/tea/

[Anonymous No.17576706]

/tea/
Comfy Brewing Station Edition
This thread is for discussing teas, tissanes, and other herbal infusions.
info: types of tea, where to get tea, how to brew tea
https://pastebin.com/80GeeXJV
Previous thread:>>17555651

[Anonymous No.17576726]

Started growing and drying my own mint, adding my own stevia for taste.

[Anonymous No.17576733]

>>17576726
Nice, i have one tea bush i planted last spring, if it survives the winter im going to plant 2 or 3 more
Mint is so easy to grow, if anything it's hard to stop once it starts spreading, great choice for something easy

[Anonymous No.17576735]

Anybody here tried Honeybush? It's really good.
Similar to Redbush/Rooibos, but with a sweeter taste.

[Anonymous No.17576746]

>>17576706
Drinking 2021 YS Cozy Ripe

[Anonymous No.17576773]

speaking of teware last thread i think it's nice to have different tools for different types of tea and different styles of brewing.
Here is my modest collection.
The ones i use the most are the small clay and porcelain 100ml teapots, the small 100ml gaiwan and the small stainless steel mesh brewer, which i mostly use for herbal teas.
The larget gaiwan holds 125 or 150 ml and i only use it when im brewing for multiple people.
The 2 cup chatsford teapot is great for western style brewing for one or two people.
Realistically all i need is the 100ml gaiwan and the mesh brew basket but the rest of the stuff is fun.

[Anonymous No.17576779]

>>17576746
How is the funk level? Is it woody or chocolaty? Any bitterness?

[Anonymous No.17576793]

Drinking the Daily Darjeeling.
So far, the dry and wet leaves smell amazing. A kind of warm, sweet, raisiny smell, dried fruits and stuff. Liquor has a very very faint, slightly sweet smell.

Absolutely zero bitterness, is the first thing that sticks out to me. If this is something desireable for this type of tea, both this and the muscatel have been excellent in this category. This tea is very mild overall though. Not a whole lot of body, pretty heavy sweetness. I'd almost say the dominant flavor is the sweetness. Really not getting a lot at all, nothing I'd call floral or fruity, or even grassy or citrus. It's a very mild tea. Not enough of a floral notes for it to be honeylike, but it has kind of a beeswaxy vibe to it. No real mouthfeel, but it has a nice, very faint tingle on the throat. Fine, I would say. I don't have much to say about this. It didn't come with tasting notes, either. If this is what people like in their Darjeeling, I would think it accomplishes it pretty well.

[Anonymous No.17576794]

Has anyone tried a 2022 first flush Darjeeling?

[Anonymous No.17576802]

>>17576794
We're still a little early, I think. Late March / early April is around when it's picked. Maybe in two weeks or so it'll start arriving.

[Anonymous No.17576834]

>>17576773
Are the lil teapots for specific tea?

[Anonymous No.17576882]

>>17576779
Not really funky
Woody
Mildly Bitter

[Anonymous No.17576893]

>>17576746
I've got the same one in a box on the floor might drink some later cheers fren

[Anonymous No.17576900]

>>17576834
I use the clay pot for roasted oolongs, raw puer, any kind of clean hei cha. I use the porcelain pot for just about anything, ripes, green oolongs green tea. Anything i don't wan5 to change the flavor of with clay or anything that would make the clay pot skanky like ripe puer

[Anonymous No.17576912]

Someone here has to have gone extremely overboard on your tea storage and gear. Post pics.

[Anonymous No.17576961]

>>17576912
I've got cakes separated in jute bags inside an 18L cambro with big bovedas. Anything smaller than ~200g, I'll cut down the package for more airflow and shove it in the remaining spaces. There is no organization other than big cakes go at the bottom otherwise it won't all fit.

[Anonymous No.17576976]

>>17576912
Here is my cooler full of puer, i only have 3-4 kilos right now so i am far from the biggest stash on /tea/

[Anonymous No.17577062]

Y'all got any leads on custom whistles for kettles?

[Anonymous No.17577095]

I'm addicted to pic related. How can I wean myself off of it? Preferably by being able to brew it at home, then slowly reduce the amount of honey/sugar in it. Or using a sugar substitute that isn't bad for me. Don't care about the ginseng. Tried Lipton Green Tea but it wasn't quite the same.

[Anonymous No.17577098]

>>17577095
>How can I wean myself off of it?
Just stop drinking it, jesus christ. It's not meth.

[Anonymous No.17577121]

>>17577095
Drink a tea with honey-like sweetness like a white or a Yunnan black tea.
>34g of sugar in one pint
Jesus fuck.

[Anonymous No.17577142]

Alright /tea/, I need some help identifying some class of teaware. I went to this neat Chinese teahouse recently and they had kettles sitting on small (what I assume were gas-based) burners, like a teapot over a tealight candle but it was a much larger flame. They weren't metal cannisters of gas like a camping stove or anything, they were just white pucks with a thick flame coming out of the center. Any idea what these are and where I could get them? I tried asking the store after I got home but no response.

Pic is of the kettle on its burner.

[Anonymous No.17577147]

>>17577142
>white pucks with a thick flame coming out of the center
Probably the same compressed fuel tablets used for camping or issued in some military rations

[Anonymous No.17577157]

>>17577142
Solid fuel?
https://www.amazon.com/Esbit-1300-Degree-Smokeless-Backpacking-Emergency/dp/B07QTD1GHM

[Anonymous No.17577162]

>>17577142
You've helpfully not actually taken a picture of the burner, I'd assume it's alcohol though. If it isn't alcohol, it should be, so just get (or make) an alcohol burner.

[Anonymous No.17577595]

Oh it seemed forever stopped today
All the lonely hearts in London
Caught a plane and flew away
And all the best women are married
All the handsome men are gay
You feel deprived

Yeah are you questioning your size?
Is there a tumour in your humour,
Are there bags under your eyes?
Do you leave dents where you sit,
Are you getting on a bit?
Will you survive
You must survive

[Anonymous No.17578543]

>>17576706
I usually drink tea grandpa-style or in my gaiwan, but sometimes I get a hankering for a strong, British-style cup of tea. Anyone have any suggestions for a bracing morning tea? Preferably one that can stand on its own without milk and sugar, but would pair fine with them.

[Anonymous No.17578544]

>>17577095
get a blood test, your blood sugar is probably pre-diabetic if you drinks those more than once a day

[Anonymous No.17578575]

anyone else a massive tea addict?

[Anonymous No.17578610]

>>17578575
I drink a lot of tea

[Anonymous No.17578629]

>>17578543
Last thread an anon reviewed a bunch of teas in that category you might find something good from reading through those.
Last thread is linked in the OP
Or maybe try this
https://www.uptontea.com/assam-tea/assam-organic-loose-leaf-black-tea/p/V00043/

[Anonymous No.17578651]

>>17577095

[Anonymous No.17578681]

>>17576735
just ordered some. apparently its supposed to be kinda smoky. looking foward to it

[Anonymous No.17578698]

>>17578543
river shannon blend from upton is best inexpensvie breakfast blend

[Anonymous No.17578759]

>>17578681
I have some, its very good, the name honeybush is accurate to how the tea tastes
I would suggest trying a very short brew out to see how it tastes, with the batch i have i thought it tasted best when brewed for 60-90 seconds only. And i thought it got bitter after that. But try both ways and see what tastes better to you

[Anonymous No.17578853]

>>17576706

[Anonymous No.17578869]

>>17578853
Very strong malt flavor. Know no other way to describe it. Brewing with ~85°. Gets very unpleasantly astringent at anything above that temperature.
Overall very interesting tea, but not something I could drink every day. Hence it has lasted me from last summer until now.

[Anonymous No.17578890]

>>17578869
This strong astringency is headache inducing but the sweet, malty aftertaste is superb

[Anonymous No.17578899]

>>17578890
Forgot picture of wet leaves lol

[Anonymous No.17578921]

>>17578899
Interesting tea anon
I looked up the listing for it, ive never tried a compressed oolong.
That shop is one of the only ones with small porcelain teapots, i almost bought one last year

[Anonymous No.17578990]

>>17578921
Now drinking some cheap white tea

[Anonymous No.17579021]

>>17578990
What does why tea taste like?
Ive only tried it once as a sample, i didn't like it but it was a really cheap tea i brewed grampa style.
Is white tea easy on the stomach? Or is it more like green tea that you need to drink with food?

[Anonymous No.17579040]

>>17576706
Imagine the smell

[Anonymous No.17579063]

Any recommendations for Long jing tea?

[Anonymous No.17579139]

Any fellow cucknadian around here?
Where the fuck do you guys buy your teaware?
I've yet to find a good place without massively inflated price.

[Anonymous No.17579152]

>>17579063
You should wait for spring harvest, i really liked mid grade stuff from king tea mall
https://kingteamall.com/collections/green-tea/products/2021-early-spring-long-jing-dragon-well-a-grade-green-tea-zhejiang-1
He also gets the authentic stuff grown in the designated region but its pretty pricey, and its not really expensive because its amazingly good. It's a popular tea for gifting.

[Anonymous No.17579153]

>>17579139
Aliexpress
Find a 100ml white porcelain gaiwan, there are nice cups on there too, there is also an etsy store linked in the pastebin that ships from china and has nice teacups.

