/tea/

[Anonymous No.15115869]

/tea/ big boy edition

This thread is for discussing tea, tea bags, tisanes, and other herbal infusions.

info
https://pastebin.com/80GeeXJV

Previous thread:
>>15053255

[Anonymous No.15115907]

How i make tea stronger and not just bitter?

[Anonymous No.15115963]

>>15115907
Maybe use more tea but steep for less time.

[Anonymous No.15116204]

Having enjoyed puer for a couple of years and reading deeply into the topic, I still feel like I can't get a grasp of what's what. Everything has an utterly forgettable Chinese name or is just numbers. Labels are so similar and of course unreadable. Years seem to vary so much. Brands, regions, farms, varietals, all extremely difficult to remember. Couple this with the general untrustworthiness of Chinese businesses, and I feel like I haven't "made progress" in the hobby. Admittedly, I have never had a puer I thought outright was bad, so maybe I just have poor distinction. I have had a 2002 sheng that was divine, though.
I don't really know what I'm asking, I guess. I feel like what I know about puer is the same as it was shortly after I started drinking it. I want to have preferences of farms, varietals, tree ages, etc. but nothing seems memorable. Even the notes of good puer is subtle. Am I just a pleb?

[Anonymous No.15116393]

w2t is doing black friday if you into that sort of things teaheads

[Anonymous No.15116535]

>>15116393
What are they offering? Can't see anything on their site yet.

I know What-Cha is doing a 10% off site-wide, and Yunnan Sourcing currently has 12% off on all loose leaf but apparently they're going to run different sales every couple of days or so.

[Anonymous No.15116550]

I only drink proper builders tea.
Anything else is for poofters.

[Anonymous No.15116669]

>>15116535
yearly snoozefest and free shipping, check out the blog section
ys just launched 10% off everything

[Anonymous No.15116688]

>>15116204
I think only sticking to puer is what makes the tea unenjoyable after a while.
Brew differently, brew different loose-leaf varieties of general. Who said you only hand to stick to such a specific blend of fermented Chinese teas?

[Anonymous No.15116706]

>>15116688
As a whole, puer makes up about only 75% of what I drink. I love a tie kuan yin oolong and would never turn down a green like gunpowder or gyokuro.

[Anonymous No.15116715]

>>15116204
>Years seem to vary so much
Puer has a lot in common with wine. The same farms tea from two different years can be completely different because of different weather, or one year can be bad because the tea wasn't processed properly, or because they couldn't dry it quick enough because it was raining. Then storage also plays a huge role, the exact same batch of tea stored in kunming for a decade will taste very different than that tea stored in Hong Kong.
Drought years tend to have better crops, but also lower yields and therefore higher prices.
It also helps to know when the different price bubbles happened, the first in 05-07 the second in 2011-2013. During those years huge amounts of tea cakes were pressed and some factories were cutting their teas with very low quality material so they could make as many cakes as possible. But there are still very good teas from those years as well.
Post bubble years like 2009 tend to see producers increasing the quality of their teas to try and stimulate demand.
Understanding the different regions is definitely a hassle, with each region and sub region being referred to in different ways.
Taking notes can help you keep track of what teas you enjoy and where they are from.
I have been drinking puer for 4 or 5 years now and i still don't know much, but i really enjoy it. I try to focus on learning how to fund more teas i will like more than mastering all the knowledge of the different regions and factories.

[Anonymous No.15116732]

>>15116715
I appreciate the response. Perhaps I will start taking more precise notes with more emphasis on varietals and regions.
I also feel like I want to try very poor, cheap puer to better get a sense of the gamut of quality. I am afraid to get poisoned cakes for $8 on ebay or Amazon, though.

[Anonymous No.15116784]

>>15116706
Oh I see, that's not too bad then.
I'm more of the average loose leaf drinker. I like some flavored teas too like from Harney & Sons or Tiesta in a while.

[Anonymous No.15116798]

>>15115869
dilmah balls

[Anonymous No.15116809]

>>15115869
Hahaha yeah open borders for Israel.

[Anonymous No.15117561]

is snoozefest from w2t any good?

[Anonymous No.15117623]

>>15117561
Who knows, it's a brand new release that will probably sell out in a few days.
That label is a little too on the nose.
It's probably good if you like their other teas and their signature house flavor profile

[Anonymous No.15117704]

>>15117561
If you are going to make an order from w2t grab one of these.
https://white2tea.com/collections/2012-white2tea-raw-puer/products/2008-often
It's one of the teas that built the w2t store when he was first gaining popularity. Ironically it's not a tea that he made.

[Anonymous No.15117774]

>>15117623
>their signature house flavor profile
i am new and don't know much about the taste young raw puer let alone W2Ts house taste. care to inform me of W2Ts house flavor profile?

>>15117704
i will keep that in mind.

what are W2Ts best cheap shu cakes?

[Anonymous No.15118012]

>>15117774
You can't really go wrong with their Shu Waffles and Brown Sugar.
Lumber slut if you want something that tastes like straight WOOD, but in a good way. It's a little strong for me personally.

[Anonymous No.15118045]

>>15115869
>Tea. "Big boy edition"
Dilmah is disgusting drivel. lol

[Anonymous No.15118138]

What do you guys suggest for someone to get into tea? I'm really interested in trying floral teas, but I don't know anything about good brands or where to start.

[Anonymous No.15118199]

That water filter. Hand it over. Time to replace it.

[Anonymous No.15118272]

>>15117774
>care to inform me of W2Ts house flavor profile?
It's hard for me to articulate, it's worth placing at least one order from them just so you can see what their teas are like.

[Anonymous No.15118485]

new video fellow williamchads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE5lTbIi84U

also KTM is apparently doing a bf sale, so wait a few days if you are planning an order

[Anonymous No.15118873]

When it says
>for each subsequent infusion add this much time
Does that mean for black, first is 120 seconds, then second infusion put water is for 180 seconds, third 240 etc

Or does it mean first 120 seconds, second just put water in for 60 seconds, third 60 seconds etc

Pls help I’m dumb

[Anonymous No.15118930]

>>15118873
I'd like for you to try both, and report back with your findings.

