Tasting of China Green, Dragon Well, Meijawu FF
alan l
First Flush,Private Reserve,(G-DW-PR1) - (Longjing
or Lung Ching).This classic green tea famous since
the eighth century is grown in the hills just west
of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. Dragon Well
is one of the famous tribute teas and is still carefully
picked and processed completely by hand.
Vendor - Silk Road Teas (415-488-9017 and 415-488-9015 Fax).
(Dragon Well purchased from Silk Road.)
Dry leaf - As soon as I opened the new package there was
a rush of fresh green fragrance. Beautiful,
olive and yellow-green, handmade, double
diamond-shaped, flat leaf.
Wet leaf - Beautiful, serrated, perfect, olive green, full
leaf. High grade leaf with a haunting, delicate
vegetal aroma.
Water - Crystal Geyser natural alpine water bottled at
the source, California, Sierra Nevada Mts.
Steeping Method - 2 guywans (one for steeping, pour liquor
into second) , chop with lid during steep
to provide mixing, lid never completely
closed. Hot water never poured directly
on leaf, but on interior side of pre-
heated guywan.
Sample 1 - 175 F (79.4 C), 3.00 g / 6 oz of water.
Steep 1, of sample 1 - 2.00 min.
Color - Beautiful, sparkling, yellow-green, clear.
Aroma - Delicate, sweet-floral, with hints of chestnut.
Taste - Complex, multi-layers of delicate, sweet-floral,
with hints of delicate chestnut. Beautifully
balanced.Flavors not competing but wonderfully
layered into a coherent whole. Lingering,
chestnut-labial which increases in intensity
as the tea cools. A superb green, and an
incomparable Dragon Well.
Steep 2, of sample 1 - 2.50 min,
Color - Beautiful, sparkling, yellow-green, clear.
Aroma - Delicate, sweet-floral, over hints of
chestnut.
Taste - Complex deep-lying layers of sweet-floral,
with hints of chestnut. Long-lingering
nuances of chestnut-labial in the finish
that increase as the tea cools. A superb
green,and as good as it gets in a Dragon
Well: no competing, penetrating
roasted/toasted flavors as in some Dragon
Wells, but cooperating sweet-floral and
chestnut flavors that meld together into
a single flavor experience.
Steep 3 - 3.00 min.
Color - Yellow-green, slightly cloudy.
Aroma - Delicate, sweet-floral, now with
a definite chestnut presence.
Taste - Delicate sweet-floral, a more enhanced
chestnut. Layers of chestnut in the
lingering labial-finish.
.
Sample 2 - 175 F (79.4 C), 3.00 g/ 6 oz of water.
In this second series I have changed from
Crystal Geyser to Fuji water which has
a more neutral pH of 7.5 versus the pH of
Crystal Geyser of 8.04. The two waters have
relatively the same TDS, but of quite different
mineral content. I have noted previously that,
"Comparing the two waters,the Fuji Artesian
Water enables a better differentiation of
subtle aromas and flavors compared to the
Crystal Geyser Water."
Steep 1, of sample 2 - 2.00 min,
Color - Sparkling yellow-green, clear.
Aroma - Delicate floral-sweet with nuances of
chestnut.
Taste - Complex, delicate, light-sweet floral, with
nuances of chestnut. Lingering, chestnut-labials
as the tea cools. A perfect non-competitive,
blending of tastes. A superb green as well as
an incomparable Dragon Well.
Steep 2 of sample 2 - 2.25 min.
Color - Pale yellow-green with a tinge of amber,
clear.
Aroma - Complex, delicate sweet-floral with
chestnut overtones.
Taste - Complex, delicate, light floral-sweet,
with perfectly-blended chestnut.
Lingering chestnut-labials as the tea cools.
Another superb cup.
Steep 3 - 2.50 min.
Color - Pale yellow-amber, slightly cloudy.
Aroma - Delicate sweet-floral.
Taste - Delicate, light, sweet-floral with nuances
of chestnut. A lingering chestnut-labial in
the finish.
Conclusions:
Holly H-B has commented on this tea, "The tea I opened today is
not that heavily "toasty" kind. It strikes a nice balance for me
between nutty and floral. The cup is chestnut/buttery with a
floral aftertaste and slight "hummingbird feather green pungency"
in the finish that gives the cup that balance I really love in
a Dragon Well."
My conclusions are:
1. At 175 F (79.4 C), 3.00 g / 6 oz of water, 2.50 min.,the
aroma is a delicate, sweet-floral, over hints of chestnut.
