Naoki Matcha Ceremonial Grade v Limited Edition Chiran

Matcha from left to right: generic matcha; Naoki Fragrant Yame Blend Ceremonial Grade; Naoki Master's Collection Limited Edition Chiran Harvest

Not all matcha is created equal and one way to distinguish quality is the color of the matcha powder. I received two matcha from Naoki Matcha for review. Here I contrast them with a matcha I ordered from a bulk nuts and seeds company. I have enjoyed many matcha lattes made from this bulk order company, by the way.

Matcha is a Japanese green tea. Leaves destined to become green teas are not oxidized in order to maintain the leaves green color. Matcha is a unique green tea. The entire leaf minus the veins and stems is ground to create the tea powder we whisk into a froth and drink. Three weeks before the leaves are plucked, tea plants grown for matcha production are 90% shaded to increase the production of chlorophyll which is the pigment involved in photosynthesis and the coloring of green leaves.

A darker matcha powder means a better matcha tea. What does "better" mean? In addition to color which indicates that the leaves were well shaded for a long period of time, there is the matter of taste. Beyond the primary notes of vegetal, marine, and umami, high quality matcha should exhibit other flavors and aromas. I learned about matcha, Japanese green tea, and other teas in an ITEI course.

 I found the Naoki Fragrant Yame Blend Ceremonial Grade to be floral and fruity "with a thick body and underlying smooth umami." I would recommend this matcha for people new to matcha. It's sweetness makes it very palatable and easy to drink. 

On my Instagram feed, I wrote that the Naoki Master's Collection Limited Edition Chiran Harvest 2019  is not for beginners. I am sticking with this assessment. Although matcha is only made from the leaf blades, this matcha tastes like it was produced from the leaves, veins, stems, and roots. The matcha is full bodied but smooth. I don't subscribe to drinking tea for health. But, I felt like the tea was infusing my cells and powering me up. This matcha does not have a sweet profile which is why I don't recommend it for beginners. I think OG matcha drinkers will enjoy it and newer matcha drinkers can drink up this thick matcha.

Tea Cupping Three Tillerman Wenshan Baozhong

I am having so much fun writing about tea preparation! So far I've shared a post about brewing shou puerh in a gaiwan and steeping Darjeeling in a professional cupping set. Today's post features the professional cupping set again but this time I used the tea cupping set to compare three Wenshan Baozhong oolong teas.

THE WENSHAN BAOZHONGS

The Wenshan Baozhongs are courtesy of Tillerman Tea: Wenshan Bao Zhong Winter 2018 (farmer Weng Wan Dashi), Spring 2018 (Wong One Dashi), and Spring 2017 (Wang Han Yang Dashi). Read my review of the Spring 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong and review of the Spring 2017 Wenshan Bao Zhong. Wenshan Baozhong also known as pouchong is a twisted Taiwanese green oolong. Baozhong teas are lightly oxidized anywhere from 10% to 15%. Their provenance is northern Taiwan in Taipei and Pinglin. The best harvest is spring and the resounding aspect of this tea is its floral aroma.

TEA CUPPING THE OOLONGS

The professional cupping set was designed to compare Indian black teas but it has been used to evaluate similarities and difference among other types and styles of tea. For this tea cupping of oolongs, I steeped 3 grams of tea in 195F water for 3 minutes. After measuring the leaves of each tea, I placed them in the lidded cup then poured hot water to overflowing then replaced the lid. At the end of the steep time, I poured the tea into each drinking cup starting with the first cup to receive hot water.

Related - Tea Cupping - Three Chinese Spring 2016 Green Teas from TeaVivre

Before I even steeped the leaves I evaluated the dry leaf color and smell. I made notes about color and smell.

• Winter 2018  Wenshan Bao Zhong - vibrant dark green leaves, no stems, floral and woody scents
• Spring 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong - duller dark green and brown leaves, stems, floral and buttery scents
• Spring 2017 Wenshan Bao Zhong - similar leaf to the Spring 2018, woody and fruity scents

After pouring the each liquor into its respective drinking cup, one can smell the infused leaves to gauge consistency between these and the dry leaf. I did not. The floral steam coming off the Winter 2018 diverted my attention. Next one evaluates the color and taste of the liquor.

• Winter 2018  Wenshan Bao Zhong - lively green-yellow liquor, floral, heady, buttery, thick (now imagine I had typed these words in caps!)
• Spring 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong - tending more yellow in color, also thick and buttery but the floral is significantly less unbridled than the Winter 2018
• Spring 2017 Wenshan Bao Zhong - almost apricot colored liquor, medium-bodied, smooth, Baimudan-esque, fruity

You can resteep the leaves by adding 30 seconds to the initial steep time. The second infusion of the Spring 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong was delightfully floral.

I did not evaluate the infused leaves as I was too busy slurping all the cups of oolong. By the time I had turned my attention, and camera, back to the wet leaves much of that immediate sensory information had evaporated.