[Anonymous No.17579156]

Odds clay, evens porcelain

[Anonymous No.17579197]

>>17579021
White tea is usually slightly floral, very sweet, light in taste (as compared to how black tea can be "dark" or puerh can be "earthy"), and I find it's easy to drink on an empty stomach. Honestly I think it's underrated, a 7 years-aged compressed white cake can be bought for cheap and is quite good any time of day.

[Anonymous No.17579250]

>>17579156
Good tea, I'm digging 2016 moderate storage raws. I might grab some more. Just enough time to take the edge off but still has some young tea flavors

[Anonymous No.17579252]

What's the name of those fancy big mugs with a separate tea container?
i always drink tea with a mug instead of a cup, i just guzzle it like water everyday at least half a liter a day.

[Anonymous No.17579392]

>>17579252
I usually find them under mugs with filters, tea brewing mugs
The related items on these listings should have some more
https://aliexpress.com/item/32958654600.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/33013511979.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005003793098076.html

[Anonymous No.17579568]

my rap name is Yung Sheng

[Anonymous No.17579627]

What does hojicha taste like?
I mostly drink black and oolong teas, I tried sencha and it was disgusting no matter how I prepared it.
What are flavor similarities and differences between hojicha and sencha?

[Anonymous No.17579635]

>>17579627
You were preparing the sencha correctly. It's supposed to be disgusting.

[Anonymous No.17579652]

>>17579635
tastelet cope

[Anonymous No.17579921]

>>17579627
Hojicha should taste like roast. It's a cheap tea made from stems and low quality leaves that you roast the shit out of until it tastes like roast. Sencha can vary dramatically based on quality but it would have a sort of seaweed, salty taste to it. If you push the brew parameters you can get a spinachy taste similar to gyokuro, although less complex.

What temp water did you try with sencha?

[Anonymous No.17580245]

>>17579652
>I'm getting top notes of grass, a secondary aroma of grass, and a strong base of grass

[Anonymous No.17580452]

>>17580245
Yes and its wonderful

[Anonymous No.17580493]

>>17576976
Are those just standard plastic bags? Im thinking of doing something similar but unsure if i should buy mylar ones instead. Also do you do anything with the humidity or temperature?

[Anonymous No.17580763]

>>17580245
You're supposed to be paying $1 a gram for gyokuro that tastes like old bamboo steamers,dried mackerel, and river water.

[Anonymous No.17581060]

>>17580245
>>17580763
seething tasteloids

[Anonymous No.17581099]

>>17581060
Maybe theres not enough iron in my tenmoku glaze? Can you recommend one off amazon?

[Anonymous No.17581330]

>>17579921
60, 70, 80, 90 and 100.
Both western and gong-fu.
I ended up experimenting with pretty much every variable since I had this bag of sencha around. But I never managed to get a decent cup.
I also tried bancha, but it was such a small sample (5g or 7g, don't remember) that I couldn't experiment with it too much.
Normies who enjoy japanese greens that I talked to have a tendency to say
>You just didn't make it right
>You have inferior tastebuds, that simple
so at this point it's hard for me to take them seriously.
Hojicha looks different enough that I want to try it, but I don't have access to small sample sizes, and I'm hesitant to buy a lot of it, in the possibility that it might taste like death.

[Anonymous No.17581366]

>>17581099
you're supposed to go with a wood-fired tetsubin that has been allowed to properly ~age~ so you get notes of rust with your grass. Gaijin wouldn't understand cha.

[Anonymous No.17581410]

>>17581366
I just like the shiny cups that facebook keeps putting in my feed. I'm going to order a kimono off wish next so I can fold my meat and kneel to sip 茶.

[Anonymous No.17581438]

>>17581330
Maybe you just had bad sencha, or maybe your genetic predisposition to bitterness is different to most people (not saying you have "inferior tastebuds," it's just a fact of tea drinking that we all can perceive things differently). There's no need to force it though, if you don't like sencha after that much experimentation then no need to keep drinking it.

The only hoji I've tried is from upton:
https://www.uptontea.com/japanese-green-tea/ho-ji-cha-organic-loose-leaf-green-tea/p/V00210/

It is pretty "meh," it's basically hot water with roast flavor. For the low caffeine content it makes a decent nighttime drink, but I won't oversell it.

[Anonymous No.17581448]

>>17581330
Hojicha won't taste like death. It may seem bland, though.

[Anonymous No.17581478]

>>17578629
>>17578698
What do you think?

[Anonymous No.17581533]

>>17580493
>Are those just standard plastic bags?
Yeah i just use those to keep the tea crumbs from getting everywhere, they don't even need to be sealed i just do that because again it keeps are the tea in one place, these old wrappers cruble and rip.
>Also do you do anything with the humidity or temperature?
Nothing with temperature, i guess i keep it in one of the warmer roooms of my house. For humidity i keep a bunch of 55% humidity boveda bags in there, the big ones not the little 1g pouches. I also have a cheap thermometer/hygrometer combo tossed in to keep track of humidity.
Is pretty low maintenance, just buy a couple new boveda bags in the fall when it starts to get cold and replace the old ones.
I try and keep it around 55% humidity

[Anonymous No.17581544]

>>17581478
Sounds good, whwn ordering samples i suggest getting 100g packet of something just so you don't run out of tea right away.

[Anonymous No.17581567]

You guys ever make carroway tea? Just had some leftover corned beef from the other day and the carroway flavor is really sticking with me, think I'm going to steep a batch and see how it turns out. Thinking I'll gently toast a few tablespoons of seeds, grind them up in a mortar, then steep for 10 minutes in simmering water.

[Anonymous No.17581592]

>>17576961
where are those XG boxes on top from? i have never seen that production before.

[Anonymous No.17581656]

>>17581592
>where are those XG boxes on top from?
YS used to have them, as usual xiaguan was copying some 70-100g boxes that dayi put out the year before

[Anonymous No.17581696]

>>17581592
2016 "Pin Ge" ripe and raw. They're good but nothing special. Definition of "drinkable".

[Anonymous No.17581729]

>>17581696
It's funny when the big brands try to make packaging that will convince Young Chinese women to drink puer

[Anonymous No.17581752]

>>17581729
I think I bought them to kick me up to another tier of free shit on my ys order. I could see buying a sleeve of something similar to give out as stocking stuffers. Most people would rather receive an easy to handle chocobar vs a thick and gnarled dick shaped tuo.

[Anonymous No.17581794]

>>17581656
>>17581696
thanks for the info, i window shop enough that i find it interesting when i see something new. the packaging is a bit different, its rather austere looking compared to many of XG's productions. it looks ok, however i still prefer their classic look (see picrel for example).

[Anonymous No.17581909]

>>17581696
I got one of these pro-bono with an expensive cake from YS. Tasteless on a good day. I can see why they were trying to get rid of them.

[Anonymous No.17581922]

Just trying something out:

>what your preferred tea category is

>what your preferred alcoholic drink of choice is

>what alcoholic drink you would recommend to people that enjoy your preferred tea category

[Anonymous No.17581963]

>>17581567
I'm back to report that it's pretty good. Not incredible, but not bad. Ended up adding a little honey and milk to the final product. It's very earthy and not as minty/anisey/peppery as I would have expected. 6/10 on its own, 7/10 with milk and honey.

[Anonymous No.17581968]

>>17581909
When I say good, I just mean I've paid more for worse tea. I'd take a scant amount of tolerable flavor over fish scales and gagnes river runoff any day.

[Anonymous No.17582057]

>>17581922
>what your preferred tea category is
Puerh
>what your preferred alcoholic drink of choice is
Bourbon
>what alcoholic drink you would recommend to people that enjoy your preferred tea category
Buffalo Trace single barrel or maybe Monkeys Shoulder poured over an icecube
Also i have never mixed hot tea with booze and had it not be disgusting

[Anonymous No.17582063]

>>17581963
Interesting experiment anon.
Did you use whole seeds or were they ground.

[Anonymous No.17582108]

>the pastebin hasn't been updated in 2 years
>no Japanese brewing instructions
>teavana still listed
mutiny

[Anonymous No.17582606]

>>17582108
Feel free to write up some Japanese brewing instructions

[Anonymous No.17582755]

>>17582108
I added times temps and weight ratio chart for japanese tea. Im not removing the thing about teavana just because it makes you feel bad about living in flyover country
>the pastebin hasn't been updated in 2 years
it gets edited all the time, i just dont make a new paste every time. you can make a pastebin account and then edit a paste so you don't have to make a new one with a new URL every time you change something.

[Anonymous No.17582765]

I still need to add Japanese specific brewing directions and fix the other times and temps chart because it's bad

[Anonymous No.17582850]

>>17582057
>Also i have never mixed hot tea with booze and had it not be disgusting

ok yeah i figured you wouldn't be able to make a toddy work given the way you answered the last two questions

[Anonymous No.17582928]

>>17582850
>toddy
Ive had em a few times when i was sick using that old Scottish whiskey YouTubers recipe but those are supposed to be drank in two gulps not sipped.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=43znGRSy9xU
But whenever i mix whisky with hot tea i end up with a big cup of hot whisky that isint very fun to drink.

[Anonymous No.17583318]

>go to pry apart puerh cake for the first time in a few months
>it's significantly more pliable and easy to separate than I remember
>drinking it makes my throat start to feel irritated
>develop a lump in my throat soon after
Did I drink mold/poison?

