tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334703403307522872024-02-06T20:47:26.957-08:00Golden TeaGolden Tea - A Colorado Tea Buyers Journey through the World of TeaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-37186581911328580592016-03-05T04:50:00.000-08:002016-03-05T04:50:09.523-08:002016 North American Tea Competition - Thoughts<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
<i>This is a guest post from Lydia, a <a href="http://www.eastriseteas.com/">tea buyer</a> and expert who I've known and worked with for a number of years now. She is always frank, straightforward, and honest with her thoughts on tea and the tea industry. She had the honor to serve as one of the judges during the <a href="http://www.teachampionship.com/tc16/Public/Enter.aspx">2016 North American Tea Competition</a>, and has been gracious enough to share some of her thoughts here. She can be contacted via <a href="mailto:eastriseteas@gmail.com">email</a> here. </i><br />
<br />
Hello and good afternoon,<br />
<br />
The North American Tea Competition is an opportunity for companies to
showcase their prize-worthy teas, and in some instances, winning entries call
attention to little known teas. On February 25-26<sup>th</sup>,
various blended/flavored teas, autumnal teas, and single- serve teas totaled
over 200 teas for evaluation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoo3mseeCD1yFVPK08NFw68p1uPUan9kttmJCMr3hhA0HGHLQDmCD7LwzqZyWXdQbse1DrUGY_mtUQQHnaNfFku5c2VEWONgr980qndsuhx2uzKNB5suXuhWUY_HRlUb62JHjRydkmBk/s1600/LydiaPhoto1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoo3mseeCD1yFVPK08NFw68p1uPUan9kttmJCMr3hhA0HGHLQDmCD7LwzqZyWXdQbse1DrUGY_mtUQQHnaNfFku5c2VEWONgr980qndsuhx2uzKNB5suXuhWUY_HRlUb62JHjRydkmBk/s400/LydiaPhoto1.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
Speaking as a (very) interested party and from the perspective of a judge,
the tastings provide a rare opportunity to enlarge visual/palate memory, to
mull over category definitions and their boundaries, to hone cupping skills and
the ability to make distinctions. Still, there is an ever-present sense of
having to assess independently and being aware that numbers should probably not
veer too far from what other judges determine. That said, it is a true
luxury to have a support team watch water temperatures and steeping times, and
weighing out the loose teas. <br />
<br />
Entrants of course do not see other teas in their category
but do receive comments even if their teas do not place. They therefore
do not see the context and most importantly, the comparative stage on which the
competition plays out. It is this setting that makes me happy to serve,
with meals and a bed as my only recompense.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgfV-xkzqAF4zhNtjJoPIemO6ziAermIwCnIh6CeT828yMoSf6jz-GZgRDR4w4im-2Y4HRLuoCmUWh_nsRyEsvK6SUhx9A7zVwWmtWoR66U8U91i8YRzYXYruJ9ujC5Yx50c-FsfK0A0/s1600/LydiaPhoto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgfV-xkzqAF4zhNtjJoPIemO6ziAermIwCnIh6CeT828yMoSf6jz-GZgRDR4w4im-2Y4HRLuoCmUWh_nsRyEsvK6SUhx9A7zVwWmtWoR66U8U91i8YRzYXYruJ9ujC5Yx50c-FsfK0A0/s400/LydiaPhoto2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here briefly are some lessons gleaned from the two-day session, and while
none is a new insight, they nevertheless serve as useful reminders:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Knowing <b><u>benchmark</u></b> teas: this cannot be over emphasized. I
was not alone in stating that some were weak because flavor was lacking or the
distinctive and defining character of a category was missing (which, for
example, we found to be true of the Yunnan Black group). In some
instances, careful tasting prior to sending off a tea with hopes of recognition
might have alerted an entrant to possible taint or defective manufacture,
resulting in low scores.
</li>
<li> <b><u>Balance</u></b> in blends and in flavored teas: because the tasting was
blind – and any identifying tags on single-serve teas had been removed – we
approached the teas without any preconception of flavors we expect to
find. A label on a box announcing raspberry may predispose your palate to
detect this feature. We found many in which a featured flavor was hard to
discern, while on the opposite end, the flavor was so strong as to become a
one-note beverage, lacking evidence that tea was a carrier. Finding the
correct balance is a challenge, especially with green and white teas since they
are mild to begin with. One adage that came to mind: <i>Just because you
can does not mean you</i> <i>should</i>. Botanicals and flavors are meant to
enhance the teas to which they are added, not overpower them. (One useful
example to consider would be jasmine scented Silver Needles White - - a
delicate scent [not essence/oil] combined with a mild White tea.)
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span><b><u>Trends</u></b>: the high number of of submissions in the Flavored
Black and Flavored Green categories is a useful mirror reflecting market
demand, so no surprises here. The fact that there were six entries in the
Jasmine Pearl group is a good sign for premium teas. In the Oolong groups,
despite a long craft tradition and what I consider to be complex and deep
flavors, the greener style – teas that are floral and friendly - continues to
show greater appeal.
</li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span><b><u>Highest scoring teas</u></b>: I don’t have the full stats yet but my
impression is that Oolongs will show the highest numbers. Teas must earn
a minimum threshold to place third, but in terms of absolute points, I think
Oolongs garnered the top marks honor.
</li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span>What’s happened to <b><u>Chai</u></b>? We’ve noticed this trend for a couple of
years now: the tea has become thinner in body even as more ingredients are
added to this classic (defined here as made with Black tea). Brewed with water
first and then cupped with milk, many of the teas were insipid rather than
hearty, even though after viewing the colors, it was decided to add only 1
tablespoon of (whole) milk.
</li>
<li> <span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span>How to convey a message to consumers: <b><u>broken does not = bad</u></b>.
Whole leaf teas, loose or bagged, have rightly received much attention of late,
and perhaps this has had the unintended consequence of consumers dismissing cut
or broken leaves without having tasted good representatives of those
teas. Black teas from Sri Lanka, such as BOPs or BP1s, give a satisfying,
full-bodied cup that is a different, not necessarily inferior, experience than
that from an OP.
</li>
</ul>
<br />
The next NATC will be in summer when spring teas are evaluated, and as we
are now in March, my natural impatience runs stronger waiting for the new
teas. Air freight rates are increasing (I don’t remember them ever going
the other way) but some teas are worth the effort.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-86094869974292399932016-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:002016-02-20T10:53:00.254-08:002015 In Review - Pounds Of Tea<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We are well into 2016, and I thought it would be interesting for some people to review - have a discussion - about how much tea they bought over the course of 2015. There are three types/levels of tea buyers I run into on the web, and they can generally be pinned into the basic categories of: 1) personal enthusiast/connoisseur, 2) tea lover and buyer for a cafe or restaurant, and 3) a tea wholesaler or entrepreneur generally selling on the web. I fit into category #2, and although I participate in various forums and other tea related discussions, I don't encounter many other people who also fall into category #2. Most seems to be in categories #1 and #3, which is fine, if you are in #2 like me, you probably have a ton of other things to do like run your cafe or restaurant. However, to put out some numbers for discussion and to help those who may be interested in starting a cafe, tea house, or restaurant, here are the teas and amounts that I bought last year.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWb5nMefp4Kti3rg4XNmQVApDSJ1DfxEsWGhBYxS7neCXQY2tYMxiv6PQMy7Rv7sZ_ZqOorC1yeVY5WKhh9D4pC7aoH1nHJkCkP40B317iemu9uKlW8HCuJRVarAyS86wj80l1BjxXaM/s1600/20160220_110912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWb5nMefp4Kti3rg4XNmQVApDSJ1DfxEsWGhBYxS7neCXQY2tYMxiv6PQMy7Rv7sZ_ZqOorC1yeVY5WKhh9D4pC7aoH1nHJkCkP40B317iemu9uKlW8HCuJRVarAyS86wj80l1BjxXaM/s640/20160220_110912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top half of current teas on offer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Chinese White: 10 pounds</div>
<div>
Chinese Green: 139 pounds</div>
<div>
Chinese Oolong: 25 pounds</div>
<div>
Chinese Black: 64 pounds</div>
<div>
Chinese Post-Fermented: 69 pounds</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Indian White: 4 pounds</div>
<div>
Indian Green: 1 pound</div>
<div>
Indian Oolong: 0</div>
<div>
Indian Black: 144 pounds</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Taiwan White: 0</div>
<div>
Taiwan Green: 0</div>
<div>
Taiwan Oolong: 32 pounds</div>
<div>
Taiwan Black: 0</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Japanese White: 0</div>
<div>
Japanese Green: 54 pounds</div>
<div>
Japanese Oolong: 0</div>
<div>
Japanese Black: 0</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Total: 542 pounds of tea in 2015</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgnl2dRtZICSZxyKNJCoq8ZcpW3YxteBf7OgaKX2MU_eDVIqyNMTwK5FA1rtuq-du0l2KViNf8KOgznWcPQ0xTklgVuT-6QApihCE_iHiOzKmlidcRzrxPlWWogBd3wmFgTEuog9HNCg/s1600/20160220_110917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgnl2dRtZICSZxyKNJCoq8ZcpW3YxteBf7OgaKX2MU_eDVIqyNMTwK5FA1rtuq-du0l2KViNf8KOgznWcPQ0xTklgVuT-6QApihCE_iHiOzKmlidcRzrxPlWWogBd3wmFgTEuog9HNCg/s640/20160220_110917.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom half of current teas on offer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That seems like a fairly decent amount of tea for one year, but I don't know. Perhaps it is low, perhaps it is high. Tough to say without any numbers out there. In comparison to the amount of coffee we bought last year, it is 10 to 1, i.e., we bought over 5,400 pounds of coffee.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This year I plan on buying a bit more, as we continue to grow and sell more tea and coffee. It is an uphill battle, as there is so much out there in terms of coffee education, coffee events, coffee support, and so forth, whereas with tea, there is very little. The largest gap that I see in the tea market in the U.S. is simply educating consumers about quality tea on all levels. If you are interested in learning more about tea, it can be a long journey depending on where you live and how much money you have, whereas with coffee, it is easy to find a high quality roaster or cafe within 1 hour drive of almost anywhere (except for some areas that are simply to rural to sustain that type of business). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To my mind, cafes are the best place to grow tea culture and tea appreciation in the U.S., far beyond online efforts, trade fairs, or specialty classes. Cafes are where people can learn about tea without being put-off by it's mystery; you can go to a cafe and try a tea while your friend gets a Americano or some other familiar drink. It is the perfect spot to relax and to be open to learning and trying new things. When I travel, I always go to the local cafes and try both the coffee and any tea if it is available, but I am always struck by how tea is treated as a side project of the cafe or not included at all. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope to meet other people in category #2 (as well as #1 and #3) so that we can learn how to grow tea appreciation and tea culture in the U.S. If someone is traveling, I'd love to be able to tell them where to get an excellent pot or gaiwan of tea, but other than a few spots in San Francisco and one shop in Tucson, I can't say much. If you are out there, I'd love to hear from you, it's a long journey and I'm always looking for friendly faces to share the adventure with.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-63425849384533790592016-02-01T07:01:00.000-08:002016-02-01T07:01:04.049-08:00Wild Jungle Sheng Maocha Puerh and Liming Spring High Mountain Sheng Puerh<br />
<b>Wild Jungle Sheng Maocha</b><br />
<br />
A little while ago I acquired a couple pounds of a "wild jungle sheng mao cha" dating back to the year 2000. Although technically not a pu'er as this tea comes from Laos, it is a pu'er and has been exceptionally aged. Picked and processed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_people">Dai people</a> just across the border from Yunnan, the wild tea plants and associated leaves are delicious and exhibit many of the characteristics that I love about this style of pu'er. The leaves are very large and thick, coming from the summer harvest. They were minimally processed, being sun-dried before being piled and aged. Opening up the bag, the classic "funk" of a good pu'er wafted out and overwhelmed my senses. The tea brewed up to a smooth, slightly sweet brew with a slight viscosity that coated the tongue before slowly revealing the subtle flavors.<br />
<br />
Sharing the tea with friends, all seem to really enjoy it and it has been selling really well, even to a few green tea fans who enjoy it's ability to not turn astringent on longer steeps. People really overlook aged <i>maocha</i> in my mind, thinking that cakes are where it is at when it comes to pu'er, but to my mind a good aged <i>maocha</i> can be exceptional, and often just as good as an aged cake pu'er but for less money. Something like this one will never be found on the market again, and so I will be holding on to as much of it as possible to slowly put out over the next couple years. If you happen to come into the cafe and see a "wild green sheng" available, I strongly suggest you give it a try. <br />
<br />
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<br />
The readings I got on this were:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 87ppm<br />
PH - 7.56<br />
<br />
<b>Tea</b><br />
TDS - 484ppm<br />
PH - 5.95<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 397ppm<br />
PH - 1.61<br />
<br />
This was a really good extraction, as I usually only get that much TDS change in black teas. The PH change is a bit above the normal pu'er, but not a total outlier.<br />
<br />
<b>2005 Liming Spring High Mountain Sheng</b><br />
<br />
I got one cake of this 2005 <i>gushu</i> to try before buying the entire tong. A couple people have put forth a negative impression of the factory, which is located in the Menghai area and is one of the oldest pu'er factories, having been established in 1964, but from what I can tell they have done so to simply push their own pu'er and agenda. Others have noted how Liming, which also produces under the name Ba Jiao Ting (which is the label of their higher quality products), has been noted for its consistency, quality, and push towards organic tea. The online world is full of players pushing their own agenda - I try and ignore that and let the tea speak for itself. So I ordered a cake, as the price was favorable and I wanted to try the tea.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed it - my notes include "nice, alert, hay and honey, lingering through the nose, good digestion, a touch dry in aging." It did not have the viscosity or slowly rising chi of the Wild Jungle Sheng above, but I was able to pull a 5 hour standing counter shift with no breaks right after enjoying this tea and felt great the whole time, so that should speak to something. I will order a tong and see what the customers say, but think it will go over well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt05yLi-ePNnMn4ogT3xT1K0z6zynIGGeUhHxB7fQC5tUg5pW2CpwSaYSr9ykmXItDK7KkuoDYPUNCw0LMqR9seYsYbMnXcrBjW9q29U74hiCZcdzG0Tj7uXvhmwdIJ8q2FEDJZvKk9A/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt05yLi-ePNnMn4ogT3xT1K0z6zynIGGeUhHxB7fQC5tUg5pW2CpwSaYSr9ykmXItDK7KkuoDYPUNCw0LMqR9seYsYbMnXcrBjW9q29U74hiCZcdzG0Tj7uXvhmwdIJ8q2FEDJZvKk9A/s640/DSC_0023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the difference in leaf size between the spring Liming cake and the summer Wild Jungle maocha. Quite the difference!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here are the numbers I got:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 53ppm<br />
PH - 6.95<br />
<br />
<b>Tea</b><br />
TDS - 388ppm<br />
PH - 6.07<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 335ppm<br />
PH - .88<br />
<br />
Another good extraction, although not as high as the Wild Jungle Sheng above. The PH change was also much less, indicating that the leaves released less carbon into the water, most likely because they are 5 years younger.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-38840400870720803202016-01-25T07:11:00.001-08:002016-01-25T07:11:30.273-08:002015 Huang Guanyin - Yellow Goddess of MercyI'm seriously backlogged on getting teas up on the site, but that means that things are busy and that is a good thing. I've been prepping for the upcoming Assessing Assam Tasting, which will be this Saturday at 1pm for anyone that wants to join. It's a free tasting during which we will compare six different orthodox Assams from the 2015 second flush harvest. Should be fun!<br />
<br />
This is a look at Huang Guanyin (Yellow Goddess of Mercy) from the 2015 harvest. Huang Guanyin is a relatively new hybrid cultivar that comes from a cross between Tie Guanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) and Huang Jingui (Yellow Gold). The cultivar was developed by the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences - Tea Research Institute in the late 1980s and adopted in the Wuyishan area of Fujian Province in the 1990s. The cultivar name is <span class="std">ART.NO.W003A (or WYA38): Huang guan yin. Picked only in April, this oolong is roasted and rolled unlike the two varietals that it comes from - Tie Guanyin and Huang Jingui are usually ball-rolled, with Tie Guanyin being either medium to heavy roasted (traditional style) or light roasted (more modern style) while Huang Jingui is usually lightly roasted (for an excellent version I often buy the <a href="http://www.teance.com/collections/oolong-tea-china/products/yellow-gold">Yellow Gold from Teance</a>). </span><br />
<span class="std"><br /></span>
<span class="std">This is perhaps one of the best Wuyi oolongs to get people excited about these amazingly complex teas. Medium roasted, with a nice sweetness and floral orchid notes, this tea is hard to go wrong with. The one exception is if you try and brew it in a pot - I really don't think Wuyi teas respond well to pot brewing, and need/must be brewed in a gaiwan with lots of leaves and quick steeps. I like 7grams in a 100ml gaiwan with ~20 second steeps. On this one, the charcoal roast notes dropped off after the first 3 steepings or so, but the honey and melon flavors persisted well into the 7th steep. Wuyi oolongs are not cheap, and if you do find a cheap one, it will probably be a disappointment. You pay for what you get, and in this case, paying for a quality Wuyi will make all the difference.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0n2BKJz-rsxM9Ij4Re2kbEohXawKZJ26_BBvv7pzTqcavV8C-zuLjqdxyGSZb93jluEAAW6ApJMC8Mc5CzbjSufMbaTtzBu9XneDmM-tROjBZSl1HBznJKtVHCxfolNGQVnLxcpEbYE/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0n2BKJz-rsxM9Ij4Re2kbEohXawKZJ26_BBvv7pzTqcavV8C-zuLjqdxyGSZb93jluEAAW6ApJMC8Mc5CzbjSufMbaTtzBu9XneDmM-tROjBZSl1HBznJKtVHCxfolNGQVnLxcpEbYE/s640/DSC_0003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice quality plucks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMO0htM6DeUUvYjewBRSMRj2U5G0WsVF2sDTphswuu8xPCvJAREb_tk2vzk0Zn9N4yzWign23iyZJaSOU2BVlxuwx4YykvFN9XnsAKOElADGiyJ7IeUadssC4eyNZOcMVUDCMHcLSB4U/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMO0htM6DeUUvYjewBRSMRj2U5G0WsVF2sDTphswuu8xPCvJAREb_tk2vzk0Zn9N4yzWign23iyZJaSOU2BVlxuwx4YykvFN9XnsAKOElADGiyJ7IeUadssC4eyNZOcMVUDCMHcLSB4U/s640/DSC_0003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couple of other teas that I got with the Huang Guanyin.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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For this tea, the readings were:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 67<br />
PH - 7.07<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 310<br />
PH - 6.06<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 243<br />
PH - 1.01Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-58630820372964016322016-01-11T06:44:00.000-08:002016-01-11T06:44:51.906-08:001998 Menghai Area Pu'er<br />