[Anonymous No.15118959]

/mate/ master race here. Everything else is inferior

[Anonymous No.15118991]

>>15118873
just try nigga
tea is ultra subjective and down to preference, and differs from each tea, not just type of tea, but each different tea in each sub section

treat tea as ultra casual, which it is
don't feel you need to go by some scientific measurements to get a good brew

[Anonymous No.15119336]

>>15118873
the more infusion you do the weaker it will be, so 2 mins then 3min ect, 2mins seems small for a black tea, what water to leaf ratio are you using?

[HOT MAN No.15119668]

>>15118045
agreed, Dilmah and ahmad tea and most of those types of teas are shit.

[HOT MAN No.15119674]

>>15118138
if you like floral teas i'd recommend China jasmine, it's kind of a you either hate it or love it kind of tea. I think most loose leaf teas should be good for beginners

[Anonymous No.15120260]

>>15118138
>>15119674
>China jasmine
This or tie guan yin would be a good place to start.

[Anonymous No.15120707]

Does anyone own one of these sterling silver lined cups or gaiwans?
Im thinking of getting a big lidded mug with a silver lining and I'm wondering if they are any good.

[Anonymous No.15121119]

>>15118012
>>15118272
thanks

[Anonymous No.15122441]

>>15121119
If you decide to order please post your impressions when you get a chance

[Anonymous No.15123265]

>>15122441
I will try to but it may take a while.

[Anonymous No.15123461]

Just bought a Russell & Hobbs kettle and on the packaging it says some shit about different teas needing different temperatures.
Does anybody actually boil the water to a different temperature for their teas?

I got the temp gauge on the thing so I might as well use it if it's not a meme.

[Anonymous No.15123559]

whats everyones favorite english breakfast, ive had typhoo and twinnings

[Anonymous No.15123593]

>>15123461
yes is use different temps for different teas
170-180 for greens
180-190 for white teas
212 or close to it for just about everything else (oolong, black, puer)
some Japanese greens even require lower temps and you may find a few oddball teas that prefer lower or higher temps then standard. vendors may give what temperature they recommend for a particular tea in which case i would try what they say first. feel free to experiment and find what works for you.

[Anonymous No.15123665]

>>15123461
Yes.

https://pastebin.com/80GeeXJV

[Anonymous No.15123722]

>>15123593
White teas without a lot of buds I would go full boil.
Actually some white teas are really good thrown on a stove top and boiled for 5-10 minutes, but again these are white teas with barely any to no buds.

[Anonymous No.15123739]

General shipping question. If I ordered some teas from yuunansourcing today, would they get to the states before christmas time?

I'm trying to put together a sampling for my wife and I for a joint christmas present

[Anonymous No.15123834]

>>15123739
They should if you get the new express shipping option they added.
Also look at yunnansourcing.us smaller selection but it ships domestically

[Anonymous No.15123850]

>>15123739
DHL will get there in time (i have gotten orders within a week from YS using DHL).
YS Express (DHL+USPS) may get there in time.
anything else is probably not a safe bet right now if you need it by Christmas.
https://yunnansourcing.com/pages/welcome-to-the-yunnan-sourcing-shipping-page

they also have a usa based site but the price (excluding shipping) and selection (it has some Taiwan oolongs the main site does not have though) is generally worse.
https://yunnansourcing.us/
it should also get to you in time.

[Anonymous No.15123871]

>>15123850
>>15123834

Thanks to both of you. Very much appreciate the feedback!

[Anonymous No.15123902]

>go to fancy organic store
>buy super expensive organic chamomile tea by weight
>also have to buy a tea strainer thing
>is fucking annoying to make, can't stop thinking about how expensive this stupid cup of tea is
>anticipate a decent tea to make up for my hassle
>its literally worse, weaker, more bitter than the regular shit i buy for like 2 dollars 30 bags from the supermarket

What the fuck? What a scam

[Anonymous No.15123938]

>>15123902
I bought an lb of chamomile from a local spice shop for $12. They acted like I was trying to rob them blind.

[Anonymous No.15123996]

>>15123871
also if you make an order be sure to use one of their coupon codes. note you can only use one code per order.
https://yunnansourcing.com/pages/bogo-offers

https://yunnansourcing.us/pages/promo-code-sale-use-the-promo-code-at-checkout
https://yunnansourcing.us/pages/free-gift-offers-and-bogo-offers-buy-one-get-one-free

[Anonymous No.15124374]

>>15123739
FWIW it's been a few days since I made an order and it hasn't shipped yet.

[Anonymous No.15124561]

What's a good brand of yerba mate to try? I've drank it before but never made it myself. I'm looking at mymateworld since it was listed in the OP.

[Anonymous No.15124571]

>>15123593
i like my blacks at 90c, its less bitter
white buds 80-85c, white leaf full boiling

[Anonymous No.15124614]

I'm just getting into tea and bought this variety pack

[Anonymous No.15124650]

>>15124614
That's a hell of a sampler.

[Anonymous No.15124663]

>>15115869
do you bite your mouse ?
maybe you should drink less tea..

[Anonymous No.15124938]

>>15124663
mx518. Legendary mouse right up with with the intellimouse 3.0. You don't understand how fucking peak 4chan that picture is.

[Ninjanon No.15124951]

>>15124663
or drink better tea

[Anonymous No.15124975]

>>15124938
I'm more concerned that there's a fucking bottle of KETCHUP in the background

[Anonymous No.15125043]

>>15115869
what's the dankest maltiest black tea money can buy

[Anonymous No.15125720]

W2t and bitterleaf are for hipsters but I live their stuffs

[Anonymous No.15125807]

>>15124374
the us site always takes a few days to ship and if you picked the YS Express on the .com site they only ship that every several day because they are combining a bunch of orders into one huge DHL package to reduce cost before they ship it to the states where they split it up and reship it to you.

[Anonymous No.15125811]

>>15125720
awww i love the little elephant. your set has a really nice design

[Anonymous No.15126092]

90% people eat while watching something on pc, why it's strange to some, to have ketchup always next to you?

[Anonymous No.15126162]

>>15126092
>that oily film on top of your tea

please de-chalk your pipes/kettle

[Anonymous No.15126550]

>>15126162
looks more like steam than a mineral slick to me. a little bit of a mineral slick does not necessarily mean the water is bad for tea either. besides they are drinking cheap black tea anyways so there is not a reason to be too picky about water quality anyways.

[Anonymous No.15126675]

>>15124975
Like I said.