Related - Tea Cupping - Tasting Two Oriental Beauty Oolongs

THE TAKEAWAY

It's definitely worth reading my original reviews of the Spring 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong and the Spring 2017 Wenshan Bao Zhong. I stored both teas well but their profiles have changed since I first drank them. I enjoyed both teas then and now. However, my favorite of the trio presented here is the Winter 2018 Wenshan Bao Zhong. It's fresh and bursting with classic bao zhong flavors and texture.

All three teas in this post were provided by Tillerman Tea for review.

Blind Tea Tasting with Story of My Tea

Story of My Tea's Blind Tea Tasting pack is billed as "a guessing game for your sense of flavor." The company ran a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. I got in on the action with a courtesy box. How well did I do in this tea tasting game?

Each pack includes 4 blind pouches, reveal cards, a tasting wheel, and tea filters. My blind teas were 6009, 6016, 6017, and 6023. By sight and taste, I knew the types of three of the four teas. Teas 6009 and 6023 were black teas. I knew that 6009 was a Darjeeling; it's full name is Organic Darjeeling Sungma SFTGFOP I. I noted that black tea 6023 was not Chinese or Indian (Darjeeling). I noted that it tasted like a Sri Lankan tea. It is St Clair Black, a high-mountain Sri Lankan tea.

The pouches for teas 6016 and 6017 were mislabeled. I knew that the pouch labeled 6016 contained a rolled oolong. It tasted like a milky oolong. The tea in pouch 6106 was actually tea 6017, a Chinese milky oolong processed by steaming the leaves in milk. The tea in the pouch labeled 6017 was a string-style tea. The tea in pouch 6017 was actually tea 6016 is a strip-style oolong, a brandy oolong specifically made from Camellia sinensis assamica.

Here are my blind tasting notes for the four teas in my pack. I should note that I didn't totally figure out the mislabeling until after I had a session or two with the teas for which I used preparation parameters that were probably not ideal for the two oolongs. The information reported below reflects the correct parameters for the two oolongs.

Tea 6023 St Clair Black

• 1 teaspoon, 8 ounces, 200F water, 5 minutes
• Light, bright cup of tea without any dark notes

Tea 6017 Milky Oolong

• 1 teaspoons, 8 ounces, 175F water, 3 minutes
• Rolled leaves smelled scented like cake batter
• Liquor was flavored

Tea 6009 Organic Darjeeling Sungma SFTGFOP I

• 1 teaspoon, 8 ounces, 212F water, 3 minutes
• Hairy, musky leaves
• Herbaceous, light muscatel liquor with woody tail note

Tea 6016 Brandy Oolong

• 1.5 teaspoons, 8 ounces, 195F water, 5 minutes
• Almost vermillion liquor was light bodied with a red fruit note

The Takeaway
Although I now have my Tea Sommelier certification, I am not a tea master. I did not recognize the strip-style tea as an oolong. My favorite of the teas was the Darjeeling. All of the tea experiences would benefit from a higher leaf to water ratio. My least favorite of the teas was the flavored Chinese Milky Oolong. If you haven't already, try a Taiwanese milk oolong made from the Jin Xuan cultivar.

Blind Tea Tasting pack provided by Story of My Tea.

Upton Tea Imports - New Zealand Oolong + Tindharia First Flush Darjeeling

Upton Tea Imports was the first tea seller from which I ordered teas. I used to read the catalogues front to back. It was a pleasure to see the packages on my stoop. I placed orders with the company between 2007 and 2009, at least according to my blog records. I didn't stop ordering from Upton for any particular reason, certainly not because of a poor experience with their teas. I was delighted to hear from them this year. I chose two teas, New Zealand Gordonton Estate Oolong and Tindharia Estate First Flush FTGFOP1 (EX-1) Organic Darjeeling, both of which I review here, and received a gift of Pre-Chingming Silver Sprout Green Tea.

I chose the oolong and Darjeeling for specific reasons. I did not drink enough first flush Darjeelings last year. I told myself if I was given the opportunity to drink a first flush this year, I should take it. Upton Tea Imports offers many first flushes so it was a difficult to choose only one but in the end, the Tindharia was most appealing. As for the oolong, I wanted to drink an oolong with which I had little experience. I had drunk only drunk a New Zealand rolled oolong one other time to my knowledge.

Related - Tea Tasting with Yoon Hee Kim of Tea Classics

Each tea was prepared per the instructions provided by Upton Tea Imports. The parameters for the oolong are 1t/6oz/3m/190F and for the Darjeeling are 1t/6oz/3m/212F.

New Zealand Gordonton Estate Oolong

Before steeping this oolong, I worried that 1 teaspoon wouldn't yield a flavorful cup of tea. The first infusion was light in color and in the flavor: pale yellow with a slight butteriness and a hint of flowers. The dried leaves had promising scents so I steeped a second cup using the same tea leaves and 195F water for 4 minutes. The tea had an improved body with olive oil taste and texture. There were floral notes mid tongue and everything lingered. There was a subtle roast flavor when aerated. As the tea cooled, I detected a slight dryness and a cherry tartness on the roof of my mouth.