Ahhh, the mystery and fun of older pu'er (puer, puerh, etc.). I recently bought a tong of this old pu'er - the only information I got on it was that it was harvested around 1998 from the Menghai area. Obviously it is a Menghai pu'er based on the paper wrapping, but beyond that the only other information I have is that it was stored in Guandong until 2008 under "wet conditions" and then brought over to the United States where it continued to age in "dry conditions." Some may not like the lack of information, others may not approve of the storage techniques, but one must taste the tea to make an ultimate decision.<br />
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The tea is very good in my opinion. It is what I would call a "classic" Menghai pu'er - deep, smooth, semi-sweet at the end. Some earth flavors, but really a mellow, all day drinking tea with a very slow rising cha qi. The tea can handle many steeps, and can either be brewed with flash steeps for a lighter cup or let sit for a dark, thick brew. I prefer the flash steeps myself, but one of our regulars loves to let the pu'er sit until it is nice, thick, and dark.<br />
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Measurements on this tea are:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
Temp - 165<br />
TDS - 73ppm<br />
PH - 7.34<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
Temp - 165<br />
TDS - 288ppm<br />
PH - 6.48<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 215ppm<br />
PH - .86<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-15581362635755116352015-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:002016-01-11T06:02:38.683-08:00A Comparison of Four Da Hong Pao Oolong TeasWe sell a lot of oolong tea in our cafe, primarily because it is delicious, but also because it is a good intro tea for many people. This is especially true for those who try the light roast oolongs from Taiwan or Anxi in China. With their high floral notes, slight sweetness, and forgiving steep times, they make a perfect introduction for many people to venture into the world of tea. More complex oolongs, such as the twisted oolongs from Wuyi, Fujian, China are a bit harder to get just right on the steep time, and often the charcoal roast puts people off until they know what they are doing and what they are drinking. We have a fabulous 2015 Winter Harvest <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/11/two-different-oolongs-similar.html">Long Feng Xia</a> and 2015 Winter Harvest Ali Shan right now, both of which are high mountain green oolongs from Taiwan. We also have several other oolongs (a couple competition oolongs from Taiwan done in the traditional style, a Mao Xie [Harry Crab] and medium roast Tiequanyin from Anxi, China, as well as an amazing Baozhong twisted oolong from Taiwan. However, we have not had a good Da Hong Pao or Wuyi oolong to offer so I have been on the hunt for one.<br />
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Over the past two weeks I compared four different Da Hong Pao oolongs from various vendors, trying to find one that I thought was the best. All of them were very good, with some slightly better than others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxpjOyYegMJeLeLfF2PnHhhGkcmFe8T-azwtuNTKPP3wtLx0AKfVRSGB9AgVvf3wrnubJjhlsETa4kpW72_2wXaP6xR6uilqRJYP_GznFqsLUWG2TjiRhUwnBzWsbebnhSsoUOmSLHMA/s1600/Map1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxpjOyYegMJeLeLfF2PnHhhGkcmFe8T-azwtuNTKPP3wtLx0AKfVRSGB9AgVvf3wrnubJjhlsETa4kpW72_2wXaP6xR6uilqRJYP_GznFqsLUWG2TjiRhUwnBzWsbebnhSsoUOmSLHMA/s640/Map1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the tea to be a true Da Hong Pao, it must come from within the
Nature Preserve located just outside of Wuyishan, Fujian, China.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATwqQNLQaq2Zx_wI9jTZQnd-9-ihJh1TnvADr_MtnECQE7LUHp7G7wy6r07Oj7PG26NO3ZI1UEcSgOXu0dzE7IWPgaCTt-ZGTXjG-mT9uB2SPt6KvQkpBy206U4l6KM5kxkSqiEz0HsE/s1600/Map3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATwqQNLQaq2Zx_wI9jTZQnd-9-ihJh1TnvADr_MtnECQE7LUHp7G7wy6r07Oj7PG26NO3ZI1UEcSgOXu0dzE7IWPgaCTt-ZGTXjG-mT9uB2SPt6KvQkpBy206U4l6KM5kxkSqiEz0HsE/s640/Map3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Tongmu Guan village, where Cindy's tea comes from.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxjZQhfda-tH_8q9af6OC0NKUuVz4DmIn_GvUYEU04tAvpxTXzyTWwHW1d4b9EGK2qxolBLVXdO6ZDPYf_7qA7iWRGAiA1zn5SUeNEjkU55IeA6snf4Kkkk6aWamy39Fd3KNkD3-oZKU/s1600/Map4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxjZQhfda-tH_8q9af6OC0NKUuVz4DmIn_GvUYEU04tAvpxTXzyTWwHW1d4b9EGK2qxolBLVXdO6ZDPYf_7qA7iWRGAiA1zn5SUeNEjkU55IeA6snf4Kkkk6aWamy39Fd3KNkD3-oZKU/s640/Map4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see, the mountains are not just rocks, but they are rocky. The tea farms can be seen spreading up the hillsides a bit from the village, as well as the extent of the mountain environment and the little villages located up and down valley.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This sample came from Lydia, and although I enjoyed it, I did not end up buying it. The aroma was wonderful, with shifting flavors of honey and melon. After 4-5 steepings, the flavor dropped off significantly.<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 79ppm<br />
PH - 7.47<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 181ppm<br />
PH - 6.42<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 102ppm<br />
PH - 1.05<br />
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This sample came from Scott, and again, I found it to be another fine tea, if not slightly subdued to the other two samples with a slightly heavier roast profile coming out in the tea.<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 67ppm<br />
PH - 7.39<br />
Temp - 165<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 178ppm<br />
PH - 6.17<br />
Temp - 165<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 111ppm<br />
PH - 1.22<br />
<br />
The next one is one I have actually bought over the years. It comes from Winnie and is a delicious example of a Da Hong Pao. Full of complex flavors including lemon, honey, citrus and orange - really a top notch tea.<br />
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I didn't take any photos of the tasting for some reason; must have been busy that day.<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 73ppm<br />
PH - 7.53<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 161ppm<br />
PH - 6.53<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 88ppm<br />
PH - 1.18<br />
<br />
The final one, coming from Cindy, is perhaps the best of all of them. Sweet on the tip of the tongue, with smoke at the end, the tea is smooth and more complex compared to the others. Sitting with the tea and enjoying the flavors transmute as they cross your palette is a wonderful way to pass the afternoon.<br />
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<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 106ppm<br />
PH - 7.45<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 232<br />
PH - 6.38<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 126ppm<br />
PH - 1.07<br />
<br />
Interestingly, Cindy's tea had the largest difference in terms of TDS, but was third in terms of PH. Both Winnie's and Scott's were slightly more roasted, and that is apparent in the greater change in PH, as charcoal roasting makes the PH of the tea water turn more alkaline because of the carbon. Cindy's TDS change was the largest, resulting in the more complex flavor profile that was noted in the tea.<br />
<br />
Da Hong Pao's are amazing teas, and although I cannot claim to be an expert by any means, I'm pretty happy with how the tasting went. Both myself and a good friend who tried all of the teas with me agreed that the two best were from Winnie of <a href="http://www.teance.com/">Teance</a> and Cindy of Wuyishan.<br />
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<b>_____________________________________________________________________________ </b><br />
<br />
Now to get into the harder part - what varietal is Da Hong Pao? I'm hesitant to put anything out there, as there seems to be a lot of confusing opinions on exactly what varietal Da Hong Pao comes from. <a href="http://babelcarp.org/babelcarp/babelcarp.cgi?phrase=qi+dan">Babelcarp</a> states that Da Hong Pao is both a <a href="http://babelcarp.org/babelcarp/babelcarp.cgi?phrase=dahongpao">varietal and a type</a>, meaning that there are true Da Hong Pao tea bushes, but that any clippings or clones taken from these original Da Hong Pao bushes (depending on who is doing the counting, there are 4-6 of these original bushes still alive today) are also Da Hong Pao. However, it gets confusing because the clones of the original bushes have been given their own names - Dahongpao,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> Shui Xian, Qi Dan, Bei Dou, Rougui, and others.</a> <a href="https://sevencups.com/">Austin of Seven Cups</a> says something very similar, in that Qi Dan is a varietal, but originally came from a clone of the original Da Hong Pao bushes. <a href="http://www.teance.com/">Winnie of Teance</a>, who is an expert and a person I highly trust, states that Da Hong Pao is a blend of these clones. A short thread on <a href="http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?p=51914">TeaChat</a> also supports this theory, that Da Hong Pao, whatever it might have been in history, is now a name for a type of oolong coming from the Wuyishan area of Fujian, China. Scott from <a href="http://yunnansourcing.com/en/20201148-wu_yi_mountain_rock_oolongs">Yunnan Sourcing</a> simply states that Da Hong Pao is a varietal, but doesn't say anything more.<br />
<br />
Part of the problem is that no one has actually done any genetic tests, or at least there are no English language sources if such tests have been conducted. One <a href="http://www.o-cha.net/english/conference2/pdf/2004/files/PROC/Pr-P-08.pdf">genetic study</a> supports the notion that Da Hong Pao is a varietal and a type, in that Dahongpao, Shuixian, Qidan, and others are all of the same genetic family. Other <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/hortres201435">genetic studies</a> have demonstrated that the varietals - whatever they may be - do cluster around their own regions, so that Fujian varietals are more closely related than they are to those found in other growing regions.<br />
<br />
So, what is Da Hong Pao? My understanding currently is this - when I write Da Hong Pao I am thinking of the TYPE of oolong, coming from several sub-varietals that most likely were at some point taken from the original plants but now have been given their own names. This oolong is also more tied to terroir, processing, and style, most likely a blend of the various sub-varietals. When I write it as Dahongpao, that is in reference to an actual sub-varietal that may be made into Da Hong Pao, but could also be made into Shui Xian or blended with other sub-varietals to end up with Da Hong Pao. There is no definitive answer, because there are no definitive studies.<br />
<br />
But really, for most people none of this matters. What really matters is whether one enjoys the tea, and a good Da Hong Pao is certainly an enjoyable experience.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-10448686338225958012015-12-14T09:34:00.000-08:002015-12-14T09:34:12.084-08:00Puer - 2006, 2007, 1995Puer - Puerh - Pu-er<br />
<br />
Oh, how people love to tell stories about puer. The "drinkable antique" fills books, Facebook groups, and hundreds upon hundreds of blog posts. I find it fascinating how people are head-over-heels about puer, but not necessarily other teas, especially considering that we know the least about most of these puers compared to other teas. Ages of trees are thrown around like facts when really it is all made up. Varietals are tossed around like soccer balls, when really again, we know hardly anything. Even the location of the harvest is largely made up, yet people will stake their lives on so-called "single origin" puers. The puer market is one giant illusion, with little transparency and <i>jianghu</i> players throughout.<br />
<br />
But that rant is for a later post, when I, naive as I am, have more knowledge and education surrounding this tea. The main point here is that if you are a tea buyer - hold off on puers until you get a good handle on the truth behind them, or if you must have a few for your customers, focus on shou or cooked puers that come from the main "factories".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbIm5YMNmlU71uaAglxUQONK8PW2RauDwGGs4loR-EwQbSmx7GWFQGIzVDQOuAmhofXQ5hbmXSI7JQP8ee52ejWso4UgPRA7xsoDcz15e0KETp3Axed1gytX6zh_I-YZ1m7-AGmXOqP4/s1600/Dalimap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbIm5YMNmlU71uaAglxUQONK8PW2RauDwGGs4loR-EwQbSmx7GWFQGIzVDQOuAmhofXQ5hbmXSI7JQP8ee52ejWso4UgPRA7xsoDcz15e0KETp3Axed1gytX6zh_I-YZ1m7-AGmXOqP4/s640/Dalimap1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yunnan and Pu'er. The main centers are listed: Xishuangbanna and the Six Tea Mountains, Lincang, Dali, Dehong, and Pu'er.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>2006 Dali Xiaguan Jia Ji Sheng</b><br />
<br />
I have been sitting on this sheng for a couple years now, and put it out recently or our customers to enjoy. Pulling the tuocha's out of the tong was a magical experience, as the smell oozed out and began to pervade my nostrils. Breaking apart the tuocha was perhaps even better, as the aroma rose and coated my fingers, leaving the residue of a properly aged puer for me to enjoy. The tea had hints of spice and black pepper at the front, mellowing to a smooth finish with hints of sweetness and hay towards the end. Drinking the tea was a pleasure, and the effects lasted long after the last drop had been drunk - I continued to taste the tea for several hours after. It proved to be a great seller, and we quickly went through our 5 tuochas. I put one last one aside to age for a few more years, and then gave the remainder of one tuocha to some friends to try. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuw5JkXkY5SFKoAVCoJJbvaX_UJUOMl4DDNuqtk9SJk9RFse6pSy5J-JKP-clqog1RGiaY4d5ZgRP_dx0HJK_bcejKvO2QpdbbTMkF7menS01VC-lWwjBOYKhWt0Tzf0q_Z01vb1xo6A/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuw5JkXkY5SFKoAVCoJJbvaX_UJUOMl4DDNuqtk9SJk9RFse6pSy5J-JKP-clqog1RGiaY4d5ZgRP_dx0HJK_bcejKvO2QpdbbTMkF7menS01VC-lWwjBOYKhWt0Tzf0q_Z01vb1xo6A/s640/DSC_0026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tuocha before being broken up.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTH9fdGhUl5KdwqAmD3sV0xe9AlFuinMFP_6Y41rXEGnsHqNRmHkjcxv4b0-9kpbzGxLUi3aMMKgjLNwgryIcAllnfDMGjn63ABviaCi_b9wrhTirMIFiWsNFTiH2FgTj8OuT_FkBiGI/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTH9fdGhUl5KdwqAmD3sV0xe9AlFuinMFP_6Y41rXEGnsHqNRmHkjcxv4b0-9kpbzGxLUi3aMMKgjLNwgryIcAllnfDMGjn63ABviaCi_b9wrhTirMIFiWsNFTiH2FgTj8OuT_FkBiGI/s640/DSC_0002.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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As we roll through winter here in Colorado, I will continue to pull out various sheng and shou puers for people to enjoy. I find winter to be the prime drinking season for puers, and plan on featuring several rare ones for people to try over the next several months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiMvWe3rRX7psVLsJh5WgtsQP1_0YFVblHEyhnFX7pFM2MRF5ToP6zovz8C9ovTQR8kmg6y_LYMGTVloD5MAqYzs09QFEqCb4zAhyphenhyphennm7EIGPA1F5SD8xYycZGYaK-P__f4bWmXfuaJwg/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiMvWe3rRX7psVLsJh5WgtsQP1_0YFVblHEyhnFX7pFM2MRF5ToP6zovz8C9ovTQR8kmg6y_LYMGTVloD5MAqYzs09QFEqCb4zAhyphenhyphennm7EIGPA1F5SD8xYycZGYaK-P__f4bWmXfuaJwg/s640/DSC_0010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came across this print by Utagawa Toyokune, the great master of ukiyo-e and found it relevant to my current thoughts around puer. Although it is a print of kabuki scene in Japan, it illustrates the intrigue, mystery, and showmanship surrounding puer in the contemporary market.</td></tr>
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<b>2007 and 1995 Mao Cha Sheng</b><br />
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A couple years ago I bought a couple pounds of a 2007 and a 1995 loose sheng from a particular vendor. I've sat on these, continuing to age them, as well as bring them out from time to time to share with friends and others. To me, these illustrate perfectly the real puer market before and at the height of the boom. Little information is known on these shengs, other than they come from Xishuangbanna and the year they were harvested. At the time, prior to the re-invention of puer and especially pressed puer from Yi Wu and other villages around 2004, most was harvested and then sold to "factories" for fine processing. That is the case with these - most likely a mixture of "wild arbor", "terrace", and other leaves all mixed. Most was probably turned into shou puer at the factories, but some was set aside and aged as mao cha such as this. The flavor profile fits the location of Xishuangbanna, but beyond that it is hard to pin-point much more. The 2007 has aged well, mellowing into a nice sheng that is fairly easy to approach. The 1995 is even better, with more complexity in the flavor profile - including some interesting notes of spice, wood, and fruit.<br />
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<b>2007 Mao Cha Sheng </b><br />
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<b>1995 Mao Cha Sheng</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very nice pluck coming from 1995, demonstrating the quality of this sheng.</td></tr>
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Now for the numbers...<br />
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<b>2006 Dali Xiaguan Jia Ji Sheng</b><br />
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<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 86<br />
PH - 7.49<br />
Temp - 165<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 407<br />
PH - 5.85<br />
Temp - 155<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 321<br />
PH - 1.64<br />
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<b>2007 Mao Cha Sheng</b><br />
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<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 73<br />
PH - 7.32<br />
Temp - 160<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 400<br />
PH - 6.05<br />
Temp - 156<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 327<br />
PH - 1.27<br />
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<b>1995 Mao Cha Sheng</b><br />
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<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 76<br />
PH - 7.57<br />
Temp - 165<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 240<br />
PH - 6.17<br />
Temp - 153<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 164<br />
PH - 1.40<br />
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What do the numbers reveal? Well, preliminary data suggests that the ages of the puers are correct. The 2007 and 2006 extract almost the same as a fresh green, but less than an oolong or a shou. The 1995, because of it's age, did not extract as much, resulting in a lower TDS difference. The only other tea showing these characteristics so far are charcoal roasted Da Hong Pao's. Logically, this makes sense, as the older the tea, the harder it is to get them to "open up". Likewise, the more roasted an oolong, the harder it is to get it to "reveal itself to you." <br />
