Light charcoal roasted da yu ling from Ethan Kurland, 2020

Vendor:

The DYL is from Spring 2020. I don't know the mile or the very exact altitude of the farm. If it were being graded, it is not the very best. If going by what I like, this the DYL that I prefer, which luckily is far from the most expensive

Review:

This is a green oolong, not hong shui!

In porcelain, 5 g / 85 mL

Rinse / 45s/40s/55s/ 1min25s/ 3min/ 5min/10 min / steeped out many times

The leaves say it all! Thick, glossy full leaves that can steep out all day. Some even appear bug bitten! A sweet aftertaste that lingers on and on! The leaves themselves taste so good in the end: nutty and sweet! Am i crazy to eat them?

In kobiwako, 5 g/110 mL (since larger leaves, needs less leaf more time! This clay can retain temperature well so this works)

Rinse/1min20s/1min15s/1min30s/2min30s/5min/10min

The tantalizing bouquet of aromas is now gone! Where did it go?? One whiff of the clay lid and the clay body reveals the truth: the clay sucked up all the aroma! Wow! The clay lid smells delicious...almost want to take a bite, and the cookie like texture of the clay strengthens this bizarre desire..

But something else happened. There is now a distinct umami and oily texture in the brew. The taste is now deep and more full. In later infusions, some of the aroma actually return, but transformed: more fruity than floral.

What is better here then, porcelain or kobiwako clay? This time, it seems almost a shame to lose the exquisite aromas, so labor intensively cultivated in the oxygen poor heights of the taiwanese alpine - sacrificing them to the evil thirsty clay whose origins is the murky bottoms of lake biwa, or so we are told by master Hojo... but the rebounded taste is so much better!

In the end i simply take the cup in one hand and, and clay lid in the other, sniffing the clay and drinking the tea at the same time! My wife watches, puzzled.

Comments

Glenburn king single estate first flush 2019 from vahdam

Leaves are small and bud like. There are many broken leaves as well and leaves with holes indicating insect bite. This could explain some of the Muscatel. 1.8 teaspoon 350 mL water 90 C water Steep 1: 4 min Steep 2: 8 min Steep 3: indefinite time Light, flowery, herbal Some muscatel in nose Muscatel, herb, flowery hops, light wood notes in taste Lingering herbal, fresh hop and cooling mint I am told mint is often a sign of Assamica tea but these are supposed to be chinary.

2020 Competition Grade Jin Jun Mei Black Tea from Yunnan Sourcing

From vendor: Late March Harvest Tong Mu Guan Village (Fujian) Review: Strong yeast and honey suckle aroma from dry leaf. Lots of orange yellow powder from the small, tight buds. A small holed filter is necessary. Brew parameter: 4 g / 100 mL 90 C in porcelain Rinse / 10s / 10s / 15s / 35s / 1 min / 2 min / 5 min Strong honey and milk chocolate notes. Smooth and thick with stone fruit (peach) aromas and sweet yam flavors. Some vegetal notes develop in later steepings. Early steepings are quick and strong but drops off after 3rd steeping. Strangely, a pu-erh like wet pile funk is faintly present. This is not particularly pleasant. Western brewing is also acceptable at 1 g /100 mL for 3:30. However, the chocolate notes are much more mild when brewed in this way.

Brewing Taiwanese oolong

Bao Zhong: After some experimentation, I found it works best in this way: ~7.3-7.5 g/125 mL. Basically a little less than yancha. Boiling hot water No rinse 30s /35s/45s/1 min etc Keeping it at 6.5 g but longer time makes the later steeps less balanced for me. Going higher to yancha ratios overwhelms me with qi. Oriental Beauty This tea can behave like hong cha and white tea hybrid with some oolong notes. for natural clean stuff - 4.5-5.5g / 100 ml - start at 15s and slowly go up increasing by 5-10s. Allow the cup to cool each time- treating it evenly And gently but also with strength (boiling water) like a fine lady results on full appreciation of aromatic journey For green gao shan Ive learned it depends a lot on the nature of the leaves and the brewing vessel. When using thin porcelain, 6 grams/100 mL, doing Rinse/45s/35s/45s is a good starting point When using a thicker vessel like kobiwako clay, a similar ratio can be appropriate, but maybe a slightly faster first infus...

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