Tindharia Estate First Flush FTGFOP1 (EX-1) Organic Darjeeling

The dry leaves of this Darjeeling smelled herbaceous, sweet, floral, and woody. When rinsed, a stone-fruit pit bitterness wafted from the teapot. The light brown liquor yielded herbaceous notes first followed by maple candy sweetness. Both lingered. The medium-bodied tea had a pleasant astringency layered with apricot jam on the roof of my mouth. The maple note declined as the tea cooled but the liquor was still sweet and left a slight hairiness at the back of my throat. I infused the leaves a second time and although the cup was less intense, it had more balance among the flavors.

The Takeaway

Use more leaves when infusing the oolong. Also, consider a higher water temperature. I was happy with the Darjeeling, but keep a close eye on the steep time. The Darjeeling my favorite of the two teas. Finally, I would encourage tea companies to provide steeping parameters for Western and non-western infusion styles.

The New Zealand Oolong and Tindharia First Flush Darjeeling were provided by Upton Tea Imports.

Tillerman Tea Spring 2018 Oolongs

The spring 2018 oolongs from Tillerman Tea are the strip style Wenshan Bao Zhong, the rolled green oolong Cuifeng, and the rolled dark oolong Muzha Tieguanyin. The procession from light to dark and the variation in style made for a tea flight experience.

I prepared these Tillerman Tea Spring 2018 oolongs in my professional cupping sets. Each tea was steeped for 3 minutes in 195F water. I used 3 grams of the Cuifeng and Tieguanyin, and 2.5 grams for the Bao Zhong. Second infusions were steeped for 3 minutes 30 seconds in 200F water.

Wenshan Bao Zhong

An interesting aspect of baozhong is that its appearance resembles Wuyi and Phoenix oolongs in form but not in color because the latter are more oxidized so have darker colored leaves, and of course, different aromas and flavors.

The dry leaves of this Tillerman Wenshan Bao Zhong Spring 2018 by farmer Wong One Dashi smelled like toast and butter. The liquor was spring green in color. The infused leaves smelled of flowers, butter, and vegetables. The liquor was lush and tasted of butter and flowers with a vegetal finish. In the second infusion, the vegetal note dominated with a light floral finish.

Cuifeng High Mountain Oolong

Teas are classified as high mountain or gaoshan in Taiwan if they are grown above 1,000 meters or 3,281 feet. This Cuifeng High Mountain Oolong Spring 2018 was grown and harvested from Lishan Mountain by farmers Chen Feng Yan and Chen Chung Chia.

The large, tightly rolled leaves smelled strongly sweet and creamy. The infused leaves smelled herbaceous. The yellow liquor was surprisingly mild. The second infusion was much more flavorful with a medium body liquor. The flavors I tasted were herbaceous and spicy bitterness of almond fruit. I wanted to experience the "rich and viscous [liquor] with a long and persistent finish" so had another session with this tea using Tillerman Tea parameters: 6 grams of tea per 100ml of water at 212F for 20 seconds then 15 seconds, etc. The 15-second infusion brought the oomph!

Muzha Tieguanyin

Although the varietal that is used for Muzha Tieguanyin was imported from Anxi, the two styles of Tie Guan Yin look and taste nothing alike. The roast on Muzha Tieguanyin can range from light to heavy. The Tillerman Tea Muzha Tieguanyin Spring 2018 is medium roasted. The leaves, both dry and infused, smelled roasted, sweet, and fruity like dried papaya. The liquor's flavors were consistent with the scent of the leaves. However, it was a light-boded tea. The roast and fruit flavors alternated on my tongue followed by a drying finish. Subsequent infusions were less astringent and quite smooth.

The Takeaway

My first oolongs I think were Muzha Tieguanyin. Drinking this oolong in particular felt like a bit of a homecoming. I really like the fruit, depth of sweetness, and smooth roast of this style of tea. The buttery and floral aspects of the Wenshan Bao Zhong were also enjoyable and I appreciate that the floral aspect was not overwhelming. The sessions with the Cuifeng provide a caution about tea preparation. If I had only evaluated this tea on my professional cupping session, I would have been disappointed. I gave the tea another try because I have always enjoyed Tillerman Tea oolongs. Using the company's parameters made this gaoshan shine. So tea drinkers, if you can, have a couple of sessions with your teas using different steeping parameters. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results!

The Spring 2018 Oolongs reviewed here were provided by Tillerman Tea.

References 
Jane Pettigrew, World of Tea: Discovering Producing Regions and Their Teas

In Pursuit of Tea Lapsang Souchong Tongmu Reserve

One of my favorite people to drink tea with is one of my husband's aunts. Our most recent tea time was at Té Company for the Té + In Pursuit of Tea pairings. In the flight we chose, the Lapsang Souchong Tongmu Reserve was our favorite. Keep reading to find out why.

Aunt E treated us both to In Pursuit of Tea Lapsang Souchong Tongmu Reserve to take home. I am slowly working my way through the pouch. It is a special tea both for its taste and for where it is grown. The tea plants are grown in a Fujian village with limited access to outsiders, but fortunately for tea drinkers, In Pursuit of Tea was able to visit the village. Lapsang Souchong can be an acquired taste if it's not processed well. This Lapsang Souchong does not have any of the typical acrid flavor and harsh smoke smell. Here's the process for making this particular Lapsang Souchong sourced by In Pursuit of Tea:

[The leaves are withered] in a smokehouse, spread on bamboo mats above smoldering local Chinese red pine[,] then a repeated sequence of rolling and firing.