The taste is complex deep-lying layers of sweet-floral,
with hints of chestnut. Long-lingering nuances of
chestnut-labial in the finish that increases as the
tea cools. A superb green,and as good as it gets in
a Dragon Well: no competing, penetrating roasted/toasted
tastes as in some Dragon Wells, but cooperating
sweet-floral and chestnut flavors that meld together
into a single flavor-experience.
2. With the Fuji water, rather than the Crystal Geyser, at
175 F (79,4 C), 3.00 g/6 oz. of water, 2.00 min., the
aroma is a delicate floral-sweet with nuances of
chestnut. The taste is a complex, delicate, light-sweet
floral, with nuances of chestnut. The finish is
lingering, chestnut-labials as the tea cools. A perfect
non-competitive, blending of tastes. A superb green as
well as an incomparable Dragon Well.
3. Comparing the two waters, the Fuji water allows a shorter
steeping time to experience the full quality of the tea.
Also I would conclude that the aromas and tastes are
sharper with the Fuji water.
Alan M. Liebschutz
Neal W. Williams
straying into the realm of the very absurd now in our descriptions of
tea. Unless the author in question has plucked the green feathers
from some hapless hummingbird and ingested them to experience their
flavor, I find that description nothing short of silly.
Lung Ching teas can be a lot of fun, if one enjoys the challenge of
finding a really good one at a decent price. One of the best ones
I've found so far this season I purchased from www.funalliance.com ...
namely Kam Leung's Qing Ming Dragon Well, offered for sale on his
website. I have purchased no fewer than two packets of said tea,
after giving away portions of the first packet to friends. The second
packet I've found to be even more enjoyable than the first; this tea
has a more subdued toastiness and mellower, creamier flavors, with
hints of caramel and fruit. The first packet of tea had a more overt
toastiness with a rather bold fruitiness, akin to the flavor of ripe
dark cherries. Both the toastiness and the fruitiness had a tendency
to become rather harsh if the tea were infused even a bit too long.
Neither packet had any English words at all; therefore I cannot
comment on their exact origin. I suspect the two packets to be from
different lots of tea and/or from a different producer; although I
placed the tea from the first packet into a storage canister upon
receiving it, discarding the enclosing mylar packet, I do recall that
the second mylar packet was totally different in appearance from the
first one. I will say that I have enjoyed both packets more than I
have enjoyed the Qing Ming Lung Ching I purchased from Gray & Seddon
(now sold out, according to the notice on their website) in May. The
Gray & Seddon offering has a much bolder 'green tea' flavor, without
the gentler, creamier flavors of the Lung Ching teas purchased from
Fun Alliance.
NWW
aml...@covad.net (alan l) wrote in message news:<e793bfa.02062...@posting.google.com>...
Lewis Perin
> "Hummingbird feather green pungency"?! I think some of us are
> straying into the realm of the very absurd now in our descriptions of
> tea. Unless the author in question has plucked the green feathers
> from some hapless hummingbird and ingested them to experience their
> flavor, I find that description nothing short of silly.
Well, I don't. I think "green pungency" is pretty literal to anyone
with much experience with green teas. "Hummingbird feather" is a
metaphor for weightlessness, and weightlessness in turn stands for
subtlety. That wasn't too hard, was it?
There's more than one way to evoke the experience of a tea in words,
and I don't know of anyone more consistently successful at it than Holly.
/Lew
---
Lew Perin / pe...@acm.org
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
Neal W. Williams
very bad prose when they read it. And constant doses of bad prose
don't speak well of any author's abilities. I for one will not
worship at an altar of bad prose, no matter who builds it.
NWW
Lewis Perin <pe...@panix.com> wrote in message news:<pc7fzz3...@panix3.panix.com>...
Michael Plant
12:57dr...@hotmail.com
> What is apparently "too hard" for some people here is to recognize
> very bad prose when they read it. And constant doses of bad prose
> don't speak well of any author's abilities. I for one will not
> worship at an altar of bad prose, no matter who builds it.
>
> NWW
With whatever respect is here due, "worship at an alter of bad prose" is not
good prose -- some might say. I try purposely to be slow at recognizing
"very bad prose." Even the cleverest among us might on occasion miss the
twist that makes the prose work. That's why I try to keep my mind open; not
so open, however, that my brains fall out.
Anyway, my SpecialTeas Bai Hou just arrived, so I have better things to do
right now than prose, which I have perhaps been doing too much of lately.
Lewis Perin
>
> Lewis Perin <pe...@panix.com> wrote in message news:<pc7fzz3...@panix3.panix.com>...