>peak 4chan

Thats not a staged picture. It happened.

[Anonymous No.15126795]

>>15125811
Thanks I love it too !

[Anonymous No.15127160]

>>15126550
100% steam.

[Anonymous No.15127701]

>>15126092
oh my god why is that radiator so bent. and the dust

[Anonymous No.15127767]

>>15126092
darjeeling is pretty good

[Anonymous No.15127776]

>>15124614
>bagged
Why do people in these threads think that these shitty, pre-filled teabags are somehow any value or quality?

[Anonymous No.15127881]

>>15127701
there's no dust, that just radiators top cover, was like that before me(dorm room)

[Anonymous No.15127921]

farmer leaf is doing black friday, time to finally order something from the frenchie. especially since from 2021 on importing anything from outside of EU will be a customs nightmare.

[Anonymous No.15128238]

>>15127881
ah apologies, understandable. would still recommend you stop using tea bags though and just go loose leaf, they are both better for you and make tea taste stronger/nicer.

[Anonymous No.15128264]

>>15127767
>darjeeling is pretty good
Yes, one of my favorite black teas

[Anonymous No.15128274]

>>15128264
yesss it's so much better than assam and similar teas. Darjeeling just tastes sweeter

[Anonymous No.15128295]

>>15127921
Oh cool, I'm interested to hear what you think of it. Are you going to go with one of his jingmai teas?

[Anonymous No.15128868]

>>15127921
>from 2021 on importing anything from outside of EU will be a customs nightmare.
care to explain?

[Anonymous No.15129203]

>>15128868
They will have to pay customs fees on just about everything, no more minimum value before fees are assessed.

[Anonymous No.15129554]

>>15129203
I also think they are just going to assume that declared values are low and asses duties based on some arbitrary assumed value

[Anonymous No.15130648]

Planning on ordering hojicha for my dad, his wife, my aunt, and my uncle. Is Sugimoto Tea Company any good? Or should I try elsewhere?

[Anonymous No.15130663]

>>15115907
G o n g F u

[Anonymous No.15130745]

dropped the lid on my gaiwan, only ~9 months old. cold mornings are a bitch, hands freeze up so easily

[Anonymous No.15130749]

Anyone else put tea in their espresso machine?

[Anonymous No.15130765]

>>15130745
Dude you too?
Did it to mine a couple months ago. Was a clean enough break I still use it most days.
Love the size/shape/glaze too much for me to stop using it.

[Anonymous No.15130779]

>>15130765
i think its cheap weak porcelain, thats why there's the black backing to re-enforce it, i'm still going to use it, the chip is below the fill level and the edge doesnt seem to be sharp

[Anonymous No.15131228]

finally getting round to reviewing the tea i got early this month. pretty sure i've had covid twice, once in Jan and again early Oct. definitely feels like i've lost a small bit of my ability to smell/taste

2012 Gao Jian Shan "Qian Liang Cha" Hunan Hei Cha
99c 5g/100ml 10sec +5 x10
this has yellow flowers and breaks apart really easily which is surprising considering how tightly packed it is for aging
very light for a hei cha, reminds me of Guan Gong but a little sour(makes sense they're the same brand) or Cha Yu Lin "Wu Long Mountain" fruity and juicy
by the 3rd/4th much darker, slight spice and wood. very smooth and mellow. re hydrates easily, i hate having to break up clumps
starts off blonde and becomes darker to an brownish amber, surprising little amount of dust in the bottom of my cup too

Qian Liang Cha is packed into columns in bamboo baskets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHaY2Xz-fgA&feature=youtu.be&t=3m4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm7PxSWih4o&feature=youtu.be&t=4m1s
i got 250g and it came in large chunks, feels a little spongy and i haven't needed my pick to break it up, just pulling. nice and cheap tea, buying 250g blind might have been a bit silly but its very drinkable. really enjoying these Gao Jian Shan teas, everyone i've had so far has been very nice

[Anonymous No.15131429]

I really really like this stuff, probably my favourite tea currently.
Any other white teas worth seeking out?

[Anonymous No.15131553]

>>15131429
You might want to look into white tea cakes. They'll change in flavour after ageing for a couple years, but you could start with some recent ones that are not very expensive and pretty similar in taste to regular loose leaf white tea.

https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/compressed-white-tea/products/imperial-grade-yue-guang-bai-white-tea-mini-cake

https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/compressed-white-tea/products/jinggu-sun-dried-silver-needles-white-pu-erh-tea-cake-spring-2019

[Anonymous No.15131565]

>>15122441
Not that anon, but I ordered the snoozefest as well. As it is my first time ordering from W2T (and having very little experience with puer altogether) I also ordered some samples.

[Anonymous No.15131773]

>>15131565
It's actually crazy how cheap white 2 tea is, for the same price I normally buy my puerh cakes at, I can get..

Basics Puer Tea Sample Set
Tea Terroir Ripe Puer
2016 ChocoBar Sample Set
2016 Sister Brother
Tea Terroir Raw Puer

so 1.7kg of tea, vs 357g
give or take a few more sample sets

[Anonymous No.15131779]

>>15131429
The Jinggu Silver Needles cake >>15131553
mentions is pretty good, especially at that price. If you haven't yet, try some middle-grade whites like bai mu dan and moonlight white (I haven't tried that Yue Guang Bai but it's probably a fine example). If you want something else from Yunnan Sourcing for the same price, a lot of people like their "Three Aroma" bai mu dan.

[Anonymous No.15131823]

>>15131773
where do you normally buy your supper expensive cakes from? either you where buying supper premium tea and this is an apples to oranges comparison or you where getting ripped off hard. white2tea's are mostly decent though especially when you consider they subsidize their shipping costs.

[Anonymous No.15131861]

>>15131823
I'm not getting ripped off haha

Auction's
TWL
KTM
TealifeHK
btw, these aren't "super" expensive cakes

there are other site's I use, but I'd say KTM is the main one, I actually use more like 10 other's, but some of them only have a couple of good cakes, so it's not my main source

[Anonymous No.15131976]

>>15128295
$37 naka full bing, are you kidding me? yeah, it's autumn and not gushu, but I really like autumn teas. material on the photos looks very promising not much stems or huang pian, plenty of buds. if it's anything like chenshenghao nakas flavor and aroma wise then it's a steal.