Lapsang Souchong Tongmu Reserve

The dry leaves of this twisted leaf black tea smell like thick cut bacon sweetened with maple syrup and dried fruit. I steeped 3 grams in 200F for five infusions. The first cup was gently sweet and coniferous in taste. The second infusion was also sweet and coniferous but more forceful in its aroma. As the liquor cooled, the body of the tea thickened. I tasted chocolate mousse mid-palate. The third infusion was consistent with previous cups with the addition of a creamy texture which I felt on the roof of my mouth. The fourth cup was sweeter than the previous ones. Imagine infusing your tea leaves in maple water. The smoky character of the tea had lightened. The final infusion was very long at 10 minutes. The liquor was still aromatic! The tea was smooth, sweet, and smoky, with a new woody note.

In Pursuit of Tea writes that this Lapsang Souchong has cranberry and lilac flavors. I did not taste these notes specifically, but I highly recommend this tea. You can purchase Lapsang Souchong Tongmu Reserve on the In Pursuit of Tea website. The price is $35.50 for 2 ounces.

Global Tea Hut Swirling Mist 2004 Sheng Puerh

It's simply the best when your various passions meld. Like when an avid reader who loves to drink tea receives a tea magazine and a tea that happens to be one of her favorites types of tea. This happened to me when Global Tea Hut sent me a copy Tea & Tao Magazine and a sample of a 2004 sheng puerh.

Like other issues of Global Tea Hut's Tea & Tao Magazine, the March 2018 issue was packed with information. The focus of the issue was Mengsong and four of its villages: Boatang, Nanben, Bameng, and Da'an. Located in Menghai County, Mengsong is known as "the roof of Xishuangbanna". The puerh from this region is classified as high-altitude tea, so similar to Taiwan oolong and Sri Lankan black tea. The "tea of the month" in March was Swirling Mist 2004 Sheng Puerh, a private-order pressing.

Swirling Mist 2004 Sheng Puerh

I had a couple of sessions with my sample. The magazine provided what I interpreted as vague preparation parameters: 98C steeping "longer, flash, flash, then growing (you can only get one flash)". It did recommend the gongfu over the sidehandle method. I used approximately 7 grams of tea and 100 ml of 212F water. I rinsed the leaves in my gaiwan followed by a 5 second steep. The infused leaves smelled like pineapple, apricot, and mushrooms. The peach-colored liquor was light bodied and tasted like banana leaves and banana porridge (sweetened with condensed milk).

The first infusion was followed by two 10 second steeps. The liquor thickened in each case and was smooth with tobacco and dry tail notes. There was a fruit note as well but I could not name it. I combined three 20 second steeps. The result was again smooth and a tobacco note and dry texture, but there was also a root vegetable aroma.

According to the magazine a session with this tea should last for 20 infusions. Even with subsequent sessions I did not achieve this many infusions. A limiting factor might be the temperature I used. 98 C or 208.4F is recommended but I brewed with 212F. I don't think I was conservative in the amount of leaf I used in each session. Seven grams of leaf to 100 ml of water is slightly higher than the standard 1 gram of leaf to 15 ml of water.

At press time, there was limited availability of cakes priced at $150 plus shipping but the tea is no longer available for purchase. I enjoyed this puerh and wish I could have had longer sessions with it.

The March 2018 issue of Tea & Tao Magazine and the sample of Swirling Mist 2004 Sheng Puerh was provided by Global Tea Hut for review.

Jing Tea Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong

Phoenix oolongs are made from tea plants growing in the Phoenix Mountain range and are known to be very aromatic. Let's see if the Jing Tea Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong lives up to the reputation.

In 2010, one of my sisters-in-law gave me my first JING Tea: Jing Chai, Japanese Sencha (Kagoshima), and Oriental Beauty (Peipu, Taiwan). I did not review them for the blog but I recall liking them very much. I was so pleased to receive oolongs and puerh teas from Jing Tea related to a social media contest they hosted. The Phoenix Honey Orchid is one of the oolongs.

Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong

The dry leaves smelled like candied guava and papaya and also slightly of cocoa. The leaves were long, dark, and slightly twisted with burnished highlights. I steeped 4 grams in 250 ml 100 F water for  3 minutes.

The liquor was very fruity, tasting like cups of tropical fruit juice. It reminded me of the quince jam served with tapas when we visited Madrid. In addition, I tasted a cinnamon bark flavor, and perhaps toffee. Despite it's light to medium body, the tea's flavors lingered in my mouth. As the tea cooled, it acquired a thicker texture as well as a burnt sweetness akin to caramelized peach skin.

A four-minute infusion was again fruit forward with a tail note of tobacco and brown paper. The fifth and final infusion of five minutes was very light bodied but complex with an unidentified flavor. I think the toffee had morphed into something else.

This Jing Tea Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong was a delight to drink. It is decidedly aromatic! I recommend this delicious tea.