[Anonymous No.17583320]

>>17582057
Traditional toddy doesn't call for tea just hot water

[Anonymous No.17583598]

>>17578575
I don't know if my addiction is to the sensory experience or to some compounds on tea.

[Anonymous No.17583600]

good spicy teas?

[Anonymous No.17583649]

Damn, that 2018 jingmai lao cha tou from CLT is perfect to my taste. Reminds me of crème renversée from childhood (caramel and dairy). A bit thin maybe, but great endurance. At first I thought I didn't like it because I brewed it too strong, tasted unnatural.

[Anonymous No.17583675]

I'll always be a Tetley man

[Anonymous No.17583734]

>>17583318
If a tea cake gets moldy its quite visible. You will see large tufts of fresh mold
It's softened up because its picked up some moisture in your storage.

[Anonymous No.17583737]

>>17583600
Chai

[Anonymous No.17583743]

>>17583737
er, i mean hot spicy

[Anonymous No.17583764]

>>17576794
I did, but it left a few floaters. Had to go for the second flush. I hope Margaret doesn't mind.

[Anonymous No.17583766]

>>17583598
For me, it's that sense of relief after gobbling an entire cupper of hot tea. something about it is cathartic.

[Anonymous No.17583773]

>>17583743
Hommade ginger tea is pretty spicy
If that's not enough you can add honey and a sprinkle of cayenne powder. It's supposed to be good for colds

[Anonymous No.17583797]

Sipping last year's autumn harvest "Imperial AAA TGY" from YS and it's as good as it was a few months ago. Intensely green, fruity, and about as vegetal a Chinese tea as I've ever tasted. I'd recommend this to pretty much anyone.

>>17581922
>Sheng
>Tequila
>Scotch I guess

[Anonymous No.17584033]

>>17583773
funny, the reason i was interested in a spicy tea was because i was drinking a puerh blended with ginger and other spices. it was pretty mild though.

[Anonymous No.17584051]

>>17584033
I find that ginger teabags are pretty mild but if you actually peel and slice some ginger and simmer it on the stove it gets a real kick to it.

[Anonymous No.17584189]

Is there a trick to brewing tea so it will taste good mixed with steamed milk like a latte? Black tea, no matcha or chai lattes.

[Anonymous No.17584220]

>>17584189
Yeah brew the tea strong, but brew it strong by using more tea leaves or teabags, don't make it strong by brewing for a longer amount of time

[Anonymous No.17584508]

>>17583734
Is that bad or is that normal? The humidity was fucked a while ago going up past 65% and mold was growing in my bedroom and it took the bitch landlord a month to get me a dehumidifier to bring it back down to 40%. Do you think that caused the cake to soften by so much?

[Anonymous No.17584546]

>>17583734
>If a tea cake gets moldy its quite visible.
I've been meaning to take a few pictures. Light white frost is still based right?

[Anonymous No.17584610]

>>17584546
>Light white frost is still based right?
it depends on what storage you are looking for and whether or not the "frost" is mold or just some salt/mineral leaching out due to prolong high humidity exposure. if you buy some well aged wet HK puerh a bit of old "frost" is fine and just a sign of the storage (albeit non moldy examples of the same tea are generally worth more) but i would be wary if you start growing any mold in you own pumidor. generally speaking you should never be getting that humid in a pumidor unless you are intentionally experimenting with trying to replicate very wet storage and are aware of the risks. remember too that musty wet storage will introduce moldy flavors that may take years of relatively drier aging to mellow out. i don't think super wet storage makes good teas in the short term, if its going to be done right it should be part of a long term aging plan. for example traditional HK cellar storage is typically followed by a second drier aging step.

[Anonymous No.17584668]

>>17584508
It kind of depends on temperature
The cake getting humid is fine, the problem is if ita humid and then gets cold enough to go below the dewpoint and gets a bunch of condensation on it.
Like i said mold should be pretty visible.
One trick i learned back when i smoked weed was you could hold a chunk up to the light and snap it in half, if you see a big puff of fine dust come off of it thats probably some sort of mold.

[Anonymous No.17584762]

Someone wanted to know about my budget 2016 shou mei from ktm
The material is really rough, its got plenty of twigs and big leaf
Its got that creamy white filling mouthfeel and tastes like a younger gong mei i have with added notes of old books
Its p good ngl

[Anonymous No.17584792]

What does old aged sheng puer taste like?

[Anonymous No.17584839]

>>17576706
>dented kettle
UNACCEPTABLE

[Anonymous No.17584844]

>>17584610
Its incredibly hard to photograph which is why I waited to ask here for a few months after seeing it. Uploaded to imgur so it doesn't get too compressed. First two are the same piece of the 2018 xg tibet brick which was at the top of the pumi, second pic is 2012 Zhong Cha '7581'(CNNP?) from purple cloud. On the bottom of the pumi. I got some 2012 lao cha tou(Malaysia Stored) in that same purple cloud order that had white on a few nuggets but I pulled and drank those immediately. 67% boveda for the first 6 months(starting Jan 2021) as I wanted moisture in there quickly and then I dropped it to 65% and have not had to change it since. I'm a cigar guy too so I'm fairly on top of my "spoiling the whole batch thru negligence" game.
https://imgur.com/a/JMFAv0s

[Anonymous No.17584855]

>>17583649
When trying to share the experience I was told 'it tastes like an overbrewed black tea'
wtf

[Anonymous No.17584940]

>>17584839
It's clay, it's just a design detail

[Anonymous No.17584959]

>>17584855
I can see that from someone that doesn't drink a lot of tea. It does hqve that dark aspect too it.

[Anonymous No.17584968]

Ah, tea! The solution to the gastric problems coffee gives you.

[Anonymous No.17584971]

>>17579627
>>17581330
>Normies
>You just didn't make it right
>You have inferior tastebuds, that simple
Nah anon, those aren’t normies. They’re just faux-snobbery faggots who unfortunately are found in any interest/hobby, especially food related ones, and even moreso when we’re talking tea, coffee, or alcohol.

Sencha is the general daily-drinker in Japan, and flavor can vary a lot between grades, growing locations, harvesting times, processing, and brands.
Consider it a bit of a red flag if someone is overly anal about temp/time suggestions for brewing it; Japanese will just brew it to their personal taste.

If still it tasted awful despite all your experimentation, it could have been bad, or old (generally, fresher = better) , or just a specific one that doesn’t happen to be to your taste.
Or, sencha in general just might not appeal to you. There’s plenty of people who don’t like green tea, or only like it when it’s so sweetened that it’s practically candy.

Hojicha is basically “dark roast” sencha. It’s a bit of a misnomer to call it poor quality. It’s made with the final harvest of the season, so it would be considered poor if drank as sencha, but turning it into hojicha makes it as incomparably different as night/day.
Kinda like how stale bread might be shitty as bread, but can make a fantastic bread pudding.

It’s hard to describe hojicha’s flavor in a more specific way than “roasted”. It is it’s own unique flavor and can’t be compared to sencha at all.
I love both sencha and hojicha, hot and chilled. I actually prefer hojicha chilled.
My wife is Japanese and loves sencha, but absolutely hates hojicha.

Do you live within reasonable distance to any sort of Asian stores/grocers? Hojicha (and plenty of senchas that aren’t top-grade) should be rather cheap at such places.
Hojicha in particular shouldn’t ever really be “expensive”, even online, unless it’s from a famous/luxury brand.

[Anonymous No.17584985]

>>17584940
>be potmaker apprentice
>make clay pot
>accidentally hit/drop it while still “wet”
>throw it in kiln anyway and call it a design
Still unacceptable.

Nah, it really is a lovely pot. I’m just boredposting.

[Anonymous No.17585009]

To Japanese tea anons: what would you suggest on how to get into Japanese tea as someone already deep into Chinese tea? Like in particular I'm wondering what teaware I should get or if my gaiwan and stuff will suffice, taking into consideration I want to try both fukamushi, other sencha, and gyokuro.

[Anonymous No.17585071]

>>17585009
I have a shiboridashi for gyokuro that only holds 1/4 cup water so your gaiwan will be fine for that even if it's small. You'll probably need a strainer because Japanese tea is all so broken it'll slip out from under the lid.
Might want a larger brewing vessel for sencha since it tastes bad and has to be dilute. I just brew it in a double-walled mug, pour it through a strainer into another mug. Avoid those cast iron tetsubin things, they're a scam.

[Anonymous No.17585108]

>>17584844
2019 "still love you" from puershop
Bought this sample years ago and every time i brewed some it had wayy to much fermentation funk. Now it's finally aired out some and it's a somewhat interesting ripe, strong aroma or roased nuts, tastes like the burnt edges of a Belgian waffle. Still kind of funky, I wouldn't recommend it.
It's too bad it seems like there is some really interesting flavorful tea in here but it either wasn't fermented correctly or wasn't aird out properly. I bet a cake that's been in hk storage since 2019 is probably halfway to being a nice tea right now.

[Anonymous No.17585303]

>>17582755
>Im not removing the thing about teavana just because it makes you feel bad about living in flyover country
Teavana doesn't even exist anymore, right?
http://www.teavana.com/
It's closed, it's over, it's finished, kaputt. Unless I'm missing something.