>>15130745
>>15130765
broke only one gaiwan in my lifetime and yes, it was cracked glaze too. I feel it should be a PSA - those crackled porcelain gaiwans are very fragile, buyers beware. I wish I could still use mine, because it had some nice crazying already but it basically broke in half.
>>15131228
thanks. I was eyeing those logs earlier but reasoned - heicha is heicha and I drink them very rarely. besides Liu An, this is a good one and I brew it quite often.

[Anonymous No.15132188]

>>15131861
>$280 cake not "super" expensive
I think you are out of touch. not everyone is a financially well off puer head or Asian businessman. yes i am aware the prices can get way, way higher but that does not make it any less premium. i am sure the percentage of even enthusiast tea drinkers who regularly consume $0.78/g tea is quite small. cakes >$100 are already "premium" and and i would argue that $200+ cakes fall in an even higher price bracket hence my use of the term "super". i hope you enjoy your tea i sure wish i had that kind of cash to throw down.

[Anonymous No.15132321]

>>15119336
>what water to leaf ratio are you using?
Crazy how overlooked this piece of information is

[Anonymous No.15132469]

>>15132188
well, prehaps
I'd rather spend $200-$400 on 1-2 maybe 3 cakes a month than buy 5-10 cakes of varying quality, maybe if I were new to tea I'd would prefer to do that though

Every now and then I'll tong a recipe batch if it had good storage before, but this isn't for serious and immediate consumption, it's for long term aging

I think it's reasonable to spend $100-$200 on tea a month, then it's just about what you want to buy / what your preferences are
I know people who buy loads of bricks of some old, recipe shou to be drunk daily and casually

I don't think a, let's say $150 cake can be considerd premium
It can be considerd good quality, even for the price
but premium is more like $500+ per cake in my eyes

this isn't to say cheaper, lower than $100 or White2tea stuff is bad
there's loads of good stuff at all price ranges, I have a couple w2t stuff which I thought was enjoyable

Wait until you get into the clay/pot community
dropping a couple thousand for some vintage pots
I have several pots of varying quality, some LQER, some vintage, some modern and some pre 70's and 80's f1 pots
now that's a real price sink

[Anonymous No.15132615]

>>15132321
It's insane how people will scorch their tea leaves or brew them for like an hour in order to get some flavor out of them rather than just use more tea leaves.

>>15132469
NTA and you're welcome to spend your money however you want, but $150 is objectively a lot to spend on a cake.
Speaking for myself, I spend $200 on all of the food and beverages I consume in a month.

[Anonymous No.15132678]

>>15132469
>$100-$200 on tea a month
that's a lot of money to a lot of people. the Real Median Personal Income in the USA (a very wealthy nation) is only around $3000 a month (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N)) and that is before living expenses, healthcare, savings, dependents, and taxes. furthermore $150 cakes are expensive in comparison to what i expect the majority of high quality "specialty" tea that is sold fo and therefore it is a premium product. yes you can spend more on other hobbies but for the most part (there are are exceptions for example some markets may be considered inherently premium or not) whether a good is premium or not is dictated by its position in its own market. also the high end price points of of a lot of luxury good classes are not representative of the market for that class of good (for example see veblen goods). not saying that that you should not buy quality over quantity or trying to shame you for buying fancy tea but i think your perspective on what is the baseline price of things is skewed a bit because you can afford much pricier products then the average individual.

[Anonymous No.15132724]

>>15132615
huh
ok

>>15132678
I guess I can agree with that, I'm not extremely well off
but I'm sure my view is biased
It doesn't help that the community is an echo chamber, where we trade tea's / gift eachother stuff every week
so, depending what I buy, I may not even buy for myself, but for someone that want's to try it, I'll send them like a 20g sample and like some mid 2000's XG ironcake


I don't mean to put down anyone that spends less, as I said, quality is at every price point
There's some fantastic tea's I got from people or from KTM under $100 than can compare to more expensive stuff
Shou as well, a lot of the people in the community drink LCT's (Lao Cha Tou) and GNWL's (Golden Needle White Lotus) and they're very affordable
a lot of the mid 2000's XG cakes are great and are around $50-60

and we universally love the TWL's Twelve Cent shou/sheng which are $30 each
I actually just got some of this http://www.liquidproust.com/listing/911489027/2003-snoot-shroom-240g
great deal for the material / aging

[Anonymous No.15132795]

>>15115869
>that well worn MX518
Absolutely patrician.

[Anonymous No.15132855]

>>15132724
Where do I sign up to your club? Sound's like you're having a good fun over there. Trading expensive tea's and gnwl's is pretty heckin adorable and valid if you ask me.
I also like Liquid Proust, not even for his curated selection of tea's but for his quirky antics, cracks me up. He really cares for community like a good guardian angel. Did you know that his friend died?
If you like some premium teas why not try Mei Leaf. Very rare and organic selection over there. It can be costly but Don knows what he's sourcing and me and my partner trust him with our money.

[Anonymous No.15132913]

Well this is slightly frustrating.
.com on the left .us on the right.

[Anonymous No.15132923]

Why is there so much overlap between tea drinkers (especially puerh) and lesbianism?

[Anonymous No.15132930]

>>15132855
It's just the forums / discord
teachat / teaforum

A lot of vendor's mixed in with us, so a lot of the time we ask directly if they can send some stuff since it's easier for them to get (or literally just not possible to get in the west at the moment)
we use taobao a lot, like mx tea
there's a lot of tea out there this is just not readily available to the west, like Xi-Zhi Hao and Yanqinghao, houdefinetea had some Xi-Zhi Hao stocked but it got insta bought up, so Liquidproust sources a lot of XZH stuff for us (if you notice on his site, a lot of it's samples, you can just ask him to get your a cake instead if you wanted)

and Yanqinghao we email a guy called Emmett and he'll give us a price based on what we want and do a mass order for the community

We do loads of group buys, so can get like 3k worth of tea between 10 of us and try a whole stock of a vendor, and only spend $300


Yeah I knew about that
it sucks, but he's doing ok
He's actually typing in the discord right now :D
A lot of us pitched in for his yearly sale, supplying cakes, but that ended recently / got bought up ultra quick
I tried a few thing's from Mei Leaf but not much, I don't think any of us like his video's much, a lot of weird info, but some of it's decent, his mark up I feel is quite unbalanced as well, similar issue I have with YS since the price increases every year no matter what on every cake, so you have a lot of old cakes that are definitely not worth the price listed (plus for some reason scott hates anything but kunming storage, almost all of us dislike kunming storage)

[Anonymous No.15132952]

>>15132930
>discord tea trannies
Oh no no no no

[Anonymous No.15132970]

>>15132952
buying up that wisteria stock
so who cares

[Anonymous No.15132980]

>>15132724
>I don't mean to put down anyone that spends less
I was not trying to accuse you of anything anything bad. you did not come off as trying to brag. its just my impression of a $280 cake is radically different then what you implied yours was in your first post about how cheap W2T is. I mostly buy in the 5-20¢/g range (I.E. the low end of good tea) at the moment. I fully intend to try some more pricey stuff when I have more income. I am a collage student at the moment so my cash flow is not great. happy sipping.