Espirita Tea Diamond GABA Oolong

What do you do when you have the opportunity to sample tea from a company that only sells wholesale? Read on.

When I accepted Espirita Tea's offer for six teas, I did not know anything about the company. I've since learned a few things about the company.

• GABA tea is a major focus
• Wholesale purchases come with free online training plus services such as custom tea blending and menu preparation
• Teas are fair trade and some are organic certified

Another thing I was unfamiliar with before sampling Espirita Teas is GABA tea. The production of GABA tea was developed in Japan using green tea. However, GABA tea can be processed as oolong or black tea, according to Jane Pettigrew. There is concern in the industry that teas classified as GABA oolongs are not true oolongs. In the Japanese method, leaves are exposed to nitrogen after plucking and before steaming. The presence of nitrogen during this phase increases the concentration of the GABA amino acid. This appears to be the case for oolong and back tea; tea leaves are exposed to nitrogen during the oxidation phase. Consuming this amino acid has been linked to reduced anxiety and stress as well as improvement in mental function.

I'll talk more about the GABA effect at the end of my tasing notes.

Espirita Tea Diamond GABA Oolong

I'm not a "diamond are a girl's best friend" person but I like ruby oolong so I was curious about another gem-named tea. tea made me choose it as the first of six teas to drink. The dry leaves are ball rolled and when infused reveal a medium pluck. I'd peg this oolong as an amber oolong. There were no preparation instructions printed on the tea pouch or on the website. I used 4 grams and 200F water for my steeping session. The dry leaves smelled fruity and toasted. These scents plus a sweet note were present in the infused leaves.

The first three infusion were one minute long. The leaf scents carried over to the liquor of the first cup. The second infusion had all the same notes plus thyme! The third infusion was much the same, and this was a good thing, and decidedly smooth.

The fourth infusion was 90 seconds long and yielded a not-as-thick liquor though it was still toasty, sweet, and fruity. The specific sweet profile was vanilla maple and that of the fruit was baked fruit. The fifth infusion was my last. It was two minutes in length and yielded a weaker cup of tea but one with a dry, herbal sweetness.

According to the Espirita Tea website, there are 150 mg of GABA in each cup of tea. Over the course of my session, I probably hit this mark. Did I get the GABA effect? I'm not sure. I am always in a better mood after drinking tea. I'll have to drink more cups of this GABA oolong to find out if there's something more to it than a typical tea. I can say that I enjoyed how it tasted.

This GABA tea was provided by Espirita Tea Company.

Tillerman Tea Lishan Gaoshan Oolong

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog.

It's back to back Lishan reviews this week! Check out yesterday's review of the Song Yi Tea Lishan Oolong. (I've also reviewed the Song Yi Tea Roast Lishan Oolong.) Today's tea is Tillerman Tea Lishan Goashan Oolong harvested in Winter 2017. I purposefully drank these teas back to back not to formally compare but I enjoyed the Song Yi Lishan so much that I wanted to drink another Lishan.

Like Song Yi Tea, Tillerman Tea also provides detailed sourcing information for its teas. Here's the provenance information for this winter gaoshan:

• Grown in Lishan (this is a given)
• Altitude of 2400 meters
• Qing Xin cultivar
• 15% oxidation and unroasted

TILLERMAN TEA LISHAN GOASHAN OOLONG

The big leaves of this tea were emeralad and forest green with visible stems. The leaves were sweet and floral smelling with scents of grain.

I followed the Western-style parameters provided by Tillerman Tea:

• 8 ounces
• 3-5 grams or 1 teaspoon (I used 4 grams)
• 212F
• 60s

I steeped the leaves three times for 60s, 90s, and 5 minutes. The steam off the first infusion was immediately creamy and grainy while the liquor tasted of flowers, sweet vegtables, and grains. The tail note was buttery. The first cup was super floral with a good body. The second infusion was bright yellow in color with strong floral notes. It also had a nice, dry tail note. The final cup was still floral but was accompanied by a pleasant taste of plant stems.

THE TAKEAWAY

You might be able to tell that I lost track of time between the second and third infusion. Regardless, that long third steep produced a good cup of tea. This Tillerman Lishan is very good. Right now I am drinking a cold-steeped session of this tea. It is full and floral. You can't go wrong preparing this Lishan Goashan Oolong hot or cold. However, the chilled version has a longer aftertaste.

Song Yi Tea Lishan Oolong

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog.

My previous reviews of teas from Song Yi Tea are Sun Moon Lake Black Tea and Roast Lishan Oolong. I did not include detailed provenance information. One of the aspects of Song Yi I appreciate is the detailed origin and production information it provides for each tea. Here's the 411 for today's tea, the Lishan Oolong.

• Grown in Lishan Village, hence the name
• Gravelly soil type
• Altitude of 2300 meters
• Qingxin cultivar
• 30% oxidation and lightly roasted. 

These characteristics all add up to a green oolong, perfect for spring drinking.

SONG YI TEA LISHAN OOLONG

The dry leaves were rolled big and tight. The tea was forest and emerald green in color. The dry leaves smelled of cream and toasted grains. I followed the recommended steeping parameters of 1g / 15ml in 100C water for 40s/20/30/40/55. I used 3g in 50ml.

