/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>20018391
Farmer Leaf order arrived today with a sample of Da Long Shan ripe. Anyone know what I'm in for?

>>20018408
Nope. I've got a ripe sample in from FL too, looking forward to hearing about them all.

Why everyone getting their packages and i'm just waiting with no updates... Please I want my tea for christmas i've been a nice guy all year santa.

>>20018451
My FL one was pretty quick this time but the others are all stuck. Just the way it goes with chinese shipping especially this time of year.

>>20018391
>yerba mate
Ah, yes. I love mouth and throat cancer after burning my esophagus on boiling grass water.

>>20018408
>Da Long Shan ripe
I've been curious about that one, since I believe it's the cheapest ripe Farmerleaf ever released?
I wonder if it can compete with similarly-priced options by the big factories and vendors like white2tea.

>>20018391
My update on tea
I have found the only reccomendable point of pu erh tea as a whole is its distinct flavors that leads to such a variety of experiences of flavor. This is a train similar to perhaps only the age and novelty of wine.
Fermentation decays a lot of the most healthy aspects of drinking tea plant infusions, notably theanine, which is similar to the hyper-domestication of the cannabis plant. Leaving us with a specialized niche role of tea that leaves us hypertensive and possibly addicted to a spore ridden plant substance.
However. The same could be said in comparison from green tea to black teas. Chlorophyl and antioxidants leave us with a very noticeale health and wellness boost, but as for the flavour profile, some of us are die-hard black tea drinkers, like my self, and I must admit to my pleasure of having something more specialized to my way of life that can be supplemented with antioxidants like c-vitamins and a healthy dose of lemon juice. So as I am looking to special aspects of the chemical profile of infusion of tea, the theanine and caffeine duo leaves me much more in balance than a cup of coffe or mate would have done.

From here on, I shall less frequently attend these forum gatherings, but I thought my imput might come to use for somebody along the way.

On a last note, I have begun differientiating away from supporting broad-leaved, classic tea types to the narrow leaved variety for a rather important reason. This reason is the term I used before I would coin hyperdomestication.
We see this phenomenon in agriculre where certain varieties that never relied too heavily on human propagation have retained a very natural phenotypic expression, usually making it both more resilient but also more in tune with its original place in nature, rataining if not gaining new properties. This is why assamica, to me, in ways is more superior to the thousand of years old, domesticated varieties, sensing a more natural expression of tea.

>>20018665
bit of a long-winded way to say "raw pu-erh is fun because it's varied and complex"
I do agree that it's fun to explore single origin raws made from all these local naturally-evolved varieties and that there is a certain romantic feeling of drinking untamed nature that comes with it

>>20018665
You can just supplement L-theanine while having a nutritious diet instead. Realistically, the L-theanine available naturally from regular sessions is miniscule anyway compared to supplementation, nor will any of the potential nutrients in, say, green tea productions be of significant value compared to full dietary support anyway. Being autistic about nutrition only helps if it's actually a superior intake source, and it isn't.

Barely slept a few hours, tea still on my mind. I decided to infuse the 2023 Autumn Jingmai gushu from FL. Isn't this maocha material pretty?

>>20018879
Looks tasty

>>20018879
It definitely is.

My notes on the 2023 Autumn Jingmai Gushu sheng maocha from FL:
___
5.2g/195F/6s

Dry leaf smells cleanly of acai berries; almost fruit smoothie-like, so a bit sweet. Wet leaf smells more like roasted or steamed acai and a mildly sweet, plain pastry

Medium thickness, low bitterness, medium astringency. Smooth, with a nice 'buzzy' texture on the tongue. It takes a moment, but after the initial acai sweetness, a faint tangy sourness is there, which is rather nice. Surprisingly, pushing it a little seems to support the acai note clarity for a few infusions, though too much yields more of a mild bitterness that tastes something like grape skin or grape leaf. Further infusions lean to the grape skin/leaf note in both flavor and perceived astringency. Small retronasal acai flavor. It is perhaps a bit one-note, and longevity doesn't seem to be outstanding, though it is pleasant for what it is.
___
>>20018900
>>20018908
Not exactly bad, but at this price point, I'd expect more from it. In my opinion, it's not really as sweet as the description suggested, though the uniqueness of the aforementioned acai note is appealing. I think this material is going to be pressed into a cake soon, so perhaps my tasting notes will give some insight to whatever the end result may be similar to, in case any anons end up wanting to buy it. Would probably be better off aging for a a while in that case. On a side note, check out how clear the infusion is (it was like this regardless of strength).

>>20018979
An addendum: after sipping a little more, honestly, I think astringency may be more of a medium-high. Oddly astringent, but not top-tier astringency. I like some of the notes, but what a weird one.

>>20018988
Was the mouth feel any good?

>>20018994
Yeah, I'd say the mouthfeel is good. It feels smooth and perhaps a little 'buzzy', which with the kind of medium thickness, is pretty pleasant overall. However, the astringency is just a bit much for my taste, and kind of distracts from this somewhat. At least the energy uplift from it feels rather good (I guess CTM anons would call it "cha qi").

>>20019013
>>20018979
fragrant and high astringency does sound like Jingmai alright
honestly never been that interested in that terroir. I prefer lower astringency and more overall punch

>>20019032
>I prefer lower astringency and more overall punch
Yeah, in your case, I'd pass on this one when it is produced as a cake. The others smell promising, so we'll see how they turn out, though I have other things I'll be sampling for a few weeks first, unless someone is interested in hearing about something else from my FL haul here: >>20018077

>>20019047
my Fa Zhan He has developed a beautiful wild honey and herbs fragrance since I've had it. used to smell more vegetal, now it smells mouthwatering
I find the cake fun to drink because it varies a lot session to session for some reason, I never quite know what I'll get. maybe it's down to the somewhat unsorted nature of the material or something. definitely less astringent than the Jingmais I've had too
personally, I'd love to hear your take on the Cang Yuan, seems like the most intriguing and mysterious autumn release this year from FL

>>20019058
The Fa Zhan He hype was so significant that I had to pick one up. Smelled like one of the best in my selections too, despite not being the most expensive. I hope it'll turn out to be one I like, but I'm liking the variety regardless.
>Cang Yuan
Sure, I'll taste it tomorrow since you're interested. I'm someone who places complexity of aroma above all else, so if it was enough to get William interested, it must be good. Thanks to the anon who recommended it, by the way.

drinking the 2012 gushu shai hong from KTM
damn, I have to try some more shai hong, this shit is pretty interesting. it's got this perfumy rose or cherry aroma and a really great, fizzy texture. maybe some slight aged notes to it? very different from any black tea I've had before
any reccs for more shai hong?

>>20019126
You csn find sun dried black teas here and there from different vendors.
Farmer leaf has one, chawangshop usually gets 1 or 2 in the spring, looks like he is out currently. YS probably has some, W2T probably has some.

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiit I'm finally out of guangzhou security. Today is a good day.
>Processed Through USPS Facility
>ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS)

>>20019264
N i c e, good to see more anons are getting their orders. What's coming in?

>>20019354
Nothing fancy. 3x snooze and a gaiwan.

>>20019264
it's funny how the shipping works, I ordered on the same day yet I've already had my package for a week or so
on the other hand, the damn cspuerh order has yet to leave china...

Tea came. 941 cake and boat captain, firebat, predawn dark samples as well. I usually do like 5g for 4 minutes with 90c water into about 20oz of water, whatever the size of this cup is.
The boat captain smells great but isn't as strong as I thought it was going to be, certainly not like a Lapsang Souchong. I'll try the firebat later, it smells way more intense.
Also the predark dark smells a little fishy so I have no idea how I'll like it.

>>20019537
the predawn dark sounds good, but I'm a little wary of buying pu-erh the year it was made because of the fishiness
941 I thought was a bit boring. boat captain and firebat sound nice though

>>20019537
I want to hear Boat Captain compared against Firebat. I like Boat Captain, but I need long breaks between sessions. It's a very clean smoke flavor.