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But really, all of the above is beyond the point. Tea, and drinking tea, is about sharing and enjoying with friends. So, I end with this photo of a good puer session I had recently with friends. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-52209954818961430232015-12-07T06:12:00.001-08:002015-12-07T06:12:37.264-08:00Glenburn's Autumn Crescendo - The Embodiment Of A Fall TeaIt's fall here in Colorado, with the official start of winter just around the corner. The "winter" and "fall" harvests just wrapped up in many of the tea growing regions, such as Taiwan for <b>Winter Oolongs</b> and Darjeeling for the <b>Autumn Encore</b> teas. I already talked about this year's <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/11/two-different-oolongs-similar.html">Long Feng Xia</a> from the winter harvest that just came in - delicious, refined, clean. The opposite could be said for the fall teas from Darjeeling, including <a href="http://www.glenburnteaestate.com/">Glenburn Estate's</a> Autumn Crescendo. I've brought this tea into the cafe going on three harvests now, and each time I am reminded why I love this tea. It is, if one understands the land, the environment, and what is happening to the tea plants, the embodiment of fall. Smoother and sweeter than the Second Flush teas, the Autumn harvest exhibits to me the perfect notes of what I would expect from a fall tea. As the nights cool and the sun dips lower on the horizon, the plants begin to pull back their life force into the main branches and roots, leaving behind the glucose and starch in the leaves. Plucking the leaves now, when the glucose, starches, carotenoids, and anthocyanins are more prevalent, while the polyphenols, chlorophyll, and amino acids are reduced results in a slightly sweeter, smoother, more mellow and robust tea, especially when the leaves are allowed to oxidize to around 50%(?) or so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5sc0QAlmXxAzxnKdDkapE81AVkKW5EisTD6ek1OC-0Vynj9FZvYl4Z3Rcvs2XbDBvcdTE6wqJcAUIM4KBax7fFWa6fOuH1qnBrS_WtT9k1yuMDQAAzkavllaEml_7L3_We_fxspzJpQ/s1600/GlenburnEarth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5sc0QAlmXxAzxnKdDkapE81AVkKW5EisTD6ek1OC-0Vynj9FZvYl4Z3Rcvs2XbDBvcdTE6wqJcAUIM4KBax7fFWa6fOuH1qnBrS_WtT9k1yuMDQAAzkavllaEml_7L3_We_fxspzJpQ/s640/GlenburnEarth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Glenburn Estate gardens tumbling down the side of the mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTL56Uy53xYGRnK1fPvTeOb0rNYVCJT_m1Klp-xrnXbxYrKXLCCbOlaglbvT9MwOW4quvBMdWypegaxLQpmVIXRNKogurpfEyAE4fzbuzU1dIX5JSVG5E1L2_Z-FMYCewCqH9_qVDRjJ0/s1600/Glenburn1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTL56Uy53xYGRnK1fPvTeOb0rNYVCJT_m1Klp-xrnXbxYrKXLCCbOlaglbvT9MwOW4quvBMdWypegaxLQpmVIXRNKogurpfEyAE4fzbuzU1dIX5JSVG5E1L2_Z-FMYCewCqH9_qVDRjJ0/s640/Glenburn1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Glenburn Estate is located on the northern edge of the Darjeeling Hills, backed up against the mighty Himalayas, which rise in the background. The cool air comes down from the Himalayas, pulling cold, moist air from the glaciers and blanketing the tea gardens in the fall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodawBXBfFiAGElWHT_86Gkn3976njz-ms2E3nP3OsUrcCk-GQ9ZBjhIMBtoS17k3LxUiPSxVCfPdEHgnvdRdMWkD3wPJ6uzvMn0I1SINybOWsUut5uvhd6v9ZoEanXc2NtvJ6tklD6Pg/s1600/Glenburn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodawBXBfFiAGElWHT_86Gkn3976njz-ms2E3nP3OsUrcCk-GQ9ZBjhIMBtoS17k3LxUiPSxVCfPdEHgnvdRdMWkD3wPJ6uzvMn0I1SINybOWsUut5uvhd6v9ZoEanXc2NtvJ6tklD6Pg/s640/Glenburn2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south at Glenburn, with the town of Darjeeling to the west, and the low, hot plains off in the horizon. The hot air on the plains holds back the colder air from the Himalayas, creating the micro-climate that results in the Darjeeling Hills ability to grow such amazing teas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As <b>Sanjay Sharma</b>, Glenburn's Manager noted, "only in Autumn did I find those delicate floral notes with very mellow cups and basically fruity undertones - not like fresh fruit but moistened dried apricots, maybe raisins - and, in the dry leaf, hints of chocolate" (Koehler 2015, p. 181). These are the notes found in the Autumn Crescendo and that one would expect from a quality fall tea processed in such a way as to pull out the flavor profile that are being exhibited in the leaves by the plant during this time. Along with the <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/11/moonshine-orchid-dew-black-beauty.html">Moonshine First Flush</a> from Glenburn, the Autumn Crescendo might be my other favorite from the Estate. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6XJ1JcYqjoiKNcRFJgMmidAgAZQcVjEcb89joZg-HGJvcKlgvkK4Sk3nnrsaH9g4k66eJHBVCwJ3ZHll722FFHTcbxCUWU14Zt0FyDlpoF6pMi-twB676827fU_xfO4hIYplhyU0E3g/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6XJ1JcYqjoiKNcRFJgMmidAgAZQcVjEcb89joZg-HGJvcKlgvkK4Sk3nnrsaH9g4k66eJHBVCwJ3ZHll722FFHTcbxCUWU14Zt0FyDlpoF6pMi-twB676827fU_xfO4hIYplhyU0E3g/s640/DSC_0019.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No real whole leaves as one finds in the other flushes, most likely from the more fragile nature of the fall leaves.</td></tr>
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As for my readings, which are starting to provide some interesting baseline data from which I can begin to pose questions and hypothesis from, I got the following numbers:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 82ppm<br />
PH - 7.41<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 373ppm<br />
PH - 5.61<br />
Temp - 158<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 291ppm<br />
PH - 1.8Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-89307646209891213472015-12-02T09:44:00.000-08:002015-12-02T09:44:26.068-08:00The Tale of Two Dragon WellsDragon Well, or <b>Long Jing</b> is one of China's "Ten Famous Teas" and rightly so. A high-quality Long Jing is a delicious experience for any tea drinker. Trying to find quality, authentic Long Jing at a price that makes sense for the current market is a task, but still possible. I ordered two different Dragon Wells from two different vendors recently, both of similar grades. One was "superior" and the other was "special" - top quality other than they were not <i>pre-qingming</i>. The price-point difference per pound was only $12, but the subtleties in flavor and aroma stood out.<br />
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Dragon Well comes from <b>Xihu</b> (West Lake) area of Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province of China. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejian, and has a population of over 8 million people. The Xihu area is on the outskirts of Hangzhou, like Boulder is to Denver, or Sonoma to San Francisco. As you can see from the map below, a small set of mountains are located just to the west of Hangzhou, which is where Long Jing should come from. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwuTrCE0Ye76vATJap36frUe44nsGt8d7SVj5oCX1XQ3heE5coWp_QQj1n7wX49mk-eDRJD9kWl_6MqsyxhLW-XvQ0BtiNhMHno03dknb50hYWeU3lu_CzwuFTJMWUNDdRJah4D164Mg/s1600/DragonwellMap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwuTrCE0Ye76vATJap36frUe44nsGt8d7SVj5oCX1XQ3heE5coWp_QQj1n7wX49mk-eDRJD9kWl_6MqsyxhLW-XvQ0BtiNhMHno03dknb50hYWeU3lu_CzwuFTJMWUNDdRJah4D164Mg/s640/DragonwellMap1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This set of mountains has been designated and set aside as a scenic preserve and authentic Dragon Well should come from within this designated area. As you can see from the image below, this area is relatively small, and is just outside of the sprawling Hangzhou area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEev5lg5po-etwnvudzB88nvNzF8Ile4n0Up_kahzp2Yqw-023kVVZs0lBCfd6kNvu_iZG5lvM-gs18eDvRmcQTPJVZ8u1bUPlccN0SoB813YN_LtBaxrHoxKomMY0tMAgwLeZCD_eo0/s1600/DragonwellMap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEev5lg5po-etwnvudzB88nvNzF8Ile4n0Up_kahzp2Yqw-023kVVZs0lBCfd6kNvu_iZG5lvM-gs18eDvRmcQTPJVZ8u1bUPlccN0SoB813YN_LtBaxrHoxKomMY0tMAgwLeZCD_eo0/s640/DragonwellMap2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As a result of Dragon Well being one of China's <b>Ten Famous Teas</b>, production cannot keep up with demand, just like many other well known teas. However, it is fairly easy to tell true Long Jing after tasting them for awhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipknZ1eFBlDY6L2cAGrxTGzBg2a9_PGfPOMlLiCb8RWKFr3V-x8Bw0jxerFEoYp5ZenovDNt8WZyvyQcrqBvLArLWoWMQwhwvAogoBIE1xIrx7OQ-pW2AJJlr3civDFuu3sowgDYu1Y9A/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipknZ1eFBlDY6L2cAGrxTGzBg2a9_PGfPOMlLiCb8RWKFr3V-x8Bw0jxerFEoYp5ZenovDNt8WZyvyQcrqBvLArLWoWMQwhwvAogoBIE1xIrx7OQ-pW2AJJlr3civDFuu3sowgDYu1Y9A/s640/DSC_0002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of one of the samples.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jXsNiUcYA5sjFZ7T56x-5Uw1jSKuoIOF23tfCugnyoyI-gZx455BDAr3vJp9ppWOygjqQlgW2J3rsSZfLPiveyofa9O6rY3TzhXqP3ptU6H-Ghpsa9bNU_kDvwUV9C74kHlZcow0TI8/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jXsNiUcYA5sjFZ7T56x-5Uw1jSKuoIOF23tfCugnyoyI-gZx455BDAr3vJp9ppWOygjqQlgW2J3rsSZfLPiveyofa9O6rY3TzhXqP3ptU6H-Ghpsa9bNU_kDvwUV9C74kHlZcow0TI8/s640/DSC_0004.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other sample.</td></tr>
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The two Dragon Wells that I was tasting on this day - a Special grade and a Superior grade - had obvious and marked differences. One smelled fresh, with the aroma of summer still prevalent when opening the bag. The other was more subdued, with less fresh aroma. One also had more uniform and standard green coloring of the dry leaves, which is one of the hallmarks of a top quality Long Jing. The other had less uniformity and more varied colors, edging toward blue/dark green leaves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOgMNcKRQZDLIV-F3OXlXHIW-C91p3lALnVyPRWNKvQU-ZDJ0aop4Tq2UUMYj4SaBN0feYmLF6sKIpnCeryq0OmO0N_3krLLN6nDrg-Zh3_OcdiecggSFp81jR7oJiURBVf2pBKdm2tY/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOgMNcKRQZDLIV-F3OXlXHIW-C91p3lALnVyPRWNKvQU-ZDJ0aop4Tq2UUMYj4SaBN0feYmLF6sKIpnCeryq0OmO0N_3krLLN6nDrg-Zh3_OcdiecggSFp81jR7oJiURBVf2pBKdm2tY/s640/DSC_0007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two compared after one steeping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVZHvEwk9lU3_ZHyV1bnrV2R8HZEBddZMj4saz0PZ5t7ZRyriO5RUTVrVVRBTlmTsPHIghBqZkxF5tzLkrja1rctQvuB3HE4xYNBBSN0T5aJT3CwSFwwUkOtiWIbvDJXJFJZwc-vUgUs/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVZHvEwk9lU3_ZHyV1bnrV2R8HZEBddZMj4saz0PZ5t7ZRyriO5RUTVrVVRBTlmTsPHIghBqZkxF5tzLkrja1rctQvuB3HE4xYNBBSN0T5aJT3CwSFwwUkOtiWIbvDJXJFJZwc-vUgUs/s640/DSC_0008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up after two steepings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKadsv7OMwhApguQ71RjwPQffV57EJAWvs5bDG8KIoQiTFh3X2fzFzXynR0cVWA10tbMF264OzoLSsfl7jJHXfst8k-rTxGEEvxXid0s9Pi7bfBbdtHEqzwvnrxutJcIaCK38e3XvaJR4/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKadsv7OMwhApguQ71RjwPQffV57EJAWvs5bDG8KIoQiTFh3X2fzFzXynR0cVWA10tbMF264OzoLSsfl7jJHXfst8k-rTxGEEvxXid0s9Pi7bfBbdtHEqzwvnrxutJcIaCK38e3XvaJR4/s640/DSC_0009.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other one after two steepings.</td></tr>
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After tasting them both for two steepings each, I set aside the one that I felt was not as high of quality, and enjoyed three more steepings of my favorite one. The difference between the two was subtle, and whether a customer could tell the difference I don't know. For me, the subtle sweetness and nutty flavor of the one was obvious, while the other one's lack of fresh aroma and lasting flavor made it stand apart. The measurements also reinforced my tasting profiles:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 74ppm<br />
PH -7.42<br />
Temp - 165<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea (One I liked)</b><br />
TDS - 241ppm<br />
PH - 6.55<br />
Temp - 155<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea (One I set aside)</b><br />
TDS - 235ppm<br />
PH - 6.74<br />
Temp - 155<br />
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My guess is that the one I set aside was picked slightly later and not treated to as high of standards, resulting in a slightly rougher tea, a bit more dry, and thus harder to extract from. The one I liked, on the other hand, was held to a higher standard during processing, resulting in fresher leaves that extracted a bit better. For me, paying the $12 more per pound to get the higher quality tea, despite being of the same "grade" is worth the price. It is also a lesson in knowing your vendors and what they specialize in. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-38481655355142223842015-11-25T12:27:00.001-08:002015-11-25T12:27:47.724-08:00Two Different Oolongs, Similar Backgrounds<br />
In the last post I noted my disappointment in finishing off the last of the <b>Alishan High Mountain Oolong</b> from the 2014 Winter harvest. As I predicted there,<a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/11/talking-taiwan-oolongs-superior-puerh.html"> the remaining Alishan</a> was gone by the following day. However, I assured anyone reading it that I had some <b>Long Feng Xia</b> to put out and share. Perhaps one of the best High Mountain oolongs coming out of Taiwan at the moment, a quality Long Feng Xia is a pleasure to drink and enjoy. As with the Alishan, it is a "green" or "jade" oolong - slightly oxidized, primarily unroasted, light in the cup but full of aroma, subtle flavors, and delicious tea oils. The 2015 winter harvest just took place, and this year's batch is quite good, and well worth the price. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSn8I-1eteudBAyP9DHpOmchq1eLmnC5-OX0wPr6CiB2Ov-Y6T6PqdIvXucMtSLqXKij0a4fWPxOS9X6a8Xeom_DjmraWd73d_iS6guvtZ2HcCKAHQKy1dNjmxvLAbIEImYpEq5NtDHc/s640/LongFengEarth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took me a bit, but I found "Dragon or Phoenix Gorge" on Google Maps and zoomed in via the Earth overlay. As you can see, there are lots of tea farms right in the area, all of which fall under the label Long Feng Xia.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s_OKZrxbzxADJYcxv59m42rF9gImLsMxzU5Bn6_15FerE9E-wgasmEu6M0LS4BGkOjMvpiW81JH8vN-5vHf0Od86bM25ayCysLdfruX8HcBW_SXuP-hVurH-ErHsUJzt-31EbRhOz2c/s1600/LongFengMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s_OKZrxbzxADJYcxv59m42rF9gImLsMxzU5Bn6_15FerE9E-wgasmEu6M0LS4BGkOjMvpiW81JH8vN-5vHf0Od86bM25ayCysLdfruX8HcBW_SXuP-hVurH-ErHsUJzt-31EbRhOz2c/s640/LongFengMap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the same spot in the topo overlay. Zhushan township is just to the north and west, while Lugu township (which is also well known in the Taiwan oolong world) is just to the north. The Long Feng Xia area is between 1400m and 1800m (4,500 feet and 5,900 feet).</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOd1yBF-vt4E8yG2TCZymw3a0ArtKCuVdnq_gvTmufGBxrv6Tla1QGflvOHNW-mBNPr68V97QhM8d0_aFbMRfWNdVbDZZCin1Ta91AdmT4ocsYqPAWlAwKevcA9jhq6W0fXz4TwFmnj8/s1600/TaiwanMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOd1yBF-vt4E8yG2TCZymw3a0ArtKCuVdnq_gvTmufGBxrv6Tla1QGflvOHNW-mBNPr68V97QhM8d0_aFbMRfWNdVbDZZCin1Ta91AdmT4ocsYqPAWlAwKevcA9jhq6W0fXz4TwFmnj8/s640/TaiwanMap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This map shows the boundary of Zhushan township. Long Feng Xia (Dragon Gorge) is located in the Shan Lin Xi district, which in turn is in Zhushan township, Nantou County, Taiwan. Meishan township is directly below, which is where many good Jin Xuan oolongs come from, as well as where Alishan is located, the other exceptional High Mountain oolong area.</td></tr>
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High Mountain oolongs should exhibit a high pluck standard, such as in the picture above. The batch I ordered for the shop is from the <b>Qing Xin</b> varietal, which is an "indigenous" varietal. By that I mean it is one of the original ones to come over from Fujian, China sometime during the late 1800s, versus the newer varietals created by TRES in the 1980s, such as <b>Jin Xuan</b> or <b>Tsui Yu</b>. As this oolong is unroasted and only lightly oxidized, it readily gives up its qualities to the water it is steeped in, as exhibited by the measurements I got:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
Temp - 150<br />
PH - 7.3<br />
TDS - 79ppm<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
Temp - 148<br />
PH - 6.27<br />
TDS - 449ppm<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
PH - 1.03<br />
TDS - 370ppm<br />
<br />
The name of this post is "Two Different Oolongs, Similar Backgrounds." I titled it that because the other oolong, which I had a few days ago, is called <b>Jin Chuen</b>. It is from Fujian, China. What could be similar about these two oolongs other than that they are both oolongs? Well, it turns out that Jin Chuen is <b>Jin Xuan</b>! So, here is an example of an oolong varietal developed by TRES in 1980 and labeled TRES #12, Golden Daylily, or Jin Xuan, which was taken <i>back</i> to Fujian, China and grown there. The similarities stop there, as the Jin Chuen tastes nothing like Jin Xuan oolongs coming out of Taiwan at the moment. Rather it is lightly roasted in the traditional Chinese method, imparting a bit more earth, muting the floral notes, and presenting the drinker with a flavor profile that clearly carries an "old world" sensation. Not the most popular among contemporary US oolong drinkers for this very reason, I found the Jin Chuen to have it's own enjoyable qualities, taking me on a journey to ancient farms, ancient soil, and ancient techniques. I found it to respond best to a few longer steepings instead of my usual multiple, quick steepings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2zVnBVxd7IpC-kB6-LqYPhpqe5WdvKpGl5jbPGTvAPd4iG27nBUyf6d0N6fA7t7b3k4KvloJL9kl-34gId_TaRbRkhTiQI6KLWM8rr_pYIF_5Fuk2YU4aAM7BkKG8GArJ46SOP-0woU/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2zVnBVxd7IpC-kB6-LqYPhpqe5WdvKpGl5jbPGTvAPd4iG27nBUyf6d0N6fA7t7b3k4KvloJL9kl-34gId_TaRbRkhTiQI6KLWM8rr_pYIF_5Fuk2YU4aAM7BkKG8GArJ46SOP-0woU/s640/DSC_0015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pluck standard is not the same in China as it is in Taiwan, so the leaves were primarily single leaves with either no stem or a single stem.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The readings I got were:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
Temp - 150<br />
PH - 7.30<br />
TDS - 80ppm<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
Temp - 152<br />
PH - 6.12<br />
TDS - 414ppm<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
PH - 1.18<br />
TDS - 334ppm<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-72186178047736670522015-11-18T10:35:00.001-08:002015-11-18T10:35:36.305-08:00Talking Taiwan Oolongs, Superior Puerh, and Green Needle Tea<br />
<b>Alishan Light Roast High Mountain Oolong</b><br />
<br />
I feel a bit bad for posting this, as we got in around 300 grams of the Winter 2014 harvest to taste and review. I've had <b>Alishan High Mountain</b> from many sources, and the one we got this batch in from is one of the best (and the price reflects that). Aromatic, light, with plenty of tea oils to coat the back of the tongue and throat, allowing you to continue to enjoy the subtle flavors well after the last sip. This is what the modern, light roast, "jade" or "green" oolong is all about. I put out the 300 grams and it is pretty much all gone - if you are reading this today, there is enough left for a pot or two. However, don't fret, as I've put in a large order from the same farmer for several pounds of this winter's harvest. We do have some excellent <b>Long Feng Xia High Mountain</b> oolong, which is very similar but comes from the Shan Lin Xia area (Jhushan township of Nantou county) to the north. Alishan is the principal high mountain in the Mei shan area of Chiayi county, just south of Nantou in central Taiwan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDy2mkF1L9e6pfzcVLaa2YUqRfc72XQmWRRYud66JSD71ImEooi8oi1qMyHntos1_ApQ-NStiEuyT6jXJKeg0sS-9xqEmzedDi-ySRLuc5w8TAYPy1dpLKdFih7ahh31GtMfpraWtt30/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDy2mkF1L9e6pfzcVLaa2YUqRfc72XQmWRRYud66JSD71ImEooi8oi1qMyHntos1_ApQ-NStiEuyT6jXJKeg0sS-9xqEmzedDi-ySRLuc5w8TAYPy1dpLKdFih7ahh31GtMfpraWtt30/s640/DSC_0007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tightly rolled leaves and stems open quickly in one to two steepings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGsWa1yuLrzVN0J0V8TZ_C0CfOyg9wGb_OEgvJmQsI8SeXY11cbn7HIHWdt8_qbGA8kabrLMTo3BiYH9zv-MeBUqWB7r3ldXxyfQmwSdSOQ4snkf831JkDnrpHoxLByXKfWWxU5k_emY/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGsWa1yuLrzVN0J0V8TZ_C0CfOyg9wGb_OEgvJmQsI8SeXY11cbn7HIHWdt8_qbGA8kabrLMTo3BiYH9zv-MeBUqWB7r3ldXxyfQmwSdSOQ4snkf831JkDnrpHoxLByXKfWWxU5k_emY/s640/DSC_0014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big, bold leaves still attached to the stem.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
This Alishan is from the Jin Xuan varietal, and the large, robust leaves reflect that. The readings I got on this tea for the third steeping of 30 seconds was***:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 73ppm<br />
PH - 7.72<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 371ppm<br />
PH - 6.34<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 298<br />
PH - 1.38<br />
<br />
The Long Feng Xia, which I tasted on the 15th and will post later, for comparison, had a difference of 370 (TDS) and 1.03 (PH).<br />
<br />
<b>Superior Puerh - Shou Style 2010</b><br />
<br />