[Anonymous No.15133025]

>>15132970
it's wistaria you absolute waste of jizz and please go back to your echo chamber.

[Anonymous No.15133036]

>>15133025
doesn't matter you fuckboy

[Anonymous No.15133664]

>>15132930
Speaking of Yanqinghao I'm working through my sample pack from that guy on ebay who is selling a few of their cakes. I was drinking a 2013 yiwu earlier that was pretty good but I'm not a huge yiwu fan overall. Trying some more of this ripe now. The dry leaf smelled a bit ripe but the taste was fantastic.
This one one of the first higher priced shus i have tried and I'm pretty surprised how much better it is than the cheap stuff.
Here is a link to that guy's sample set. One of the ong places ro get yong quing hao tea with dealing with group buys.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Puer-sample-of-pu-er-by-Tong-Qing-Hao-4-shublack-2-sheng-green-raw-puerh-6-10g/303563859764

[Anonymous No.15133780]

>>15133664
At higher prices you pay less for taste but the effects it has on you

here's the site for you, if you want to buy a whole cake
http://www.yangqinghao.com/index.php/teas

can recomend the 05 Cangliu, 06 Chawangshu, and 06 Tianpin

[Anonymous No.15133965]

>>15133780
Have you tried any of the WMD cakes from bitter leaf?
Any recommendations for cakes at $1/g or less that have really strong "tea drunk" effects?

[Anonymous No.15134310]

About to sip on a nice cuppa Twinings Focus, fresh from the microwave.

[Anonymous No.15134346]

>>15133965
Ok chud

[Anonymous No.15134956]

>>15133965
I have the 2017 WMD, it's pretty good, but I'm not sure if it's worth the price (at the moment, who knows aging) it's a pretty torn cake, some love it, some think it's really underwhelming, I think better purchases are like
Alter Ego
Plum Beauty 2017
7581

I think jay from tealifehk was considering getting a tong of plum beauty 2017, i don't remember anyone trying the other version's though

I don't think you actually want to get tea drunk, it's not nice, i think you mean qi
it depends on brewing parameters and storage, but strong qi you want to look for bulang material, TXTA is known for qi, very affordable also, 12cent sheng, I thought the 04 8653 gave good qi

If you wanna spend big bucks for QI, get the CYH Manzhuan from TWL, we split a cake
Chenyuan Hao's are generally known for their QI as it is
LCT shou

[Anonymous No.15135012]

>>15133965
>>15134956
If you want a reference to Bulang
TWL restocked 2005 Bulang Double Lion about 5-6 hours ago with 2 tongs
In under an hour, it went out of stock (each person buying 1 or 2) this is a $237 cake
I got one ofcourse, but this is kind of a testament to how much we like bulang cakes (if you want strong as FUCK cakes, get bulang)

there's also Nanqiao Bulang King which is $125
not as great as double lion, but it's very good stuff nevertheless

[Anonymous No.15135227]

>>15132913
>shipping from china to US is cheaper than shipping within the US
wow. also that xiaguan ripe is quite nice

[Anonymous No.15135411]

>>15127776
99% of people drink bagged tea. Tea cakes are for pretentious ck faggots. Never seen anyone with one in my life

[Anonymous No.15135413]

>>15135227
You flipped it anon.

[Anonymous No.15135425]

>>15135411
Imagine buying a $200 chink tea cake filled with lead, heavy metals, and other pollutants instead of a convenient box of regulated and reputable teabags for 5 bucks.

[Anonymous No.15135434]

Alright /tea/fags, as a teophtye is kratom tea any good or worth drinking?

[Anonymous No.15135445]

>>15135411
It's because of where you live
go to Taiwan, HK, China, even Malaysia
there's tea shops on every corner that sells large quantites of loose leaf tea and walls lined with plastic wrapped cakes

it just goes to show your ignorance

[Anonymous No.15135449]

>>15135411
>flyover
your bait is stronk

[Anonymous No.15135639]

>>15134956
>>15135012
Thanks anon

[Anonymous No.15135652]

>>15135434
Kratom is pretty good if you get stuff that's decent quality, a lot of the gas station or headshop stuff sucks. Kraken is okay. Don't brew tea with it just mix a gram or two with a shots worth of hot water, stir it and then chug it with a glass of water on hand to chase it.
Making tea with it sucks and does nothing, it also tastes like dirt.

[Anonymous No.15135706]

>>15131228
Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Black Tea Cured in King Orange
90c 4g/100ml about 1/3 an orange, 2 were 14g one 10g. 20sec +5/infusion(also tried 35sec+5)

a little weak but thats to be expected i'm only using 4g/100g and some of that will be the peel, quite dry in the mouth, you get more orange smell from the wet leaf than drinking the tea
even though its weak and dry i'm enjoying it. pretty comfy, its so dry my tongue feels like sandpaper though, thats probably from the pith
took it for 8 infusions and a last 5min.
ys also sells a white tea packed in oranges, i'll pick some of those up next order
nice novelty tea, wouldn't make it a daily drinker but i've paid more for worse tea

[Anonymous No.15136055]

>>15135411
I'm sorry but most normal tea drinkers drink loose leaf tea. it's not "pretentious". it just tastes better and doesn't make your stomach hurt.
loose leaf tea, depending on the type, isn't even that much more expensive than some bagged teas. plus, you have more of a variety and the leaves are bigger.

[Anonymous No.15136124]

>>15135652
This person of indeterminate sex kratoms.