>>20018391
>>20018391
package has been stuck landed for 5 days now am i screwed?? its been very nearly a month and idk if i just call it a loss at this point

>>20019578
Be patient

>>20019578
don't worry, those are normal shipping times from China, especially in December

>>20019533
Literally the only time its happened to me. Usually I check the 17track link once when it hits chinese customs and about a week later it pops up on usps. This time it said "exported directly". Then the exchange station handed it over to the carrier 4 times and was repeatedly returned through security before making it onto a plane. Hopefully they packed my gaiwan securely.
>Huh sounds like broken porcelain
>Better shake it some more then drop it back off to customs

>>20019578
lol relax, the airport is a shitshow right now. During coof for a while it took 2-3 weeks after the plane landed for shit to leave the airport.

>>20019578
that happens to most of my packages, it's usually the last step before it shows up in my country and a local delivery company has it. can take a while

>>20019578
Be patient or start growing tea on your homestead.

I told you guys about ordering tea in December, i warned you bros.

>>20019614
it keeps happening

>>20019614
All my stuff is coming/came quickly, but I bought during Black Friday sales and didn't really delay too much, so ymmv.

>>20019626
Good job bro. My trad wife is proud.she drinks tea AND coffee and she hates the hustle and bustle of the big city.

>>20019578
Waiting for chicom delivery sucks because it'll go weeks between updates sometimes.
>>20019537
While steeping, the firebat smelled like wax (the cheap wax from those candy bottles with juice inside) and a tiny bit of funk. The tea itself smells and tastes like a campfire and isn't bitter. The post-steep tea leaves smell like a campfire.
The firebat has presence and makes the boat captain seem mild in comparison. Two different teas entirely, and I could feel my nose doing that thing that it does when one smells smoke.
I steeped it again, this time for 5 minutes. A bit more bitter and much more like a campfire, but still very drinkable.
I could drink the boat captain every day, but the firebat is something I wouldn't have so often.

>>20019674
Sometimes its nice to try something that goes too hard, to help you appreciate that stuff that doesn't.

>>20019694
I was hoping the boat captain would go harder. I like firebat, but I really want to have a family member try it and see their reaction.

Shipping times from China is a crapshoot in current year. Sometimes it is fast sometimes it sits around for weeks or even months if you are really unlucky. At least they almost never lose packages. It may be late but you are going to get it. Even USPS has problems with random delays these days and they seem more prone to losing packages than China-Mail. Still waiting on some tea that was sent domestically over a week ago

>>20019733
Yeah 4-5 years ago usps was consistently incredibly fast and extremely consistent unless something was shipping from a rural location. Now its a bit of a crapshoot, i haven't run into issue with loses but first class mail just takes a random arbitrary amout of time now without rhyme or reason. Priority was shit for a while too but its mostly okay again.

>>20018391
i bought a shitload of yerba mate a while back

>>20019855
Are you the poster that bought an case of kilo bags of mate?

>>20019918
yea I ordered it on Amazon lol, the quality of the packaging was pretty shoddy (needed an additional-layer of vacuum-sealing to keep everything in the bags) but the quality of the product itself was great. wasn't expensive either

Kuboo gongfu'd for the first time. 5g/100ml, boiling water, steeping for as short a time as I can physically perform. This stuff has a lot of kick to it. I might try even less leaf next time. Bitter, punchy, full, some roundness to it. With subsequent steeps it is calming slightly and gaining a hint of sweetness. I'm completely congested from allergies so this is actually really nice right now. Cuts right through all of that and still delivers a jolting experience.

>>20019945
Zojirushi thermal carafe has been a game changer, by the way. I do have a giant Stanley thermos that I got a long while back but that's cumbersome for use at home, and until now I've just been going back and forth to the kitchen with my kettle. This allows me to keep water hot right next to me without having to plug in anywhere, and I can get the kettle boiling a new batch of water as this one starts to get low.

>>20019945
Sounds like my kinda tea
>>20019968
Is that one of the glass lined ones or is it steel on the inside? I think Zojirushi is the only brand left making some of their insulated carafes with the glass envelopes inside.
Either way yeah having a nice insulated bottle like that makes life way easier.

>>20019998
This is just stainless lined. I did see several other carafes offering glass lining but didn't dig too far into the reasons for that over stainless.

>tfw no grand California tea fields
>tfw no Rocky Mountain yancha
>tfw no Arizona desert fu bricks
>tfw no puer aged in the Louisiana bayou
It hurts, bros. Why does North America need to be a tealet continent

>>20020106
>tfw no puer aged in the Louisiana bayou
Now i really want to get some Perique tobbaco farmer to ferment a barrel of puer.

>>20020122
Also saw that and immediately thought the same thing. Fwiw the 2017 XiaGuan Gao Shan Yun Wu Lao Shu Hong from KTM is very plummy and tobaccoy in a way that immediately madee think of Escudo Navy De Luxe.

>>20019674
>Firebat, campfire
Interesting to read your impressions. Coincidentaly, I had Firebat a few days ago; was kind of barbeque-ish and smoky for me. Tasty, but I agree, I couldn't have it all the time.

My Yeeon order came in some hours ago. I haven't opened the bags yet (they're not resealable), but the bricks and cakes are very clearly deliciously musty from the HK storage...oddly refreshingly so. My 2008 Taste of HK cake kind of smells like I'd expect a liu bao too, so that's interesting to me considering it's a sheng. Anons seem mixed on their experiences when I posted about it before, but I rather like this first impression at least. I think the storage these have had will be interesting...hope the environment won't detract from that. No freebies thrown in, and packaging wasn't as safe as with W2T and FL, so I'm lucky it didn't rain today.

An aside, I'm not sure how I should store all of this, besides maybe using jars or old resealable packets for the loose stuff. I also question if I should even store the bricks/cake with my other pu'er or not. Any thoughts, anons? It's just an unusual case overall...I've never had HK cellar-stored stuff before. Two loose oolongs, one loose shou, one brick shou, one brick sheng, and a sheng cake in a resealable bag.

>>20020106
>tfw no South Dakota tea palace

>>20020315
For the oolong dump it in some clean mason jars and stick em wherever. For the puer it should be fine in your puer storage, just put it in closed plastic bag and stick it in with the other puer. Leave the cake in the bag it came in.

>>20020315
>>20020350
You could also break up the cakes/ bricks and put those in mason jars too if you dont have a pumidor or some other puer storage set up.

>>20020350
>>20020356
Thanks, that was more or less what I was thinking, but it's good to have a second opinion. I have a modest storage setup (my bovedas are undoubtedly uncharged by now) separating by type. Glad I had the idea to save a few jars in preparation for these non-resealable bags.

>>20020315
nice i think we were chatting about that oolong a while ago. been drinking some of that shui xian as well lately
i just roll down the tops and clothes peg for what it's worth, seems to be fine but air tight is probably smarter
enjoy

>>20019968
had no idea thermal carafes existed, looks real nice

>>20020315
I am happy that you got some cool new tea. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on things. I imagine getting everything all at once is probably making it kind of difficult to decide what to try first.
>hope the environment won't detract from that.
if you seal it up tight the cellar odor will last a long time. My still smell years later. Alternatively if you want it to fade you can store it in something with a bit of air exchange.
>besides maybe using jars or old resealable packets for the loose stuff.
I use mason jars for oolongs. I even have the same yeeon oolongs.
>if I should even store the bricks/cake with my other pu'er or not
it is up to you, it really depends on how you store your tea and what your priorities are. I keep all my teas with distinct types of aromas in separate mylars but it wont ruin them to store them together either. You just may get some cross mingling of aromas.

>>20020371
I'll give the shui xian a go this week if you want to compare notes. Can't say what the oolongs will be like, but the price and location were right, so I had to buy in.
>>20020435
Thanks for the advice, anon. I'll jar everything up in the order that I end up trying them, but I'll probably drink my samples of other stuff first unless someone is interested in something in particular. I'm going to taste and write about FL's Cang Yuan tomorrow.
>Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on things. I imagine getting everything all at once is probably making it kind of difficult to decide what to try first.
I've suddenly been tasting and writing a lot lately. Been fortunate to receive an abundance of new teas to try from my, now previously very shallow, stash. It is a little overwhelming, but it's refreshing being able to experience so many different kinds of material. I've posted about most of my recent sessions, though I skipped posting about two of them (one I liked but said nothing, one I need to reexamine). I'm hesitant to post too much and turn the gen into my private blog. Maybe it'll matter less as more anons get their orders in.

