Tea Strength

please read Fujian Oolong, not Fijian - silly spell checker !!

just wait until you start snorting fannings.

oo-er, is that legal ? ;-))

"Draconus" wrote in news:pg3qh.462$u8.285@news- server.bigpond.net.au:

Only in the Netherlands and in the US state of West Virginia (I think the state legistlators must have gotten confused on this one).

Ozzy

I've been making my teas stronger these days to coat the throat and warm the stomach. I use to think that taste was limited to the nose and mouth.

Jim

Drac> Been drinking Chinese tea, particularly Pu-erh and Fijian Oolong for just

Could be both. Although the Puerh generally wont degrade with age unless it is over 30 years old or so. Now greens, whites, and even reds to a lesser degree will all loose their essence over time, sometimes very quickly. It is mainly blacks (the Chinese definition of black) that actually improve over time rather than degrade.

On the hand your palate will also develop with time. Teas that I used to consider too bitter to enjoy are now quite enjoyable, greens that I used to think were bland are now quite flavorful.

Again, loose puerh doesnt even need the precautions you are taking. Most puerhs benefit from being stored in breathable containers rather than airtight etc.

This sounds like a palate evolution to me. My taste in black puerh changed very similarly. I now drink my cooked puerhs very styrong in comparison to what I started out with. Assuming of course that we are talking about the exact same shipment. If it was two different shipments there is a high likliehood that the two teas came from different batches which could easily have differed in perceived flavor.

Sounds rather normal to me..... Might be time to start experimenting with raw puerhs, again, a normal evolution.....

Mike

Mike snipped-for-privacy@m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com1/16/07

Bite your tongue, boy!

To which we ought to add a properly roasted Oolong from WuYi which will improve with some age on it as witnessed by Jenn who found a 2006 Bai Ji Guan wanting compared to a 2005, a sentiment with which I totally agree having tried both teas. If Jenn refers to The Tea Gallery (NYC) BJG's, the 2006 is nice enough, but the 2005 is richer and more nuanced, perhaps for the additonal year, and perhaps 2005 was just a better year, an idea that has wide circulation.Some say that a well roasted Phoenix Mt. Oolong will also enjoy some months stashed away. In any event, a well roasted tea of most any sort shouldn't be drunk immediately because the roast quality will overpower and needs resting time.

No, not necessarily. I have proof. I am proof.

There are all kinds of balances to be struck. Perhaps Oz is heading swiftly toward a full Gung Fu frenzy. Personally, I don't see demand for more Pu-erh leaf as a palate development unless he were using too little leaf to begin with.

Aha, your tastes ripen as you move to the raw. But, as your tastes develop toward richer and richer Pu'erhs, you will have to swim with the sharks, of which there is no scarcity. You'll see them swimming around Taiwan, Hong Kong, and of late New York City. Tulip bulbs, anyone?

Michael

... was quite possibly using less leaf than I ought to when we first started - the concept of 'keep trying the tea till I got it right' was still a little hard to swallow (no pun intended) when we looked at the money we had initially spent on the stuff. Now of course with our slightly more mature palates, this is no longer an issue.

I do prefer using my pots rather than the Gaiwan - I seem to be able to get a better balance compared with my Gaiwan. The wife is the totally opposite. She can brew a mean 30 year pu-erh in her gaiwan ! I use a Gaiwan at work and even now struggle to get the same taste from a tea two days in a row - I think I'm rushing the process while working.

Did any of you use scales to initially determine the correct amount of leaf - or did you just wing it ? I don't think I want to start using a scale all the time, but am wondering if I used one for a short period to show me what 5g of leaf (for example) looks like, I might be a little more consistent. Brewing time is consistent as I used a simple timer.

Cheers Mal Oz (sunny Perth actually)

snipped much good stuff

Well, you can't really get the same result each time because you're different, the environment is also different, even the tea is different. You bring a different self to the table each time, in a manner of speaking, right? So, of course the tea will surprise you every time. This is not to say that we don't have good days and bad days. Just my opinons.

I use a scale often enough, especially when the tea is valuable and I have very little of it. At the least, you might consider getting the feel of what 5g of any given tea looks like by using a scale initially. With Pu'erhs, you are steeping the same leaf many times, so you vary the lengths of the steep in accordance with the results you got and the results you want. I scarcely think a timer will help, but that's just another opinion of mine. I vote for the occasional use of a scale, and lose the timer. By the way, we're talking about time from instant, five, ten, fifteen seconds, etc. So, a timer isn't really practical.

Michael

Your opinion is always respected Michael. Yes I suppose you are right about bringing a different self - I also suppose determined somewhat by the day you have had, your mood, whether you are focused on the tea or that colleague banging on the door !

I find I loose focus on the brew time at work if I don't use a timer. I pre-determine the brew time (in seconds) then set the count-down timer accordingly - when it beeps it reminds me to pour the tea. Too many 8 minute brews under the bridge to not use the timer I'm afraid! Incidentally, my wife uses the timer on the microwave oven when she uses the Gaiwan; presets it, pours water over the leaves then whacks the start button - seems to work for her. But I do take your point, would rather do all this using instinct and ones own senses - I am hoping this will come with time.

I'm warming towards the scale idea then at least until my instincts are more well honed.

Must go for now, my turn for tea, then bed !

Cheers Mal Oz