[Anonymous No.15136745]

>>15136055
>I'm sorry but most normal tea drinkers drink loose leaf tea

FALSE

[Anonymous No.15136764]

>>15135449
>>15135445

Lololol buying a puck of compressed crap
from china is superior? Do euros really? It even LOOKS like shit. ENJOY YOUR POLLUTANTS

[Anonymous No.15136913]

Has anyone here worked in a tea shop? I got laid off from my tech job a few months ago and I'm kind of sick of computers anyway, and I live in a city neighborhood with a few tea places (it's a college town full of young Asians). I imagine there's a place for a knowledgeable white guy behind the counter.

[Anonymous No.15136922]

Any rooibros here?

[Anonymous No.15136934]

>>15136922
I like my tea how I like my women. Red bush.

[Anonymous No.15136935]

>>15136922
Luv rooib
Red rooibos mixed with honeybush is one of my go-to tisanes. For the second brew I'll add a little hibiscus, or some of a mediocre white tea I wouldn't drink on its own, to perk things up. Are there other herbals you like to blend it with?
Green rooibos is less exciting but mixes nicely with general "green" herbs- things like mint, nettle, and lemon balm.

[Anonymous No.15136963]

>>15136913
I haven't so can't give advice but out of curiosity where do you live?

[Anonymous No.15136999]

>>15136963
Providence, Rhode Island

[Anonymous No.15137140]

Do you all ever make bubble tea?
I'd like to learn more about the boba /tapioca pearls as well as the finer elements of making a black milk tea
I'm going to use a non-nutrive sweetener instead of brown sugar

[Anonymous No.15137207]

>>15136922
Rooibos with vanilla is my favourite nighttime drink. I hear honeybush is similar, should probably try it sometime.

[Anonymous No.15137553]

does anyone have any good tea combination ideas that use star anise? what other spices should i use and what type of tea base?

[Anonymous No.15137899]

>>15137553
What are you trying to do?

[Anonymous No.15138809]

>>15137140
If you're buying packaged boba, look for the kind that is ready in ~5 minutes (pic related). I've tried a bunch of brands and there are some that take 45 minutes of boiling and they still came out bad.

[Anonymous No.15138843]

>>15132795
>>15124938
Based boomers my mx510 still running strong

[Anonymous No.15140299]

bump

[Anonymous No.15140430]

Does anyone have a tea/ tasting notes template you're willing to share? Bonus points for a photo from a real journal.

[Anonymous No.15140503]

>>15137553
Black tea as a base. Looks up the spice blend used in chai tea. Star anise is definitely one of the spices in it.

[Anonymous No.15140918]

aay spent 1k on tea this month, it's christmas after all

[Anonymous No.15140933]

>>15140503
thank you

[Anonymous No.15141665]

Coof

[Anonymous No.15141853]

>>15141665
go sip on handsantizer or something

[Anonymous No.15141861]

>>15140918
I only spent $40 on tea this month
I'm waiting till January or February to put in another big order. If i order new tea now i will never drink the old tea.

[Anonymous No.15142126]

How the hell you spend hundreds a month on fucking TEA!? Beyond idiotic. At that point you have to realize you're just obsessed with the "hobby

[Anonymous No.15142179]

>>15140918
660 here. Merry Christmas

[Anonymous No.15142182]

>>15142126
Good tea is expensive and life is too short to drink bad tea. I'm not obsessed but I wish I was.

[Anonymous No.15142213]

How do i make butter tea?

[Anonymous No.15142261]

>>15142213
make black tea, add butter, blend in blender. apparently Qian Liang tea is used but i imagine any hei cha or strong dark tea would work well

[Anonymous No.15142267]

>>15140918
none for me, spent ~£600 this year and all my xmas money went on car repairs

[Anonymous No.15142629]

>>15142261
Don't forget the pinch of salt

[Anonymous No.15143108]

>>15142126
I'm one of the people who was saying how expensive $280 is for a cake, but it doesn't make someone an idiot to choose to spend their money on something that makes them happy.

[Anonymous No.15143758]

I usually buy tea that's around .10¢ to .15¢ per gram. I think the point of diminishing returns is probably somewhere between $200 and $300 per cake. Obviously there are expensive turds but most of the cakes i have tried that were ove $100 were noticably better than $30 cakes.
Once to get to around $300 you are starting to deal with collectable stuff where the value isn't necessarily based on how good the tea is.

[Anonymous No.15143862]

I'm a basic bitch. What is a good go-to store brand of tea for nice calming evenings/nights?
Thanks in advance for reading my blog.

[Anonymous No.15144535]

>>15143862
Celestial seasonings - sleepy time
Yogi - kava stress relief

[Anonymous No.15145314]

Is there any point in buying 15+ year old ripe puer?

[Anonymous No.15145375]

>>15143862
.5mg of xanax washed down with half a strong beer. 30 minutes later a nice cup of chamomile tea with some honey. Guaranteed 10 hours sleep with dope ass dreams, waking up optimistic as fuck and ready to kick the weeks ass. It's my go to for Sunday nights working in a high stress sales career

[Anonymous No.15145427]

>>15145375
Easy does it, anon. Be careful.

[Anonymous No.15145445]

>>15140430
Anyone?

[Anonymous No.15145517]

>>15140430
>>15145445
I don't usually write down my tasting notes for new teas. I just take my time to savor what I'm drinking and think about the different tastes I'm detecting. :-)

[Anonymous No.15145614]

>>15145445
I don't really take notes, i wish I did but im too lazy. I think with gongfu brewing i would probably break it up per brew and write all the notes i experience with each infusion.

[Anonymous No.15145934]

Back to the sample life.

[Anonymous No.15146779]

Lets go tea frens.

[Anonymous No.15146849]

TWL order

[Anonymous No.15146886]

>>15146779
nice, only 1 i've tried is the 13 y/o da hong pao, can't say i liked it that much but then i've never liked any dhp i've tried

[Anonymous No.15147878]

>>15145934
Is it good?

[Anonymous No.15147887]

>>15146849
Post your thoughts on the love forever. I got a ig sample of it from KTM a year or two ago and thought it was very interesting. It had some hard to describe bitter flavor i haven't seen often in other teas.