>>20020542
>I'm hesitant to post too much and turn the gen into my private blog. Maybe it'll matter less as more anons get their orders in.
I like reading them at least. I will try to post more notes myself soon. Been a bit busy lately. I actually got my BF FL order (a few black teas) already and tried a couple of teas but have not written notes on them. I am not as experienced with black tea tasting so I have harder time writing about them. My preliminary opinion is that they are all quite good and I would not hesitate to get them again.

>>20020585
>I actually got my BF FL order (a few black teas)
Nice, I'd be interested in hearing how you like those. I only got one myself (the cheap ying pan shan everyone gets), but it smells rather nice for the money.
>I like reading them at least.
It's nice to know some anons enjoy them. I feel like it's one of the best ways I can give back and connect with the anons here, so I like posting about them. If you'd like, I can post tonight about two greens I've sampled. One I had some days ago, and one I am having as we speak...both very good in their own ways. Writing about the latter right now; I rarely get to to try greens, so it's been a treat.

>>20020630
>so I like posting about them. If you'd like
I like to read them but don't feel pressured to rush and write notes if you don't want to. You are not in any way obligated to.
>I rarely get to to try greens, so it's been a treat.
Yeah, I need to try more green teas myself. I had some when I was first getting back into tea but have not had any since. Its not like I dislike them either.

>>20020542
>if you want to compare notes
i'd say it's a pretty basic heavy(?) roasted tea. it's not too fair to compare it to yancha thats 5x the price which is insanely good you're just not gonna get that. i picked it up as i'm too poor for such delights and want to find some decent budget stuff.
i think i get about 6 steeps from 10g/140ml. it's almost sour in the first brew, then it heads into that basic roasty profile. it's not quite what i was looking for but it scratches some kinda itch for me in this weather. i drank it with food a few times actually, basic and strong is good for that.
gets a solid bretty good from me, i enjoy drinking it (though i am not a fussy person) but now i'm almost out it won't be a rebuy, i'll rather try out other cheap options.
waiting on my fullchea """da hong pao""" to arrive next
curious to know what you think whenever you get around to it.

Towards the end of a great session with Hatvala's September 2023 "Fish Hook" green. I think this is my first Vietnamese tea I've ever had, and I'm impressed so far. Here are my notes:
___
4.6g/185F/5s

Dry leaf smells clearly like toasted corn bread. Wet leaf smells of that corn still, but also some kind of candy...reminds me of some sweetened green tea lozenges I used to eat.

Medium thickness, low-medium bitterness, medium astringency. Already a quite interesting and nuanced profile; some corn-like bitterness (not harsh) that slips into a sweet lozenge-like huigan that lingers for a fair while. Easy to describe because its notes aren't totally obscured, and not for lack of complexity. The emphasis seem to shift more towards the lozenge quality over a few infusions (both in the leaf and infusion), which I personally think is pleasant.

It took several infusions for me to notice, but there is something of a subtle rice note in the wet leaf too (not so much in the infusion). I quite like this one overall; the aroma, and especially that aftertaste are really refreshing and satisfying.

Bonus pic of the dry Hatvala green leaf. It was so dark initially, but lightened up plenty. I liked the liquor color too.

>>20020106
>>20020327
>tfw no Hawaii High Mountain Oolongs

Xiaguan has that 300g black tea box.
Is there anything similar from other big companies?
Looking for some jin jun Mei or Golden buds or something like that, never had black tea with most of it being golden.

>>20021133
the 300g black tea box is vaguely in that "classic 58 Dianhong" style, so if you want something similar that's the term you should look out for. I know yunnansourcing and fullchea both have offerings like that

where do you anons buy your Japanese green teas? I ordered at O-cha this spring, but the shipping was expensive and I had to pay VAT, so IDK if it was worth it in the end. could have just stuck to some local online store

First time paying customs for FL package but its finally in my country at least.

>>20021258
Have a look at Yoshien fellow europoor, didn't buy from them but i will after the 2024 teas show up.

>>20021386
anything you're eyeing in particular? their selection is quite large

are any of the cheaper white2tea ripes worth a try? I liked lumber slut, I would want something that stands out from big factory productions and is below 25$/200grams
mostly looking at Hokum and Camphornought, as well as the limited "peak vulture" cake. any impressions on those?

>>20020106
We have tea plantations in the U.S., the central East coast has a humid subtropical climate like China. The economy of it doesn't make sense though, labor is cost prohibitive for hand picking. I have my own tea hedge

>>20021418
>Hokum
>Vulture
Both very good. I've also really been enjoying gingerbread man more than I thought I would. Migraine+no sleep is currently fucking my world up so I don't have the capacity to go in depth on anything. I think I like hokum and gbm more than old reliable. Lesser evils and peak are a bit higher on my list. An early cup of cozy ripe might just be what the doctor ordered.

>>20021506
thanks. so Peak Vulture really is a cut above their other lower price ripes?
I've gotta say, I'm quite happy with Lumber Slut. some smoky, woody and spicy character with the classic chocolate vanilla ripe base

>>20021559
kind of getting a "vanilla-scented candle" aftertaste from the Slut today. quite interesting

>>20021559
I think so yeah. At ~$40 it would be worth considering. At $15 its worth picking up a cake or two yearly just to make sure you fuck some other /tea/non out of it. I've got 3 stashed back I've slowly been whittling away at. I'd bust one out to sip on but I know I won't be able to sink into the enjoyment. 4hrs after taking a handful of acetaminophen this headache is finally starting to subside. I'll probably just drink a shitty boring ys bulang cake instead.

>fullchea gifted me one of those rice scented mini things again
I can smell it through the packaging what the fuck. It smells so bad

>>20021647
you know what, I still haven't cracked into my fullchea minis which I received a year ago
if any anon is brave enough to accompany me on this journey, I will crack one open

>>20021688
Why not at this point. The smell is on my hands and filling my room. I tried the rice one before, it's nasty but I can't remember which one it is.
These are the ones I've got, what have you got?

>>20021415
Not really, sorry. I'm not very knowledgeable about Japanese teas so i'll probably pick some stuff at random.

>Once had the displeasure of drinking every single mini in the Fullchea gift bag selection
>Mfw when reading these posts now
I had all ten plus a few of the minis they'd tossed in for free before. So bad. At least the barley sample they tossed in once was good, but the others were just awful. Not sure what to do with those things either, but I don't want them in my body.

>>20020694
Sounds like an interesting green tea. I have had an eye on trying Hatvala's for a long time.

>>20021694
I thikn I have the green and pink ones, don't remember these yellow ones. pink should be the sticky rice herb

>>20021715
If you want to go for one of those then, I'll try the yellow in a bit.

>>20021733
okay, I found the green one, along with one that just says "tea" worryingly enough
I'll pop the green one, here goes nothing

You ever add jam/jelly to your tea? idk if this is just a former Soviet thing or a Caucasus thing or done elsewhere as well or what, but my nan used to put jam in her tea instead of sugar. I know an Armenian family and an Azeri guy who do the same. A Ukie I know said he's heard of people doing it, but "they're all Asian" IE Caucasus people and central Asians.
I like grape jelly in shit-grade black tea. : )
Nan liked marmalade but the chewy bits at the end are a detractor for me.

>>20021772
apparently it's a raw. smells herbal, pungent, sour plum. basically what I'd expect from cheap broken leaf raw
the liquor is a bit cloudy which I guess is not a great sign
the flavor is what I expected from the aroma. herbal, bit of dull bitterness, astringency. pretty boring and one-note, but nothing outstandingly awful
only did two infusions because I'd prefer to drink something else and not get a stomach-ache today
I'm more curious of the pink sticky rice ripe if I can find a mini of that one

>>20021813
it is a Soviet / caucasus thing. only time I had tea with jam was at a Russian restaurant

>>20021711
It was good. Even if a little astringent, I found it to be a good refreshment coming from the more astringent and not-very-sweet Jingmai gushu I had. Hatvala's free shipping minimum and general pricing don't seem outrageous, so they could be a good one for more anons to look into.
>>20021813
It is apparently common in post-Soviet/Slav nations. Don't think I've heard of many anons trying it. Honestly, as much as I don't like additives in my tea or excessive sugar, a nice jam in a cheap, roasty oolong or red sounds pretty good. May try it with some shui xian if I think it tastes right...apricot or raspberry jam, maybe.