[Anonymous No.17585316]

>>17585303

[Anonymous No.17585323]

>>17585303
Teavana is the perfect shorthand for a shop that mostly sells flavored tea with pretty flowers in it.
They used to be in every mall so most murricans can picture what they were like.
Thats been in there since back when the thread was on /jp/
No need to get worked up over it

[Anonymous No.17585349]

>>17585316
But they have no retail locations, you simply cannot go to a Teavana even if you wanted to. I guess we'll see if they relaunch the site or something, but right now, the mistake of purchasing from Teavana isn't one you could make even if you wanted to.

>>17585323
Why not just say supermarket tea? It's more realistic at this point, it's what people should actually be avoiding. You cannot "avoid" Teavana because you cannot go to Teavana.
>Thats been in there since back when the thread was on /jp/
And I imagine Teavana was still in business then. Tazo has arguably replaced Teavana completely in the public consciousness.

[Anonymous No.17585381]

I just got diagnosed wirh IBS. This might be the end if comfy tea for me...

[Anonymous No.17585421]

>>17585323
How long have we been off /jp/? At least 4 years right? More?
Crazy to me we came from the Japanese culture board but the Japanese parts of the pastebin are the least developed

[Anonymous No.17585426]

>>17585421
The best part of the pastbin is the puer section because it's the strongest.

[Anonymous No.17585428]

>>17585323
>>17585349
How many retail locations does starbucks have? I haven't stepped foot inside one in years but I'm going to guess they've got some fucking teavana tea up front.
https://investor.starbucks.com/press-releases/financial-releases/press-release-details/2017/Starbucks-Drives-Single-Tea-Brand-Strategy-with-Teavana-Sells-Tazo-Brand-to-Unilever/default.aspx

[Anonymous No.17585431]

>>17585349
Don't worry about it is a silly throwaway joke.
Did you look at the time and temp chart i added for japanese tea? Does it look good?
I think i should include written instructions too, i should be able to do thatlater tonight.
>>17585421
All the old Japanese tea posters got scared off by the puer lesbians and stopped posting.

[Anonymous No.17585460]

>>17585431
>Did you look at the time and temp chart i added for japanese tea? Does it look good?
Not that anon, but it looks fine. I would change the units under weight to only g/mL, I never want to see or think about liquid ounces. I'd keep the brew times either in minutes or seconds, change the center column to 1/2, or the sides to 90 seconds.

[Anonymous No.17585470]

>>17585431
2022 year of /tea/ Renaissance.
We reclaiming the thread from endless pu ar snobbery

[Anonymous No.17585508]

>>17585470
It'd be nice to have a recommended starting point before the 2022 harvest. I'm comfortable finding and ordering tea myself, but if there are people here who drink sencha a lot, a starting point would be nice.

[Anonymous No.17585514]

>>17576706
Make the next thread Japanese tea buying advice, it's about that time

[Anonymous No.17585522]

>>17585470
TFW i only drink puer because i can't afford oolong
Cirno Fish .jpg

[Anonymous No.17585586]

>>17585514
These threads last about a week each, we're still like 3 weeks off from any sensible harvest

[Anonymous No.17585625]

Japanese tea buying advice: ONLY BUY GYOKURO

[Anonymous No.17585639]

>>17585625
Thats terrible advice

[Anonymous No.17585663]

>>17585625
Nah you should only buy Karigane and fermented bancha
Everything else is a meme

[Anonymous No.17585678]

Should I buy green tea now I it's better to wait?
I wanted to try dragonwell

[Anonymous No.17585688]

>>17585678
Wait, new tea will be available shortly

[Anonymous No.17585754]

Lads. It's here.

[Anonymous No.17585813]

>>17585754
Lead and arsenic arrive

[Anonymous No.17585836]

>>17585754

[Anonymous No.17585838]

Went through my long-awaited Chawangshop package, smelled and checked through almost everything except the leaf of my brick shou. This is all going to be a wild ride. Everything looks and smells lovely. I'll post some pictures I took as I opened it up as a fun thread unboxing, and then close-ups of my new gaiwan.

[Anonymous No.17585852]

Opened up, immediately greeted with the 2022 New Year block copy thing they mentioned making for customers on their Instagram page. I wasn't sure if I'd get one, so it's fun to see that I did. Written at the bottom is the text:
>"Happy New Year 2022!"

[Anonymous No.17585856]

>>17585838
Im glad your box came in good shape, the last box i got from china got drop kicked at some point. Luckily the teaware inside was still fine, i was sure it would be smashed.

[Anonymous No.17585881]

With the fun slip moved away, we can see hints of my shou pu'er brick through the bubble wrap. Then...more padding below? I wonder what could need so much thick padding.

[Anonymous No.17585900]

So much padding, lads. Did a young farmer girl leave her bra slip-ins in here? I see no elongated strands of destiny hair, so that mustn't be it.

[Anonymous No.17585917]

Quite the nice haul, I'd say. I'll have to post two separate opened pictures to manage everything clearly on my table. However, my highlight of the haul...

[Anonymous No.17585923]

Without a doubt...

[Anonymous No.17585934]

It's so good, lads. It's difficult to catch on camera, but it has so many details, wild and subtle. It pairs excellently with the cup I purchased off of Etsy, too.

[Anonymous No.17585951]

Another picture of the top.

[Anonymous No.17585958]

Cool lid stamp.

[Anonymous No.17585967]

Inside of the gaiwan.

[Anonymous No.17585973]

Bottom side. Also has the same stamp as the lid, nice touch.

[Anonymous No.17585983]

Side shot of the gaiwan. I'd usually avoid dumping so many pics at once of something, but I wanted to share as many of the details of this piece as I could for all the fellow tea pottery appreciators here.

[Anonymous No.17585995]

First half of order, showing my heicha/pu'er.

[Anonymous No.17586007]

>>17585983
Nice gaiwan, i like the pour lip on it

[Anonymous No.17586016]

Second half, showing my white, red, and oolong tea, alongside the gaiwan and cool block copy slip. Thanks for joining me in opening this package. Now I have to figure out how to decide which to drink first.
>>17585856
I'm very pleased with how well it was packaged. Shipping is no doubt very steep, but at least the guys at Chawangshop did a very respectable job with packing it all.

[Anonymous No.17586037]

>>17585967
Very colorful

[Anonymous No.17586102]

>>17586016
Make the red tea now

[Anonymous No.17586191]

>>17585967
the gaiwan looks fantastic, love the glaze. i kind of want one now. also i cant wait to hear your tasting notes on the teas. glad your package finally arrived, i hope my recent fullchea order is worth the wait. it just needs a plane...

[Anonymous No.17586234]

>>17586191
Guese you lost the race.
You got that ripe brick too right?

[Anonymous No.17586252]

>>17586102
I'll make it and journal on it shortly. My milligram scale may need some maintenance to work first, and if it doesn't work, my gram scale will have to make due.
>>17586191
It looks lovely and feels excellent to hold. Chawangshop's prices in shipping may be rough, but their product quality (on first impressions) and packaging seem to be quite respectable so far. I will be making the 2021 BaDa Manle red tea with it shortly, so I'll post another pic or two with my small setup in around an hour or so. I rarely drink red tea, so this will be a very welcome change of pace.

[Anonymous No.17586476]

>>17586234
>You got that ripe brick too right?
no i got some TianJian and XG sheng coming.

[Anonymous No.17586484]

move over lesbians its time for the men to drink tea now.

[Anonymous No.17586506]

>>17586484
That's the liquidproust trust #6. Really fucking you with the gweilo tax.

[Anonymous No.17586527]

I don't typically drink reds often, and an anon suggested I start with my red, so here are my journal notes on the 2021 BaDa Manle red tea from Chawangshop:
______
4.6g/200F/10

Dry leaf smells of tangy, ripe berries, with a faint and smooth, roasted background. Wet leaf smells more deeply of roasted ripe berries with a new, very warm "fried bread" note. There is a light honey-like sweetness in the gong dao bei.

Medium thickness, low astringency, practically no bitterness. The fruity notes described in the leaf aroma are comfortably noticeable on the palate, both while sipping and in the aftertaste, where a hint of florality comes through. A stronger infusion of 205F/15s yields a brew with greater emphasis on the floral quality. It is not a pungent and far-vegetal floral note, but a gentle, sweet one. As with the previous infusion, it seems to linger in the mouth for a fair while after sipping.
Further infusions yield a more lightly sweet floral tea, but still a grounded, warming one. Feels suitably quenching on the throat, and persists admirably. The fruitiness doesn't hold in the palate for many infusions (for perhaps three), but the sweetness in the light floral quality does.

This tea may have one of my favourite leaf aromas I've experienced, with the unique "fried berries" quality that captures my full attention. It's a very pleasant sipper, and seems easy to infuse and work with. Lovely.
______
Regarding my gaiwan, it pours well, though I'm still getting used to using the small spout lip. It feels like I need to start the pour slowly and then speed up, but I think I just need to adjust to it or not fill up as high. Comfortable to use either way, and fits the capacity of my cup well.

[Anonymous No.17586571]

Is jap tea supposed to have this weird rubbery taste? I don't know how to describe it. Hojicha seems less nasty, but it still has this subtle unpleasant flavor.

[Anonymous No.17586585]

>>17586527
That sounds frikkin excellent. You've been sleeping on reds.

