What Oolong Are You Drinking

Semi-oxidized tea
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Victoria
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:00 am

Baisao wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:32 am

Sounds lovely. Was the chaqi potent? I would like to have a high quality, every day yancha that doesn’t make me chazui.
Haha, I am feeling slightly buzzed, but not sure if it’s the yancha, Palo Santo, or a combination of the two. I have enough for another session so will try it again next time without the fragrant wood. Feeling tippy in a very nice and subtle way.
Ethan Kurland
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:10 pm

Victoria wrote:
Mon Apr 02, 2018 11:40 pm
Ethan that sure is a tiny amount of leaf and pot. I had to measure to see what 1gr looks like, and it equals 5 very small rolled balls. If you are having 2 sessions a day, then you must be steeping these into the next few days? I seem to be at the opposite end of steeping spectrum; using a lot of leaf, and a lot of time, in a large enough pot so leaves can fully expand. 8.3gr/100ml/off boil/1:30min. steeped in 150ml shudei. This steeps for several days, going for longer steeps each time. I find FuShoushan’s thick leaves really begin to open up and deliver after a few steeps and continue to give well into 10 steeps over a few days.
I should just stay away from ever giving amounts. I did think that I would just start looking at how much tea is in my hand or covering the botton of the teapot but is that helpful to others?.....
Anyway, I borrowed a scale that is accurate to find that I am now using about 1 1/2 grams or ten small rolled balls, as you call them, I like to say pearls. At first I used a tiny bit more. I found that this Foushoushan is extremely flexible for preparation and ultimately so economical. Dayuling that I just started playing with, is less so for me because some ways it can run towards tasting like vegetables which is something I don't like. Your idea about letting the leaves expand will lead me to using porcelain bowls next time I open a packet of the FSS. I like seeing that great expansion. Thanks
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:17 pm

Victoria,

I am using 8 pearls, about 1 1/2 grams. Before I was using a few more pearls. 8 is enough for 30 ml for me. Same for the dayuling that I just opened.

Foushoushan has been extremely easy to prepare, giving good results from all teaware, timing, etc. DYL is more sensitive for me because I dislike all but the smallest amount of the taste of vegetables.

Thanks for sharing your preparation variations. Next time I open a packet of FSS, I will use a porcelain bowl to watch leaves expand through infusions and over time. I love seeing that. I promise to stop guessing weights and just say what I do, such as cover the bottom of a pot or use so many pearls or a teaspoon of leaves etc.
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:26 pm

Bok, That is different than the normal FSS cans for sure. Hope different = special. Enjoy!

Tillerman, You seem involved with so many good teas! What does "strip-rolled" mean & how does it effect the end product? Thanks.
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:42 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:26 pm
Tillerman, You seem involved with so many good teas! What does "strip-rolled" mean & how does it effect the end product? Thanks.
Strip-rolled is just a term I borrowed from one of my growers. It refers to teas that are not finished in the ball shape: e.g. Yan Cha, Bao Zhong, etc. And yes, I am very lucky to be able to taste many very good teas.
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:49 pm

Tonight chens medium charcoal roast again, this time in a hokujo pot I just received today. ~7g in 120ml, delicious as always. I'll have to do a side by side with porcelain to see how the hokujo affects the tea.
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Victoria
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Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:47 pm

Teachronicles wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:49 pm
Tonight chens medium charcoal roast again, this time in a hokujo pot I just received today. ~7g in 120ml, delicious as always. I'll have to do a side by side with porcelain to see how the hokujo affects the tea.
Oh I look forward to seeing pictures of your new pots. Hokujo stoneware is my go to for roasted oolongs; it retains heat better than porcelain, while enhancing/supporting aromatics and body really well.
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Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:47 am

Surprise find in the cupboard of the in-laws: small paper wrapped packs of Tieluohan. Purchased a long time ago in the harbour of HK. Sounds promising? Looks delicious? Well, it wasn’t... Had some hints of rock tea in there, but not enough to be enjoyable. More of Puerh like smells, but not in a good way. Bitterness and storage flavours, so probably not well stored and/or not a good tea to begin with...
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chofmann
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Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:55 pm