>>20021859
I could see jam + cheap lapsang being a good combo

>>20021876
Hmmm. What sort of jam, tho?
>>20021859
>apricot
My favourite jam next to gooseberry and kiwi ones and nice in a black tea, yeah.
>>20021847
Wadidja think?

>>20021907
rose jam could be cool. I think in the restaurant they used some red fruit, not sure what it was

It has an odd, kinda sweet aroma. I'm not sure what it is I'll check after, as I'm writing this I'd guess it's shu + some additive, there's some yellowish crud visible in the material. It's not a bad smell.
Brews up a good colour, after the first steep the additive taste is gone and I'm left with cheap, weak, slightly bitter shu.
It's probably the most palatable of the fullchea minis I've tried, if it was the drink I got served at a restaurant it'd be fine.
I checked and it's chrysanthemum.

>>20021843
Sounds pretty lousy. I suppose this is what they do with the raw fannings.
I don't know if it's me or the fullchea mini, but I fucking hate the smell of the sticky rice one. Do indulge if you can find it.

>>20021915
>red fruit
Currant, I would guess. Red currant jam seems pretty popular for tea. But rose jam sounds really nice. I've got some pomegranate jam in the pantry I planned to use with lamb at dinner point but maybe I'll crack the jar open to put some into tea.

>>20021813
I've been meaning to try it but haven't had time to make jam. I think peach would work well with white tea. I do sometimes put Korean honey citron "tea" (don't know why they call it that, it's a jam/thick syrup) in cold brew green. It's very refreshing in the summertime.

>>20020694
Damn thanks for notes on the fishook green.

>>20020706
>tfw no Hawaii High Mountain Oolongs
Those exist, they are just hard to get, processed by amateurs and cost at least $1 per gram

today im drinking a 2016 osmanthus liu bao sample for purple cloud. I don't think this is actually a scented tea, just named that was because of how it tasted.
Purple cloud has several reasonably cheap liubaos that's are very agreeable if you want to try some without ordering from china. This one is nice along with the Shiguang Suidao liubao i drank a while ago. Havent tried the Zhi Zu Chang Le or the bamboo colum ones but those sound good toom

>>20020694
I've been looking at this tea for a long time, I guess it's getting added to the basket for my next Hatvala order.

Remembered an anon recommended using spent green leaves in rice recently. So, I used the spent leaves from yesterday's Hatvala Fish Hook green in some leftover rice for my morning meal, alongside eggs and some salmon. Mixed and steamed the green tea in with the rice, then added a splash of cooking sake just on the rice at the end. Refreshingly fragrant result from both the tea and sake, pulling the rice together and pairing well with the other items. Sloppy picture, but I thought I'd share and encourage other anons to try it too.

Question: there was a guy at a church I used to go to who brewed tea using extremely large quantities of loose leaves and relatively little water for just a short time then pouring out from the brewing pot to the serving pot and thinning out the brew with additional water from the kettle.
idk if it's relevant, but dude is Japanese-American, but I doubt this is a Japanese method. My family are West/Central Asian (I'm >>20021813) so it reminds me a lot of samovar, but he'd never heard of it and says that this is just how his parents used to brew "foreign" tea (IE black tea). Ever done it this way?
I prefer the results and speed quite a lot more than other methods, personally, particularly with teas that I've a tendency to oversteep.

>>20022387
Cooking? On my /ck/?

>>20022408
Its basically gongfu on a larger scale from your description. Samovar is similar but they typically brew the tea hard and long to make a really strong concentrate which will get you a very different result then short infusions.

>>20022418
>gongfu
Derp. idky I didn't make that connection myself. Probably because he did that long before I knew what gongfu was. There actually used to be a Chinese tea place that did gongfu service among other styles near that church but the place has long closed. I actually have some of their tea sets from their closing sale.
There last day they were open to sell off their furniture and things, I was looking through their guestbook and saw an entry that looked very similar to my handwriting. Turns out, I signed it long, long ago when I took a date there and completely forgot about it so it was a bittersweet discovery to recall that I was visiting that shop for so long and it's just... gone.

Coffee enjoyer here. I wanted to try Japanese green tea so I bought a package off of Nio teas of 22 samples with a kyusu teapot and I have to say, so far the samples I tried all share the tastes of seaweed, fish, and they all smell like a shore. Not really good or bad in my opinion but it’s just weird. The hojicha was a little better but still had that distinctive fishiness. Maybe it’s an acquired taste or whatever but I didn’t expected tea to ever taste like this. If I end up disliking all the samples then at least I can just use the teapot for other types of tea. I’m curious what everyone else’s experiences were.
One thing for sure is that although I enjoy the taste of coffee much more, the process of making tea is much more fun and relaxing.

>>20022463
>so far the samples I tried all share the tastes of seaweed, fish, and they all smell like a shore.
That's my experience with Japanese green teas as well.
I don't want to say they are overhyped shit, but they just aren't my thing.
If you want something better go for Chinese blac teas. Some have that coffee roast/bitterness some have that dark chocolate vibes, some have that dried fruit notes.
I bet there are other great teas, but Japanese teas just aren't it.
I even had a premium Japanese black tea and it was disappointing.

>>20022463
Japanese green teas are shockingly different from what most people expect green teas to taste like. I would recommended trying some tyeguanyin oolong and dragonswell green tea from yunnansourcing.us

>>20022463
I think Japanese greens can be an acquired taste. I personally like them a lot, but some people dislike the grassy, brothy or seaweedy elements.
I would recommend you try oolongs, black teas and maybe ripe pu-erh. Ripe pu-erh is fun because it can have a coffee-like body if you brew it strong enough.

>>20022498
by black teas I mean chinese black teas, not some Indian crap

>>20022479
>>20022494
>>20022498
Yep, I’ll try some Chinese tea next. Japanese green tea oddly reminds me of drinking ramen broth which I enjoy, but it feels wrong to do it out of a teapot lol. Pu er sounds interesting.
For me I hate adding sugar to coffee but also I hate NOT adding sugar to the black teas I’ve tried which is just basic tea bag stuff. I wonder how different pu er would be.

>>20022530
I don't thing you need to add sugar to good Chinese black tea desu.
It has the sweetness somehow.
The stuff in the teabags... it has pretty much no taste.
It's so weak you can leave the bag to steep for 2, 10, 20 min and it still won't get bitter so ofc you need to put in sugar and lemon for it to have some taste.

>>20022530
Yeah Japanese green tea is like drinking savory soup broth sometimes.
There are some pretty sweet Chinese black teas, they typically dont have the strong malty flavors and bitter tannins that you get woth cheap black teabaga. Otern they will have chocolate notes and fruity/honey sweetness too them.
Puer is a whole different can of worms.

2021 fleeting years yunnan sourcing
got this as a free sample from yunnan sourcing some time ago. was put off by the strong smoke smell at first, but finally got around to trying it.
real heavy smoke smell on dry leaves. Actual brews aren't very smokey at all.
pretty upfront licorice flavor, less candy, more herbal. wet leaf has strong licorice herbal smell.
brew is prettty dark, as well as wet leaves. I think it was aged as mao cha, which might have speed up the aging.
Tastes aged, but not any wet storage flavor really. Slight medicinal/sweet taste lingers on my tongue. Slight cooling feeling too but nothing too upfront.
the longevity is really good, from probably a ~7g sample in a 100ml gaiwan, ive gotten at least 15 brews out of it. licorice
notes back off a little leaving some nice mineral taste, as well as some nice sweetness. less so sugar sweet, kind of a floral-honey sweetness.
no bitterness at all, takes well to pushing, not going to overbrew easily. really good energy too.

at $100/cake its pretty expensive, I dont think I'd buy a cake, but its cool to see how many infusions nice tea can take.