[Anonymous No.17586644]

>>17586484
Based

[Anonymous No.17586656]

>>17586527
Sounds good, that guy doesn't sell many reds so im guessing the ones he decides to stock are pretty nice

[Anonymous No.17586670]

>>17586571
I could see tasting something in that range.

[Anonymous No.17586716]

>>17586585
It seems I have. Originally when I got into tea, I was interested in pu'er (mostly shou) and whites because I thought their flavour profiles would be suitably complex or deep without being as harsh as some shengs or greens (which I had some unfortunate first impressions of). I wanted stuff I could get a good amount of for little investment, and not have to worry about drinking it immediately for ideal freshness. So, I've mostly slept on reds, greens, and to a lesser extent, oolongs. I'm still fortunate to have the opportunities to try all that I have, though I wonder what the ning'er everyone in the thread keeps mentioning is like, and so on.
>>17586656
I think he has a big Chawangpu house brand red cake that looked good, but I wanted to diversify my selections as much as possible and keep within a certain price/weight range. This bodes really well for the other items, though. I honestly might have to go all out and journal on another tea in a few hours. Might do the BaDa white or the one oolong I bought if I do.

[Anonymous No.17586766]

>>17586670
>8. Oceanic

>Some teas, particularly Japanese green teas, have oceanic notes. They may remind you of a sea breeze, seaweed, or shellfish, and have a distinct umami flavor.

Ok that explains everything. Roasted seems to remove a lot of the weird ass flavors, but damn, jap tea is just not my, cup of tea.

[Anonymous No.17586777]

>>17586766
Should have tried deep steamed tea

[Anonymous No.17586798]

>>17586766
Yeah that's it, it's got that savory seaweed flavor.

[Anonymous No.17586806]

>>17582755
>Im not removing the thing about teavana just because it makes you feel bad about living in flyover country
>>17585323
>Teavana is the perfect shorthand for a shop that mostly sells flavored tea with pretty flowers in it.
>They used to be in every mall so most murricans can picture what they were

Some of the most retardedly hipster ramblings I’ve seen for a while in these threads. Hating on those stores that used to exist is a ridiculous meme in itself.
Yeah they sold flavored/fruit/floral teas. They also sold some really good gyokuro, golden monkey, keemun, and other “real” teas.
I have zero problem with what those stores sold in terms of loose tea.
>inb4 flyover
Born on US west coast, and have lived a few years in both Shanghai and Osaka.

[Anonymous No.17586825]

when will ordering from china not be shit

[Anonymous No.17586828]

>>17586825
I always choose DHL when available and my shit gets delivered expediently with no hassle.

[Anonymous No.17586975]

>>17586825
Ordering from china has been fine for over a year at this point, i get everything in the standard 2-3 weeks.

[Anonymous No.17586988]

>>17586828
This is good advice.
Anything I order from China or Japan, tea or otherwise, has zero issue if DHL is handling the shipping.

[Anonymous No.17586997]

>>17586806
It just seems like you are mad that it's there because you used to buy tea there and saying to avoid it wounds your pride or something.
If im looking at a tea website and they sell a handful of types of regular tea and 20 different flavored teas with pieces of fruit in them im not going to buy from there. Usually because the people running it are appealing to a different kind of customer than me and i expect that their normal teas will be subpar, old, bought from the same distributor that they get their flavored tea from etc. It's a pretty good indication that they arent sourcing anything themselves.

[Anonymous No.17587088]

>>17586806
92% of the west coast is a flyover shithole pal. Noone is going to Murietta by choice. Or fucking Eugene.

[Anonymous No.17587123]

>>17586234
I'm the one that lost the race. Package seems stuck in some GD airport. Free GD storage. I've had three other packages arrive from China in the meantime.

Love the notes on red, these hongchas made from puerh material are always interesting and and durable.
Do the huangpian ripe next.

[Anonymous No.17587162]

>>17586997
>it wounds your pride or something
Nah friend; I don’t get emotionally invested in shopping at a chain store any more than I get emotionally invested in *not* shopping at a chain store.
It was what it was, there was nothing inherently bad about it, and hating it is a silly meme.

>>17587088
100% of the west coast is shithole according to people.
Say you grew up in SanFran or LA and you’ll get the same “shithole” comments. I grew up in the former and was spoiled for choice with tea shops.

[Anonymous No.17587728]

>>17587162
>I grew up in the former
No wonder you have shitty taste.

[Anonymous No.17588000]

Does tea make you gay? One of my favorite things to do while sipping tea is watching trans porn. It's almost a ritual at this point

[Anonymous No.17588494]

>>17584971
In the asian stores nearby I can only find very astringent blends of ctc black tea.
I usually buy tea from a western loose leaf tea shop in my city, it has a little bit of everything (black, green, puer, oolong, indian, chinese, weeaboo, etc)
I bought the Hojicha yesterday and I tried a no nonsense cup at boiling temp and I actually enjoyed it. I'll experiment with it a little bit (it's 50g) but it doesn't look like it was a waste to buy.

[Anonymous No.17588992]

tea is a cult, i cringe when i see these ""people"" swishing it around their mouths then spitting it out and going on to explain the "notes" of flavors it has

[Anonymous No.17589007]

>>17588992
People do this with coffee as well.

[Anonymous No.17589010]

>>17589007
Your mom does this with my cummies as well.

[Anonymous No.17589017]

>>17588992
All obsessions are like this. Who fucking cares? Consume or fuck off.

[Anonymous No.17589063]

>>17588992
pretty sure thats wine, there's no point not swallowing something that isnt alcoholic

[Anonymous No.17589632]

Guys would it be gay if…?

[Anonymous No.17589707]

fucking CHINA POST
fuck EMS and fuck government couriers

[Anonymous No.17589718]

>>17589707
my national carrier shows label as:
>Status: Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
kms.

has anyone tried any of the Spring 2022 harvests? any good picks so far?

[Anonymous No.17590608]

Tasted and journaled on the 2019 Fujian Hong Mu Dan oolong from Chawangshop earlier. Was pleasant, even if not especially complex. Here are my personal notes:
_________
4.5g/200F/15s

Dry leaves have a smooth, smoky-sweet syrup aroma. Wet leaves smell similarly, but soured very slightly, and perhaps more toasted and just short of being fruity on the near edge of a whiff.

Low thickness, medium astringency, and low bitterness. The light sweet smokiness of the aroma translates closely to the liquor, coating my palate and nose well, and balling up slightly in the mouth. Raising the parameters to 205F/20s dramatically elevates the saturation of the aromatics. The same occurs at 212F/25s. After the 4th or 5th infusion, it starts to lose intensity of smokiness, diverting attention towards the modest roasty sweetness more and more.

Very warming and energizing. Initially has a nice impact of flavour and aroma, and respectable aftertaste, but loses intensity after a handful of infusions. Still pleasant regardless.
_________
Image is of around 5 or so infusions in. Still drinking it now, finishing soon enough. Will probably try and journal on the 2021 BaDa white later.
>>17589632
Nothing wrong with that. People who frequently drink tea should consider investing in nice teaware. It does impact the pleasure of making and drinking tea if you interact with something pleasing to the eye. I wouldn't have invested in my cup and gaiwan if they didn't contribute to a better overall experience for me.

[Anonymous No.17590618]

>>17590608
Cheers, i like the cup too, dunno if you have posted it before

[Anonymous No.17590629]

>>17578681
I don't think it tastes smokey at all, but I've only ever tried one brand.

[Anonymous No.17590718]

>>17590618
I've posted pictures of the cup a few times. It's a handmade one from this artisan on Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlyingPlumtreeStudio
I bought it from her, and it has been excellent. Another anon bought a nice tea set from her when first getting into tea after seeing mine, and seemed to be quite pleased with it. Nearly every item seems to be 1/1, so that's a charming aspect with each piece. As for the gaiwan, it's one of these from Chawangshop:
https://www.chawangshop.com/tea-hardware/huaning-pottery/huaning-pottery-wood-fired-gaiwan-100ml.html
Random selection of similar handmade pieces. Had no concrete idea of what it would end up like, but it turned out to be a worthy investment. The only thing I'd like is if it had a saucer, but I can live without one.

[Anonymous No.17590771]

>>17585071
>sencha since it tastes bad and has to be dilute
lol

[Anonymous No.17590780]

>>17589707
>The plane entered the port
Found your problem m8 it's in the ocean
Must've been that Chinese flight that went down a few days ago.

[Anonymous No.17590849]

>>17590718
Oh yeah now i remember. Good combo

[Anonymous No.17590955]

went to one of those trashy herbalist tea shops with everything packaged in soulless little plastic pouches and I bought a formosa oolong. It's not bad

[Anonymous No.17590974]

>>17590955
I used to have one of those, they made their own herbal tea blends that weren't bad but their tea tea wasn't very exciting, i made the mistake of getting mini puer nests from them and they were fishy.

[Anonymous No.17590976]

>>17590955
Was it full of grils?

[Anonymous No.17591027]

>>17590955
>>17590974
The girl who ran my local overpriced tea shop had a mental breakdown and stripped naked in the store then went streaking down the block. She used to come into my brothers bar (across the street) and he'd feed her fireball shots for lunch in exchange for free random loose leaf I was using for kombucha.
https://teadropskc.wordpress.com/

[Anonymous No.17591101]

>>17591027
Damn i was hoping there would be a picture of her on the website
My local tea shop has a sign on the cash register asking customers not to assume the employees genders. It's next to a bakery owned by a lesbian that only hires teenage girls

[Anonymous No.17591430]

Any tips? What else should I add?

