ctc green teas?

Hi all,

I recently ordered a Yama glass teapot from Northwest Glass Design as a present (looks like a cross between a gaiwan and a kyuusu, with a roomy metal mesh filter; 10oz)

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It came (for a small fee) with a small quantity of Kapchorua green tea from Kenya, which I found more information on here:

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"Unlike most other green teas Kapchorua does not steam its green tea. After withering, the tea leaves are put through a CTC machine (two opposing and compressing rollers with angled blades which Cut, Tear & Curl the leaves). The cells in the leaves break down, releasing the leaf?s fluids, and instantly fermentation starts. The tea (it is a bright iridescent green mash at this point) is then put into a fluid bed tea dryer. Approximately 2-3 minutes elapses from the time the tea leaves the CTC machine until it is in the dryer. This brief time gives this tea its wonderful body and flavor, yet retaining the green tea characteristics."

It smells absolutely delicious. I'm looking forward to trying it -- With luck, I've found a green tea my mother will like. *grin*

N.

Reply to
Natarajan Krishnaswami
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Kapchorua is a relatively small tea estate in Kericho area East of the Rift in Kenya. Some African and a few Indian companies have experimented with CTC green tea and I have tasted a few, in fact have some Malawi LTP green in my tasting room now. The general rule is to fire right after the CTC cut - avoiding oxidation by speed rather than steaming or parching. The result so far is a rather harsh metallic cup lacking any sublety or aroma - perhaps Kapchorua has managed to succeed where others have so far failed? - I would be happy to hear of their success. Oddly the same leaf from the same bush that makes an acceptable black tea and an evil green tea can be persuaded to produce a sublime white tea - so we have found in Malawi where even the soft stems of the tips can be fashioned into a perfect exotic tea - for example Google "Antlers d'Amour"

Nigel at Teacraft

Reply to
Nigel

Thanks for the information; that's quite interesting.

I just made a cup with 3g tea and 160F water.

It isn't overflowing with subtlety (sic), but the metallic flavors and astringency are well enough contained that they merely lighten the cup without overwhelming it. It's intriguing, and the flavor/sensation lingers (30 minutes so far).

The liquor is a coppery brown; lighter than Assam CTC. Flavor-wise, it's much better than US bag tea. It's lighter than Assam CTC in flavor as well, with some echoes of Ceylon fannings or Keemun, and the rawness/bitterness of some Darjeelings. All in all, I could drink this fairly often (stomach permitting). Augment-wise, it's pleasant by itself, but would probably stand up nicely to lemon and/or-sugar -- probably not milk-friendly, though, but de gustibus etc.

Antlers d'amour sound fantastic. Next purchase.... :)

N.

Reply to
Natarajan Krishnaswami

I forgot to mention the leaf. Dry, it looks like lightish brown (a bit lighter than Assam) CTC. Infused, the leaf is distinctly green, but dark (and CTC-looking).

I recant. There was something to it... so I made a cup, added a small splash of milk, squeezed in a bit of ginger juice, and added some sugar. The color is all wrong (way too pale/watery), but it's delicious: the citrusy/metallic bits mesh with the ginger, the bitterness with the sugar, and the astringency with the milk, leaving just enough of all of these to please me. I didn't expect this.

While it's certainly a straightforward tea, it's not as one dimensional as I had thought from the first cup.

N.

Reply to
Natarajan Krishnaswami

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