The magic of Kobiwako! One clay to remember.LeoFox wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:33 amBrewing this same tea now in kobiwako clay. The difference is a very noticeable deletion of the fragrance along with thickening of mouthfeel and emphasis on more spicy notes that were not as discernable as before. The brothiness and sweetness are also more integrated and layered.
2021 spring gaoshan. What is in your cart?
Leo Fox's inclusion of Tea-Masters' 2021 Spring QingXin Oolong Ali Shan from ChangShuHu seems to affirm my enthusiasm for that tea. I've been buying it annually for 4 or 5 years, and I'm always happy with it. It is the tea that had me thinking to myself, "I'm going to look into this Gaoshan thing." And this year's, to my taste, is particularly good.
IMHO a new drinker of Taiwan teas doesn't have to break the bank with a costly DYL to get a good taste of Gaoshan. This tea is $42 US for 150gms.
IMHO a new drinker of Taiwan teas doesn't have to break the bank with a costly DYL to get a good taste of Gaoshan. This tea is $42 US for 150gms.
Made a final update to the list in opening post by adding the 2021 offerings from @Tillerman.
It is interesting to note that he mentions a late frost that occurred in Lishan, which may have adversely affected the harvest in some areas.
Tillerman is truly commendable for such transparency!
It is interesting to note that he mentions a late frost that occurred in Lishan, which may have adversely affected the harvest in some areas.
https://tillermantea.net/product/lishan ... ring-2021/Despite some late frost in the Lishan area, this Spring 2021 tea is a good example of what tea from Lishan should deliver.
Tillerman is truly commendable for such transparency!
Reporting now on the lishan that @Bok selected in this post:
viewtopic.php?p=37058#p37058
And it is in contrast to the DYL he rejected because it is too green, which I had a chance to sample here:
viewtopic.php?p=37425#p37425
The leaves are beautiful:
Been brewing this at about 6g/ 100 mL
The tea is very buttery punctuated by mushroom broth umami and some minerality. It is more brothy and thick than the DYL mentioned above. The DYL is also more fruity - this lishan is not too fruity. Maybe that will change as the bag goes down.
As steeps progress, the buttery thickeness does not let go, but becomes balanced by a little bit of lemony citrus that plays well with the umami. This citrus note is the green element that never quite becomes very green. The experience is like eating tender, juicy lobster dipped in butter and sprayed with lemon juice. Very luxurious and salivation inducing (hate that term but have to use it here because it is true)! And the tea steeps out quite a bit - at least 10 times- and then worth grandpa brewing for a while. Part of this may be due to the huge leaves, so the later steeps do not hold that much water. Even an overnight brew after countless infusions is brothy and buttery.
The tea is a bit astringent over time. I didnt notice it after dinner, but in the morning, on an empty stomach, I felt it after the 7th infusion. Had to eat a pancake after that before continuing. There is definitely an energizing but also calm effect.
Thank you again, @Bok for this opportunity!
viewtopic.php?p=37058#p37058
And it is in contrast to the DYL he rejected because it is too green, which I had a chance to sample here:
viewtopic.php?p=37425#p37425
The leaves are beautiful:
- IMG_20210801_101859_461.jpg (51.28 KiB) Viewed 6095 times
- Interesting how the color shifts depending on the light and background
- IMG_20210801_190259_367.jpg (83.01 KiB) Viewed 6060 times
Been brewing this at about 6g/ 100 mL
- IMG_20210801_101951_051.jpg (66.53 KiB) Viewed 6095 times
- IMG_20210801_102154_535.jpg (53.57 KiB) Viewed 6095 times
- This is steep 5. The liquor remains oily thick- even after 10+ infusions.
- IMG_20210801_102048_151.jpg (41.18 KiB) Viewed 6095 times
- Leaves are large and heterogeneous. They are soft and taste pretty good!
- IMG_20210801_102320_996.jpg (66.33 KiB) Viewed 6095 times
The tea is very buttery punctuated by mushroom broth umami and some minerality. It is more brothy and thick than the DYL mentioned above. The DYL is also more fruity - this lishan is not too fruity. Maybe that will change as the bag goes down.
As steeps progress, the buttery thickeness does not let go, but becomes balanced by a little bit of lemony citrus that plays well with the umami. This citrus note is the green element that never quite becomes very green. The experience is like eating tender, juicy lobster dipped in butter and sprayed with lemon juice. Very luxurious and salivation inducing (hate that term but have to use it here because it is true)! And the tea steeps out quite a bit - at least 10 times- and then worth grandpa brewing for a while. Part of this may be due to the huge leaves, so the later steeps do not hold that much water. Even an overnight brew after countless infusions is brothy and buttery.
The tea is a bit astringent over time. I didnt notice it after dinner, but in the morning, on an empty stomach, I felt it after the 7th infusion. Had to eat a pancake after that before continuing. There is definitely an energizing but also calm effect.
Thank you again, @Bok for this opportunity!
The tea is even better in kobi! I've been trying a number of different brewing methods. Rinse, no rinse, 6 g/100, 4g/100 etc etc
No matter how I do it, this tea is a lobster extravaganza every time!
No matter how I do it, this tea is a lobster extravaganza every time!
- Attachments
-
- IMG_20210803_194512_843.jpg (51.78 KiB) Viewed 6027 times
Glad to hear that! On both accounts, tea and teaware pairing.
But it seems that Kobiwako/Duanni-Gaoshan/Green pairing is something of a do-you-like-coriander affair. You either love or you hate it.