>>20022554
Sounds nice but $100 a cake is too much for something that smokey in my opinion.
>Our "Fleeting Years" (流年) tea cake is a blend of aged mao cha from several different years and regions, ranging in age from 14 to 8 years in age.
Not an observation about YS specifically but aged mao cha cakes in general. There tends to be a reason why the tea wasn't pressed the year it was harvested (too much smoke, off tastes, processing issues) and all too often the solution is to stick the bags of leaves in the corner of the factory for a few years to see if it becomes usable. I have had some nice aged maocha cakes but they usually have noticeable flaws like excessive smoke.

>>20022545
Very good point. Although maybe a cup of cheap black tea with milk and sugar that reminds you of your childhood is worth coming back to sometimes

As I promised an anon the other day, I went ahead and prepared some Cang Yuan from FL to have today. Mid-session right now; already going to say I like it. Here are the dry leaves, I'll make another post when I finish my session.

>>20022575
the tea itself wasnt smokey at all, quite pleasant really. that make sense why maocha might stay aged as maocha though. Its neat that it seems to age faster as a result too

Wrapping up a session with the FL Autumn 2023 Cang Yuan. This one was challenging to figure out, so I rambled on a bit, but I enjoyed trying to dig through it. Quite liked the aroma especially; no wonder William was into it.
____
4.3g/195F/5s

Dry leaf has an aroma similar to blackberry or apricot jam and incense. Wet leaf ramps this up further with a roasted quality.

Light texture, low bitterness and astringency. Immediately, I am surprised just how well the jam note translates to the palate. First with this sweet jam note, a hint of something herbaceous, then back to jam. Aftertaste ultimately resolves to something greener and subtly astringent, yet still sweet. If I let the liquor cool a little bit, I can taste this oddly pleasant acidic herbaceous bitterness, especially if I chew on a leaf, but it is modest.

Pushing the leaf a bit more after a few infusions in brings me closer to the incense/herby notes, both in the wet leaf and liquor. It's something sour and vegetal even; gives me goosebumps for some reason. Jammy quality submerges under other notes in the liquor after several infusions, but remains in the wet leaf. Noticing a somewhat rice-like note in the wet leaf in later infusions too, but just barely.

This tea seems fairly nuanced with good longevity, and 'develops' over the session in an intriguing way. I like it, although it's a bit hard to define some of the vegetal/herb notes, and that is why I haven't been too descriptive about those. I think the closest answer would be "grape leaf", given some of the (pleasant) sourness.

>>20022672
Nice, good work anon

>average tea bag has tons of microplastics in it
how do you cope?

>>20022804
I just don't drink bagged tea.

>>20022804
yeah load loose leaf into paper teabags if you still want to brew the normal way. will taste better too

>>20022219
Is scented or even adulterated liu bao a thing?
Any tasting notes, btw?
>>20022413
It's less likely than you think!
>>20022463
I am a Japanese tea noob, but you really must try gyokuro and genmaicha.

>>20022804
Absolutely nobody should be drinking bag tea. Just don't.

>>20022804
I cope with mycotoxins and fluorosis instead anon.

>>20022878
>Is scented or even adulterated liu bao a thing?
Yeah, i have a packet of Jasmine or something scented cnnp liubao that chawangshop tossed in with one of my orders, still haven't tried it. I dunno about adulterated, im sure there are some pretty sketchy farmer / village made liubao productions out there somewhere.

where did you guys get your gawain?

>>20023428
Aliexpress, there are a few shops in the pastbin under other teaware or something or just from whatever tea vendors.
This is my gaiwan
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800474078862.html

Fullchea came. Some tuohs and the red packet of "yunnan black tea" came as goodies. I've tried the tea on the top right so far. It's very basic and kinda reminds me of a black tea. The first steeping was light, smelled like caramel, and tasted very sweet with no bitterness. The second steeping smelled more like a black tea and had a little bit of that bitterness.
Nothing special, but not disappointing. I got what I expected, and I'm pleased.

>>20023609
that's the dirt cheap ""8582"" isn't it?
the wrapper on the bottom left one is nice, hope the tea is too.

>>20023609
The green one could be interesting, hope you post some impressions.

>>20022672
sounds pretty interesting

>>20023609
I'm curious about the dr. puerh tea. someone on here was quite impressed with it a year or two ago

>>20024067
This brand seems strange to me.
They have a bunch of sub 100 yuan cakes, which is just too cheap in my opinion

How the fuck can they sell a full cake for $1.5?
The store doesn't seem scammy either, it has two crowns

>>20024175
I don't really bother with sellers that have listings like that, photoshopped to hell. There are many somewhat similar listings like that. My first criteria is photos of the product taken by the seller himself.
The crown and numbered rating was kinda hit of miss for me. I found many sellers with 1-5 crowns that had suspicious listings like "[Real tea] Year 2003 7542 Raw Puer" for like $10 and reviews saying it tastes awful and it's probably fake.
I had more luck with sellers that had a gold medal and the age shown.

>>20024175
Its just some generic noname mystery tea. "Icland" is some weird translation of bingdao iirc and it's clearly not bingdao tea for that price

>>20024190
>I don't really bother with sellers that have listings like that, photoshopped to hell.
For aged tea I like to see the actual tea if I can so I can gauge the storage conditions. For young tea I think the official factory promotional images are typically good enough.

>>20023862
The green one is like a good vodka: pleasant and inoffensive. Again, a little bit of bitterness melts into sweetness. 2nd steeping was more of the same. Can be consumed by anyone.
I also tried the large white on the bottom left, and it's kinda like the shou mei I had from YS, except about a third as flavorful. I suppose it's drinkable, but I've had more success with the other teas I got. But what can you expect at 357g for $13.
Actually, all the tea present in that image is in that fullchea pricing vacuum. That said, I really like the "bingdao" and the individually wrapped mini bricks.
>>20024067
I'm not sure which that is.

what does yerba mate taste like?
where could I sample it in the USA so I can try it before buying a pack?

>>20024781
>where could I sample it in the USA so I can try it before buying a pack?
Its like $10 for a huge bag on amazon, make sure you get the little meme straw too.
https://www.amazon.com/Yerba-Mate-Merced-Cosecha-Limitada/dp/B00512EFW6/
Straws
https://www.amazon.com/GFDesign-Bombilla-Drinking-Food-Grade-Stainless/dp/B01M1N9U23/
You can usually buy it at most USA supermarkets in the tea/coffee section. Just be careful if you buy yerba mate teabags, its kinda tricky to brew that way and not necessarily representative of what it tastes like made traditionally. The stuff at US supermarkets is also yerba mate for white people so it's typically more mild then some of the traditional south American brands.

>>20024781
Oh it tastes like green leaf water, various aspects of green tea, oolong, sometimes some bitterns, sometimes some smoke. Varies quite a bit depending on the brand and what country its from

>>20024781
>>20024862
If you want to splurge on some facy yerba mate get some porongo.
https://www.amazon.com/PORONGO-Organic-Unsmoked-Naturally-Caffeinated/dp/B0CP9V5QJY/

>>20024929
Actually its probably better to order it from this seller.
https://www.amazon.com/Porongo-Certified-Organic-Rose-Yerba/dp/B08NKB4Y9T/

Fullcheatards assemble

>>20024960
No idea about that cake but all those tuos should be good. Im really interested in hearing about those two haiwan bricks. Was thinking of grabbing some of those ripe ones.

>>20024960
I recognize that cake, had it myself and recommended it a few times. If you're into whites, it's a solid budget pick. Let us know if you like it.

>>20024989
The raw was mostly just for a laugh and the matching box, not really expecting it to be any good. But I have pretty good hopes for the ripe.

>>20024998
Probably I got it on your recommendation then, I've been needing some decent cheap white. Inshallah he shall be boiled

>>20024960
>>20024998
Neat, I also got one of those moonlight beauty cakes by pure coincidence. Haven't tried it yet

>>20024781
Green, sweet, sour, sometimes smoky

>>20024960
Curious about dat 9988

Finished last 2. If the green wrapper was a good vodka, then the 8582 is a cheap one. It substitutes sweetness for some more bitterness and herbal flavors. It's drinkable, but not for everyone. imo just add a little bit of sugar to cut into the bitterness and you improve it substantially.
Lastly, the tiny white cake was awful. Extremely bitter, cake was very easy to break apart but all the leaves broke into tiny little pieces and flew around more often than not. Smelled bad and tasted no better.
I know tea enjoyers don't like sugar, but I look at it like A1 with steak. The good stuff doesn't need it, but it's nice enough for the cheap stuff.
The list is best to worst; price per gram does have an influence, but not outside of groupings. Yellow is passable and best with sugar, red is avoid at all costs.