Puerhs are an interesting thing - the cultural packaging around this tea has reached almost mythological proportions. "Symbols associated with Puer tea represent new national, regional, and individual identities to counterbalance prior identities and ongoing globalization" (Zhang, 2014, p. 23). These symbols and the cultural packaging around Puerh tea that has happened in the last 20 years are fascinating, and here in the West we have fully bought into them, as have many Chinese and others. "Many Yunnanese are confused by them, especially by the sudden appreciation for the flavor of aged Puer tea, which ironically was 'artificially' created by a group of advocates in only about five years..." (Zhang, 2014, p. 21). I'm just now delving in to this packaging and re-packaging of at one point what was thought to be a simple beverage, but that does not deny that I do enjoy good Puerh, and the Superior Puerh we have from 2010 is an excellent example of this recent mythology allowing one to enjoy a "<b>drinkable antique</b>."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old leaf, but still partially intact. </td></tr>
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We have been sitting on this Puerh since 2010 when we acquired it. I have no idea as to the "factory" that it came from, as the package was unlabeled other than the name and date. It is certainly not from Menghai, but most likely one of the other larger factories. We have a number of "mystery" puerhs that we have acquired over the past 20+ years - does that make them any less exciting in terms of the tea itself and the journey it provides? I don't think so, and perhaps that makes them even more exciting, they are truly one-of-a-kind teas and their is only a small amount of them that we can offer. There is also a reason that these puerhs have no provenance - prior to the past 5-10 years, that was how puerh was packaged and sold. Even today, most puerh is blended in some fashion, even "wild arbor" stuff.<br />
<br />
The readings I got doing the standard third steeping at 30 seconds:<br />
<br />
<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 103 (high day?)<br />
PH - 7.68<br />
<br />
<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 322<br />
PH - 6.07<br />
<br />
<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 229<br />
PH - 1.61<br />
<br />
<b>Rainflower Needle Spring Green</b><br />
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This green was picked towards the end of the spring season in <b>Jiangsu Province, China</b>, and arrived on US shores in August during the start of the second green season. In the US, there are really four or five green seasons when buying: the first pre-qingming greens which we air freight directly in from China, the pre-qingming greens that come over on the boats and arrive later, the first summer greens again air freighted over, and then the summer greens that come via boats. Each has a different price point and freshness quality. This Rainflower (<b>Yu Hua</b>) green comes from Nan Jiang area, one of the ancient capitals of China and current capital of Jiangsu, located on the edge of the Yangtze River delta. Lower in elevation than other tea regions, this area has four distinct seasons, with spring being the best for producing fresh greens before the hot and muggy days of summer arrive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tightly hand rolled, then pan fired leaves in the form of needles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spring leaf, obvious when compared to the size of the ones above.</td></tr>
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This Rainflower Needle batch is very good, exhibiting all the qualities that I enjoy in a spring green: freshness, vibrancy, vegetal flavors with sweet undertones. Steep it too long and it will become astringent, but flash steeps of 20-30 seconds produce lovely cups. It is always a gamble with boat greens, as you don't really know what kind of conditions the tea was subjected to on the long journey across the Pacific, but this batch seems to have survived well. Nice to have it around for a bit.<br />
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The readings I got were:<br />
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<b>Water</b><br />
TDS - 64<br />
PH - 7.75<br />
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<b>Brewed Tea</b><br />
TDS - 396<br />
PH - 6.25<br />
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<b>Difference</b><br />
TDS - 332<br />
PH - 1.50<br />
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*** I'm collecting TDS, PH, and now temperature of every tea I drink and will post it here. There are several lines of investigation that is involved with this, but until I can at least come up with some baseline data, I will not conjecture about anything revolving around these numbers. However, tends are starting to make themselves apparent.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-91449268926339461502015-11-07T09:58:00.001-08:002015-11-07T09:58:58.367-08:00Moonshine, Orchid Dew, Black Beauty<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Moonshine First Flush Darjeeling</b></span></span></span><br />
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I've been drinking a fair amount of teas from Darjeeling (and just over the border on either side - Nepal to the north and Assam to the south and east) recently, probably because I have been reading the book "<i>Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World's Greatest Tea</i>" by Jeff Koehler. Published in 2015, this is a fun, slightly romantic, but also honest look at the history of tea in Darjeeling. I'll try and do a proper review when I am finished, but since I have been reading the book at lunch, my afternoon tea preference has migrated towards the Darjeelings. One of my favorites right now is the wonderful Moonshine First Flush tea from <a href="https://www.glenburnteadirect.com/">Glenburn Estate</a>. Glenburn figures prominently in the book, and the characters and writing make me feel like I have a closer connection to this delicious tea. I also have another connection to this tea, as I regularly talk with several people from the Estate. I had ordered the Moonshine earlier this year, which was from clonal plants and instantly fell in love with it. This batch, which I re-ordered came from Chinese plants, not clonal plants, but was equally delicious. A touch more earthy then a true First Flush, the Moonshine for me <i><b>has the perfect combination of floral and ethereal qualities while still maintaining some connection to hills from which the tea is produced</b></i>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carefully dried leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second steeping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole, China varietal leaves.</td></tr>
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I have started to experiment with water - not just in temperature, but in the water itself. Water is perhaps the greatest overlooked component of tea brewing here in the United States, and for me it is a critical part of respecting the tea and the flavor profile crafted by the tea master. Not only is temperature critical for brewing the proper cup of tea - I prefer to brew around 190 degrees for most teas, with a slight cooling taking place over the drinking process of the water to around 185 degrees - but so are the PH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). I will write more on this in a separate post, but since I have started to record some of this information with each tea I drink, I'll post it here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: lime;"><b>Orchid Dew Green Tea</b></span></span><br />
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I brought in a pound of this tea to try for the first time. Produced from a Japanese cultivar in China, this green tea is a fresh, lively green that combines tea growing and processing techniques from Japan and China. Air dried, slightly steamed, and then partially rolled this green was a pleasant surprise, and one that I would certainly buy again. It reminds me of a hearty Mao Feng (as oppossed to the lighter Mao Fengs one often encounters) but with a touch more sweetness and vibrancy. With only a pound, I'm sure it will go fast. At a 20 second steep, I got 402 TDS! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So green and vibrant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv9ruMNKGXzKwEE5Jie5ZRXXqc7uyds3ot_DLFcJxk25SO_Me6XoGFJei3ERbuQyUy8N1xkoLSYtWK263YV55Vf-o2HDQfikMj6IRuJKKZF3HMV0s1TnG1huFOmr5bX45jeC7slLKpKE/s1600/IMG_3747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv9ruMNKGXzKwEE5Jie5ZRXXqc7uyds3ot_DLFcJxk25SO_Me6XoGFJei3ERbuQyUy8N1xkoLSYtWK263YV55Vf-o2HDQfikMj6IRuJKKZF3HMV0s1TnG1huFOmr5bX45jeC7slLKpKE/s640/IMG_3747.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floating in a sea of green.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect leaves.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Black Beauty Orthodox Assam</b></span><br />
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Jumping back from China to India, the Black Beauty Orthodox Assam is the final tea in this post. I'm working on doing a tea tasting with several different teas from Assam to reflect the different terroir found up and down the <b>Brahmaputra River Valley</b>. Some of the Assams I've been tasting include ones from <b><i>Halmari Estate, Mokalbari Estate, Hathikuli Estate, Heritage Tea Estate, Mangalam Estate</i></b>, and others. The "Black Beauty" from Heritage Tea Estate is the latest that I've had. An orthodox tea (like most we carry from Assam, simply meaning whole leaf as opposed to CTC - cut, tear, curl), the Black Beauty was remarkably sweet, with a light maltiness and rich body. A gold-tips tea, I was surprised by its sweetness, which was more honey like than sugar or malty sweetness, and because it did not have nearly as many gold-tips as the Gold Tip Mangalam which we also have. At a 20 second steep I got 394 TDS and a PH of 5.72! To compare, for Mangalam I get 372 TDS for the same time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No whole leaves, mostly because of the machine rolling.</td></tr>
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Now, for some depressing news, but first, a cool painting I found by <b>Sun Wei</b> from the <b>Tang Dynasty</b> depicting a liesurly day in the country enjoying tea. The painting is supposed to be of royals during the Jin (265-420) and Wei (220-265) dynasties in China. Here it is obvious that tea is still consumed more as a soup or broth than as tea like we know of it today. <br />
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OK, so for the <a href="http://www.indiaresists.com/tea-workers-die-bagracote-tea-estate-in-bengal-company-remains-callous/">depressing news</a>. I can't comment really on the situation since I am not there and do not know the particulars. Rather, or me this stresses the importance of knowing your sources, knowing your teas, and knowing whom to buy from. We currently do not carry any teas from <a href="http://www.duncansindustries.com/companyprofile.html">Duncan-owned Estates</a>, and I have no plans on doing so in the future. As the tea world continues to shrink and buyers source directly from growers or Estates, human rights issues, the use of pesticides, and greater transparency will continue to be emphasized. I hope the situation rights itself.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-27425466356295225952015-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:002015-10-26T13:11:12.512-07:00Four New Teas To Try - Gold-Flecked Green, White Forest Oolong, Tsui Yu Competition Oolong, and Chamraj Extra Long Nilgiri It's amazing how busy things have been - sourcing new teas, tasting teas, selecting which teas to put out and which to hold back on. There really are a lot of quality teas on the market and it is hard to balance what one needs to fill out a cafe's tea selection versus which ones I personally want to try. However, I'm very happy with these latest offerings, some of which we were able to only secure a small quantity of. <br />
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Four new teas arrive on our shelf this month – a delicious summer green, two rare oolongs, and a black tea from the Nilgiri Hills of southern India<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Gold-Flecked Green</b></span> – Plucked at the beginning of the summer season, this green tea from Anhui Province, China exhibits a deep, rich flavor characteristic of a fine summer green. Ball-rolled and twisted, the golden amber liquor and leafy-green aroma make this a prefect everyday green tea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvt0GBpDAy1NXGo8hp_UstdxZdC-2MILmGTuga98lUZepN6UPbiLtJ0Pzr-P4renkNXY83yc-XrOduIhwtooYYUPl-E3ETCScCBIB4cFgzWku9FMtlyDSK-SdaYjYjuAJ6sVJkYqsGSo/s1600/IMG_3634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvt0GBpDAy1NXGo8hp_UstdxZdC-2MILmGTuga98lUZepN6UPbiLtJ0Pzr-P4renkNXY83yc-XrOduIhwtooYYUPl-E3ETCScCBIB4cFgzWku9FMtlyDSK-SdaYjYjuAJ6sVJkYqsGSo/s640/IMG_3634.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful, rolled, twisted leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP3njRrEdF4u09mKjZmbrwLGoKO37p9QBEedhEyCydv-p9fNMhhYT1GPzt9y18SSC3Qf3Kr6b7oyVEM1vk6tG5WSpHMz3ZgV_OiYf9Nsi0kU6Hg0sPD21D-MX3rtU2AjjVoTOQxMptCg/s1600/IMG_3637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP3njRrEdF4u09mKjZmbrwLGoKO37p9QBEedhEyCydv-p9fNMhhYT1GPzt9y18SSC3Qf3Kr6b7oyVEM1vk6tG5WSpHMz3ZgV_OiYf9Nsi0kU6Hg0sPD21D-MX3rtU2AjjVoTOQxMptCg/s640/IMG_3637.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious green with a fresh, vegetal liquor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-zOtVi8orh6Tl7J63JKCcfWGParjeqjukWNiDvA5BnWVEKstxCzbjXX1SaCCR3H_uEPvzuZ8xv9ZQQpEyM6ike-5N3qamDmJ5W2SUh2eWzQXsG7tHF7O7QZ52GC63Oor60lmXWpN5XQ/s1600/IMG_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-zOtVi8orh6Tl7J63JKCcfWGParjeqjukWNiDvA5BnWVEKstxCzbjXX1SaCCR3H_uEPvzuZ8xv9ZQQpEyM6ike-5N3qamDmJ5W2SUh2eWzQXsG7tHF7O7QZ52GC63Oor60lmXWpN5XQ/s640/IMG_3640.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice, uniform full leaves.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">White Forest Oolong</span></b> – Located just across the border from Darjeeling, the Pathivara Farm has been working to raise international awareness about Nepal’s fine teas for some time now. With a similar terroir and climate as Darjeeling, the teas produced from the this farm are processed in a twisted oolong style, resulting in a fresh tea that is a cross between a <i>First Flush and a Moonshine Darjeeling</i>. A unique tea that is not often found outside of the region (although this is changing, especially after the 2013 Darjeeling labor strike that pushed many to purchase Nepali teas, as well as the end to the Maoist insurgency which made many to abandon the tea estates in Nepal until just a few years ago when they were brought back under cultivation).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3aG2Rop_PdDujWes866xU8LxsiUUFxvD6feT1tDjxQSiczSaO3X_2rPrd3KPuGOOtiKWEyXHGRuqqDrediTPILntGW-O1LkEfN2g3NmXRr2fF7boe2cQ7ioGNXuKF_tMmCNaCe27iL4/s1600/IMG_3627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3aG2Rop_PdDujWes866xU8LxsiUUFxvD6feT1tDjxQSiczSaO3X_2rPrd3KPuGOOtiKWEyXHGRuqqDrediTPILntGW-O1LkEfN2g3NmXRr2fF7boe2cQ7ioGNXuKF_tMmCNaCe27iL4/s640/IMG_3627.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fine hairs on these leaves really stand out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6GcuIRUgXkRUz6qzhPrA3KCsphcHS7GVLvsLTym8qLjjQbdc2AoRUDK2rIbAvG7T0FGU_pnr2qnWin8PtJ7r4u55kf3VvXi77Co6VOUDkOORGPiqoDetfkmZ_7cWPtYvPdQ0piN6bUM/s1600/IMG_3632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6GcuIRUgXkRUz6qzhPrA3KCsphcHS7GVLvsLTym8qLjjQbdc2AoRUDK2rIbAvG7T0FGU_pnr2qnWin8PtJ7r4u55kf3VvXi77Co6VOUDkOORGPiqoDetfkmZ_7cWPtYvPdQ0piN6bUM/s640/IMG_3632.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compare these leaves to one's from <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/09/drunk-on-darjeeling-tasting-six-first.html">Darjeeling</a> and you will see how similar they are.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY_H8lNViL3vuOr0nfF3_qDeytp9-7CBzePQ12uu0OBtTZEqvQGq8f-XHwDjdHInVPruIqcJprO405nrIlovQDztAkza0l2O7-PsNd7H1VjAFak4hw4PSutbZs7LYuiSJ7Y6DR8BsF3k/s1600/IMG_3633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY_H8lNViL3vuOr0nfF3_qDeytp9-7CBzePQ12uu0OBtTZEqvQGq8f-XHwDjdHInVPruIqcJprO405nrIlovQDztAkza0l2O7-PsNd7H1VjAFak4hw4PSutbZs7LYuiSJ7Y6DR8BsF3k/s640/IMG_3633.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flavor is similar to a cross between a First Flush Darjeeling and a Moonshine Darjeeling. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>Tsui Yu Oolong</b></span> – Produced by the Nantou County Tea Trade Association for the <b>2015 Spring Oolong Competition</b>, this tea is a rare treat. With only 2.2kg available for public purchase, we were lucky to secure a small lot. Submitted into the Tsui Yu varietal medium roast category, this tea was awarded a Superior Grade and placed within the top 20% of 2,400 entries. Photos and more on the <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/10/fighting-in-formosa-competition-oolongs.html">Tsui Yu Competition Oolong</a> can be found in this post.<br />
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<b>Chamraj Estate Black</b> – An organic black tea coming from the famed Chamraj Estate high in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India, this <b>Extra Long Orange Pekoe</b> tea provides a smooth, winey cup with hints of tropical and citrus fruits. On the lighter side of black teas, it can be drunk as a standalone tea, or with milk and sugar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJpGRtCMdfqMIKzmTTc9H3ch46n6i-XkfzHqxT6csyq3Ke_GbboWCnrwbf5aaeYNG0Np9gxrLDYikEFMAFmeyqBDaTj8N8CrL5BBVqZhus8Rob_PYThCJMCukpJfLxyVdoE9QLypCIU4/s1600/IMG_3709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJpGRtCMdfqMIKzmTTc9H3ch46n6i-XkfzHqxT6csyq3Ke_GbboWCnrwbf5aaeYNG0Np9gxrLDYikEFMAFmeyqBDaTj8N8CrL5BBVqZhus8Rob_PYThCJMCukpJfLxyVdoE9QLypCIU4/s640/IMG_3709.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The color of this tea is simply beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although an orthodox tea, many of the leaves are slightly broken.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-14880177881633997062015-10-25T10:06:00.004-07:002015-12-02T08:43:07.677-08:00New Tea From Scotland Produced - Kinnettles GoldAlways on the hunt for new and exciting teas, the other day I ran across<a href="http://dundee.stv.tv/articles/1330797-first-crop-of-tea-grown-in-scotland-to-sell-for-fifteen-pounds-per-cup/"> the story of Kinnettles Gold</a>, a new tea grown and produced in Scotland. I was amazed to be reading about a tea coming out of Scotland, as tea is a sub-tropical plant that really should not grow so far north. Yet, here it was, the <strike>first ever harvest</strike>** of <i>Camellia sinensis</i> coming out of Scotland.<br />
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Only 2kg of tea was produced this harvest, and I'm hoping a bit more is produced in the next harvest as this is a tea I really want to taste. The terroir, light, and uniqueness that Scotland is must have resulted in a highly interesting tea. Produced from <b>mixed varietals including ex Soviet Georgian and Soviet clone Kolkhida</b>, the tea was grown near Angus at an altitude of 400' above sea level; the hand-rolled, golden tipped tea sounds highly unique!<br />
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<a href="http://www.pekoetea.co.uk/kinnettles-gold-scottish-grown-tea.html">Pekoe Tea in the UK</a> is the only place selling the tea, so it will not come to the US market, but I would love to get a pound next year to try out if it does. The owner of Kinnettles Gold, <b>Susie Walker-Munro</b> has an interesting history with tea, as it was her great-great-great-grandfather Charles Alexander Bruce
who was largely
responsible
for
bringing
tea
from India
to
the
British
market
in
1839.<br />
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<b>______________________________________________</b> <br />
Last year I brought into the cafe the delicious and expertly produced <b>Amba OP1</b> from Sri Lanka. One of the better Ceylon teas I have tried, this tea sold well and was one of my favorites. Yet, I was saddened to learn that it was no longer going to be produced, and that the Amba Tea Estate was going to focus on mixed blends rather then high-end artisan tea. The reason, I found out, was that the main person at Amba was leaving and so the Estate was taking a new direction. Now, here is the news of this Scottish tea and who is behind it, but <b>Beverly-Claire Wainwright</b>, the same person who had worked at Amba to create the Amba OP1. Because of my love for the Amba OP1, I was even more excited to hear about this new Kinnettles Gold.<br />
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With fond memories of the Amba OP1 still fresh on my palette my hopes are high that the Angus Farm will continue to produce Kinnettles Gold and that I will get to try a small bit in the future! For a tea buyer, it is always exciting to learn about new artisanal teas, and it doesn't get much more artisanal than this.<br />