The infused leaves smelled fresh and green with creamy and grain notes. The steam was also slightly floral. The pale yellow liquor did not have a scent. The liquor was creamy and floral and full of grain flavor. The floral note was not overwhelming but it did remind me of the fragrance of this year's orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden. When the first cup reached room temperature it showed a lush texture and lots of floral flavors.

The second infusion yielded a much more robust cup flavor-wise. The liquor was drier but more floral. The grain notes were still there overlaid with a juicy fruit flavor in the back of my mouth. The liquor lightened by the fourth infusion but even at the fifth steep, the tea still had the original flavors of dry cereal, spring green, and flowers.

The Takeaway

This oolong was very enjoyable steeped at a high temperature. I would strongly recommend a cold steep, too. The lush, floral experience of the second infusion when the liquor dropped to room temperature was fantastic.

The oolong tea review here was provided by Song Yi Tea.

Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Teas - 2017 Summer Himalayan Shiiba

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog. Today's post is second of two reviews of  Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Teas. The first review was of the 2017 Himalayan Orange Autumn Flush. Read on for notes on the 2017 Summer Himalayan Shiiba.

I'd like to start this review by again thanking fellow tea blogger, Tristan Jordan of Tea With Tristan, who kindly arranged for me to sample the 2017 Autumn Himalayan Orange and the 2017 Summer Himalayan Shiiba both grown on the Jun Chiyabari garden in Nepal and sourced by Kora Tea and Crafts.

2017 Summer Himalayan Shiiba 

The origins of this tea are Japanese. The Himalayan Shiiba tea is made from Camellia sinensis trees imported from the moutain village of Shiiba located in the Miyazaki Prefecture of Japan. The dry leaves are variable in size, lightly twisted, varying along the brown color spectrum with charcoal and khaki green leaves as well as silver buds present. The leaves were very dry to touch.

As with the Orange, I prepared the Shiiba in several ways:

• Professional cup: 2.5 grams / 4 ounces / 200F / 3 minutes
• Large ceramic teapot as recommended by Jun Chiyabari: 3 grams / 200 ml / 175F+ / 2 minutes, 1m, 2 m
• Small kyusu: 4 grams / 70 ml / 200F / 20s; (dropped temp. to 190F) 40s; (transferred leaves to a 150ml clay pot) 20s, 30s 

Professional Cup

Steeping the leaves in a professional cup for three minutes yielded a golden liquor tasting green, sweet, and slightly bitter akin to biting into a stone fruit's pit. The tea was thick and layered with honey, fruit, and lingering spice. The second infusion of four minutes was full of deliciously unripe, fruit flavor.

Ceramic Teapot

I infused fresh leaves three times in a ceramic teapot. The first cup was the best of three. The tea was very sweet and floral with a grape must texture. The second cup was enjoyable. It was also sweet but with notes of green. The tea's texture was luscious once it cooled. The third infusion had a dry texture with a significant loss of flavor.

Kyusu (then larger clay teapot)

The dry leaves smelled like a semisweet brownie studded with dried fruits. Shaken in a warm kyusu, the leaves released a muscatel, fruit fuzz, pie scent. The first infusion tasted like a Taiwanese green oolong but with the green notes on the front and the floral and fruit notes on the tail. Even at this early stage, I realized that there was too much leaf in the pot. The Himalayan Shiiba is more voluminous than the Himalayan Orange. The next infusion yielded a bitter liquor which confirmed that the leaf to water ratio was out of proportion. I transferred the leaves to a much larger clay teapot and started with a short infusion. The tea was light in body, slightly fruity, and pale amber in color. There was a paper/linen tail note on the cooled liquid. The next infusion was disappointing.

The Takeaway

Unlike my experience with the Himalayan Orange, the kyusu was not the most successful mode of preparation. That honor goes to the professional cupping set. The Himalayan Shiiba is an excellent tea so do not take my failures in preparation as an indication of the quality of this tea. I am lucky to have enough of this to continue experimenting with gram to ml ratio, water temperature, and teaware.

Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Teas - 2017 Himalayan Orange Autumn Flush

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog. If you think that tea coming out of Nepal is only CTC-processsed, think again. "Nestled in the heart of the Himalayas," Nepal is producing quality orthodox, loose leaf teas. I have been fortunate to drink two teas from the Jun Chiyabari Tea Garden sourced by Kora Tea and Crafts. Today's post is a review of the 2017 Himalayan Orange Autumn Flush.

Fellow tea blogger, Tristan Jordan of Tea With Tristan, generously arranged for me to sample the 2017 Autumn Himalayan Orange and the 2017 Summer Himalayan Shiiba both grown on the Jun Chiyabari garden in Nepal and sourced by Kora Tea and Crafts. The stories of Jun Chiyabari and Kora Tea and Crafts are impressive so it's worth briefly sharing them here. Jun Chiyabari was incorporated in 2000 after the reminiscing by two brothers, Lochan and Bachan Gyawali, about their school days in Darjeeling. The brothers purchased 75 hectares in Hile, and the garden officially opened in 2001. The company's first tea was processed by hand using a modified pizza oven which was designed by Lochan and Bachan! The company currently uses Taiwanese tea manufacturing machines. Kora Tea and Crafts was launched in Nepal in 2017. The owner, Aaron Basskin, is pursuing his Master's Degree in Translation and Textual Interpretation of Buddhist Texts. His tea pursuits are funding (and perhaps fueling) his studies. The fit between Buddhist philosophy and tea seems a good one.