>>20025621
Cool thanks for the info.
So the green cake, sweet, not too punchy/bitter? Areeable easy to drink sort of thing? Think is price appropriately or is it a bit too much for a mini cake?

>>20025647
>not too punchy/bitter
Not at all, actually. Mild and sweet. btw I went for 5g of tea at 90c for 4 minutes in this mug which holds about 11oz full to the top in the steeper thing. I do it a 2nd time same temp for 5 minutes and compare the 2 and then combine them for later drinking. In terms of price, I consider the bingdao to be a better tea than the 2023 941 cake I got from W2T.
You prompted me to try the 941 again and to try a blend of 8582 and bingdao. The blend is less than the sum of its parts, probably due to the bingdao's mildness that makes the 8582 relatively harsh (and it's $9 for 250, or less on aliexpress). However, it is surprisingly comparable to the 941, but the 941 is more punchy. Also, the bitterness in the blend is upfront, while the 941 has a bitter aftertaste.
To answer your question, I think the bingdao is decent value, especially if you want something that's easy to drink and isn't bitter or even powerful in any particular way. I tend to go for white teas and sheng puerhs that I believe will be inoffensive, cheap, and naturally sweet. My favorite tea from fullchea is the silver needle. It's extremely light and has a jammy smell, and I could probably go through a few cakes a year.

>>20025876
Thanks for the comparison anon that's helpful

Drink more yerba mate

>>20026020
The powdery residue from yerba makes my gums itch. Like drinking fiberglass.

>>20026092
Some people buy the more premium leaf only versions and then sift all the remaining dust out.

>>20024609
TIL

>>20019578
were so back bros

>>20026203
I think bulang gets translated to brown mountain too sometimes

Had Tsushima Benifuuki red tea from Oishi Tea Farm earlier today. Notes:
____
4.2g/200F/5s

Dry leaf smells of a slightly 'spicy' light floral and (blackberry?) jam. Wet leaf smells of, oddly, Christmas pine cones, perhaps a subtle smokiness, and still traces of that jam/floral quality.

Medium-high thickness, low bitterness, low-medium astringency. Surprisingly very sweet and malty, with a full, but not grossly overpowering aroma body. The notes in the wet leaf are represented well on the palate, and need really no more explanation beyond that. I will note that this tea has great endurance, yes, but what is interesting is how much the potent sweetness continued through several infusions. Quite the seasonally-appropriate comfort.

>>20026340
Sounds great, would drink

>>20018391
Anyone who drinks Maté outside of South America is some smug upper middle class larping che guevara cunt

>>20026465
Or an autist caffeinemaxxer who doesn't mind cleaning out metal straws (upper-middle-class-larping che guevara cunt)
I brew it like tea which probably pisses people off but it's not that bad

Good morning to all sheng enjoyers.

>>20026465
Im just broke

>>20026510
Sheng in the weed bucket

Matcha cookies... And shu cookies. Taste like dry ass

>>20026553
>Shou
>Brown tinge
>"Taste like dry ass"
Shou-poo cookies. Maybe decent with a roasty red?

Shu-matcha abomination cookies

>>20026565
Sounds like it could be nice, but despite making a ridiculously strong shu reduction it's not potent enough. Need to play with the parameters

Some chink vendor is trying to persuade me that jin jun mei isn't gold, it's only being dyed to look gold.
Is this true?
Are they really dying teas to make them gold to sell for more?

Christmas time, thank you william.

>>20027311
Which sample should I try first, ao ne me or lao man e shengtai from 2012?

>>20027330
gotta be the lao man e

>>20027330
Ao ne me. I've been curious about that one. Seems to me like the obscure locations are the most worth buying from FarmerLeaf.

>>20027353
>>20027368
Ao ne me is in the gaiwan, i'll do lao man e next time. Dry leaves smell like a classic sheng, fresh and nice.

>>20027382
Really gentle in the mouth, almost no astrigency or bitterness reaching 4th infusion, i'll push a bit to see. I'm enjoying it so far nothing too fancy or strong but enjoyable taste.

>>20027409
But does it Qi?

>>20027438
I'm feeling good warm and I keep drinking, not sure if it has more or less than other cakes.

>>20027438
Got the back of my tongue and ears to tingle with the last infusion, it's really long lasting, I didn't mesure how much water but 1.5l+ already and still tasting nice.

Is the black gold chinese tea okay to brew in a western tea pot?

>>20027382
>>20027409
Overall really enjoyable for long sessions, I would recommend it for people looking for low bitterness/astringency. Maybe too soft if you enjoy lao man e teas. (I brew light)

>>20027510
yes, try around 1g to 100ml volume and 3 mins steep time
or just wing it with a teaspoon and see how it goes

>>20027063
What? Pretty sure that golden color comes from the oxidation of the leaf hairs. Jin Jun Mei isn't unique for that, any heavily oxidized tea with leaf hairs present will turn that color

>>20027656
It's a bullshit ebay seller that send me the wrong tea and now wants to cover his ass.
It's so tiresome to get refund from this scum.

>>20027063
>jin jun mei isn't gold
The high end brand name stuff is only slightly gold but a lot of jin jun mei style teas are quite gold.
>it's only being dyed to look gold. Is this true?
No, the gold comes from the color of the hairs on the buds of some types of tea plants.

Taobao anon here, my parcel arrived here, in Romania, after 12 days in transit. Hopefully i'll get it next week, after Christmas. Didn't expect SAL shipping to be so fast, especially in December.

>>20027750
>Didn't expect SAL shipping to be so fast, especially in December.
Same here.
5 days and it seems like the package is already on plane or at least very close.
Meanwhile it has been 37 days and FL samples are still in Shanghai

why does my gong fu cha have no taste?
i steeped 5gr of oriental beauty for 20 seconds in a 100ml gaiwan and it tastes like nothing, just hot water

>>20028035
5g is low imo but no taste at all is an issue. What's your gaiwan? what water are you using? what temperature?

>>20028035
Where did you get your oriental beauty from?

>>20026553
Neato

>>20027311
What does shengtai mean in this context again?

>>20028142
It's the name of the gardens it's natural tea gardens

>>20028058
hotsoup.nl

New products with discount on farmer leaf in few days.

>>20028159
Autumn lao man e cake, naka cake too

>>20028162
Autumn jingmai too. Naka black tea also.

>>20028162
nice, might buy some samples

Recently got some of this wild black tea from oldeaystea (https://oldwaystea.com/products/2019-wild-style-black-tea)) and really like the blueberry taste it has. Anyone have any recommendations for black tea with a blueberry taste to it (preferably cheaper)

tfw my order is stuck in china so it wont arrive in time for christmas
well, its alright, i prepared a different gift, ill just drink the tea myself

>>20028351
this one was really heavy on the forest fruit, though not necessarily blueberries: https://thetea.pl/en/produkt/ai-lao-blackberry-yesheng-hong-cha

Imagine this, drinking 150g of oolong in a single day. Absolute best steeps only, no latter weak steeps.

Would you do it?

>>20028657
>13, 16, 'woman'
>"Strictly speaking, the second pot is regarded as the best"

>>20028691
>sheng enjoyers when they say 7 - 14 years old is peak.
https://files.catbox.moe/6qxhf6.mp4

>>20028719
I love this general so much. My next infusion is in your honor.

>>20022219
Osmanthus is a thing in real life?

>>20028142
"natural tea gardens"
basically, a lower intensity plantation that's supposed to be closer in quality to old school gushu gardens

>>20027783
>Meanwhile it has been 37 days and FL samples are still in Shanghai
Jesus that's awful. What kind of shipping did William even use? I've never had parcels stay in China more than 20 days.

>>20027783
>Meanwhile it has been 37 days and FL samples are still in Shanghai
China doesnt want to open itself to the world. anti-china people think china is some third world country with shitty factories but china has many of its own versions of every global company. Chinas domestic market is pretty strong too. maybe now china doesnt want westerners to drink its tea anymore.

