness is up

5th at 1 minute, water off boil, then diluted about 1.5 fold with cool water
delicate vegetal goodness and bitterness now better balanced, going to call this one done now

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[Bok]

Temple tea via Anmo. Sencha from over 100y old trees on the grounds of a, you guessed it, temple outside of Kyoto.

I have had this tea quite a few times over the last two years and it still is a favourite. It is an extraordinary tea in many ways. Stored in an open bag with binder clips only, left in my storage in the living room, aircon on sometimes, but mostly humid and hot with 30+ degrees on most days and nights. This bag sitting there for over a year at least, has it lost anything? Become bland? Not at all, it is the same fragrance bomb it has been when I got it.

I am not sure why that is, the processing seemingly similar to normal Sencha. Maybe the cultivar? Not cross-bred with Assamica yet. May be.

Same goes for the endurance in the cup, brewing 6-10 rounds easily, without noticing sudden decline in taste or body. I also brew it as I would any oolong, except for a tad lower temp for first brew and lid off for brew one and two. Other than that, hot water it is.

Leaf ratio is also generous, reaching the top after fully unfurling and soaking.

This tea coats my whole throat and mouth with a pleasant sweet fragrance like good Gaoshan would do. Body, lots of body. None of that umami-fertiliser-stuff haha, ya, ya I know, heresy...

[Baisao]

@Bok - nice pot!

[debunix]

Sounds like a fabulous session with an amazing tea.

[Bok]

Last bits of the bag of this Kagoshima competition Gyokuru. Lovely and velvety, no bitterness or stomach churning green-ness.

Worth mentioning that with the proper brewing technique a fine filter or flat vessel is not necessary. With a low towards hilt tilt first pour the leaves stay at level altitude inside the pot and did not even reach or attempt to clog the filter holes on this Shudei pot.

Tea tastes as smooth as the clay feels. Nice.

[debunix]

Mmm....I finished a pouch of Obubu gyokuro yesterday, and it's now back to morning sencha. Today, it's Hachiju-Hachiya, very grassy and moderately astringent, still low bitterness, a brisk start to the day, made extra pleasant by the Toujou houhin that is such a pleasure to touch and use.

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[klepto]

Last bits of the bag of this Kagoshima competition Gyokuru. Lovely and velvety, no bitterness or stomach churning green-ness.

... I like sencha but I pick those that are more floral/fruity than those that are engineered to be umami bombs.
Sadly all the gyokuro I've had was too extreme for me to enjoy.

[LeoFox]

Last bits of the bag of this Kagoshima competition Gyokuru. Lovely and velvety, no bitterness or stomach churning green-ness.

... I like sencha but I pick those that are more floral/fruity than those that are engineered to be umami bombs.
Sadly all the gyokuro I've had was too extreme for me to enjoy.

Have you tried Hojo's gyokuro? He also recommends higher near boiling temp but lower leaf to water and lower time - to achieve something special hahahaha

[klepto]

Last bits of the bag of this Kagoshima competition Gyokuru. Lovely and velvety, no bitterness or stomach churning green-ness.

... I like sencha but I pick those that are more floral/fruity than those that are engineered to be umami bombs.
Sadly all the gyokuro I've had was too extreme for me to enjoy.

Have you tried Hojo's gyokuro? He also recommends higher near boiling temp but lower leaf to water and lower time - to achieve something special hahahaha

I haven't but my list for purchase is currently being made , thanks much!

[debunix]

I like sencha but I pick those that are more floral/fruity than those that are engineered to be umami bombs.

I am an asamuchi fan, and I have found gyokuros I can enjoy, but I prefer those that are often not the 'top' grade, and I infuse them more like a sencha, because the umami bomb is not what I seek either. It's nice to find something where I actually prefer the less expensive/fancy/hard to get. Gyokuro Kin from Denstea.com; and several from O-Cha and Yuuki-Cha, but the names have changed, and I don't know what if anything is closest to the Gyoku-Hou that I have ordered several times from O-Cha. I currently add some gyokuro to my Obubutea.com subscription shipments from time to time, because their gyokuro is gentle on the umami and quite to my taste.

[Bok]

... I like sencha but I pick those that are more floral/fruity than those that are engineered to be umami bombs.
Sadly all the gyokuro I've had was too extreme for me to enjoy.

Me too, if I want chicken soup, I just cook one myself... I like the thick mouth-feel of a nice gyokuru though. But sounds like the temple I had above might be to your liking!

[Bok]

Finishing a lot bags of tea these days... Hiyoshichaen Ancient Heritage Tamaryokucha via Anmo. Now that is quite the umami bomb! In a pleasant way though, just like if someone added a bit of seaweed and salt to my tea. Good body on this tea and quite a few layers of interesting things, but I lack Leofox's talent to describe the undescribable.

Oh well, it's gone anyways...

[LeoFox]

Dinggu Dafang Zhupu from DaXue JiaDao:
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This is a fascinating tea. It is a full hand made green tea shaped like long jing. It is considered a historical precursor to long jing:

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The upfront flavors were very mild...deceptively mild actually. There was a wonderful impression of purity and the mouthfeel is comfortable. As steeps progressed, there was a subtle taste of dill.


Then something surprising happened. A strong retronasal aroma built up. It is difficult to describe, but it was vaguely like entering a hot wooden sauna - slightly sulfuric, a little woody and very warming. As steeps progressed, this warmth grew in intensity and the aftertaste became more complex, developing both savory and fruity aspects.

An amazing tea! This was the first time I experienced "fire" from a tea locked in the aftertaste.

[LeoFox]

Drinking Dinggu Dafang Zhupu from DaXue JiaDao described in the previous post again, but using the reduction mumyoi clay. It is a much more intense session: the flavors are concentrated and the aroma is more powerful. Astringency also increased.