[Anonymous No.17591530]

>>17591430
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/xiaguan-tea-factory-1/products/2021-xiaguan-hong-cha-feng-qing-black-tea
And 50g of this
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/guangxi-liu-bao-tea/products/three-cranes-2409-old-bush-liu-bao-hei-cha-in-basket?variant=12207238086724

[Anonymous No.17591623]

>>17591430
$60 for a shotglass?
I'd rather have more tea

[Anonymous No.17591733]

>>17591623
but it has a little cat on it

[Anonymous No.17591781]

>>17591733
Very worth. I will weep on the day you post a picture of it with a chipped rim.

[Anonymous No.17591819]

>>17591781
you can repair chips and cracks, and they won't happen in the first place if you're careful.

[Anonymous No.17591838]

>>17591819
Famous last words.

[Anonymous No.17591872]

>>17591430
Why (2)pc of the gaiwan? You only need one if you're just making one tea at a time. I'd recommend just getting one and spending the money saved on tea.
>t. Anon who bought two cheap ones early on into tea discovery and now has three.
Try to diversify so you can learn more about your personal tastes.

[Anonymous No.17591927]

>>17591872
>Why (2)pc of the gaiwan?
I added it to my cart twice on accident. This is what it's looking like now. Do you think this is adequate for a first try?

[Anonymous No.17591952]

>>17588000
i was wondering this too

[Anonymous No.17591968]

>>17591927
That looks pretty good, only think you need is a cheap serving pitcher,
You pout the whole gaiwan into the pitcher, then use that to pour into the smaller cups, you dont want to try to pour a gaiwan directly into little cups its a nightmare.
Anyway like i said whatever is cheapest that you wont mind looking at.
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/cha-hai
I like this one myself just because people say the spout pours really nicely
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/cha-hai/products/borun-d-01-hand-blown-glass-cha-hai-for-gong-fu-cha-300ml

[Anonymous No.17591987]

>>17591952
I don't know if it makes you gay, but we have discovered that some kinds of tea cause lesbians (female) to become violent.
One of /tea/s missions is to educate lesbians about the dangers of puer

[Anonymous No.17591994]

>>17591987
>One of /tea/s missions is to educate lesbians about the dangers of puer
What? I thought we were educating chaste well-meaning tea-drinkers about the signs of domestic abuse

[Anonymous No.17592002]

>>17591968
What do you think about this portable tea set?
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/cha-hai/products/the-perfect-portable-tea-set-with-leaf-strainer

[Anonymous No.17592019]

>>17592002
Thr gaiwan is too big.
You want 100ml to 120ml max
Trust me

[Anonymous No.17592037]

>>17591927
They seem like respectable picks. I don't usually drink greens or many oolongs, nor do I shop at YS, so I can't comment on those specific teas. The teas the other anon recommended earlier look like solid choices. Some seem kind of expensive in price/g to me, and I'd personally prefer to swap in cheap white cake with an item, but that's just me and my preferences.

Teaware is more of a personal choice (buy whatever pleases your eyes), but I do agree with the other anon's opinion about getting a small pitcher. Just a cheap glass one will do, and will arguably be the best anyway since you can easily observe the tea liquor and smell the vapours afterwards. I also agree that a ~100ml gaiwan is best for most people. In the end, whatever enthuses you or seems personally interesting to you is the best choice. Same for the tea selections themselves, frankly. Don't try to min-max too much or you'll just stress out over Asian leaves and clay.

[Anonymous No.17592054]

Journaled on the 2021 BaDa organic white tea from Chawangshop earlier. Outright, a delightful tea just like its red counterpart I had last night. Here are my writings:
_________
4g/195F/10s

Dry leaves smell of brisk sugar, with a ticklish minty quality to it. Brewed leaf shifts more 'roasted' floral-green, which presents as very soft and sweet, especially as they cool down. Light spinach note on the gaiwan lid.

Medium thickness, low astringency and bitterness. Reserved low-floral sweetness, then a nut milk sweetness that returns to the initial floral character in the mouth. Lingers as gently as it comes, offering delicate sweetness for a fair time. Stronger infusions yield a buzzy, more milky texture, centering the flavours well. In this case, bitterness may only present as a very faint, well-received herbal "bass note" to this ensemble.

Quite possibly one of the most 'delicate' teas I've had with regards to its overall presentation. Very light liquor (practically clear on the first infusion), being at most sparkling yellow if infused more strongly, which I find to be quite pretty. The flavours and aromas, while possessing notable depth and complexity, aren't outwardly pungent, but rather composed and quietly charming. Lovely.

[Anonymous No.17592070]

>>17592019
>>17592037
Gotcha, thanks. I swapped in a 100ml gaiwan and I think I'm good to go now. Does cup size matter at all (lol)? I could go for either 50ml or 100ml.

[Anonymous No.17592106]

>>17592070
>Does cup size matter at all (lol)?
The only cup sizes that matter are of the ones you love.
>I could go for either 50ml or 100ml.
More personal preference, not as important as the gaiwan itself. I gravitated to using a bigger cup to pour each full infusion's worth of liquid into, and I find that to be comfortable for my personal rhythm, but I used very tiny cups for well over a year without issue. If it means anything to you, you don't have to fill them up all the way if they're larger.

[Anonymous No.17592133]

Deciding to drink soursop tea every day. This way, even though my physical body is lodged firmly in America, my ethereal body will reside in Jamaica.

[Anonymous No.17592139]

>>17592133
I haven't had the pleasure of eating soursop before, but after reading about its flavour online, it seems quite nice. How is it as a tisane, and why are you going to drink it every day besides attaining Jamaicanhood?

[Anonymous No.17592171]

>>17592139
I have never eaten a soursop, but I have eaten pawpaw before which is related to it. It tasted creamy and sweet like a cupcake almost. Soursop leaves are nice tasting and really make me happy on another level. Chamomile used to be this, but I drink chamomile like people breath air now so soursop has quickly become chamomile 2. The flavor is nostalgic, not as much as eucalyptus, but possibly based in real memory.

[Anonymous No.17592210]

>>17592171
It is not nostalgia, I've pinned down the smell as being similar to green tea. I guess I did enjoy green when I was still caffeinated.

[Anonymous No.17592274]

Can somebody give me a quick rundown on the honey in chamomile tea bags? I am afraid that it could be artificial sweetener. Would they do that? How is there honey in the bag?

[Anonymous No.17592275]

>>17592171
Are you the anon who superdoses on chamomile? It must be pretty nice if it is going to take time from your chamomile habit if so. I don't drink tisanes often besides sometimes ginger, but something I'd like to do is find things that go well with my cheaper, blander leaves to yield a more 'wholesome' flavour. I've been thinking of cultivating some herbs lately, and I might like to do something unusual. Maybe some edible flowers could be fun. I think experimenting with our teas is one of the best ways to appreciate them outside of journaling.

[Anonymous No.17592285]

>>17592275
It has not replaced chamomile, but it has displaced mango leaves from my daily infusion, which was originally added mainly to keep all the chamomile touching the water. So funny that I'm recognizable as the chamomile anon, addictive personality really is a hoe. I've determined through painful trial and error that nothing should encroach on the chamomile.

I've put powdered valerian into cookies and it was great. Ginger is one of the most based tisanes, but the taste isn't for me.

[Anonymous No.17593230]

im so bored tea bros, any double pot niggas in the house?

[Anonymous No.17593310]

>>17593230
what tea is that and how do you brew it?

[Anonymous No.17593322]

What's the optimal time to order Jap greens if I want a balance of shincha, gyokuro and matcha?

[Anonymous No.17593377]

>>17582755
Teavana doesn't exist anymore retard. Take it out.

[Anonymous No.17593382]

>>17577062
Send a PIC of what your spout looks like anon.

[Anonymous No.17593394]

>>17581330
If you have any of the sencha you hated left over, gently roast that. Its not hard.
>>17585381
I have IBS, don't be a coward.

[Anonymous No.17593414]

>>17591430
Ning'er "Golden Honey Aroma" Yunnan Black Tea
Jinggu Sun-Dried Silver Needles White Pu-erh Tea Cake
Yunnan Sourcing "Cozy"
Mojun Fu Cha "Fu Shen"
Gao Jia Shan "Wild Fu Zhuan" Hunan Brick Tea

[Anonymous No.17593427]

>>17593230
>>17593310
i think thats turkish, you brew a very strong black tea in top then dilute it with water from the bottom, russians do something similar but then sometimes add jam and or milk

[Anonymous No.17593428]

>>17591430
>>17593414
I just tried the Jinggu silver needle and I have to say it's really not worth it even at its current price. It barely tastes like anything, has very little aroma, etc. He's better off getting something with a little more punch like a BMD or a shou mei cake. I blind bought a cake of this and was very satisfied with it:
https://yunnansourcing.com/products/2015-yi-pin-xuan-ye-fang-shou-mei-fuding-white-tea-cake?_pos=1&_sid=d78bb4f16&_ss=r

[Anonold Palmer No.17593435]

Half mystery iced tea & half blueberry tea in my Arnold Palmer today. I’ve had the mystery iced tea in my fridge since I went out for breakfast Sunday.