Bok wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:47 am
Surprise find in the cupboard of the in-laws: small paper wrapped packs of Tieluohan. Purchased a long time ago in the harbour of HK. Sounds promising? Looks delicious? Well, it wasn’t... Had some hints of rock tea in there, but not enough to be enjoyable. More of Puerh like smells, but not in a good way. Bitterness and storage flavours, so probably not well stored and/or not a good tea to begin with...
Bummer. Would have been exciting if it was a super delicious discovery!
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Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:34 pm

chofmann wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:55 pm
Bok wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:47 am
Surprise find in the cupboard of the in-laws: small paper wrapped packs of Tieluohan. Purchased a long time ago in the harbour of HK. Sounds promising? Looks delicious? Well, it wasn’t... Had some hints of rock tea in there, but not enough to be enjoyable. More of Puerh like smells, but not in a good way. Bitterness and storage flavours, so probably not well stored and/or not a good tea to begin with...
Bummer. Would have been exciting if it was a super delicious discovery!
I took another pack and am going to try to re-roast with my handheld japanese roaster and then let it open up in a porcelain jar. That cupboard was probably the least suitable place to put anything odor sensitive…
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Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:51 am

Well, it has been over a week since there has been posts on any of the oolong threads and that won't do. So, here's what I was enjoying over the weekend. These are all Wuyi teas. First a Bei Dou from Zhen Tea: this is a fine tea - a little lighter in weight but with good mouth presence, noticeable acid at the back and a very nice length. Very satisfying tea. Also enjoyed 2017 Premium Rou Gui from Old Ways Tea. The roast on this tea is not too heavy at all and the character of the cultivar came through clearly. Excellent mouth feel and wonderful length. Finally, a 2015 Dahong Pao, also from Old Ways. This is a rich and powerful tea with full yan yun character that just goes on and on. Excellent tea - kudos to Old Ways.
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Bok
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Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:26 am

Bok wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:34 pm
chofmann wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:55 pm
Bok wrote:
Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:47 am
Surprise find in the cupboard of the in-laws: small paper wrapped packs of Tieluohan. Purchased a long time ago in the harbour of HK. Sounds promising? Looks delicious? Well, it wasn’t... Had some hints of rock tea in there, but not enough to be enjoyable. More of Puerh like smells, but not in a good way. Bitterness and storage flavours, so probably not well stored and/or not a good tea to begin with...
Bummer. Would have been exciting if it was a super delicious discovery!
I took another pack and am going to try to re-roast with my handheld japanese roaster and then let it open up in a porcelain jar. That cupboard was probably the least suitable place to put anything odor sensitive…
Re-roast and jar-resting did improve the tea a tiny bit, but not enough that I went over two infusions... bin!
Janice
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Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:41 pm

I’m running out of storage space for tea, and more is on the way, so I decided to start trying out samples. Today - a 2011 tea from Five Star. The label was hand written so I think it’s Huinen Keng Huang Guan Yin. Anyway, 7 years on a kitchen shelf and it still tastes reasonably good.

The cup is a crackle celadon glaze on reasonably thin stoneware that is one of a pair I bought in Chiang Mai along with a creamer that I’ll use as a fair cup or yuzamashi. I surreptitiously tested the lips on all the teacups before purchasing these.
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Ethan Kurland
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Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:32 pm

Janice, I had a couple of cups just like that from the same city. I think one of my sisters ended up with them. Of course, I haven't seen them in use. They always return to their old ways for tea, a coffee mug or a glass. Cheers
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Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:34 pm

Drinking a 'Yan Yun' oolong from HY Chen right now. Absolutely blowing my mind how good this is. Tastes like rocky marshmallows... kinda like Rocky Road ice cream, but without the chocolate. Apparently Chen only makes 7kg of this tea each year, entirely by hand. It is a 'yancha' style tea from his garden on Dong Ding in Taiwan.
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