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**I've been informed that Kinnettles Gold is not the first tea out of Scotland, and that there are other <a href="http://weeteacompany.com/index.php/scottish-tea.html">Scottish artisinal teas</a>, so I changed the headline.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-54588513015708078512015-10-11T16:50:00.000-07:002015-10-12T03:36:03.761-07:00Fighting In Formosa: Competition Oolongs From TaiwanThis afternoon on a glorious "Indian Summer" Sunday I hosted "Fighting in Formosa: Competition Oolongs from Taiwan." Although not the most PC of titles, it goes along with the other kitchy titles I've come up with for the last couple tea tastings: <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/09/drunk-on-darjeeling-tasting-six-first.html">Drunk on Darjeeling</a> and Overboard on Oolong.<br />
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It was a great time, and I'm honored that so many people came out to enjoy some wonderful oolongs from the central part of Taiwan. After a brief explanation about the teas and how competitions work in Taiwan, I opened up the tasting and let the chaos ensue. People were free to taste and steep the teas as long or as short as they wanted, and we did two "competition style" as well. I also brought out a more modern style <b>Long Fen Xia Jin Xuan</b> for people to compare. Below are my notes in a slightly elaborated format. <br />
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<i>First, I wanted - and still want to - stress</i> the importance of tasting each tea on its own merits. It is unfair to the farmer, roaster, and everyone else to compare a <b>Nantou Qing Xin Light Roast Oolong</b> to that of a <b>High Mountain Jin Xuan from Alishan</b>. Not only is it unfair, but it is missing the point of each tea, especially competition teas. Competition teas are a celebration of each unique artisanal region and style, and comparing them to each other would be inappropriate. You don't compare an <b>American IPA</b> to an <b>Australian Lager</b> to an <b>English Stout</b>. The same holds true here.<br />
<br />
<i>The other point I stressed</i> is that although the trend over the last 20+ years in marketing and pushing Gaoshan or High Mountain Green (Jade) oolongs has resulted in some remarkable teas, it has at the same time done a disservice to the more traditional flavors and profiles found in Taiwan (and China as well). The initial push by TenRen in the 1980s for green oolongs, which can be more readily replicated then complex, more oxidized and roasted oolongs continues, and every year more and more oolongs are produced in this green style than in the more traditional style.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the map I made for the tasting, highlighting the teas we were tasting, not all teas or regions in Taiwan. Red are ones we tasted purple are other famous regions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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To combat this, and to celebrate regional and traditional practices, varietals, and flavor profiles, farmers in Taiwan have formed their own associations and trade groups. Not only does this allow the small farmers in Taiwan - <b>some 12,000+ in total</b> - combat the larger corporate farms, but it also builds community, solidarity, and allows them to share resources and knowledge. To honor each other and their hard labor, each association holds their own competition - once in the spring, and once in the winter. Not every farmer enters their association's competition - sometimes their bushes do not produce, sometimes their entire lot is bought prior to the competition, sometimes a roaster does not want a certain farmer's crop (<b>farmers and roasters are not synonymous in Taiwan</b>).<br />
<br />
Competitions are run on a modified Indian format, with each entry submitting 13kg of tea within their respective field. Fields are broken down by roast level and by varietal. So, for the <b>Nantou Farmer's Association Spring Competition</b> one could submit an entry into the Jin Xuan Light Roast category, or the Qing Xin Medium Roast category. Each tea varietal and roast are compared only across their own qualities.<br />
<br />
During the competition almost all of the tea is consumed in the judging process, but there is often around 2kg (4.5lbs) left over. If the tea "wins" and is designated Top Class or Gold Winner, it is officially packaged and sealed by the competition body and sold immediately to those with lots of money or the proper connections. However, those that make it through the first rounds of the competition, but do not make it to the final top ranking, can be acquired if the right opportunity presents itself. That is how I was able to get these teas.<br />
<br />
A note on competition judging. The judging is composed of 20% on aroma, 20% on appearance, and 60% on taste. Each competition has it's own ranking system, so some award Top Class, while others award Gold Winner. However, unlike here in the US, <b>there is no single winner</b>. Rather, there are percentages: 60% are dropped from the initial entry into the competition, then the next ranking is Premium, followed by Superior, then Top Class or Gold. So, in the end, if there are 1,000 entries, there are 10 winners, 100 Superior, and so forth. Still, since one needs to judge the tea on its own merits, they are all usually very good and of high quality.<br />
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Another important note is how the tea is brewed during the competition. I prefer to use gaiwans, and do quick steepings with lots of leaves. In competitions it is different. The steep time is 6 minutes, then the tea is poured off and let to cool, then the judging begins. We did this for the Meishan and the Tung Ting entries, as well as brewed with gaiwans and the differences were noticeable. I won't say which was "better" since that is subjective and dependent on what I like, my constitution, the water one uses, etc.<br />
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<b>The most common varietals found in Taiwan are:</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Qing Xin: Soft stem varietal, one of the
original strains from Fujian, China, known as Green Heart. Found throughout central Taiwan, but more prone to disease and pests, so being displaced by Jin Xuan.</li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Qing Xin Da You: A sub-varietal.</li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Tsui Yu: Newer varietal, TRES #13, known as
Kingfisher Jade, registered in 1981. A lowland varietal, lighter, more floral.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jin Xuan: modern varietal, TRES #12, registered in 1980. This is the big modern one that is very popular because it is disease and pest resistant and also produces larger leaves for bigger crop yields. Often called "Milky Oolong" whether or not it was steamed over milk or not.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Si Ji Chun: 4 Seasons, modern varietal, not
produced by TRES but rather a a hybrid that was found by a farmer. Popular because it is floral and has a high yield, allowing it to be harvested during "all four seasons."</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Ti Kuan Yin: from China, one of the original strains, mostly found in the north of the island.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Bai Hao: Oriental Beauty, another original varietal, grown in the north of the island. Unique because it is "bug bitten" like Darjeelings and Concubine Oolongs. The original Formosa Oolong.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Bao Zhong: A green varietal, grown in the north, usually not rolled or roasted, the lightest of the oolongs. </li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
Finally a note on harvesting. There are generally <b>two harvesting methods</b>: by hand and by "machine." By hand is the traditional method, and is still the only way to harvest most of the High Mountain oolongs because of the steep slopes. This method preserves the
integrity of the leaves and stem, but it does not allow for optimal harvests.
Machine harvesting is newer and performed on less steep terrain. It is really not a "machine" like we think in the West, but basically a motorized clipper with an air vacuum attached that clips and then sucks the leaves into the basket. Two people hold it, one on each side of the bush. This method does not preserve the stem, but it does allow for leaves to be
harvested at the optimal time, which is after the morning dew has evaporated from the
leaves, but before the sun has heated them up. It also allows for the harvest to
take place faster, which provides more control over the outdoor oxidation that
occurs between plucking and wilting. People argue for each method - I can't really say which is "better." But it is something to think about.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nantou
County Tea Trade Association Qing Xin Oolong 2015 Spring Competition</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elevation: 2,600’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roast: Medium</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oxidation: Medium (30-45%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Varietal: Qing Xin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Competition Entries: 2,400</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Place: Superior Grade (Top 20%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comes from Song Bo Lin, Nantou.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nantou
County Tea Trade Association Tsui Yu Oolong 2015 Spring Competition</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elevation: 2,600’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roast: Medium</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oxidation: Medium (30-45%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Varietal: Tsui Yu</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Competition Entries: 2,400</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Place: Superior Grade (20%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comes from Song Bo Lin, Nantou.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mingjian
Farmers’ Association Qing Xin Oolong 2015 Spring Competition</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Elevation: 2,600’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Roast: Light-Medium</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Oxidation: Light-Medium (25-35%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Varietal: Qing Xin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Competition Entries: 2,134</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Place: Superior Grade (Top 20%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Meishan
Farmers’ Association High Mountain Oolong 2014 Winter Competition</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Elevation: 5,800’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Roast: Unroasted</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Oxidation: Light (10-20%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Varietal: Qing Xin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Competition Entries: 2,437</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Place: Superior Grade (Top 20%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second largest competition, comprises the majority of the
Alishan High Mountain Oolong region.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Tung Ting
Tea Cooperative Jin Xuan Oolong 2014 Winter Competition</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Elevation: 5,600’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Roast: Medium-Heavy</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Oxidation: Light-Medium (30%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Varietal: Jin Xuan</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Competition Entries: 2,535</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Place: Top Class Gold (Top 3%)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Comes from Yong Long Village,
just above Tung Ting Mountain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Stems were hand removed from the
most eligible batch produced from this farmer’s winter harvest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i>Sadly, I have no photos of the Tung Ting. No excuse, just my fault!</i></div>
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Thanks everyone for coming out and tasting teas! A special thanks to my source, Nic and Andy! Some of these will be in the cafe for regular drinking in a week or two, but I think everyone was able to take some home to enjoy at their leisure. Thanks again, until the next one.<br />
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<b>Sources:</b><br />
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I spent a long time researching this post. I did a lot of surfing of the web, spent some time on Google Scholar, and also on the <a href="http://www.tres.gov.tw/show_index.php">TRES website</a> and the various Association websites. If I got anything wrong, just tell me and I'll fix it. This is a learning journey for me and I would like to make sure I get things as accurate as possible. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-17406359160209981222015-10-08T11:29:00.000-07:002015-10-08T11:29:35.245-07:00Wulu Mountain Tribute Green, Tea Culture, and 2011 Man Tang Hong 2 Shou PuerhI've been busy preparing for this Sunday's upcoming tea tasting on competition oolongs from Taiwan, but that doesn't stop me from trying teas on a daily basis. I'm also constantly researching tea and tea history, as I find what is out "there" really is inadequate or incorrect. I don't pretend to know very much, but I do find it frustrating when people do pretend to be authorities, yet it is obvious with a little research that what they are saying is not completely accurate. The real lesson is that if you are serious about tea, and want what you actually pay for, then <i><b>you need to do a lot of research and learning</b></i>. The internet is full of "authorities" or websites that are fudging their facts to make it sound like they have the "best" or "true" or "highest quality" tea out there.<br />
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This rule of caution may not hold as much truth when buying teas from Ceylon, Nilgiri, Assam, or Darjeeling, simply because you can generally get the quality and grade you pay for directly from the Estate. So, in the cafe, I buy directly from each Estate in these locations and have the tea air shipped in. This allows us to get the freshest tea possible from these locations. It may cost a bit more for the air shipping, but when you are dealing with a <b>Moonshine Darjeeling</b>, or a <b>SFTGFOP Assam</b>, or a <b><a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-teas-mist-on-river-green-bubbling.html">Ceylon Silver Tip</a></b>, fresh is the name of the game.<br />
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However, when talking about tea from China or Taiwan, if you do not know your source - and hopefully it is direct from farmer/grower/producer, then caution must be exercised. It is very easy to be sold a <b>Long Feng Xia</b> from Taiwan made of the <i>Jin Xuan</i> varietal when you wanted one from the <i>Qing Xin</i> varietal. Or a Wuyi Oolong that really is not Wuyi. And puerh is an entirely different story. So, education and research, every day is how I go about learning what is real and what is hype or exaggeration.<br />
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But part of this is also learning the larger history of tea and appreciating it in all forms across what many call "tea culture" - a culture that goes way back in history, for thousands of years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a photo from the book "The Dali Lama's Secret Temple Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet." This image is that of <b>Chandrabhadra</b> receiving an ambrosia. Accompanied with the photo below of the same wall painting, one may argue that the ambrosia is tea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the same book, this is <b>Nagarjuna</b> receiving some ambrosia from a forest spirit. But look at the tree - it sure looks like it could be a tea bush/tree. There is certainly a high reverence for tea among Tibetan Buddhists, and monks have been using tea for centuries to help with meditation practices. </td></tr>
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<b>Wulu Mountain Tribute Green</b><br />
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One of the newer green teas that I put out recently in the cafe. Another summer green, from the Anhui Province in China. The leaves were picked in June of this year, pan fired and slightly rolled by hand. The liquor is delicious, classic green, with hints of herbaceous, grassy flavor that is found in well made summer greens. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dried leaves, slightly curled.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCchPiUqVLLYlMWLZvZAS-3Yjnxv4F-FxFd11PeCn8heSmOuQBZHIU9Bto6mDq5PTc3J3jiNjrqhOoWNGTpo28RQaafjxSecQKm4xFjhKcbCQ8sQthNStfPKKjkYs2CgA8QUwDYBnxbW0/s1600/IMG_3320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCchPiUqVLLYlMWLZvZAS-3Yjnxv4F-FxFd11PeCn8heSmOuQBZHIU9Bto6mDq5PTc3J3jiNjrqhOoWNGTpo28RQaafjxSecQKm4xFjhKcbCQ8sQthNStfPKKjkYs2CgA8QUwDYBnxbW0/s640/IMG_3320.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do fast steepings of around 20 seconds, for a slightly lighter cup.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qeMl0ZNFNDsFFVkqZ_wwtSEPiqk1hMHtnFd-mYx_1iZkKSA86-hAKbyqoRDmO6rXiiTQ2Ip8ImmPZ3N96MPr5wwvt3nrFjTH4dKd-FirDdgOePAc_5COcq32zVPgo5WxkGUO31VxX14/s1600/IMG_3322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qeMl0ZNFNDsFFVkqZ_wwtSEPiqk1hMHtnFd-mYx_1iZkKSA86-hAKbyqoRDmO6rXiiTQ2Ip8ImmPZ3N96MPr5wwvt3nrFjTH4dKd-FirDdgOePAc_5COcq32zVPgo5WxkGUO31VxX14/s640/IMG_3322.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The unfurled leaves.</td></tr>
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Another images, this one from the book "Oriental Rugs and Carpets" by Stanley Reed. The image shows Mumtazi-i Mahal, wife of Shah Jahan in a 1726 painting. Shah Jahan was the 5th Mughal Emperor of India. Here she is enjoying some tea, perhaps from the tree just behind her? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBF59TVak8m0PdXiz3gbrAjZT9gYdsX3t7DGpJgmJ4y1XT7-mp3CR2zsYxlT5Uv0O4t3qPJQPh4d2Fx0ebv2SxWjHNEjcLTMYGqciGJ6i8zs9khVgnYrCt30XLGcLLT9BPx3U9daxZQw/s1600/IMG_3325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBF59TVak8m0PdXiz3gbrAjZT9gYdsX3t7DGpJgmJ4y1XT7-mp3CR2zsYxlT5Uv0O4t3qPJQPh4d2Fx0ebv2SxWjHNEjcLTMYGqciGJ6i8zs9khVgnYrCt30XLGcLLT9BPx3U9daxZQw/s640/IMG_3325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>2011 Man Tang Hong "Number 2" Shou Puerh</b><br />
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This puerh was made from an average of grade 2 ripe tea leaves harvested from mature tea bushes in Mengku county (Lincang prefecture), in southwest Yunnan Province, China. The tea was made from spring leaves harvested and fermented during the summer of 2007, then allowed to age for 4 years before being blended and pressed. Finally, after six years of dry storage in Kunming the puerh was released onto the market. I only had a sample to try, and although I found it delicious, with a classic ripe puerh flavor and a smooth, dark liquor, I can't say much more. It was a perfect everyday drinking puerh.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pressed, dried leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third steeping, deep and dark.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-26818930521142788282015-09-30T15:36:00.000-07:002015-09-30T15:36:34.219-07:00New Teas - Mist on the River Green, Bubbling Spring Rolled Green, Ceylon Silver TipsAs I've said earlier, I try and put out new teas every week or so. On top of the new one's described below, I put out a new Ceylon OPA from the same Estate as the Ceylon Silver Tips below and a new green - Wulu Mountain Tribute Green. I'll put photos of those up soon, but for now, these are the three new teas this week at the cafe.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro Bold","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">New Teas – September
30<sup>th</sup>, 2015</span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro Bold","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">It seems we
are blessed with an “Indian Summer” this fall, and to celebrate these days of
warm sunshine and cool nights, we are pleased to offer three summer teas to
keep the energy of summer going before the cold, dark days of winter arrive.