It's so easy to.brew this tea. Every way has been good. Even just throwing 3 g into my gdb
- IMG_20210804_192658_807.jpg (39.47 KiB) Viewed 5955 times
- IMG_20210804_192735_249.jpg (43.16 KiB) Viewed 5955 times
- IMG_20210804_192808_849.jpg (39.78 KiB) Viewed 5955 times
-
Ethan Kurland
- Vendor
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:01 am
- Location: Boston
- Contact:
Comments on the season overall (Spring 2021):
Enough time has passed & enough drinking has been done for me to offer generalizations.
If one did not make purchases early in the season, chances were greatly enhanced for buying well. Tea from later in this season is better than the tea of most Spring seasons. The tea is so good, that I think one would be wise to have more than enough to get to the Winter season (which might be late or below average); moreover, one might celebrate good fortune by drinking more green oolong now in the summer when it is most refreshing.
This summer I have been drinking 6 lightly oxidized oolongs, that range from fairly low altitude to the highest, from inexpensive to expensive; &, each one is so enjoyable & so worth its price. Whomever, you buy from, if you are enjoying this type of tea, don't forget that there is no guarantee this quality will be available soon or again & again. You might want to get some more.
Enough time has passed & enough drinking has been done for me to offer generalizations.
If one did not make purchases early in the season, chances were greatly enhanced for buying well. Tea from later in this season is better than the tea of most Spring seasons. The tea is so good, that I think one would be wise to have more than enough to get to the Winter season (which might be late or below average); moreover, one might celebrate good fortune by drinking more green oolong now in the summer when it is most refreshing.
This summer I have been drinking 6 lightly oxidized oolongs, that range from fairly low altitude to the highest, from inexpensive to expensive; &, each one is so enjoyable & so worth its price. Whomever, you buy from, if you are enjoying this type of tea, don't forget that there is no guarantee this quality will be available soon or again & again. You might want to get some more.
There’s almost no COVID in Taiwan and none in the tea mountains - so far, fingers crossed!Shine Magical wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:05 pmIs it more expensive now due to Covid + having less workers picking?
-
Ethan Kurland
- Vendor
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:01 am
- Location: Boston
- Contact:
When I purchased, prices were = to prices of the previous year by my casual assessment. I cannot be sure because I bought some oolongs in 2021 that I had not bought in the Spring of 2020.Shine Magical wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:05 pmIs it more expensive now due to Covid + having less workers picking?
When worry about predicted lower yields gets a hold on some of us, we may hurry our decisions and/or be willing to pay high prices. I saw several companies asking customers to buy teas in advance. I don't remember marketing being that aggressive in years past. Perhaps this was how Covid 19 effected tea business. (Get $ from customers today because tomorrow they may not be able to taste tea.)
This year perhaps extra $ was spent for tea from the early part of the season so that farmers & producers were able to be easier on their customers who bought late.
Perhaps this year family members were home to help with the harvest because of Covid 19 stopping so much activity in the cities.
Whatever, lots of good green oolong to enjoy!
Entering my third week drinking this tea every day:
viewtopic.php?p=38490#p38490
The transformation is quite interesting!
For the first 8-9 days, the tea was a butter bomb - creamy, umami rich. A lobster buffet every day! These qualities were enhanced in kobiwako clay.
Then during the second week, the creamy butter fell off drastically every day. Interestingly, I found brewing the tea in porcelain was better during this time: less body, but the aromas are preserved, offering a more balanced experience.
As I enter week 3, the creaminess continues to drop - but the tea now seems more "green" and maybe even more aromatic and a little more fruity. I welcome this change- and porcelain continues to be most appropriate.
As mentioned before, these kinds of changes cannot be appreciated from tiny <1 oz orders. I feel it is better to commit to larger orders to better understand a tea.
viewtopic.php?p=38490#p38490
The transformation is quite interesting!
For the first 8-9 days, the tea was a butter bomb - creamy, umami rich. A lobster buffet every day! These qualities were enhanced in kobiwako clay.
Then during the second week, the creamy butter fell off drastically every day. Interestingly, I found brewing the tea in porcelain was better during this time: less body, but the aromas are preserved, offering a more balanced experience.
As I enter week 3, the creaminess continues to drop - but the tea now seems more "green" and maybe even more aromatic and a little more fruity. I welcome this change- and porcelain continues to be most appropriate.
As mentioned before, these kinds of changes cannot be appreciated from tiny <1 oz orders. I feel it is better to commit to larger orders to better understand a tea.
- Attachments
-
- IMG_20210816_074751_655.jpg (70.56 KiB) Viewed 5761 times
Sampling an interesting 2021 gaoshan: a naturally farmed qing xing oolong from the meishan area of alishan. No agrochemicals have been used.
This tea seems to have many typical gaoshan features: brothiness, creamy texture, floral aroma.
It has a very nice, complex herbally aftertaste.
What stands out is that these aspects are very well balanced - unlike many gaoshan - and is very comfortable to drink (a bit less green and seems very calming).
Drinking this after a week and a half, there is not much change. Seems to me this tea is quite stable.
This tea seems to have many typical gaoshan features: brothiness, creamy texture, floral aroma.
It has a very nice, complex herbally aftertaste.
What stands out is that these aspects are very well balanced - unlike many gaoshan - and is very comfortable to drink (a bit less green and seems very calming).
Drinking this after a week and a half, there is not much change. Seems to me this tea is quite stable.