[Anonymous No.15148105]

>>15147887
Will do
The Taiwan Storage will probably be better atleast
but we'll see after a couple weeks in my pumi

[Anonymous No.15148288]

>>15148105
Oh i also meant to ask, any recommendations for good value teas from KTM? Preferably $60 and under.

[Anonymous No.15148447]

>>15148288
For this kind of insider information you'll have to lick my pumi first.

[Anonymous No.15148665]

>>15147878
Tasted like a xiaguan.

[Anonymous No.15148764]

>>15148288
https://kingteamall.com/products/2006-changtai-si-pu-yuan-tong-an-hang-65s-year-of-hk-tongan-tea-cake-400g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=31996465086567

[Anonymous No.15149537]

What are some good kettles for under $50?

[Anonymous No.15149636]

>>15148764
Thanks!

[Anonymous No.15149674]

>>15149537
If you don't mind that it's not temp control i really like my secura kettle. It's 100% stainless steel on the inside so no plastic or silicone or other materials are in contact with the water.
They have a 1.5 L version
https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-Electric-Shut-Off-Protection/dp/B07HLPVR45/
And a 1 L version
https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-Electric-Shut-Off-Protection/dp/B07MP2DK4B/

[Anonymous No.15149692]

>>15149537
>>15149674
And if you want a temp control kettle the bonavita 1 L is on sale right now for $52.
There have been some complaints about long term durability but really none of these kettles last like the old ones did.
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV382510V-Variable-Temperature-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40

[Anonymous No.15149719]

>>15149674
>>15149692
Lovely, anon. I've just got myself the Secura 1.5l one. Thank you, I appreciate it.

[Anonymous No.15149832]

>>15149692
Got that exact Bonavita about 2 and a half years ago for $40, got lucky with an amazon warehouse deal for a supposedly cosmetic damaged kettle but it was basically brand new.
I boil at least a liter of water through it every day and its been perfect.

[Anonymous No.15150127]

>>15149692
I'm actually planing on getting a 1.7l Bonavita
but I'm in the UK

and you can't get it here, so I need to pay like $180 total with shipping + import

[Anonymous No.15150412]

How are you storing your puer these days, anon?

[Anonymous No.15150483]

>>15150412
pumidor cooler
boveda 72% X2
Hygrometer x2

Mylar and Ziplock bags open

[Anonymous No.15151166]

Anyone else started their first day of their tea advent calendar? Enjoying the teabento explore edition this december .

https://teabento.com/shop/tea-advent-calendar-content/

[Anonymous No.15151769]

>>15151166
I did! a different brand though.

[Anonymous No.15151809]

what do if you are a literal retard and bought 1kg of horrendous tea that tastes like shit?
can you make bread or something out of it ?

looking some way to use it other than throw all of it into the trash
don't like wasting food

[Anonymous No.15151814]

>>15151166
nigga thats kawai

[Anonymous No.15151819]

>>15146779
how will you store it?

[Anonymous No.15151832]

>>15151809
already forced down 3/4 of the horrendous maofeng green tea
it just tastes bitter and grassy no matter how much I use or what temperature
I think to remember it didn't taste as shit in the beginning 4 months ago I think had some floral notes or something

still most of the cheap ass tieguanyin is still left. It has a penetrating roast taste and it's bitter. Almost no floral or sweetness.

[Anonymous No.15151887]

>>15151809
what about tea muffin/cupcakes? just use like really strong extract from it.

[Anonymous No.15151901]

>>15151887
yes maybe I could do that. instead of matcha I just grind the leafes in a mixer

[Anonymous No.15151916]

>>15150483
Why bother with bags?

[Anonymous No.15151918]

>>15151166
>>15151769
I buy one for Mama Bear every year. I've only heard of Adagio's. Is there another one out there? I'd love to mix it up next year.

[Anonymous No.15151922]

>>15142126
>you're just obsessed
Yes.

[Anonymous No.15152027]

>>15151832
can I roast the green tea?
whats the best way to go about this?
just heat a pan and let it sit there for a while?

anybody tried this?

[Anonymous No.15152035]

>>15152027
I meant frying.
but roasting might be possible too?

[Anonymous No.15152076]

>>15151901
that, and i like to use very strong green tea in my cupcakes. just put like a shit tone of it in like 2 - 3 deci of water and just add it in

[Anonymous No.15152082]

tea is just coffee but gay

[Anonymous No.15152112]

>>15152082
>coffee
>not gay
???

[Anonymous No.15152121]

>>15152082
coffee is for faggots and queers, tea is for the refined homosexual

[Anonymous No.15152133]

>>15152076
well it's not very strong but that's probably because it's whole high leave. looks like high quality stuff, but still tastes shit
if I grind it it sure is gonna be strong
it says it's organic so it's gonna be fine I guess
I bought it from healthteahouse for ~8ct per g

[Anonymous No.15152196]

>>15151916
so there's no contamination with aroma + it's cleaner

[Anonymous No.15152270]

>>15151819
Similar to >>15150483 with a few differences. Mine is just a plastic box with a lid, lid not shut tight. 3x 62% packs and only one hygrometer inside (although I'll have to make a second box for all of these). Plastic bags in between cakes so I can remember what is what. Box gets opened every couple of weeks to recharge the boveda packs. DESU don't really care that much.

[Anonymous No.15152288]

>>15151809
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqIxVK6UiU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLhBXFPY5U

alternatively cold brew should taste OK. 4-6h at room temperature or 6-12 at fridge.

[Anonymous No.15152377]

>>15151809
Make kombucha with it

[Anonymous No.15152390]

>>15152270
Boveda packs don't need to be recharged that often, only when they're very hard

if you first are starting to use your pumi, then there's a possiblity you might, but still even then probably not

lid should be tight, or the humidity won't be right
62% is too low
one hygro is fine is the box is small enough

[Anonymous No.15152394]

>>15152035
Yeah you put a pan on pretty low heat, add the leaves and stir them around until they get fragrant. You will have to experiment i would suggest using one brew worth of tea at a time. Depending on how hot your pan is it could take as little as 30 seconds.