[Anonold Palmer No.17593438]

>>17593427
What’s the tea leaf : water ratio when you brew the concentrate? Been wanting to try Russian style brewing & teas.

[Anonymous No.17593486]

>>17593310
idk its a blend of black teas that my mother mixes together. as for prep, i slowly brew my loose leaf tea in the top pot over the bottom pot thats full of water. the tea is stronger than most would like but thats what the bottom pot is for, to dilute it a little depending on your tastes

[Anonymous No.17593538]

Speaking of Russian tea, has anyone ever used a samovar?

[Anonymous No.17593746]

So drinking tea for health benefits is pointless?
I don't care for caffeine and love the taste so I'll keep drinking it, but it's so crazy that you can claim anything about green tea and matcha and get away with it. i'm a bit let down there were no benefits after all.

[Anonymous No.17593757]

>>17593746
>i'm a bit let down there were no benefits after all.
You can make the claim that mood has a significant (statistically, I mean) impact on health, and that if tea improves your mood, that is a tangible, scientifically provable health benefit. As far as any actual compounds in tea doing anything tangible, no.

[Anonymous No.17593765]

>>17593757
I'll take it, thanks anon.

[Anonymous No.17593772]

>>17593746
Don’t read Wikipedia, for one. Go to Google scholar and read specific studies

[Anonymous No.17593874]

>>17593746
i switched from energy drinks to tea so yes of me at least its healthier but no it isnt magic

[Anonymous No.17594159]

Diagnosed with cancer today
What tea should I drink?

[Anonymous No.17594216]

>>17594159
Anxi hairy crab
(sorry to hear that, btw)

[Anonymous No.17594225]

>the chamomile decoction is watery
Going to dump it out over myself the next time I break into hives.
>>17594159
Soursop. I drink it because the world is cancer, sorry to hear its made its way inside of you. Best of luck, read what people have to say about soursop for cancer and the perspective of big cancer on it. It really does choke cancer cells, depriving them of ATP and killing them.

[Anonymous No.17594241]

>>17594159
Fu brick

[Anonymous No.17594258]

I have a puerh disc in my pantry that I broke into a while ago and used about half, and the other half has been sitting in there since, in half-assed storage. Is it still good to drink so long after it's been tapped into?

[Anonymous No.17594270]

I love drinking soups and broths to the extent that I wish, particularly during winter, I'd be able to buy a cup of ramen or pho broth to sip in the morning. Is there any way I can replicate this via tea? I've never had a tea that I've enjoyed but I always felt envious watching people enjoy tea.

I could never enjoy any sweet tea. Even the very smell of chocolate makes me nauseous, and from what I've heard no one on my father's side of the family has enjoyed sweets in at least four generations so I clearly have some sort of autistic genetic aversion to sugar. Even as a child candy made me retch so I certainly couldn't have any tea based on sweeteners.

Is there some kind of salty or savoury tea I could try, reminiscent of broth? I'd really like to be able to casually pour some boiling water into a savoury or salty cup and sip it like tea.

[Anonymous No.17594276]

>>17594258
Sure, as long as it doesn't smell like kitchen oder the worst that can happened is it drys out some and looses some of the fruity green tea notes. People in many parts of china just store their tea cakes loose in a cabinet or on a shelf

[Anonymous No.17594278]

>>17594270
Ripe puerh is the closest, IMO. It's very cozy to drink in the winter and has a sorta salty savory taste to it. Reminds me of fish stock a bit.

[Anonymous No.17594279]

>>17594241
hopefully the mold will kill the cancer!

[Anonymous No.17594295]

>>17594270
Japanese green tea is very much a savory sort of seaweed broth flavor. You will probably like it quite a lot. Wait a few weeks for the 2022 spring tea to get into stock and look for a shop in your region in the pastebin in the op that specializes in Japanese tea. Or just order from one of the shops in japan, shipping should be down to $10-$13 again for some bags of tea.
The only other thing you need is a big mesh brew basket like the ones from finum or a stainless one from the brand For Life. Pic related
Then you can brew any kind of looseleaf right in a mug, brewing directions are in the pastebin or on most of the tea dealers websites.
If you ask for some suggestions for specif teas some other anons can probably help.

[Anonymous No.17594338]

>>17594295
>look for a shop in your region in the pastebin in the op
Unfortunately I'm Australian and there's nothing in the pastebin for that, but given how close we are with Japan I'm sure I can find a local store with recommended stocks.

Dumb question, what do you mean by looseleaf? Is that tea brewed without a teabag?

[Anonymous No.17594352]

>>17594338
>what do you mean by looseleaf? Is that tea brewed without a teabag?
Yeah, you actually can get decent Japanese tea in teabags, but really only from Japanese tea shops.
See if you can quickly check the shipping costs from these guys it Japan
https://www.o-cha.com/
It might be cheaper than you think

[Anonymous No.17594399]

>>17594352
Annoyingly I just realized that a new Asian tea place opened up in my apartment complex and I was excited to ask for your recommendations. Then I actually looked at their website and they seemingly only advertise food on their website:
https://www.teaconnoisseur.com.au/

I'd have to go outside and photograph their sign for a tea menu. I may do just that, as I assume these threads at least last a few days.

[Anonymous No.17594400]

Is 9g of matcha enough for 350ml of milked matcha + 50ml or so of milk foam? Found matcha today on manager's special. Never used the stuff before. Wanna putz about with it in the morning.

Plan is to use a cocktail shaker and my barbecue gloves to shake 9g matcha with 100ml just-under-boiling water, pour it into my cup, top with warm milk and warm milk foam. Thoughts? Do I belong in tea hell?

[Anonymous No.17594432]

>>17594399
Yeah they last a few days. You probably want to start out with sencha and if you get into it you can explore some other types. I guess a lightly steamed sencha if you have the choice but you probably won't unless you find a speciality shop. Maybe Gyokuro if you see it,
INB4 the tea shop only has bubble tea

[Anonymous No.17594444]

>>17594400
Grocery store matcha isn't usually very exciting, but a drink like that is exactly what i would use it for. I think 9 g seems reasonable.
Let us know how it turns out

[Anonymous No.17594476]

>>17594444
Will do, amigo.

[Anonymous No.17594483]

Should I buy chinese green tea now or it's better to wait?

[Anonymous No.17594525]

China market drop, lazy crop edition.
Bored waiting for shipping so I went to the local /tea/ isle to waste some money. Grabbed the only two loose teas they had, but they also had 100g jars of chrysanthemum and shit so I might go snag those later. No smell at all on the "bestleaf". The taiwanese green was vaccumed in foil and smells like this.
https://white2tea.com/collections/white-tea/products/2021-yesheng-gushu-baicha
The two most floral teas I've ever smelled. Its like sticking your nose in a strawberry patch. I think its going to be delicious. You guys might remember the tgy I posted a long time ago from the same brand, that was also pretty good. $1.99 for 100g of the shitleaf, $16.99 for 200g of the high mountain. I'll brew up a little later, kind of feel like an espresso tonic atm.

[Anonymous No.17594565]

>>17594159
wish you well anon, i hope you have a good prognosis and get better. drink whatever tea makes you happy.

>>17594225
>Soursop
it does not really have great evidence supporting it for cancer at this point in time though research is ongoing. if anything it has as much preliminary evidence tying it to causing parkinsonism as it does to treating cancer. the custard apple family does taste good though. wish they were easier to find fresh in stores.

>>17594399
looks like they have their tea on a different website (which they link to).
https://wildyunnantea.com.au/
my recommendation would probably try some of their teas in store. they seem a bit pricey but some of the teas may be ok. it looks like the owner is actually from Yunnan china which is a good sign at least.

this is kind of expensive but it looks interesting:
https://wildyunnantea.com.au/collections/all/products/gold-label-wild-organic-black-tea?variant=39877796036687
the picture makes it seem like it has some black yabao mixed in in it which is kind of unusual.

[Anonymous No.17594593]

has anyone had the "Book Cover Green" from w2T before?
https://white2tea.com/collections/latest-additions/products/book-cover-green-limited-time-only

[Anonymous No.17594605]

>>17594593
it's alright, nothing special

I did really enjoy the cloudmist green last year

and if you're willing to get scammed you could also spend $1/1g on green tea kek

[Anonymous No.17594612]

>>17594605
>it's alright, nothing special
then i will probably pass on it this year then. i already bought tea this month so i don't want to put in another order unless a really good deal pops up. thanks

[Anonymous No.17594644]

How do you all feel about oversteeping tea? I usually leave my leaves in the pot until I've finished it. It's mostly due to laziness but I do like the last cup a lot, depending on what I'm drinking.

[Anonymous No.17594651]

>>17594644
There isn't any correct way to drink tea, it's just highly suggested that you try the way that a majority of people think is the best first. Granpa style is essentially what you're talking about, millions of people drink various kinds of tea that way. Even if I cared, what you're taking about would be a mild tea infraction compared to the tea war criminal here >>17594400

[Anonymous No.17594652]

>>17594605
>I did really enjoy the cloudmist green last year
Fuck it was so good. Just finished the last of mine. I'd say 85% off peak after a year, but it lived in the pumi the whole time so that had to do something.

