#TodaysTea, #今天的茶 – Spring 2020; var. 凤九 Féng Jiǔ (Phoenix No. 9); Lincang, #Fengqing, #Yunnan; bud and 1-2 leaves; sun baked, hand processed; 1600-1900m
Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 40-50sec.@95-100deg. C;
Dry leaf aroma: fruit candies, apricot, pear, peach; Wet leaf aroma: fruity, spicy, cinnamon, cooked apple, spiced pear; Liquor: bright golden, brassy colour, with faint, subtle spiced pear aroma; Mouthfeel/Taste: tingling, minty fresh, mouth coating, syrupy, creamy, sweet finish; Flavour: almost neutral, spicy (sweet spices) and mellow flavour, with mildly malty and sweet finish;
Opinion: This Tea is very present, with a noticeable, but pleasant, forward palate, spicy freshness, and minerality. The dry leaves are a beautiful golden, and upwards of six cm long.
Today’s Tea – Spring, 2020; var. Assamica; Lincang, Fengqing, Yunnan; buds only, sun baked, hand processed; 1600-1900m.
Infusion: 6g in 250ml for 30-50sec.@95-100deg. C Dry leaf aroma: apricots, pale malt, sweet butter cookies; Wet leaf aroma: sharp, with a malty undertone; Liquor: deep red colour, with slightly malty, sweet, “black tea” scent; Mouthfeel: watery, slightly viscous, mild astringency, with a vaguely sweet finish; Taste: woody, peppery gingerness, vague retronasal hints of malt, orchid-like mildly bitter aftertaste.
Opinion: Tea Sample. A vastly different taste in the cup compared with the previous two teas. The little metal device is a Spout strainer and also causes the tea to pour in a Vortex spiral.
Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 1-2min.@95-100deg. C Dry leaf aroma: malty, tropical fruits, passionfruit, dried mango; Wet leaf aroma: cocoa, chocolate, malted milk; Liquor: deep orange/red colour with a nutty, shortbread biscuit aroma; Mouthfeel: moderate viscosity, creamy, mouth-coating, lingering sweetness, mildly stimulating; Taste: mild sweet, pale male extract, pleasant, soft, nutty aftertaste.
Opinion: Another typical, “#TeaGift” Tea that comes with very little information or labeling: which is quite a problem with a lot of Chinese Tea. Sometimes the labeling is so sketchy that the tea itself, as in this case, is completely unidentified. This tea with its small buds, colour, and aroma is relatively recognizable, and tasty.
Dry leaf aroma: citrus, cardamom, cocoa nibs; Wet leaf aroma: dank, earthy, spicy,& a hint of lavender Liquor: golden yellow colour, mildly vegetal and vaguely malty aroma; Mouthfeel: creamy, viscous, prickly throat bite, mildly spicy, with alight sweet finish; Taste: chocolate and cocoa, honey-like semi-sweetness, chrysanthemum stems and marigold petals, woody, dusty like roasted coffee, lingering spicy aftertaste;
Opinion: This Tea is quite rare. The leaves are the same as those used to make #Tianmu Hu White Tea, and they are picked pre-rain in Spring, from around the #Nanshan Bamboo Sea area. The tea is variously described as being either semi or fully fermented. All in all, it is a very pleasant, easy drinking tea.
#TodaysTea – Spring, 2019; var. assamica; Fenqing, Yunnan; leaf and stem, old trees (>100yr) black tea process; 1600-2200m
Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 30sec.@100deg. C;
Dry leaf aroma: apricots, & fruit salad; Wet leaf aroma: sharp, pungent, hints of rhubarb, cinnamon & fresh tangerine; Liquor: deep orange colour, with a mild, cooked vegetable aroma, hints of toffee and candy floss; Mouthfeel: syrupy, thick, mouth coating, freshmint, stimulating, mildly astringent finish; Taste: black tea, sweet lingering, aftertaste, soft citrus finish, and retronasal hints of stone fruits: prunes, peaches, plums;
Opinion: A pleasant and easy to handle black tea that would easily suit, breakfast, morning, or afternoon tea time comfortably: with or without milk, sweeteners, or a slice of citrus.
Many a great Advisor, mentor, executive coach, etc. advise that to learn a new skill, to develop a new pattern, change or develop a new habit, you need to practice that desired skill or change for at least thirty days.
For the last month or so, I have been steadily drinking my way through my collection of teas and so far the count is now 29 different teas, with quite a few still to go. So the question is drinking tea habit forming is as yet unanswered.
I guess my approach to this question is not so much about, is tea addictive, in much the same way that drinking coffee, alcohol, smoking, eating sugar, can be, but more along the lines of doing something, and doing it consistently day after day as a routine.
Those that know me well would say that I’m quite creative, and spontaneous, but whilst I can effectively stick to a routine, it is not where I tend to shine. However, by drinking tea daily, in the manner that I’ve been doing so, taking diligent notes, analysing carefully the tea and how it presents itself in the cup, and then sharing those results through online platforms and social media, I have been not only learning about tea, but also developing skills in online presentation and communication.
Over the time of tasting tea, I have added in addition pieces of information, such as the brewing conditions and some commentary about the experience of drinking the tea. The next step I guess would be to add in some background information and history about each tea but that would be better presented on a website based blog.
So, is Drinking Tea Habit Forming? Yes! Yes it is, IF you do so daily with the same approach, as a meditation, or as a routine, then it can be leveraged to hone existing skills, develop new skills, or reinforce one’s knowledge about an exceptional commodity, and to develop and reinforce a desirable, new, habit.
#TodaysTea – Spring, 2016; var. xiao zhong; Tongmuguan, Chongan, Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian; young leaves; ; 1100-1400m.
Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 1-2min.@95-100deg. C
Dry leaf aroma: mildly smokey, chocolate, malt, cassia bark, dried orange peel; Wet leaf aroma: sharp, acrid, wet burnt coals, wood smoke; Liquor: deep orange colour with faint, vegetal aroma with hints of bitter orange, & dried tangerine peel; Mouthfeel: thin, watery, mildly astringent, mint/pepper freshness in the aftertaste, Taste: mildly nutty and malty-sweet, hints of bitter orange and lavender, with a touch of ginger, and smokey undertones in the finish;
Opinion: This was one of the first tea gifts we received several years ago; and I’ve kind of, sat on it, kept it in storage, Sampling every now and then. I’m not a fan of the heavily scented, Earl Grey, our teas with a similar flavor profile, so LSSC has always been difficult for me. However in recent times I’ve started to appreciate the nuances in this Tea style.
#TodaysTea – Spring, 2018; var. fuding dabai/fuyun no.6; Tongmuguan, #Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian; 1 bud 2 leaves; pine wood smoked; 1200m.
Infusion: 5g in 150ml for 1-2min.@95-100deg. C
Dry leaf aroma: smokey, piney, cassia bark, dry ginger, hint of black cardamom; Wet leaf aroma: pine, camphor, wood fire, resinous, sharp, acrid; Liquor: red coluor with notable cinnamon character, and hints of ginger, and mace: a sweet and spicy aroma; Mouthfeel: thick, syrupy, tingling, soft, lingering spicyness, mouthwatering, late mild bitterness; Taste: sweet, smokey, bitter orange, with retronasal floral notes and long lingering sweet finish; when cool there are strong hints of tangerine;
Opinion: This is a very enjoyable black tea.
I’m finding more and more, that I prefer to brew well oxidized teas for shorter lengths of time, and to let the tea cool in the cup before drinking it, as the heat seems to hide a lot of the tea’s character.