[Anonymous No.15152399]

>>15152027
>>15152035
the Japanese make hojicha by dry roasting green tea. you can do it at home

https://www.thejapaneseteahub.com/post/roasting-japanese-green-tea-at-home-tell-me-more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn7YOLrm_iw
https://everyonestea.blogspot.com/2013/07/enhancing-your-tea-by-roasting-how-to.html

[Anonymous No.15152731]

I have a theory that Americans aren't as excited about tea because our stomachs are too busy to get the full effect. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those bum-smacking termites that fetishize Europe and think Americans are all fatasses with shit taste, I hate those types. But on the whole I think it's fair to say that people from the UK have emptier stomachs when they have their tea. I usually do one big meal a day and recently got some Earl Grey for when it's cold out and I need a smoke. I've drank tea before but only recently have I really appreciated the feeling of that hot shit filling your stomach and carrying the warm blood through the body and it was absolutely sublime, like a blanket on the inside along with a nice hand warmer. In conclusion, the pleasures of a warm cup of tea are a bit more sublime than those born with American tastes are used to. Thoughts/concerns?

[Anonymous No.15152744]

>>15152731
A but more *subtle than Americans are used to.

[Anonymous No.15152952]

>>15151166
not the best teas but i was given this one, so far only had some cinnamon tea and it was pretty nice

[Anonymous No.15153170]

>>15152399
>>15152394
thank you. will try that tomorrow

[Anonymous No.15153226]

>>15152399
problem with roasting chinese tea is that it's much more in the vegteble notes.
But we'll see I have more enough of the stuff and it tastes shit anyways so whatever

[Anonymous No.15154377]

Early coof

[Anonymous No.15154562]

>>15153226
I think it could work, you might be able to bring out some more nutty notes.

[Anonymous No.15154571]

Pretty excited to get some Laoshu Dianhong (Old Tree Yunnan) in on Friday. Never had it before

[Anonymous No.15154590]

>>15152731
The popularity of coffee over tea in the US is based on a number of factors. Part of it is trying to reject the trends of the british aristocrats and make a culture that is more distinctly American. Part of it is the lack of the concept of a siesta or tea time that is popular in europe. I mostly drink tea but I don't think a cuppa is half as good with a cigarette as a good cup of coffee.

[Anonymous No.15154602]

>>15154571
Should be interesting, there is a lot more black tea being made lately with older trees or trees that would usually be used for puer. It's usually pretty good.

[Anonymous No.15154619]

My liqid prost puer beginners pack should be coming at some point this week. I'm pretty excited for it. It's seems like a really cool community project. I didn't think it would ship this quickly since he said it would take him a while to get them all out. Based on the things he has sent out previous years I'm expecting to try some cool teas i have never had before.

[Anonymous No.15154843]

>>15154619
Looking forward to it too, I'm not entirely a beginner but I tend to stick to cheaper cakes and don't have a ton of experience with shengs.

[Anonymous No.15154857]

>>15118138
You don't need anything fancy. Chamomile or a simple green tea is lovely.

[Anonymous No.15154922]

>>15154619
>>15154843
You get shipping notices yet or are you just going off his instagram videos and guessing? I too put in an order. i am hoping to get to try some cool tea that i normally would not buy due to price of sampling. i don't have the cash to try too many different teas these days. what sort of stuff has he sent out in the past?

[Anonymous No.15155252]

>>15154922
I got a shipping notification.
I can't find the picture but it looked pretty interesting. I spotted some changti cakes and ong zongchas, plus a ton of other stuff.

[Anonymous No.15155445]

>>15154922
I haven't gotten a shipping notification yet.

[Anonymous No.15156007]

>>15155252
*and some zhongcha

[Anonymous No.15156045]

Pouring from a gaiwan is hard. Im not good at it and make a mess :(

[Anonymous No.15156929]

>>15156045
practice makes perfect!

[Anonymous No.15156933]

>yo soyjack help me out my mint garden is starting to spread to my neighbors yard

[Anonymous No.15157597]

>>15156929
:)

[Anonymous No.15157658]

>>15153170
Did it
Also took some pictures. too lazy to post them here right now because of 4chan image size cuckoldry and stuff would need to crop them whatever.

In the guide anon posted it says the leafs would get red/brown when roasting.
I set the heat all the way to 8 and fried the leafs directly in the pan.
It took at least 20 minutes to get at least a little bit reddish and it was very uneven across smaller and bigger leafs.
Some leafs turned completely black, while some were only slightly darker.
I guess maofeng teas - teas with whole leafs still intact - are generally unsuitable for roasting.
Result is that the taste was very strong.
The liquor was a little bit darker than before, just a slightly darker yellow, but the taste...It didn't resemble the green tea one bit anymore.
It tasted extremely like roasted nut, had a very strong sweet aftertaste.
I couldn't drink it because it was too strong.

I will do it another time and hopefully find the right balance then. The taste was very interesting after all and I wouldn't have thought the flavour could change this much.

[Anonymous No.15157669]

>>15152399
>>15152394
>>15157658

[Anonymous No.15158260]

this place is dead

[Anonymous No.15158287]

>>15115869
There is only one tea, and Tetley is thy name.

[Anonymous No.15158423]

>>15155252
nice
>>15155445
neither have I and i ordered on the first day.

[Anonymous No.15158471]

>>15154619
>liqid prost
?

[Anonymous No.15158501]

>>15158471
http://www.liquidproust.com/

[Anonymous No.15158717]

>>15158501
>http://www.liquidproust.com/
hm interesting. looks pretty expensive though. and puerh storing in the west also is a bit critical if they ship from europe

[Anonymous No.15159140]

>>15157658
How did it smell while roasting?

[Anonymous No.15159164]

>>15159140
didn't smell much
slightly smelled like roasted nut

[Anonymous No.15159634]

>>15155445
>>15158423
I looks like he ran out of the puer that had been donated or earmarked for the special beginner packages and is in the process of ordering more so it will take a bit longer for anyone who has not had it shipped yet. oh well hopefully he gets it all together soon but i can wait if i need to. his grandma just died several days ago so I will cut him some slack.

[Anonymous No.15160029]

Tea beginner here
Been drinking Celestial Seasonings and enjoy it very much. My favourites are Black Cherry, Peach, and Cranberry-Apple. It's effectively broken me of my coffee addiction.

That said, I want to expand into maybe some black teas or green teas. Don't really like the taste of Rooibos. What are recommendations for a good black tea? I used to work in a cafe that served a Russian Early Grey that seemed pretty good, but I was firmly drinking 8 cups of coffee daily at that time.

Recs on brands/ methods? You guys are all shitting on teabags but I don't really know any other methods.