2017 HIMALAYAN ORANGE AUTUMN FLUSH

The dry leaves of the Himalayan Orange were small, black or brown in color, with silver buds. The infused leaves were coppery and smelled like green stems and brown sugar.

I steeped this tea in three different vessels:

• Professional cup: 2.5 grams / 4 ounces / 200F / 3 minutes
• Large ceramic teapot as recommended by Jun Chiyabari: 3 grams / 200 ml / 175F+ / 2 minutes, 1m, 2 m 
• Small kyusu: 4 grams / 70 ml / 200F / 30s, 40s; (dropped temp. to 190F) 60s, 1minute 20s, 1m 40s (190F), 2m, 3m, 5m

Professional Cup

Steeped in a professional cup for three minutes, the liquor was dark amber. It also had dark flavors, of wood, dry cocoa, and dark fruit. There was a slight, pleasant bitterness. It was medium-bodied with a lingering, warming spice note, and a drying effect. The second infusion of four minutes yielded a dark chocolate profile underlain by wood smoke on the tongue. The tea did not linger in my cheeks.

Ceramic Teapot

Imagine being surrounded by ripe tropical fruit. That was the taste and scent of the liquor from the first steep. Curiously, the tea was pale and light bodied. I increased the water temperature for the second infusion as recommended. The result was a much darker liquor with a more noticeable body. The tea was still incredibly fruity -- lychee, maybe guava. It also had toasty and sweet wood notes. As the liquor cooled there was pleasant bitterness that clung to my upper palate. The third infusion dropped in body. There was background fruit and sweetness, but the liquor was now dry not lush. It tasted like I was drinking peach-infused rocks.

As the leaves steeped, the air above the teapot was scented with notes reminiscent of Oriental Beauty. The liquor was golden amber.

Kyusu

I own a 70ml kyusu - I adore this small pot. It is pretty to look at with a creamy and crackled finish. Also, its size is perfect for small amounts of tea. Sometimes I find that using large amounts of tea in an appropriately sized larger teapot doesn't showcase the flavors of a tea.

Preparing this tea, especially the first infusion, was like stepping into a greenhouse of flowers (versus wandering through a meadow). I could not identify the specific flowers but it was a pleasant experience. The amber liquor and its steam were floral and fruity. The tea tasted tart on the tongue. It was medium-bodied with the texture of fine fruit-skin hairs. As the liquor cooled, the tea acquired creamy mouthfeel. The second infusion was drily sweet and thick. The liquor almost laid on the tongue. Although the infusions were very good, they were at a slightly uncomfortable drinking temperature. For the remaining seven steeps, I used a lower temperature of 190F.

"Loving this tea," is what I noted after the first sip of the third infusion. Dry, tart fruit paired with lush tropical fruit, especially when I aerated the tea in my mouth, were the forward flavors. On the nose as well as on the mid-tongue and palate were floral and brown sugar notes. There were chocolate and spice notes in the same places. The liquor was chewy and astringent.

The fourth and fifth infusions were spicy. The fourth was dry, astringent, and medium bodied. It was hairy and slightly chewy. I detected dried prunes, cherries, and charred vegetable skin. The fifth infusion tasted of char, wood, and bitter walnut skin. Cocoa and wood were the dominant flavors in the last three infusions. The final steep for me was the seventh but the leaves smelled like they could have yielded another cup or two.

My Favorite Preparation

From the quantity of words I have written for each preparation you might guess that steeping the Himalayan Orange in a kyusu was my favorite way to drink this tea. Each method produced good cups of tea but the particular combination of weight, volume, and steep time extracted the maximum aroma and flavor this tea had to offer.

Global Tea Hut October 2017 Elevation Red Tea

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog.

I've been a fan of Global Tea Hut from a distance. From the blogs and social media accounts of other tea folks, I know of their in-depth articles about tea culture. These same sources rave about their teas. I did not hesitate to accept a a monthly box which included the October 2017 magazine issue, a tin of Elevation, a 2017 Old-Growth Sun Moon Lake black tea, and a clay tea pot scrub. Do you subscribe to Global Tea Hut?

I am keeping the October 2017 issue of the magazine! It's an excellent resource for a student of tea. Forty-five pages of the 62-page issue is devoted to sidehandle teapot history and ceremony. The feature follows the evolution in form and function of the sidehandle pot then provides a deep discussion of the sidehandle bowl tea ceremony including step-by-step instructions with clear photographs. The final section of the feature profiles two renowned artisans of the sidehandle pot -- Petr Novak and Luo Shi.

