Thread: Tea anyone ??!!

Originally Posted by PigHog

Ok. First and foremost, please make sure you know how to brew that gyokuro correctly, otherwise it could be an expensive mistake.

Gyokuro is brewed in very small amounts with a very high leafater ratio. Brewing just for myself, I would use half as much water as do for a normal cup of sencha and double the leaf. No more than 3oz of water and about 8g of leaf, I reckon.

Water should be around 60C, maybe less.

Houhin and shiboridashi are made for brewing gyokuro. A small ~100ml kyusu will work a treat.

The gokujou houjicha is nice. I have a packet open at the moment. I have a pack of the genmaicha too but it's not open yet. Perhaps we should compare notes? (I have a packet of the rimpo in the fridge as well (unopened)).

Lastly. If advise you not to open it all at once. The houjicha and genmaicha might last a bit longer because the bancha used will be roasted to one degree or another. Steamed teas like sencha and gyokuro (and matcha) will deteriorate quickly once opened, so you want to be finishing a packet within a month, unless you want to start dividing it out into multiple airtight containers...

Excellent advice. Thank you. I'll take you up on all of it. Perhaps tomorrow I will try one of them. I think I will try the gyokuro first. It was the tea that I was most interested in as I read about it. They provided me with some brewing instructions. I'll compare yours and theirs. I will measure carefully and be sure my water is comfortable and not too hot. I was about to try making some right now but I'm a little too busy at the moment. Back to work.

Actually, the one I wanted to start with is the Gokujo, not the gyokuro. Its not an expensive experiment.

Right now I am enjoying a nice cup of Timothy's "Earl Grey" with local sourced honey....yumm !!


There are lots of recommendations here, maybe we can get them all consolidated into the first or second posts. If not no biggie, just gives me more to read through 8)

Genmaicha or houjicha? Both are labelled as gokujou, I think.

Originally Posted by PigHog

Genmaicha or houjicha? Both are labelled as gokujou, I think.

Hojicha. This is the roasted green bancha. I took a break and gave it a shot. The brewing seemed straight forward and forgiving. Boiling water, 10g and 240ml of water, steep 30 seconds. What a pleasant surprise. The flavor was.....homey. I can see how this is an every day tea. Its straight forward and has a comforting flavor of toasted cereal like toasted rice or corn. Not smoky, toasted. There's a little astringency, more so than the Chinese teas I've been drinking. A hearty, pleasant flavor. It has a rich color but it is not earthy like pu erh. Nice for a low end tea.

Ippodo's brewing instructions are...valid, I guess, but they all make so much. Use a generous tablespoon per 4-6 oz of water anywhere between 80C and straight-out-the-kettle. 30 secs / 15 secs / 30 secs

I brought some 2011 Puer Tuo Cha to work today and shared it with my coworkers. They didn't even laugh at my little blue tea pot!

Overall the taste was considered good to excellent but most of us thought that the aroma reminded us of an old minnow bucket.

This was just a sample of two small nests given to me at the store and I have a couple of other similar teas but if the smell of dead minnows is a constant I will have to pass on this style, no matter what the taste.

Originally Posted by 32t

I brought some 2011 Puer Tuo Cha to work today and shared it with my coworkers. They didn't even laugh at my little blue tea pot!

Overall the taste was considered good to excellent but most of us thought that the aroma reminded us of an old minnow bucket.

This was just a sample of two small nests given to me at the store and I have a couple of other similar teas but if the smell of dead minnows is a constant I will have to pass on this style, no matter what the taste.

Pu erh is definitely not for everyone. And its said that if the tea in question is not up to par it may be "fishy". If this is your first go around with it, I'd steer clear until you get a good recommendation on one. Even a good one might turn you off.

Originally Posted by 32t

reminded us of an old minnow bucket

I think in one of my posts over a year ago, Puer tea is natures finest...

Leather, Earth, Fish Water... Musty and Complex while being simple... All of the GOOD of nature... Almost like tobacco

This morning's matcha sayaka no mukashi (excuse the crap all over the table!):