The three new teas are all summer harvests from this year, two from China and
one from Sri Lanka.</span></b></div>
<div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mist on the River Green</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";">– </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">This is a classic summer green tea coming from Jiangxi
Province in China. Grown on the hills surrounding Lake Poyang, China’s largest
freshwater lake, this tea is a result of the unique micro-climate produced by
the lake. As moisture evaporates from the lake and then cools as it rises into
the surrounding hills, the nearby tea bushes benefit. Gently harvested, the
leaves with abundant silver strands are slightly twisted to allow for a slower
opening during the steep process. The result is a supple, rich flavored tea
that is easy on the palate, and a primary example of a delicious, organic,
summer green tea. </span></b><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k9poQkXl3XDflnUeh4TRGoLUPGVKYN_vgQN92wVe1hGVih3Ld1OhZe3zYDHhtS3pUTp8n3yT8_H8vSCSasgWtImwFd8P4-yuS832x5XBalu0Fi0Li005pLXhVbo-_9CA3_6r-nT6PS8/s1600/IMG_3243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k9poQkXl3XDflnUeh4TRGoLUPGVKYN_vgQN92wVe1hGVih3Ld1OhZe3zYDHhtS3pUTp8n3yT8_H8vSCSasgWtImwFd8P4-yuS832x5XBalu0Fi0Li005pLXhVbo-_9CA3_6r-nT6PS8/s640/IMG_3243.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice close-up shot of the slightly twisted leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWsPgKbZvdRs2bCTFivQO0r1GXkWsCwWNAhOsTwPiNXBnz9Twugsf5cMdmErYP7hljulP8rscmjliDd12gX4__N_FichY618wU81C3hu7dASfbWK7WKdcRyy8bKkQgTkLJE2l31Eh_hM/s1600/IMG_3246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWsPgKbZvdRs2bCTFivQO0r1GXkWsCwWNAhOsTwPiNXBnz9Twugsf5cMdmErYP7hljulP8rscmjliDd12gX4__N_FichY618wU81C3hu7dASfbWK7WKdcRyy8bKkQgTkLJE2l31Eh_hM/s640/IMG_3246.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I brewed this cup loose in a pint glass, then poured through a filter. It is another way to let the leaves fully open without using a gaiwan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdnf2qZtzc2yTWkzILj6BD7h1pQ-cBbZmgrQDh75vSPA-6BVA_B-XmVIcwma9wEMvBgTC_koD3vBDPB4ChQiV7x1AP7LbYqMuxWfubA-KxkgV9soTsRxbYzf-P3_41_RMjAOdg4dSDOI/s1600/IMG_3251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdnf2qZtzc2yTWkzILj6BD7h1pQ-cBbZmgrQDh75vSPA-6BVA_B-XmVIcwma9wEMvBgTC_koD3vBDPB4ChQiV7x1AP7LbYqMuxWfubA-KxkgV9soTsRxbYzf-P3_41_RMjAOdg4dSDOI/s640/IMG_3251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small leaves, obviously a smaller leaf varietal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdP5WMhUq2f_eKhkJaUunjN07_nSactbcJmKH_HmTSg7oPYa9WtjW3awi1Eq26f3mf4DysuV_yHjeH7JJA_w7WfJyPu3erqREeI0ntgifNja0_w3wYzACSs6BN1Is8LZZmiWwWao8iJok/s1600/IMG_3253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdP5WMhUq2f_eKhkJaUunjN07_nSactbcJmKH_HmTSg7oPYa9WtjW3awi1Eq26f3mf4DysuV_yHjeH7JJA_w7WfJyPu3erqREeI0ntgifNja0_w3wYzACSs6BN1Is8LZZmiWwWao8iJok/s640/IMG_3253.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully opened and fresh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";"></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Bubbling Spring Rolled Green</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";">– </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Despite the name, this is a summer green tea, coming from
Zhejiang Province in China. Harvested in the early growth season of summer, the
leaves are gently rolled and then pan-fired, resulting in small rolled pellets.
However, once brewed, the pellets transform to reveal the tender yellow-green
bud-sets of the early summer harvest. The fresh, sweet flavor is accompanied by
hints of stone-fruit, with a pure, clean aftertaste. </span></b><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBWMhf4AbNyU3iO1ba5KHmIqZyFzOU2EMjNdbUbWOVPMlCle-YpCZozs3nKzQcCURrlIuhlB0LwoJ5iBKrQML-LZ07R8kVtOsoeALYkosw1QV0ZeWl7MewgKIS1FD7vk1R2evEUPQbn8/s1600/IMG_3339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBWMhf4AbNyU3iO1ba5KHmIqZyFzOU2EMjNdbUbWOVPMlCle-YpCZozs3nKzQcCURrlIuhlB0LwoJ5iBKrQML-LZ07R8kVtOsoeALYkosw1QV0ZeWl7MewgKIS1FD7vk1R2evEUPQbn8/s640/IMG_3339.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tightly rolled balls, almost green-silvery in appearance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C1XowT7BL5BUw-bsSnxggzeAbpcJtfdpihTj8fuZXH9k16d_QaerLBc1AUTrb1TBOeZXsH2DllWVk9MmqF8NbwAm-F-zhL5-fPl0Dul9kTWJf_Dp0qtu56bmkdR8ZLEUwRttiT5iQus/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4C1XowT7BL5BUw-bsSnxggzeAbpcJtfdpihTj8fuZXH9k16d_QaerLBc1AUTrb1TBOeZXsH2DllWVk9MmqF8NbwAm-F-zhL5-fPl0Dul9kTWJf_Dp0qtu56bmkdR8ZLEUwRttiT5iQus/s640/IMG_3342.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very fast steepings on this tea - 10-20 seconds at most.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhasiPqz2urlQIIzJ9B7umRuTXTPG3gEcuH78_xSj201k3ptBgs3D6Kghn8vPFufYPTzbsx8sKt1vxWTy9cArEMBZAb0_w-LLESWccxBD4Hgjw_fz2XDxF1nvCien8_Ns949hFaXPXlQ/s1600/IMG_3344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhasiPqz2urlQIIzJ9B7umRuTXTPG3gEcuH78_xSj201k3ptBgs3D6Kghn8vPFufYPTzbsx8sKt1vxWTy9cArEMBZAb0_w-LLESWccxBD4Hgjw_fz2XDxF1nvCien8_Ns949hFaXPXlQ/s640/IMG_3344.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more uniform leave serration structure then on the Mist on the River Green above.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KrI4PRHs1Pi9dsIxZ6_vqFgNFXE_4z0xIKIzB3L2jIzpkMKOC9bKdvsUtfgwMD_wCRoqn12Pd3IdCZKFJIw6ckc1jS6CcxCLjzM5swS4TxPeveMQvyZhJ-b9Y-oX-459WYoKHqsPTsQ/s1600/IMG_3345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KrI4PRHs1Pi9dsIxZ6_vqFgNFXE_4z0xIKIzB3L2jIzpkMKOC9bKdvsUtfgwMD_wCRoqn12Pd3IdCZKFJIw6ckc1jS6CcxCLjzM5swS4TxPeveMQvyZhJ-b9Y-oX-459WYoKHqsPTsQ/s640/IMG_3345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opened, but still ready for more steepings as evidenced by the still folded leaves.</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ceylon Silver Tips</span> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">– </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";">A
rare white tea from Sri Lanka consisting purely of slender, slightly curved
silver buds. Harvested from the Maliboda gardens in the Kegalle district, this
rare white tea has the gentlest hints of citrus-spice with subtle sweetness,
along with floral notes at the finish. A perfect afternoon tea for these warm,
fall days. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVt9FPos_qccxRYA3jNLYQsMBscC3FMMJ8Sc45nNPp7i7v_itTKsHvQGbKVbZID3Nd4kQEgQNCwATQSk7MqPvbC8VIh1vizeixvChxz-lbO3G5MgwbaNZU_m84gjCY4FeyCDkaGB6Z-o/s1600/IMG_3330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVt9FPos_qccxRYA3jNLYQsMBscC3FMMJ8Sc45nNPp7i7v_itTKsHvQGbKVbZID3Nd4kQEgQNCwATQSk7MqPvbC8VIh1vizeixvChxz-lbO3G5MgwbaNZU_m84gjCY4FeyCDkaGB6Z-o/s640/IMG_3330.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious Silver Tips, but not as many micro-hairs as on the Chinese one's we usually get.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very light brew, but ever so sweet and fruity.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGToIUZz0uN03-6gsJ3pW0G-L8tlUt06RGJwXjYFOlkY6fSUOIkd7SETOBLBlwgZGEqIMqEMOx7xW3rL30eL69AG33Txi8RZDL0wbZiJVMvAkwrtpgjFDQAyeSxyGOjzvGBIxqpOCm8M4/s1600/IMG_3335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGToIUZz0uN03-6gsJ3pW0G-L8tlUt06RGJwXjYFOlkY6fSUOIkd7SETOBLBlwgZGEqIMqEMOx7xW3rL30eL69AG33Txi8RZDL0wbZiJVMvAkwrtpgjFDQAyeSxyGOjzvGBIxqpOCm8M4/s640/IMG_3335.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since these are just buds, you can tell that by the leaf size, these are from the Assamica varietal.</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-82096933196795857132015-09-24T12:49:00.000-07:002015-09-26T10:43:38.254-07:00Zomba Pearls - A Unique "White" Tea from Malawi<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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"Situated about halfway between Mulanje and
Blantyre, Thyolo - pronounced Cholo - is the tea capital of Malawi, and one of
the oldest towns in the country. ... The main tourist focus in the Thyolo area
is Satemwa Tea Estate, which was one of the first European land claims
registered in Malawi, dating back to 1874, and has been in the same family
since 1923, when it was acquired by Maclean Kay, a rubber planter from
Malaya" (Briggs, 2013, p. 225).<br />
<br />
The other day I had the chance to taste one of the more unique "white" teas I've ever had - the Zomba Pearls from the <a href="http://www.satemwa.com/">Satemwa Tea Estate</a>. These intricately and tightly wound pearls were from the 2015 spring harvest, and I was highly intrigued to try them out. I have been searching for a couple good teas from Africa to fill out our tea selection at the cafe, but since most of my sources focus on China, Taiwan, and India I don't have a good starting point. I normally associate African teas with Kenya and Tanzania - except for Rooibos, which comes from South Africa - and was surprised to learn that Malawi has teas. Just goes to show how little I know!<br />
<br />
It turns out, as I was researching Malawi and the Satemwa Tea Estate, that Malawi has the oldest tea culture in all of Africa. As part of the East India Company's search for new tea sources after losing the monopoly over the China tea trade at the turn of the 19th century, tea was planted in almost all of Britain's colonies. Seeds from the Royal Botanical Gardens in South Africa were planted in South Africa and Malawi, but they did not survive. Next, seeds from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh were brought over and planted in 1878 - those survived and started the tea industry in Malawi. Now, that was at the height of the colonial period, and many of the tea estates in Malawi have changed hands since then, so it is hard to figure out exactly what tea varietal is currently planted on what estate. I have a query out concerning the tea plants on the Satemwa Tea Estate, and when I hear back I will update this post, but my assumption is that it is a clonal <i>Assamica</i> variety, based on the flavor of the tea and the size of the leaves.<br />
<br />
[<b>Update 9/26/2015</b> - I heard back from <a href="http://tealet.com/">Tealet</a>, who is now bringing in Satemwa teas to the U.S. Here is what they said: "The Malawi teas are from a mix of varietals developed over
the years, majority Assamica and minority Sinensis. The Assamica teas were
first brought in by Scottish growers - I'm not sure if Satemwa's material is
sourced particularly from the Edinburgh Gardens, but some of Malawi's teas do
trace back to there. Later cultivars were developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Central
Africa: <a href="http://www.trfca.net/central.html">http://www.trfca.net/central.html</a>.
This is similar to Taiwan's Tea Research Extension Station, where the
researchers help bring in new plant material and also help develop cultivars
that are well-suited to the environment."]<br />
<br />
"By 1995, 16% of the crop [in Malawi] was clonal
tea. Estimates for 2004 predict 26% of the harvest will be under new clones"
(Hall. 2000. Chapter 5, p. 25). <i>Assamica</i> varietals are not known for their white teas, even though every year I see more and more of them coming to market from India. Located on the slopes of Thyolo Mountain at an elevation of roughly 4,000' the Satemwa Tea Estate has produced a unique "white" tea called Zomba Pearls that seems to fit in with this trend.<br />
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Now, I don't know if giving a review is the right thing to do - tea is so unique, and a positive or negative review largely depends on the drinkers personal preferences, the water they use to brew the tea, the temperature of that water, steep times, and more. The way I brew tea may result in one flavor profile, while the way you brew tea may result in another. As such, I think reviews don't quite work with tea. That doesn't mean a nice presentation of a unique tea is not worthy of a post - on the contrary, it demands it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_f1Cw6xfF75PyS4p5O_tgINuAXWVfajw4zwjHbOtvR6Y3QqhhDrtWW67u3X8h_rxO3NRVUGs_TQ8cCekDMKVnh08W2JIFFELwVaT-qJkpGh11GRcLCLbRkEQ6GR5YdzBR3FTG3JRr98/s1600/IMG_3193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_f1Cw6xfF75PyS4p5O_tgINuAXWVfajw4zwjHbOtvR6Y3QqhhDrtWW67u3X8h_rxO3NRVUGs_TQ8cCekDMKVnh08W2JIFFELwVaT-qJkpGh11GRcLCLbRkEQ6GR5YdzBR3FTG3JRr98/s640/IMG_3193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zomba Pearls close up - very tightly woven together.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vu-vhvR_1n-FBnPdviG18tBywdD8oLsgYg652xMEj4Tf-9DzugZG9P1ECjV-MYfqcbmlils_1THJKCUYbKv6Z4FxuyaiW8NRqRZ8I8uGw7izQM8501zzw29_TXN54rjSyubmYsab4dw/s1600/IMG_3194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vu-vhvR_1n-FBnPdviG18tBywdD8oLsgYg652xMEj4Tf-9DzugZG9P1ECjV-MYfqcbmlils_1THJKCUYbKv6Z4FxuyaiW8NRqRZ8I8uGw7izQM8501zzw29_TXN54rjSyubmYsab4dw/s640/IMG_3194.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fDUtgk5P3eju1-wW4Kt1RvcJn7mb9-qYv-gYY96XHhCs6578qvtZSgKKHsYoH30T4rapQ8Wbg6ApXOF3551wB3-ykMXoiO2WsdVK5HUXOPXL0RiDHsQ8B0MyqSqbl5bOU3VrxzrZi8Q/s1600/IMG_3195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fDUtgk5P3eju1-wW4Kt1RvcJn7mb9-qYv-gYY96XHhCs6578qvtZSgKKHsYoH30T4rapQ8Wbg6ApXOF3551wB3-ykMXoiO2WsdVK5HUXOPXL0RiDHsQ8B0MyqSqbl5bOU3VrxzrZi8Q/s640/IMG_3195.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is from the second steeping - they are not even close to opening up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4xZ8KIApm-gUGTu7HWZwcVIENHMp375t-myV7W5Qk99InKF_jscVWgjhmyud_WcmH0c1SufLTv5M_Qz2v1jcMT1AhK-otUU5akwUW41uWAP0DnGbHbQN1vAwa0Sr_Nh3PVAwJsEgHJA/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4xZ8KIApm-gUGTu7HWZwcVIENHMp375t-myV7W5Qk99InKF_jscVWgjhmyud_WcmH0c1SufLTv5M_Qz2v1jcMT1AhK-otUU5akwUW41uWAP0DnGbHbQN1vAwa0Sr_Nh3PVAwJsEgHJA/s640/IMG_3196.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leaves produced a nice liquor with an interesting flavor profile of green beans, cucumber, and the ever so slight flavorings of dried fruit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfm40f4MkAIozybJ0rM8K3YD-mvJANwHDB9mmV7RN34mrdRamAYhACLx3CqbiFLAeZsBzRlzg5QYu-4-VHFmxyUy8Bu6csNiOgkCiwqUu5QSknVVhATM5FYfvRoEcx-fjhXkKN4aoxdk/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfm40f4MkAIozybJ0rM8K3YD-mvJANwHDB9mmV7RN34mrdRamAYhACLx3CqbiFLAeZsBzRlzg5QYu-4-VHFmxyUy8Bu6csNiOgkCiwqUu5QSknVVhATM5FYfvRoEcx-fjhXkKN4aoxdk/s640/IMG_3199.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the leaves fully opened - good size, looks like an <i>Assamic</i> clonal varietal to me.</td></tr>
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Each one of the little "pearls" is made individually by hand. In order for the pearls to
be formed, the freshly
plucked leaves are not gathered in a basket as is typical on most tea estates, but rather each leaf is carefully layered on top of the other in the field so that the leaves are not
damaged and can be stored fresh and cool.