>tap water is too hard and will kill the flavor
>spring water you can buy at the store is too hard and will kill the flavor
>distilled water isn't hard enough and will kill the flavor
Is the only cure for being a waterlet to go full autism and buy chemistry supplies to turn distilled water into real water?

>>20029047
if you buy the right brand of spring water with the right degree of mineralization, it will be optimal
but honestly I don't care about water autism, I know it would just annoy me. I just use filtered tap water

>>20029047
You can blend mineral water like Fiji with distilled water until you get to ~150 TDS if you want to try it. This is easy if you have a scale. If you don't notice a difference don't worry about it.

>>20029013
white monkey

Tried 2023 Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix oolong from Red Blossom Tea. Here are my notes:
____
4g/205F/5s

Dry leaf has notes of dark malt and sweet charcoal. Wet leaf lends a roasted wood note, still keeping that dark malt quality.

Light texture, low bitterness, low-medium astringency. Aftertaste has a subtle, sweet malt note sit on the palate, but this doesn't last too many infusions. If pushed, it goes a bit acidic and more astringent, also losing some of the sweet malt quality in the process. However, on an (accidentally) very long infusion, I noticed a somewhat...light almond note in the wet leaf. It isn't totally lacking in complexity (at least initially), but it lacks longevity, ultimately going bland and mono-note. Don't hate it, but not very appealing to me.
____
If anyone does get this, flash infusions or lighter ones otherwise just work better.

Pic of the leaf material for fun. I like seeing whole leaves like this.

tea came in! starting with the shou

Sisters I tried this Puer thing for the first time and it feels like I am drinking some ancient chinese death elixir, the one that they make you drink to kill yourself in chinese historical drama
I steeped it only 15 seconds and it is pitch black and pretty gosh darn bitter, is this the right way to do it?

>>20029407
Yep. I'm drinking some inky shit right now. Pours deep red and turns my glass completely opaque.

>>20029401
Nice cakes, curious about the mengku

>>20029407
Shou is usually dark, but not usually all that bitter. What do you have and how are you brewing

>>20029422
Yes, even nearly stain my counter with how dark it is as a whole

>>20029498
Its called ancient tian Cha-Shou or something, it is inky black-red
Brewing 210F gong fu style with 10+5 sec increments. Used like a 5g individual cake pod for it I think?
It is less bitter now after few passes, but still really funky.

>>20029515
Not heard of that specifically but there's a fair amount of funky cheap shou out there
Try pulling some of the leaf out to weaken it, if you like, or brewing in a larger volume of water

>>20029401
Haiwan in this bitch. I got a 9978 sample, much younger though. Excellent choices. Hit us up with the reviews and photos.

>>20029401
Wait a sec you got a 99 raw as your sample??

>>20029790
it was part of my order, ktm mall has it up as a free sample. really neat of them imo, considering they dont even sell the cake
https://kingteamall.com/products/1999-laotongzhi-908-7542-recipe-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkrUuxvKmxU

>>20029820
THIS IS NOT TEA

>>20029383
Dancong seems tricky, a bit more finicky about brewing then others. It seems like the way the Chinese deal with it is absolutely cramming their gaiwan full of it and doing flash brews

>>20029927
Yeah, aside from filling it to the brim, that's what I tried to perform for the most part, but it didn't seem to do much. I like flash brews and short infusions in general, and those certainly worked best for this tea, but just didn't yield a great result regardless of the parameters I shifted (whether temp or time). Not awful, mind you, but not too good in my opinion.

What if you stuffed a lemon pig with puer to make a cursed version of the puer orange

Let's try the lao man e sample

>>20030484
Bit more character than the ao no me from yesterday the mouth feel is really good, I can feel it with every sip and it's goes away gently not agressive at all. The dry leaves had a classic smell but wet ones got a different fragrance. Hard to define it precisely but you can smell the age of the leaves somehow, not wet wood but maybe an old wooden furniture (in a good way) Going for 4th infusion now.

>>20030491
it's a bit hard to describe age sheng notes isn't it, it resists matching to a word for me
sounds nice anyway, pity it's sold out

>>20030502
It is, that's why i'm trying to do more. It has a good mouth feel for sure even without pushing it. Less endurance than the ao no me I think but not done yet.

Little hot grandpa sheng tonight
http://www.pu-erhtea.com/TeaDetails.aspx?TeaID=900

>>20030484
>>20030503
Nice session, didn't enjoyed it as much as ao no me but i'm not yet into strong mouth feel teas. Didn't push it too much but it could have been a lot stronger if needed. It has a lasting effect in the mouth after drinking, more noticeable than average sheng for me. Endurance is decent too.

>>20030513
And coldbrew for the morning.

>>20030513
>>20030518
is that cake any good? the price is hilariously low

>>20030552
I like it. Nice and punchy. Gets the qi pumping. Bought it for kombucha but I just keep drinking it.

You all sound like betas.

>>20030702
fr fr on god no cap

today is an Indega day. last mate I had was Kraus, but man, these smoked, seasoned Paraguayan mates really are where my preference lies
when I run out it's gonna be kilos of Pajarito for sure

trying to get into tea for the first time, what i ordered was Dongfang meiren (oriental beauty from taiwan) and Bai Hao Yin Zhen (silver needle white tea from Yunnan china)
do these seem like okchoices? or should i have just gone for a standard sencha?
also any general advice for loose leaf tea making would be appreciated

>>20030983
seems like good picks to me. they're likely to be decent and accessible tea but also not similar to typical black.
japanese greens are a bit more mixed reception, not everyone is into it. whereas i'd say most people like an oolong or silver needle. absolutely try sencha if you want though.
my advice would be to read the brewing instructions in the OP pastebin, but also don't take them too seriously.

>>20030983
sounds like ok choices. oriental beauty is kind of expensive for a first oolong though
try some good chinese black teas too

>>20031010
yeah i saw the price and just assumed all tea was expensive
any specific variety recommendations for black and oolong? i was reading and saw good things about ya shi xiang

>>20031010
>>20031016
for reference, i love sweet tasting things (but of course i havent had actual tea yet so i dont know how sweet natural tea can go)

>>20031016
ya shi xiang is a dancong oolong, these can be kind of tricky to brew. but feel free to sample
I'd recommend a good tie guan yin and some rolled oolongs from Taiwan. some entry-level wuyi oolong too. these + the dancong and oriental beauty would give you a decent grasp of the oolong spectrum of flavors
as for black teas, just some high quality yunnan black with good reviews. maybe a classic dianhong. I've recently greatly enjoyed some Tanyang Gong Fu, but most stores don't stock it. curiosities like wild-varietal black teas and shai hong can be fun to try too, but probably not as essential

>>20031019
https://yunnansourcing.com/en-gb/products/sweet-potato-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-black-tea?_pos=1&_ss=r
that's a black tea i've been drinking lately that's got a pretty sweet profile, reasonable price too.
i do worry a bit about describing tea as sweet to newbies, it's not going to compete with coke or fruit juice or something. but you can get some surprisingly sweet tasting stuff.

>>20031036
>it's not going to compete with coke or fruit juice or something
i actually cut all soda and juice out of my diet about 3 weeks ago, losing weight is one of the reasons im trying to experiment with tea, i think my palette should be reasonably reset by now

>>20031087
it's a good first step, drinking that stuff too often really does spoil your palate. hope you enjoy your calorie-free tea, anon.

W2T 2020 Planetary Shark Feed Ripe Puerh

Smooth, sweet, and little bitterness to note. Easy drinking, would be good as a daily driver or for a beginner. Personally I thought it was a little boring, but can't complain on account of the cheap price tag.

>>20031161
yeah I heard that it was a little boring. and IDK if 26$ per 200 grams is all that cheap for a ripe all things considered
I'm happy with my Lumber Slut though and will probably try more w2t ripes, just as a break from all the factory stuff I usually drink

Has anyone here ever bought tea from a Spice & Tea Exchange store? I wanna know if it's any good

>>20030484
Nice, thanks
I wish i wasn't too broke to get the $100 2023 spring laoman e cake

>>20030513
Nice, im glad somebody has been brave enough to try some of their mystery sheng.
Sounds like i should grab a cake with my next order

>>20031087
>i actually cut all soda and juice out of my diet about 3 weeks ago, losing weight is one of the reasons im trying to experiment with tea, i think my palette should be reasonably reset by now
Perfect, dive in deep then friend, lots of interesting sweet and fruity flavors hiding out there in teas.