Now for the tea. I had many sessions with this tea, including "leaves in a bowl", and all the cups were delicious. I'm sharing details of my four-gram session here. I used 200F and poured to just cover the very long, dark leaves. The first infusion was very flavorful. The thick copper-colored liquor was has many notes: wood, leather, sweet. The second infusion was thicker. It tasted of sandalwood, leather, camphor, and a sweet spice. The third infusion had similar profile to the previous cup with the addition of a creamy texture. I noted that the was unmistakably a black tea at the fourth infusion. It was less complex than previous cups but it tasted like an accessible daily black tea. There was a slight bitterness in my rear cheeks. The fifth infusion (the third three-minute infusion) was tighter and drier. The flavors of wood, camphor, and spice were still present but the lush and creamy texture was no longer detectable. The sixth infusion was sweet and fruity this time. The liquor had a high, bright note. The final infusion was a 10-minute steep yielding a light-bodied liquor with a nutty sweetness. I transferred the leaves to a jar which I topped with room temperature water and refrigerated. Even after all of the many hot infusions, there was still flavor in the leaves.

This delicious red tea is perfect on its own, but if you like to eat a snack with your tea, I have two pairing recommendations for you. Peanut butter and jam on a thin brown rice cracker. A handful of roasted, unsalted almonds. If you try one or both, let me know what you think in the comments.

Magazine and tea provided by Global Tea Hut.

Teas Unique Jeju Island 1st Flush Black Tea

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog.

My favorite book of 2017 is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It's an exquisite biography of generations of a Korean family. I read the novel at the end of last year. I am halfway through White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Brandt, a novel also set in Korea about the separation of two sisters during the Japanese occupation of Korean during the mid-1940s. In between these two books, I drank Teas Unique Jeju Island 1st Flush Black Tea.

Teas Unique provides an impressive amount of detail about their teas on the tea packets. Here's what I know about the 1st Flush Black Tea. It is organic single estate, machine harvested, wilted / tossed / rolled / oxidized / red. The estate is on Mt. Halla in the Pyoseon District of Seogwipo City on Jeju Island. The harvest was around May 15, 2017 of first flush Camellia sinensis 'Fuushun' and 'Yabukita'. Do you know this much about every tea you drink?

I prepared the tea following the recommended 1 teaspoon for 2 minutes in 6 ounces of 195F water. The short, dark slightly twisted dry leaves smelled like dried cherries and wood. The first infusion was light amber colored and also had a light body and flavor. The second infusion, at 3m, was still light bodied but I could taste sweet and starchy notes. I wasn't expecting such a light profile from a black tea so I used more tea (1 tablespoon) in a second session. While the tea was still sweet and light-bodied, the starchy flavor was more pronounced. My notes indicate that I thought the starchy flavor was like eating cold roasted breadfruit or smelling starched linens. For my third session with the tea I used 5 grams in 200F water in a gaiwan. The first cup was immediately thicker and more flavorful. There were herb and cocoa notes. The third cup was "so drinkable" I forgot to take notes, but I do recall that it was thick and smooth. The fourth (and final) cup was slightly thinner but the herb note still dominated followed by a floral tail note.

I recommend more leaf and gaiwan preparation for this black tea. Don't expect this black tea to be like a hong cha. It is less and differently oxidized than the typical hong cha. It's properly classified as a balhyocha (noted on the tea pouch). MattCha's blog has a three-part series on Korean balhyocha.

Jeju Island 1st Flush Black Tea provided by Teas Unique.

Song Yi Sun Moon Lake Black Tea

In medieval times I might have been a scribe. I always carry a notebook and keep a separate tea notepad in my kitchen. Many of my tasting notes become the tea reviews you read on the blog.

Did you know that Oriental Beauty is not the only tea made from bug-bitten tea leaves? I didn't either until I was introduced to  Song Yi Sun Moon Lake Black Tea, a bug-bitten tea. World of Tea has a good article about the chemistry of bug-bitten teas.

Sun Moon Lake Black Tea does not look like Oriental Beauty. The black tea doesn't have the variegated coloring of the oolong. The long, dry leaves are uniformly dark and thick.

There are similarities in terms of aromatic and flavor characteristics, though. The fragrance of the Sun Moon Lake Black Tea leaves made me want to drink a lot of this tea. Sweet, baked, honey, woodsy. The infused leaves smelled strikingly similar to the dry tea. I had a few sessions with this tea and the experiences were fairly consistent. The middle cups in each session were deep and darkly sweet, woodsy, roasted, and fruity. The roasted note was smooth. In the first session, I noted that this tea "drinks like a hong cha with fruit" and in the second session, I noticed that the final cup had acquired the briskness you would find in an Indian black tea.

I used a small volume side-handled pot to prepare this tea. My ratio was 3 grams to 70 ml. Song Yi provides steeping times on its website.

Sun Moon Lake is known for its Ruby 18 black teas, which I like. Song Yi Sun Moon Lake Black does not have a Ruby 18 profile, and that's a good thing. I did not detect any overt cinnamon or wintergreen notes. Its sweet, fruity, woodsy notes are the cup of tea I wanted.

Song Yi Tea provided Sun Moon Lake Black Tea for review.