Sae Midori Sencha (fukamushi) Spring 2020 from o-cha

From vendor:

Growing Region
Kagoshima Prefecture
Year
2020
Harvest
First and/or Shincha
Breed
Sae Midori
Shading
Full Sun
Steaming
Deep

_______________

I brewed the tea in the following way:

5-6 grams 250 mL 70-80C

45 sec / flash steep / 15 s / 1 min / 3 min

More optimal parameters for solid 3 steeps:

6.5 grams / 200 mL, 70 -75 mL

45 sec / 20 sec / 2:20

This is a relatively mild and sweet tea and appears to be a bit more lightly steamed for a fukamushi, because many of the leaves appear quite long. The vendor recommends a 79C temperature.

The first steep is quite mild and sweet with light asparagus notes. This is the only steep with stronger umami character.

The second steep is very green and thick, as expected, with heavier grassiness and vegetal sweetness. There is some dried citrus peel aftertaste with this steep.

Third and fourth steeps are very light and grassy. Fifth steep is very light.

If using the optimized method, the third steep is more robust.

A more aggressive leaf to water ratio brings out stronger citrus notes.

Comments

Longfengxia High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea, Day 5, Lot 948, 2020 taiwan tea craft

From vendor: PICKING DATE May 2020 OXYDATION LEVEL Low BAKING LEVEL None TERROIR Shanlinxi ADMINISTRATIVE REGION Nantou County PICKING STYLE Hand Picked CULTIVAR(S) USED Qing Xin GARDEN ELEVATION 1750 m Review: Dry lead is intensely flowery with prominent yellow stems Brewed 5 to 7 grams/100 mL boiling water in kobiwako. Lower leaf is okay due to intensity of flavor but higher leaf has stronger sweetness in later steeps. For 5 g: Rinse / 55 s / 45 s / 55 s / 1:10 / 1:30 /2:30 Brewed leaves have strong pastry and tropical fruit Steeps 1-2: Taste of green mango, citrus, and baked pineapple pastry. Clean minerality and medium to thick mouthfeel. There is strong perfume of oily flowers, mainly rose and some lavender. At higher leaf to water (7 g per 100 mL) there is some slight green astringency. Steep 3-5: fruit notes are much more mild but still present and long lasting. Much more buttery. There is slight green brandy like astringency. At higher leaf to water ratio, frui...

Hojo's da xue shan 2019 mao cha (wild tea)

Opening the bag, I was greeted with a thick fruity aroma like grape juice and ripe melons! Brewed 3.5 grams in my 110 mL late 70s hqsn. Flash brewing of course. Wow is this green tea or sheng? Very juicy fruity flavors like white grape juice and some honey. Is this really young sheng? Where is the bitterness??? Where? Can't find it in this tea. There is the slightest throat prickle of astringency...or was that from drinking the tea while it was too hot? Felt very energized after drinking - 3.5g is more than enough! Could actually drink this on a daily basis! Update : after a few sessions, it is clear the tea "changes" quickly once exposed to air, shedding its fresh fruity aromas and gaining more oolong like characteristics. 3.5 g per session quickly becomes too flat - and I find myself progressively using more leaf. On the plus side, the tea gains body and properties that remind me of good gaoshan. The aftertaste is exceptionally robust and comes back in strong waves. V...

Dayuling High Mountain Spring Oolong Tea, Lot 933, 88k, from ttc

From vendor: This Spring 2020’s selection is from the highest section fo the garden picked on the second day of production, just before the plum rains settled in the mountains. This spring 2020 selection is produced from leaves originating from a garden from the 88K section of the Dayuling range which is one of the only small remaining section of tea gardens outside the Lishan Village limits that can still be labelled as Dayuling. PICKING DATE May 2020 OXYDATION LEVEL Low BAKING LEVEL None TERROIR Dayuling ADMINISTRATIVE REGION Hualien County PICKING STYLE Hand Picked CULTIVAR(S) USED Qing Xin GARDEN ELEVATION 2100 m Review: Large dry leaf balls with medium scent of tropical fruits. Steeped in 110 mL kobiwako with off boiling water: Rinse/35s/25s/35s/40s/45s/50s/55s/60s/1min 10s/1 min 30s/2 min /2 min 30 s / 5 min / 10 min / all day in 500 mL mug Early steeps: exceptionally buttery and thick (almost oily with second steep). Tropical fruit is present but takes backseat...

Tea

Search This Blog