>>20018391
guys, I just got back from China and got gifted some pic related.
Is this good tea? I have no fucking clue about anything tea related

>>20031376
It ought to be nice
>Jinjunmei (金駿眉) is a celebrated black tea from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province, China. It is made exclusively from the buds plucked in early spring from the tea plant. The buds are subsequently fully oxidized and then roasted to yield a tea that has a sweet, fruity and flowery flavour with a long-lasting sweet after-taste.[1] The brew is bright reddish in colour. It is a representative of high-end black tea in Fujian and has now become one of the most expensive varieties of black tea in China.
Very popular tea for gifting, hard to tell from the packaging just how premium or fancy that particular batch its but it should be nice.

>>20031376
Assuming those bags are 8 grams each brew about half a bag in a small to medium sized mug, boiling water for 3-4 minutes. You can probably save the brewed leaves and use them to make a second cup brewed for 8-10 minutes

>>20029401
starting off with the mengku today

>>20031393
I unfortunately had to throw out the packaging since it's too big for my luggage, from the back of the tin it says it's "special" grade, whatever that means

>>20031398
yeah, I tried half a bag in 85C water for a few minutes like the instructions indicates and it tastes really nice.
It's not at all bitter like the tea I had before. I'll see how long the leaves last before the flavors dissipate

>>20031376
The brand is Bama ('8 Horses', see the logo) if not fake (I have no idea if Bama is a faked brand or how to tell, but this stuff does happen in China). It should be pretty good if it's legit.

Look who finally showed up. Little celebratory peak vulture to break in the glaze.

>>20031466
Hell yeah, nice crackle on that bitch.
Please don't fall for the forced patina meme and just do it naturally.

>>20031466
Any notes on that vulture?

>>20031329
Soon added to the shop is a lao man e autumn and discount so that might be your chance.

>>20030702

Is there something like a big poster of the yunnan map, with all the fancy regions and villages so I could put pins, which tea I already had?

>>20031535
yes you can find them on taobao but only in chinese, heres one for xishuangbanna:
https://world.taobao.com/item/581654429754.html
im not sure translated posters exists but if you find one please post it

2024 is going to be the year of Taobao for /tea/
After seeing how cheap anon got those xiaguan cakes i realize ive been putting this off for way too long and it needs to happen. I need my semi premium young factory cakes for $30-$70 each instead of $60-$150

>>20031410
pretty not too punchy, slightly bitter, almost sour but not sour, floral, mineral taste. Good mouthfeel,
on the thicker side, not too watery. dried leaf has a slight fruity
smell, decently fragrant. Wet leaves look nice, some stems, some 2 leaves one bud, some chopped, but nothing too small.
wet leaves smell floral, a little sharper than a jasmine, but its hard to place, I lack the vocab and experience to name it.
good longevity, so far brews feel pretty consistent after the first 2 steeps. at ~10 steeps starting to wind down a little
first time with this tea so need to have it a bit more before I can really say anything.
the cake is 500g so Ill be able to try it for a while

>>20031601
I had the 2020 version of that cake but i would say my impressions roughly aligne with yours. I really enjoyed it.

>>20031596
I'm guessing they should have sale again on Chinese new year so you will have a chance.

>>20031512
Thats the plan. Any special care I need to take when cleaning?
>>20031525
Takes a bit to open up but after that its smooth earthy chocolate. Little foresty, more mossy maybe. Tiny bit of darker fruits as well. Plummy/pruny. I'll probably snag one or two more if it pops up again this year.

>>20031650
>Any special care I need to take when cleaning?
Nothing really special, i mostly treat it the same way as my other teaware. Make sure you don't use any strongly scented soaps or other cleaning products since the smell could seep into the cracks in the glaze and stick around. But i don't use soap on any of my teaware anyways.
I just wash my teaware with those magic eraser melamine sponges. Scrub with wet magic eraser, then rinse thoroughly with tap water. Gets tea stains off without the need for soap.

>mfw liubao

>>20031898
Damn this shit tastes like gofl course.

>>20031915
8s that good?

>>20032117
For the price I didn't pay for the sample? In a general sense? To the taste of someone who doesn't give much fuck as long as something weird happens such as myself?

It's pretty good if you're going for ripe earth of the most superlative quality. It's like chewing on the bark in the roots of old trees on on the north side of an old mountain.

>>20032127
Sounds like a proper liubao to me

>>20032177
Then buy some eot signature, I don't know, my 40 dollar brick of tibetan style ain't much different.

>>20032188
>Then buy some eot signature
Yeah i got a box last year
Im a bit torn on it, it tastes good, but its fall tea, which he didn't mention. It needs to be pushed hard or it comes out boring, not the best liubao ive had for 40¢ per gram. BUT when i brew it just right it has some fantastic nuances of cured meats that ive only found in other other fancy liubao. Overall i enjoy it but i wouldn't buy another box

Huangpian.

>>20032188
Also if you want a really out there liubao get a bag of this stuff.
https://purplecloudteahouse.com/products/2005-si-jin-quan-four-gold-coins-liu-bao-tea
That brand has their own house taste that's different from the two major liubao producers. Way off into the weeds of earth and funk.
Worth picking up 100g to try it.
Maybe grab some of this while you are at it. I Haven't had a chance to try it yet but it sounds good.
https://purplecloudteahouse.com/products/2006-wild-bamboo-column-liubao?variant=31599458615339

>>20032234
Goddam i really need to improve my lighting. Your dry leaf pics keep coming out looking fantastic. Do you have to mess around with white balance at all whwn you snap these?

>>20032240
I might have to, not that I need to spend any more money on tea. I already have a few kilos of sheng, shou, white, red and fuck knows what else all coming from the same wild plants.

>>20032247
Thank you.
>Do you have to mess around with white balance at all whwn you snap these?
Not really, I just match the room light as needed, but I do have a few basic lights that can change brightness, color temp, and so on. It's harder to get good pictures of a cup and filled gaiwan since it can go grainy with the wrong lighting. I'm about to have a session with this leaf, so maybe you'll see what I mean.

>>20032273
Yeah i have that problem too, trying to shoot down into the gaiwan and still get good detail on the cup with tea in it next to it is tricky.
I think i need to be positioning my camera higher then i am. Or i need to ged some lighting closer to what im doing.

Tried KuuraCorp's 2022 'Chicxulub' Huangpian sheng. I still need to retry one of their shous before making my final opinion on it, but so far, it's laughably better despite being notably cheaper. Notes:
____
4.6g/195F/5s

Dry leaf smells of some 'low' sweetness leaning fruity, and maybe a subtle green quality. Wet leaf brings up the vegetalness quite a bit, presenting notably with a honey-like note, and some stewed fruit on the gaiwan rim.

Medium thickness, low bitterness and astringency. The core flavor may be somewhat grassy, but it isn't over-pronounced. However, the aftertaste is very unusual; surprisingly tangy just on the edges of my tongue, but not the palate itself. There is some subtle grassy sweetness in the infusion besides this, but it isn't over-pronounced. It isn't an acrid sourness like that of an excessively-strong infusion either, which I find intriguing. It is an indirect acidity, but a good one none-the-less.
>>20032325
I'll post a second picture after this to compare a different angle and slightly different lighting position (more overhead). I think the background matters a lot, and my tray may not be the ideal background for capturing clear images.

Second angle shot for anon. Don't know which I prefer.

>>20031898
Disgusting

>>20032350
>>20032353
Hmm, i think the first one works better, the lower angle seems to work better woth the lighting.
Im a big fan of that tangyness you describe, its a nice feature imo

Tea

>>20018391

>>20018391
NEW
>>20033659
>>20033659
>>20033659

>>20031204
>IDK if 26$ per 200 grams is all that cheap for a ripe all things considered
I was thinking more in overall price tag instead of leaves per dollar, but you're not wrong.