[Anonymous No.17594659]

>>17594432
There are actually three bubble tea shops in my building and two across the road. I know Australia is being bought by China in general but I have no idea how all these bubble tea places exist in tandem. Are other countries being spammed by bubble tea as well?

[Anonymous No.17594672]

>>17594565
>my recommendation would probably try some of their teas in store
They do advertise a tasting menu via chalk boards around the block, I just know that sweet flavours make me feel so sick I'll end up offending them

[Anonymous No.17594685]

>>17594651
>Anons think those are crimes.
>They don't realize I'm drinking deeply-infused cold brew tea mixed with some diet P*psi cream soda.
>Tfw it is actually good because it cuts down on the gross sweetness of the P*psi and adds a layer of complexity to the tea.
Send the cops, I don't give a fuck! AAAAAAAAAAAA!

[Anonymous No.17594693]

>>17594685
Ah, yeah. bepis

[Anonymous No.17594793]

>>17594525
Nice, those are some interesting pickups fron the asain market. I'm going to mine tomorrow hopefully i can find something fun. Even if its just a low grade Taiwan oolong is a pretty sweet find.

[Anonymous No.17594812]

>>17594672
Based on what i see on their website i would suggest getting a cup of longjing
https://wildyunnantea.com.au/collections/all/products/long-jing
It's a green tea that has some savory flavor and also a sort of roasted nuts type taste going on. It's probably the closest they have to what it sounds like you are looking for.

[Anonymous No.17594829]

>>17594659
Bubble tea is everywhere. It's trendy with young Asians and white girls also love it, so they have been popping up all over the place.

[Anonymous No.17595037]

>>17594159
That's rough buddy.
Simmer some chaga, it's not quite a tea but it's one of the only options with actual science behind it.

>>17594593
I got some last year and it was solid; not quite as good as the Ganlu they had, or. the Cloud Mist, but worth the price.

[Anonymous No.17595564]

>>17594525
>>17594793
Weather is giving me a massive headache so I might not get around to brewing those tonight. How much should I use for ~600ml of overnight cold steep on that green?

[Anonymous No.17595613]

>>17595564
About 5-6 grams

[Anonymous No.17595908]

How much caffeine is taken out on the first steep of black tea? Steep time of two minutes. I'm wondering if I make a cup in the morning and then do a second or even second and third cup at night if I'll be getting much caffeine.

[Anonymous No.17595924]

>>17595908
You'll be fine. If you're drinking a cup at 9pm or something, you might have some trouble sleeping, but there isn't that much caffeine in tea. I drink ~10 cups a day and I don't have any issues.

[Anonymous No.17595958]

>>17595908
>How much caffeine is taken out on the first steep of black tea? Steep time of two minutes
Its take about 30 minutes in water, starting from boiling and then cooling to room temperature over time for all the caffeine to leave the tea leaves. However it's not linear, most of the caffeine leave the leaves in the first few minutes and you extract less and less caffeine wuth each subsequent minute.
Number pulled out of my ass but i think after two minutes you have 40-60% of the total caffeine maybe more.

[Anonymous No.17595963]

>>17595908
I'm not sure how it works for tea but for coffee 2/3rd of caffeine is extracted in 30 seconds. The gongfu people rinse the leaves, possibly because it's harsh in short infusions to have all the bitter stuff in the first one. Whole leaf won't extract as fast as fannings. I doubt extra steeps would keep you up either way.

[Anonymous No.17595964]

>>17595908
Purely based on how I feel (which is not quantitative at all) I would say that when doing gong fu with loose leaf tea, roughly half of the caffeine is released within the first couple steeps. If you steep with boiling water for 2 minutes in the morning there's probably going to be a lot left in the leaves for subsequent steeps, but even if you cut it down by 1/3 or 1/2 in the morning it shouldn't be that stimulating come nighttime unless you are using a lot of leaf.

[Anonymous No.17595981]

>Tfw the new liubao in your order hits and you just have to stop the session to soak in the wave of comfort.
I'm feelin' it now lads, are you feelin' it now, lads? So far, my Chawangshop order has been very solid. I will post journal notes shortly, coasting.

[Anonymous No.17595994]

>>17595924
>>17595958
>>17595963
>>17595964
thanks

[Anonymous No.17596014]

How do you store your tea? I was thinking about buying some tins off of amazon to store them in

[Anonymous No.17596263]

Journal notes on 2010 Wuzhou TF Large Leaves '03507' liubao from Chawangshop:
_________
5.1g/200F/10s

Dry leaf smells of fresh, light, damp soil. Brewed leaf has an aroma of deep, earthy syrup.

Medium thickness, low astringency and bitterness. It arrives with a slick, juicy texture and soil sweetness. As I like to raise parameters slowly with heicha, I increased the second infusion to 205F/15s, which yielded a sweeter, somewhat more woodsy liquor without a huge blast of earthiness. Surprisingly mellow, yet grounding flavour and aroma. No harshness at all, even when infused for over a minute at 212F.

Aftertaste isn't long-lasting or especially potent. Still, the sweetness, though mild, maintains itself well through each infusion. A straight-forward, easy sipper that offers many infusions.

A side note: the bag it arrived in is labeled as "2010 Three Cranes '05307' LiuBao", but the original listing notes it as "2010 Wuzhou TF Large Leaves '05307' Liubao", and makes no mention of it being from Three Cranes, but of Wuzhou Tea Factory. May be an error owing to the Three Cranes sample in my package. It did appear to have some eurotium cristatum as advertised, so it seems to be the right product.

[Anonymous No.17596891]

>>17594270
some chinese oolongs are very savoury though it might be a bit hard to find specific ones, maybe some from Guandong. stay away from taiwan oolongs becasue they are ridiculously sweet, nothing wrong with them though.

[Anonymous No.17597053]

For teabags why is it recommended to not squeeze the bag? If I'm adding milk I literally can't taste the tea unless I give it a couple strong squeezes

[Anonymous No.17597090]

this shits just leaf water. not that deep

[Anonymous No.17597173]

>>17597090
it's as deep as you want it to be

[Anonymous No.17597361]

>>17597053
If I was drinking it plain I'd want it a bit more dilute but I always squeeze when I add milk. As long as dust doesn't escape, the juice inside is the good stuff.

[Anonymous No.17597497]

>>17594476
>>17594444
Made it. 9g is too much, I think. Quite bitter. No sweet notes at all. Tastes like oversteeped green tea. Gonna try again tomorrow with 4g then again the day after with 2g if tomorrow's batch is also unpleasant. Then, at risk of angering the gods of tea, I'll add sugar to the batch after that if 2g's still not, to put it douche-ly, my cup of tea.

[Anonymous No.17597508]

>>17596014
I personally just put tea into ceramic hermetic jars and stash them in the cabinet but I know people who use those double lidded metal tea can/jar things who swear undying fealty to that method only.

[Anonymous No.17597684]

>>17596263
>and makes no mention of it being from Three Cranes, but of Wuzhou Tea Factory.
my understanding is that Wuzhou Tea Factory is to Three Cranes as Menghai Tea Factory is to Dayi (that is to say they are both different names for the same company). just be careful because there are multiple tea producers in both of those city's (e.g. not all liubao from Wuzhou city is from Wuzhou TF).

[Anonymous No.17597692]

>>17596014
>How do you store your tea?
zip-lock mylar bags and amber mason jars are what i use and recommend.

[Anonymous No.17597806]

>>17597508
I use those for my coffee lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOD188lZRy0

[Anonymous No.17597858]

>>17596263
Yeah like the other anon said three cranes is Wuzhou TF.
Sounds nice, most of my favorite liubao productions have been from 3 cranes so far

[Anonymous No.17597902]

>>17594525
I saw a couple of tins of oolong like this at my local asain market, i was going to get some but the high altitude oolong didn't say it was from tawiwan and i couldn't tell if it was dancong or something else.

[Anonymous No.17597915]

I have wanted to get a tin of this smoked lapsang from my local market for a while but i thought it was some noname brand
Today i noticed that its made by cofco / cnnp butterfly brand so i grabbed a tin. I'm not sure if it is new tins or if i just didn't notice before.
Brewing a mug now but this is some damn smokey tea. If it's any good i might hoard a few tins because i don't think pine smoked lapsang is really made anymore.

[Anonymous No.17597922]

>>17594565
>if anything it has as much preliminary evidence tying it to causing parkinsonism as it does to treating cancer
Both can be true, but big pharma dictates what comes out of such studies. They won't even make up a diagnosis for what happens when people drink coffee for years, but everybody knows that something changes up there. Soursop tea tastes like a subdued green tea, very swampy. Makes me so tranquil that it takes lots of effort to even move my face. There is no free lunch, but be damned if I won't eat.

[Anonymous No.17597933]

>>17597915
I lije smokey tea but this stuff is intense, i might have to blend it with my unsmoked lapsang in a ratio of something like 25% smoked 75% not smoked.
Im not totally sure if this is pine smoked either or just wood smoked. I wish i grabbed one of the older tins of this a few years ago.

[Anonymous No.17597945]

>>17597915
Okay looked around online and this is definitely new tins, i guess the older ones were still by butterfly tea but they didn't have the cofco logo on them. Pic related

[Anonymous No.17597987]

New thread on the way

[Anonymous No.17597996]

>>17597987
xiexie

[Anonymous No.17598018]

>>17576706
new thread
>>17598014
>>17598014
>>17598014