After 24 hours of withering, the leaves are rolled by hand and then
immediately dried. That is the only processing that takes place, and it is for this reason that the tea is called a "white" tea. However, as one can see from the size of the leaves above, it is not a tea produced from the initial first buds that make up white teas in China. Rather, it looks to me to be a fairly mature leaf, so I would classify the tea as a green and not a white. But that begs the question - do you classify tea based on harvest time or the amount of processing that takes place with the leaves, or both?</div>
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The Zomba Pearls are certainly a unique tea, and if you are looking for something that can handle many, many steepings, this might be it. The pearls were not even fully open after 6 steepings in a gaiwan, and the liquor and flavor was still there just as in the first steeping. As a tea buyer I have to think about my customers and how this tea would do in the cafe. I might buy a pound or two depending on the price, but I think only tea connoisseurs or those who are adventurous in their tea drinking will select this tea - your everyday drinker might not know how to categorize it since they generally prefer a standard green or a strong black.</div>
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<b>Sources Cite:</b> </div>
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Briggs, Philip. 2013. Malawi. Bradt Travel Guides, Sixth
Edition.</div>
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Hall, Nick. 2000. The Tea Industry. Cambridge, UK:
Woodhead Publishing.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-27400828945672686102015-09-18T15:48:00.001-07:002015-09-18T15:48:10.504-07:00New Teas In The Cafe - Risheehat First Flush Darjeeling, Jin Xuan Oolong, Wood Dragon OolongEach couple weeks I put out new teas, often reflecting the mood of the season. For this round, it was oolongs to embrace the start of the fall here in Colorado. These are here only for a limited time, as I usually only order a couple pounds, so I try and feature them so that our customers are aware of them. <br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro Bold","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">New Teas – September
11, 2015</span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro Bold","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Fall brings our attention to the last days of
summer and the first hints of winter – cool crisp mornings, warm days, and
clear, relaxing nights. Oolong teas are similar to fall, with their aromas and
flavors offering a mix of the growth and abundance associated with summer and
the coolness and crispness associated with winter. To celebrate, we are pleased
to offer three new oolongs:</span></b></div>
<div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Risheehat First Flush Darjeeling</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";">– </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">The Risheehat Estate, located in the north of the
Darjeeling District, produces one of the finest <a href="http://goldenteacolorado.blogspot.com/2015/09/drunk-on-darjeeling-tasting-six-first.html">First Flush Darjeelings</a>
available. 100% organic, this First Flush oolong* showcases why Darjeelings are
recognized as the Champaign of Teas. Light and fruity, with hints of warm,
floral notes that remind us of early summer days, this oolong is perfect as an
afternoon tea on these last days of summer. *I refer to First Flushes as oolongs simply because they are not oxidized all the way, and tend to be closer to an oolong in that regard then a true black, such as a Second Flush or Assam. I know some people will not agree, but if we are looking at whites to blacks on a scale of oxidization, then First Flushes would fall in the oolong category, not in the black category.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T81jHq4CUpVZpcSdsIOSwRu783LzplgrzizJHvm83tnZORaKyIaLu-Yr-fcOSsNsBlVfFpvFgHb-0e634r-bjWguXcQEE4XUeHTgVIbzrlUV1-2njyCs28Bdp2JnsfnXXAg9YOMXfr4/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T81jHq4CUpVZpcSdsIOSwRu783LzplgrzizJHvm83tnZORaKyIaLu-Yr-fcOSsNsBlVfFpvFgHb-0e634r-bjWguXcQEE4XUeHTgVIbzrlUV1-2njyCs28Bdp2JnsfnXXAg9YOMXfr4/s640/IMG_3084.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>First Flush Risheehat Darjeeling from 2015</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";"> </span></b></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Jin Xuan Oolong</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif";">– </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;">Coming from the Wushe Mountains in Nantou County, Taiwan,
this Jin Xuan has been expertly crafted to merge the transition from summer to
fall. Produced by the Chou family, this tea was harvested in the spring from
the Jin Xuan cultivar, before being lightly steamed over milk to create a
fresh, sweet, creamy flavor with a smooth, full texture. A warming oolong, this
tea is excellent for cool fall days that herald the colder months to come.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapjoozyqqN3xCW6fqnAWyjcRZBfjo5A1KyEFkCY3AAmYLhNPO8m2b0rq8PsbdqgzFAw2woVsKQUDzsWWfVlUg-HyunwRD12oCDEUISuhvfO6YvLgYSHUiOvu0EWW-VG1T3yjPYdAAZE8/s1600/IMG_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapjoozyqqN3xCW6fqnAWyjcRZBfjo5A1KyEFkCY3AAmYLhNPO8m2b0rq8PsbdqgzFAw2woVsKQUDzsWWfVlUg-HyunwRD12oCDEUISuhvfO6YvLgYSHUiOvu0EWW-VG1T3yjPYdAAZE8/s640/IMG_3092.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jin Xuan from Nantou, Taiwan - Beautifully shaped.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-GzSDkjdMkADSubWp6vaLp6jt7YPbsxBqhV0269Vu41SSv9X9eKG1CFgKa51t42UjQsxizoQoER5xQ9xknTEkNZ53bazhV_T2JqKXOy6sbqLkzLin-4SkG-9mbvuHlDNdMb-sjyZgcY/s1600/IMG_3094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-GzSDkjdMkADSubWp6vaLp6jt7YPbsxBqhV0269Vu41SSv9X9eKG1CFgKa51t42UjQsxizoQoER5xQ9xknTEkNZ53bazhV_T2JqKXOy6sbqLkzLin-4SkG-9mbvuHlDNdMb-sjyZgcY/s640/IMG_3094.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The first steeping - the milky flavor is pronounced, but mellows with each steeping.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDVC2QeXDCbZATj2De8xDkA14W8K5Pgg-05A9PIeyRZ5h2himRp59WdlmCOiT2XPXlhVteqJ1fLqBzwz6GK1mgsSVSmL-fT7RKBK6cFnF9imWA087z2Ce32lLkxPmt73vE01r102TUqU/s1600/IMG_3095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDVC2QeXDCbZATj2De8xDkA14W8K5Pgg-05A9PIeyRZ5h2himRp59WdlmCOiT2XPXlhVteqJ1fLqBzwz6GK1mgsSVSmL-fT7RKBK6cFnF9imWA087z2Ce32lLkxPmt73vE01r102TUqU/s640/IMG_3095.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UCa4P1AaSHNmtyvwhe9hszqBmUudjnNbV_C1rKDlfQTa9Mtw0z9ohemeVGLTQSnyZqgY60_RFexYUsQFR2Lcl_IGUiKJRredi1TSOjDQ241vMO0ZG569zKzyuosDEaKWGTgLXitdU7U/s1600/IMG_3097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UCa4P1AaSHNmtyvwhe9hszqBmUudjnNbV_C1rKDlfQTa9Mtw0z9ohemeVGLTQSnyZqgY60_RFexYUsQFR2Lcl_IGUiKJRredi1TSOjDQ241vMO0ZG569zKzyuosDEaKWGTgLXitdU7U/s640/IMG_3097.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Size comparison of unrolled leaves.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Wood Dragon Oolong</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> – A unique tea specifically made for one of
our suppliers, Wood Dragon oolong comes from the same cultivar and area as our
Jin Xuan above. However, that is where the similarity ends. Wood Dragon is 20%
oxidized, medium roasted, made entirely by hand from the twigs and stems of the
tea bush. Relatively low in caffeine, this fiery and nutty oolong is perfect
for the longer nights and shorter days that fall brings.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RkDdpE5K9zJwUfB3YYxh079NXZRIwxJD-e_dvhR5hjM0FtH6hszNJlnRheXEwkeFdC-YTpmxdVKz7RQP1XkvH6pm4nvy5rk_SYJEdXjrPj8ldjyaTN0ih2IVV_pI3V95CFeKZw24H2Y/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RkDdpE5K9zJwUfB3YYxh079NXZRIwxJD-e_dvhR5hjM0FtH6hszNJlnRheXEwkeFdC-YTpmxdVKz7RQP1XkvH6pm4nvy5rk_SYJEdXjrPj8ldjyaTN0ih2IVV_pI3V95CFeKZw24H2Y/s640/IMG_3188.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wood Dragon - Coming from the Jin Xuan varietal.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCwWnrEc30gX1mV_aeuSxOqeseZ-CrMD_6GCng1DM-ZyrOEPraEp0Wx9Safh6U4ggzi_VqJuU79wOi8qWfCU7UHTalcl6n-wtL7OAW6P1mw0whlFzcjx-l7nurqa5C-aJRIXjyDoLu4A/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCwWnrEc30gX1mV_aeuSxOqeseZ-CrMD_6GCng1DM-ZyrOEPraEp0Wx9Safh6U4ggzi_VqJuU79wOi8qWfCU7UHTalcl6n-wtL7OAW6P1mw0whlFzcjx-l7nurqa5C-aJRIXjyDoLu4A/s640/IMG_3191.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A delicious woodsy, roasting, toasty flavor.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1SR72ryMzkHGka5he1s3a1uKJPMR2OwCXTBIOqlnupAKnEJIiqbo9C2P5lflwhYezTGiJytakjf-09QLCAON8p5v-XevWX_-Mj8aOxp9iQkM572pLlnS9N23zBRLVFMlxgLGL_sU7JI/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1SR72ryMzkHGka5he1s3a1uKJPMR2OwCXTBIOqlnupAKnEJIiqbo9C2P5lflwhYezTGiJytakjf-09QLCAON8p5v-XevWX_-Mj8aOxp9iQkM572pLlnS9N23zBRLVFMlxgLGL_sU7JI/s640/IMG_3192.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-9751314540796642452015-09-14T11:24:00.002-07:002015-09-14T11:24:56.182-07:00Drunk On Darjeeling - Tasting Six First Flush Darjeelings From 2015<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Here in the café, I work hard to have thirty or more fresh
teas available to our customers at any time. These teas naturally vary by
season depending on when the freshest teas arrive, but trying to keep a
representative selection available can be a challenge. One tea that is
essential to have on hand is a fine <b>First Flush Darjeeling</b>. Although many tea
drinkers in the United States are not familiar with Darjeelings, except perhaps
those who have a passion for tea and have explored the genre for a while, it is
important to always have a good First Flush on hand for those who do appreciate
a fine tea. </div>
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<br /></div>
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To help educate our clientele, I host tea tastings every
couple weeks, and today I hosted “<b>Drunk on Darjeeling</b>” – a tasting of six First
Flush Darjeelings from this springs harvest. The idea was to not only share
some amazing tea with those who may be interested, but to also allow people to
directly taste the various subtleties associated with terroir, cultivars, and
harvests. The six First Flushes were from the following Estates: Castleton,
Margaret’s Hope, Rohini, Singbulli, Jungpana, and Risheehat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB-IH0bPRLIewevRFLjFAfB3E80M-kEJq9LSJACZbhyGVt5Hr1ip73gbeBI5W1EtOm5kjvbR5yiro6KmM6m8dpXcHrh_o8VOwRkJVWmUfbnmACvSxCAUBEN-2NYsAJrKNRj5trlLkRX4/s1600/DarjeelingTeaEstates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB-IH0bPRLIewevRFLjFAfB3E80M-kEJq9LSJACZbhyGVt5Hr1ip73gbeBI5W1EtOm5kjvbR5yiro6KmM6m8dpXcHrh_o8VOwRkJVWmUfbnmACvSxCAUBEN-2NYsAJrKNRj5trlLkRX4/s640/DarjeelingTeaEstates.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Map of the Darjeeling District in West Bengal, India with Estates tried in the tasting.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, one cannot simply just put teas out and let people
drink them. Well, you can, but perhaps that is not the best way to run a
tasting. For me, I like to provide some background to the experience, giving a
bit of history of the region and the tea itself. It is not a full blown
lecture, but giving people a bit of the background of the tea they are drinking
helps place the tea, and allows the individual to have a more intimate
experience with the beverage. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Darjeeling is a complex tea and region, with a long history
(although not as long as China’s!) involving imperialism, colonialism, ethnic
conflicts, and political intrigue. All of it is important, but it is also
possible to skip over many of the subtleties and provide a nice, general
overview of the region and tea to ground the tea drinker and to allow them to
appreciate the history of the leaves that have produced the amazing drink they
are imbibing in.</div>
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The tale for Darjeeling tea can start at the beginning of
the 1800s with the British. The British Empire was on the search for
appropriate areas and regions to grow tea, as they were afraid that the tea
trade from China would soon be cut off as there were indications that “China
would follow the lead of Japan and break off all trading connections with the
West.” (Dozey, 1922; p. 193). Up until this point, China had dominated the tea
trade to Europe, and the East India Company had the monopoly of the tea trade to
Britain.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93vGYDqpY1a3RIyKlvc0LW4014BpF1akW_XvXMsPi0C499Qk-e3L0xfJ4RNxEc9VGFbNWmtGXBEX3CRWeg6BpCqeNOelvj59gk5dFc8a_Lg5cx5msl2xY6m0JcAjpwV_qIHYKdkaWhvU/s1600/IMG_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93vGYDqpY1a3RIyKlvc0LW4014BpF1akW_XvXMsPi0C499Qk-e3L0xfJ4RNxEc9VGFbNWmtGXBEX3CRWeg6BpCqeNOelvj59gk5dFc8a_Lg5cx5msl2xY6m0JcAjpwV_qIHYKdkaWhvU/s640/IMG_3075.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The tea tasting set up - six First Flush Darjeeling's from 2015 harvest.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
However, at the turn of the 19<sup>th</sup> century the
East India Company lost its monopoly in the tea trade from China, and so it
began to search for new areas to secure and control. "From its original
introduction into use in Europe the supply of tea had been a Chinese monopoly,
and the trade in it to England had been a monopoly of the East India Company.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, on the renewal of its charter, the
East India Company lost its trading monopoly, and as the trade in tea was one
of the most valuable parts of its activities, it became anxious to obtain a
rival supply entirely within its own control. As a result, great anxiety arose
for the production of tea in India, if such production were by any means
possible" (Mann, 1931; p. 470).</div>
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As such, the East India Company cast out for rival sources
of the plant, including exploring Brazil, the island of St. Helena, Java,
Sumatra, and other places. One such place was the Assam area of India,
specifically the Brahmaputra River and surrounding lands, where in 1834 samples
of the indigenous plant from the region were sent to Major Bruce – a commander
of gunboats in Assam. The samples proved to be promising, and as a result, the
British Government worked to further the tea culture in Assam, and Major Bruce
was appointed Superintendent of this industry. The East India Company was
excited, for although tea plants flourished in other areas of the Empire, <b>no
tolerable tea could be produced from them</b>.</div>
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“The first tolerable samples of tea which were manufactured
by primitive methods (i.e., dried over charcoal fires and according to the
process used for black tea) and forwarded to Calcutta early in 1836, and
amongst others were pronounced by Lord Auckland, who had also tasted the brew,
to be of good quality” (Doey, 1922; p. 195). This variety of Camellia –
<i>Camellia sinensis var. assamica</i>, was indigenous to the area and proved to be a
hardy producer of tea.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And thus the tea industry in Assam was born. As Britain
looked to India to fulfill its demand for tea, it turned away from China and
the offerings coming from that region. Now, there is a whole long story to tea
in Assam, but here we are concerned about Darjeeling and its tea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-wNhDjAxTnWWxth8JneLPlbymZf2jZINqYDJNbKzNkavcnXaiuBBP9BznI6qWCLQSlTvr9MZIp42trGe0EoHniEhvdU-TdqjUgW5nLSJuo3xh5qYguaIsKpLK-ZzK4oLO7I-2yQqHVM/s1600/IMG_3076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-wNhDjAxTnWWxth8JneLPlbymZf2jZINqYDJNbKzNkavcnXaiuBBP9BznI6qWCLQSlTvr9MZIp42trGe0EoHniEhvdU-TdqjUgW5nLSJuo3xh5qYguaIsKpLK-ZzK4oLO7I-2yQqHVM/s640/IMG_3076.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The calm before the storm...</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Darjeeling is a small district in the northern most corner
of West Bengal in the eastern foothills of India near the Himalaya Mountains,
right next to Assam. At the time, the area was just on the outskirts of the
British Empire, and after the Anglo-Gorkha war of 1814, much of the area was
restored to the Chogyal of Sikkim. As a note of thanks, the Chogyal (monarch)
of Sikkim (today an Indian State bordering Nepal) gave 138 square miles,
including the hill of Darjeeling to the British East India Company. This was in
1835, and four years later an event would transpire that would change
Darjeeling forever.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On January 10<sup>th</sup>, 1839, 8 chests containing 350lbs
of Assam tea were sold at auction by the East India Company at the Commercial
sales rooms, Mincing Lane, consisting primarily of “Souchong” and “Pekoe”. As a
result of the smashing success of this auction, Dr. Chapman obtained sanction
to give the Chinese variety (<i>Camillea sinensis var. sinensis</i>) of tea plant a chance, and
accordingly the first lot of seeds and plants were imported into Darjeeling in
1841. After some initial trial and error, it was found that the Chinese variety
of Camillea did quite well in Darjeeling, and the tea produced from the leaves
proved to be exceptionally good. The rest, as they say, is history, and
Darjeeling now produces the Champaign of Tea across 78 Estates stretching 18
miles north to south and 16 miles east to west.</div>
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As mentioned above, the tea tasting I hosted had this year’s
First Flush harvest from six Estates: <b>Margaret’s Hope, Castleton, Rohini,
Jungpana, Singbulli, and Risheehat</b>. All of these Estates produce First Flush
and Second Flush teas, as well as special Darjeelings (such as Moonshine,
Crescendo, Monsoon, etc.). All Estates grow some version of the Chinese
Camillea – <i>Camillea sinensis var. sinensis</i> (there are many sub-varieties known
as clonals, with names such as TK71, Khunz, etc.) while Assam tea comes from
the indigenous <i>Camillea sinensis var. assamica</i> (which also has clonal
varieties). Below is a quick summary of each Estate:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp1IO5PIP0VeKxZGDnddMpYndBuHnc_IMamUn-FDfM5CmbEpNRrQJ4fVePf43pnCcGhGW59t6GGbMrlzHBeGw93iULxHVPccQ5AzLVgc9ApWtaQnV-23nVwFALgG-9GDL05Ap5LsBGhA/s1600/IMG_3083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp1IO5PIP0VeKxZGDnddMpYndBuHnc_IMamUn-FDfM5CmbEpNRrQJ4fVePf43pnCcGhGW59t6GGbMrlzHBeGw93iULxHVPccQ5AzLVgc9ApWtaQnV-23nVwFALgG-9GDL05Ap5LsBGhA/s640/IMG_3083.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Margaret's Hope First Flush SFTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Margaret’s Hope</b> gardens were first planted in 1862, although
in my research I found other dates including 1870. The “official” date can be
hard to pin down, as ownership has changed and non-productive bushes and areas
of land have been pulled and cleared. Today, Margaret’s Hope Estate covers
1,448 acres of beautiful hills in the Kurseong North Valley. We tasted the
Margaret’s Hope First Flush SFTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-6.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdvrQAw_A2vrHsXFoGkFolRN8HPSDbPvIDi5ilsoVmQ0npAo1ilie1cR_1xuQyKsaOqmh0CeR36J8oT0HvZnFOEU7cXt5tjGKcll39-20SFe7MpYjA-C5P60Hh0x3XxXeshmgany3S9U/s1600/IMG_3079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdvrQAw_A2vrHsXFoGkFolRN8HPSDbPvIDi5ilsoVmQ0npAo1ilie1cR_1xuQyKsaOqmh0CeR36J8oT0HvZnFOEU7cXt5tjGKcll39-20SFe7MpYjA-C5P60Hh0x3XxXeshmgany3S9U/s640/IMG_3079.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Castleton First Flush FTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>The Castleton</b> area was laid out in 1871, but research
indicates that today’s bushes were planted in 1885. The Estate covers 788 acres
in the Kurseong South Valley. Both of these Estates are owned by the Goodricke
Group, who also own Barneseg and Thurbo, as well as Estates in Assam and
Dooars. Both Estates continue to produce excellent teas, and are well regarded
by Darjeeling connoisseurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tasted the Castleton First Flush FTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-4.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1wluU3hZVpIAh3x5he-ZLmc7jnPrg5n_be60r9wj3pDwpuorBMReqsZU-UokkGnlyaj7qLbDFpE9g5lp_qMTEq7TmFF7y98DmgsAFypljgPu5gDK5rzUHzkVlEu2MZSWJR8D_jSgH_I/s1600/IMG_3078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1wluU3hZVpIAh3x5he-ZLmc7jnPrg5n_be60r9wj3pDwpuorBMReqsZU-UokkGnlyaj7qLbDFpE9g5lp_qMTEq7TmFF7y98DmgsAFypljgPu5gDK5rzUHzkVlEu2MZSWJR8D_jSgH_I/s640/IMG_3078.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rohini Euphoria First Flush FTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“In 1962, the year of the Sino-India conflict when China
abruptly launched a two-pronged attack along the high Himalayan border it
shares with India and occupied part of Assam for a month, India’s military took
over Rohini’s land, closed the garden, and converted it into an army base.
Nearly 80 percent of the tea bushes were torn out” (Koehler, 2015, p. 179). For
the <b>Rohini Estate</b>, covering 341 acres in the Kurseong South Valley, it was not
until 1995 that the land was returned, but only 81 acres still had tea plants
on it. Thus, many of the plants on the Rohini Estate are considered to be
“young.” My bet is that other Estates suffered the same during the Sino-India
conflict, although not as badly since they were not converted to army bases. We tasted the Rohini Euphoria First Flush FTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-3.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7x0702MUuFpBdL_bOeoa8T_VRxP7PnE-qcgvShAGu6YxLVAaThshcak2dJUtw0EXDP4YnOx1fzUWRif7rnH3DIOl6rLWLFsxzZ_PH01s0YJqdG2JZzdpGJgY1oAqeOViE_ssY0BjUCg/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7x0702MUuFpBdL_bOeoa8T_VRxP7PnE-qcgvShAGu6YxLVAaThshcak2dJUtw0EXDP4YnOx1fzUWRif7rnH3DIOl6rLWLFsxzZ_PH01s0YJqdG2JZzdpGJgY1oAqeOViE_ssY0BjUCg/s640/IMG_3080.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jungpana First Flush FTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <b>Jungpana Estate</b>, covering just under 500 acres, was
owned by the Nepalese royal Rana family until being sold to the Kejriwals in
1956. When the first plants were planted on the Estate is hard to know,
although research indicates it was in 1899, but with south-facing gardens
located in the Mahananda West Valley, Jungpana has produced some of the most
sought after Darjeelings. It is interesting to note that the Jungpana Estate is
on extremely steep land, and still today all harvests must be carried down the
mountains, across a river, and up a steep path by porters to reach a dirt road
– there is are no roads that access the Estate bushes. We tasted Jungpana
First Flush FTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-14.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir56Vm6gEjnaXI96M-O4QWQVIvBG6lN9FweWuOHd2zEwjHWuy2ysiZz3dCkPApXV83T7Vi48oU0GQSIV9izCBZflnrQTQDqMl-KqySey-VFYkaN0pwjrYTSTFDs7ozijxGFHlWKaBGW1k/s1600/IMG_3081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir56Vm6gEjnaXI96M-O4QWQVIvBG6lN9FweWuOHd2zEwjHWuy2ysiZz3dCkPApXV83T7Vi48oU0GQSIV9izCBZflnrQTQDqMl-KqySey-VFYkaN0pwjrYTSTFDs7ozijxGFHlWKaBGW1k/s640/IMG_3081.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Singbulli Organic First Flush FTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <b>Singbulli Estate</b> is a “newer” estate, planted in 1924
and covering 1,171 acres in the Mirik Area across 9 rolling hills. Although the
area is known for its summer lake resort in recent years, the Singbulli Estate
has worked to create delicious organic, sustainable tea. The Estate is owned by
Jayshree Tea and Industries, along with the Tukvar (Puttabong), Sungma, North
Tukvar, Balasm, and Risheehat Estates. We tasted Singbulli Organic First
Flush FTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-10.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd4T8QN3SRRhjt6-_f73tktTRH29f9tVKiI7fGmgxbpwSyHvTaYE3AhG9OsAKgZl8q4P8jUjAnaCy0fhW-jBwLGsygImHRhumqxMYLdSGxeYm45pSbA_s7uTC3psVEcLmTfm_q1Kar9c/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd4T8QN3SRRhjt6-_f73tktTRH29f9tVKiI7fGmgxbpwSyHvTaYE3AhG9OsAKgZl8q4P8jUjAnaCy0fhW-jBwLGsygImHRhumqxMYLdSGxeYm45pSbA_s7uTC3psVEcLmTfm_q1Kar9c/s640/IMG_3084.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Risheehat First Flush SFTGFOP-1 Darjeeling</b></td></tr>
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The <b>Risheehat Estate</b>, located in the Darjeeling East Valley
not far from the city of Darjeeling itself, covers a small area of only 256
acres. Planted in the mid-1800s, the Risheehat Estate – which means “Home of
Holy Saints” – is known for its organic First and Second Flush Darjeelings. We tasted Risheehat First Flush SFTGFOP-1, Lot #DJ-1.</div>
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<b>The Tasting</b></div>
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For the tasting, I prefer to use gaiwans. Although perhaps
not the “correct” method for brewing an Indian tea, I love gaiwans and believe
they provide the easiest way for people to smell, see, brew, and enjoy tea. The
tea was poured through a filter and then served in small tasting cups. Water
was originally heated to 198 degrees, coming from glaciers high in the
mountains before being filtered in our café. By the time it was used to brew
the tea, it was right around 190 degrees. I brewed the first round for each
tea, steeping the leaves for only 20-30 seconds. After all teas had been
tasted, I opened up the brewing to everyone so that they could experiment with
different brewing times (I prefer a quick steep with lots of leaves, others
like less leaves but a longer steep time – to each their own). Discussions
ensued, tea was tasted, and we all became “<b>Drunk on Darjeeling</b>.”</div>
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<b>References Cited</b></div>
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Dozey, E.C.; 1922, A Concise History of the Darjeeling
District Since 1835. Calcutta, N. Mukherjee.</div>
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Koehler, Jeff; 2015, Darjeeling: The Colorful History and
Precarious Fate o the World’s Greatest Tea. New York, Bloomsbury.</div>
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Mann, Harold H.; 1931, The Indian Tea Industry in its
Scientific Aspects, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 79 (4089):
469-483.</div>
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<i>Lots of websites were also consulted, including those of
the Estates themselves when available. Sorry, I didn’t list them all – plus it
gives you something to investigate on your own!</i></div>
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<b>* If I got anything wrong, please leave a comment and let me know so that I can correct it. Thanks! </b><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-2265548702240635272015-09-08T13:20:00.003-07:002015-09-08T13:29:37.278-07:002015 Medium Roast Ben Shan Oolong - Fancy GradeAs one of our regulars told me today during our morning rush, "I may not know about art, but I know what art I like." To some extent, that is how I feel about tea. I'm constantly learning - for this weekend's upcoming "<b>Drunk on Darjeeling</b>" tasting, I've been pouring over old and new texts, websites, and drinking LOTs of tea. Yet, when I read something new I throw up my hands and exclaim - "I don't know anything!"<br />
<br />
Perhaps that is why <i>Camellia sinensis</i> is so fascinating.<br />
<br />
So, in prep for the Darjeeling tasting, I thought why not drink a Ben Shan Oolong?!? No, really, I've had so much Darjeeling I had to switch it up. I really like Yunnan Sourcing and their teas, and as I was digging around for what to drink this afternoon I settled on their <a href="http://yunnansourcing.com/en/anxi-oolongs/3156-medium-roast-fancy-grade-ben-shan-oolong-of-anxi.html">2015 Medium Roast Ben Shan Oolong - Fancy Grade</a>. I bought this tea last year for the cafe, and it went over really well with customers. Roasted for 10 hours, this <b>Ben Shan</b> has a nice, complex aroma of chestnuts with fruit - perhaps peach or some other summer fruit. The flavor of the liquor is not at all to roasty, and the orange color sets it apart from a <b>Tiequanyin</b>.<br />
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The tightly rolled leaves before being touched by water.</div>
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I would bet that most people could not differentiate between a Ben Shan and a Tiequanyin if both were roasted to the same level and came from the same county or province. I know I couldn't - or at least not yet. However, there are a few things that one can use to help distinguish the two: the leaves of a Ben Shan are often coarser or thicker than those of a Tiequanyin; you often don't get quite the orange liquor with a Tiequanyin that you do with a Ben Shan; and historically Ben Shan was a greener oolong while Tiequanyin was a darker oolong (although now and in this case, it is the other way around).<br />
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During the third steeping, the leaves being to finally open.</div>
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This year's <b>Medium Roast Ben Shan Oolong</b> is basically the same as last year - delicious. I'm hesitant to go into descriptors because there are too many variables involved: the water, my mood, my constitution, and so forth. Like my friend told me earlier in the day, "I know what I like." And really, is that not all that matters?<br />
<br />
6 steepings in and this Ben Shan is still delivering. It could probably go a couple more steepings, and over the course of the afternoon I will continue to enjoy it. Really, though, the point of this post is not to review the tea - I don't believe I have the qualifications for that - but to share and ruminate on this variety of Se Chung Oolong. It is very good, and makes me aware of how much more I have to learn!<br />
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Still delicious after 6 steepings...</div>
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A Ben Shan leaf unrolled.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-701186702809651952015-09-06T13:24:00.000-07:002015-09-06T15:18:37.020-07:002002 Six Famous Tea Mountain You Le Gu Cha - Sheng PuerhYesterday, a friend showed up at work and we quickly dropped in to talking about tea. He mentioned having tried an amazing puerh recently, one with incredible <i>cha qi</i>, or energy. I was inspired to share some delicious tea with him, so I rummaged around in our archive and pulled out a <b>2002 Six Famous Tea Mountain You Le Gu Cha</b>. Being a generous person, I gave him the rest of the <i>beeng cha</i> (pressed disk) to enjoy. I kept a bit myself, and now I'm drinking it and posting about it here.<br />
<br />
However, before we get to the tea I want to highlight something first.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Brick Tea</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This tea "serves both for drink and food. The Chinese carry on a great trade in it, but never drink it themselves. In the tea manufactories, which are for the most part in the Chinese government of Fokien, the dry, dirty, and damaged leaves and stalks of the tea are thrown aside, they are then mixed with a glutinous substance pressed into moulds, and dried in ovens. These blocks are called by the Russians, on account of their shape, brick tea." The Kalmucks and inhabitants of Siberia, "take a piece of this tea, pound it in a mortar made on purpose, and throw the powder into a cast iron vessel, full of boiling water, adding a little salt and milk, and sometimes mixing flour fried in oil. This tea, or broth, is known by the name of Satouran." This brick tea serves also instead of money in the dealings of these people. - Timkowski's Mission to China.</blockquote>
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This fascinating quote comes from the Dublin Penny Journal, Vol. 2 (89), p. 296, which was published in 1834. Digging around, George Timkowski turns out to have written an account of his travels to Russia and China, which was published as "Travels of the Russian Mission through Mongolia to China, and Residence in Peking, in the years 1820-1821." Although I like old books and old travel narratives, that is really not the point here - this is a post about what we call today pu-erh (puerh) tea. I love puerh tea, and despite it being one of the more confusing "types" of tea, I love drinking and delving into its history and nature.<br />
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Above is a photo of some of the puerh we have stored and aging. Cooked, raw - shou and sheng. But right now, I'm fascinated with the above quote; what is this tea described by Timkowski? My understanding of puerh - a brief, incomplete one at that - is that it originated partly as a result of trade requirements on the Silk Road. Putting 10lbs of fresh tea on a camel's back and trekking from China over the Tibetan Plateau towards the West would not prove to be economical. The tea would be too bulky, and by the time it got anywhere, it would be stale and probably not taste well. Taking the fresh leaves, however, and pressing them tightly together into "bricks" was developed as a result, proving to be an easy, economical, and efficient way to transport large quantities of tea West. That is what is described above, but it is certainly not what I know of as puerh! So, what is it? I can't find any mention or discussion of this type of tea or <i>hei cha</i>. Was it the original bullet proof coffee? I would be really interested in learning more about this tea and what the glutinous substance was. It just goes to show, my lack of knowledge if far greater then my knowledge of tea. But, on to the tea that is subject of this post - a <b>2002 Six Famous Tea Mountain You Le Gu Cha</b>.<br />
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<b>2002 Six Famous Tea Mountain You Le Gu Cha</b><br />
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Here is what I (think I) know - the Six Famous Tea Mountain Factory was formed in 2002 by a former Menghai Tea Factory manager Ruan Dian Rong. This <b>You Le Gu Cha</b> may or may not be their first puerh - I'm sure they produced several different puerh's during their first year. However, it is from their first year in production, which makes it very exciting. From the photos, it is easy to tell that it is a sheng by the color of the leaves after being steeped.<br />
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I'm a believer in lots of tea, quick steeps. Using 185 degree water, I did steeps at 15 seconds to 30 seconds. All turned out beautifully, and this tea was a pleasure to drink over the afternoon. With a classic sheng aroma of deep raw earth and aged, suede leather smells the liquor had a light mouth feel that primarily tantalized the middle and back of the mouth. A touch of sour was noted, with a slight oilish coating over the tongue, I really enjoyed this raw puerh, and I noticed an immediate <i>cha qi</i> (or caffeine hit) from the tea. Overall, a perfect tea for a busy Sunday afternoon at work.<br />
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The raw leaves broken away from the beeng cha.</div>
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After the initial rinse, freshened but still closed and tight. </div>
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The first steeping - ~20 seconds. </div>
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The leaves starting to open - note the green color of a true sheng. </div>
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Fourth steeping - ~20 seconds again. Fully open, this puerh proved to be delicious from first to last steeping. </div>
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The leaves fully open - they almost look like fresh green leaves even after 13 years of aging!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833470340330752287.post-84676112628805798342015-09-06T09:22:00.001-07:002015-09-06T09:22:38.779-07:00About Me<div>
Hi,</div>
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Thanks for reading Golden Tea Colorado and for stopping by. I'm a tea buyer and tea fanatic. I buy tea for Trident Booksellers and Cafe, located in Boulder, Colorado. This is my own personal blog about tea, and is not tied to the Trident. </div>
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The purpose behind this blog is to share my journey as a tea buyer and taster with the larger world of tea drinkers. I've been in the coffee and tea business for 20 years, and over that time I have tasted many, many teas. Likewise, as a buyer, I have to balance and select teas not only based on my personal preference, but also on what we need at the cafe. </div>
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So, this blog will have lots on tea tasting, but also on how to buy tea for a busy and established cafe. How to budget and balance having a comprehensive tea selection that one can offer to customers at a reasonable price. Likewise, how I go about educating our customers about tea, how I host tea tastings, and so forth. </div>
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I'll be honest, I'm not an expert. The world of tea is so vast, nuanced, and complex that to be a true expert requires many, many years of hands on experience. I don't have that - yet. What I do have is over 20 years of experience in the coffee and tea business. A passion about tea and a thirst for knowledge around tea. And, of course, a desire to drink tea - lots and lots of it.</div>
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Feel free to shoot me an email, or better yet, leave a comment. I hope that this blog, if anyone ever reads it, will prove to be fun to follow as well as educational. If you ever want to stop by the Trident and talk, I'm always open for a chat and tea session. </div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Peter</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826465400135692348noreply@blogger.com0