> > dra...@hotmail.com (Neal W. Williams) writes:
> >
> > > "Hummingbird feather green pungency"?! I think some of us are
> > > straying into the realm of the very absurd now in our descriptions of
> > > tea. Unless the author in question has plucked the green feathers
> > > from some hapless hummingbird and ingested them to experience their
> > > flavor, I find that description nothing short of silly.
> >
> > Well, I don't. I think "green pungency" is pretty literal to anyone
> > with much experience with green teas. "Hummingbird feather" is a
> > metaphor for weightlessness, and weightlessness in turn stands for
> > subtlety. That wasn't too hard, was it?
> >
> > There's more than one way to evoke the experience of a tea in words,
> > and I don't know of anyone more consistently successful at it than Holly.
> >
> very bad prose when they read it. And constant doses of bad prose
> don't speak well of any author's abilities. I for one will not
> worship at an altar of bad prose, no matter who builds it.
Apparently I misunderstood your original post, thinking that you were
saying the hummingbird trope was meaningless rather than just
overwrought according to your taste. As for bad prose on RFDT, well,
there's so much to choose from, isn't there?
Neal W. Williams
incorrect. ;)
You apparently missed my references to the constant doses of bad prose
that appear on a regular basis in certain postings. There is a real
and solid meaning behind my statement, no matter whether you grasped
it or not.
And I think you would rather need to keep your _skull_ closed to
prevent the falling out of your brains, eh? I have a feeling that the
mind would follow the falling out of the brains.. not the other way
'round.
NWW
Michael Plant <mpl...@pipeline.com> wrote in message news:<B946061C.A5FA%mpl...@pipeline.com>...
Neal W. Williams
prose and does not serve to evoke much of a tangible or sensible
feeling at all. I think the author was really reaching quite a bit
too far. Normally I just roll my eyes or groan when I encounter this
kind of thing, but this time, when another author referenced the
phrase in his own posting, I had had enough and could not refrain from
commenting.
NWW
Lewis Perin <pe...@panix.com> wrote in message news:<pc7r8in...@panix2.panix.com>...
Michael Plant
17:00dr...@hotmail.com
> Well, "worship at an *alter* of bad prose" is just gramatically
> incorrect. ;)
Hmmm.
Hmmm?
Not to mention spellingly.
> You apparently missed my references to the constant doses of bad prose
> that appear on a regular basis in certain postings.
Actually not.
>There is a real
> and solid meaning behind my statement, no matter whether you grasped
> it or not.
If you do say so yourself.
> And I think you would rather need to keep your _skull_ closed to
> prevent the falling out of your brains, eh? I have a feeling that the
> mind would follow the falling out of the brains.. not the other way
> 'round.
Hey. Good one! No wonder I spilled tea this morning. Got to get that
brain/mind thing squared away.
Michael
Andrew Brandt
dra...@hotmail.com (Neal W. Williams) wrote:
> What is apparently "too hard" for some people here is to recognize
> very bad prose when they read it. And constant doses of bad prose
> don't speak well of any author's abilities. I for one will not
> worship at an altar of bad prose, no matter who builds it.
"I... will not worship at an altar of bad prose, no matter who builds
it."?
(Hee-hee!)
Methinks you drink from the fountain of trite similes and overused
metaphors! Or sip from the teacup of purple prose. Or brew hyperbole in
the teapot of... of..., oh, well, you get the idea.
Remember:
- If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, resist
hyperbole.
- Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixed metaphors.
- Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
- Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague, seek viable
alternatives.
-- William Safire (Fumblerules of Grammar)
Sacred cows make the best hamburger. -- Mark Twain
--
a n d y b r a n d t
Shreveport, Louisiana USA
thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net
Take out the trash to reply.
alan l
> prose and does not serve to evoke much of a tangible or sensible
> feeling at all. I think the author was really reaching quite a bit
> too far. Normally I just roll my eyes or groan when I encounter this
> kind of thing, but this time, when another author referenced the
> phrase in his own posting, I had had enough and could not refrain from
> commenting.
>
> NWW
>
teas; and now as an arbitrator of bad prose. Don't you
think you attitude is a little presumptive?
Alan L
crymad
alan l wrote:
> First you set yourself up as an arbitrator of scented white
> teas; and now as an arbitrator of bad prose. Don't you
> think your attitude is a little presumptive?
Forgive my presumptuous, Alan...but shouldn't that be "presumptuous"?
--crymad
> Alan L
Michael Plant
And we can always fall back on the good old, "Oh, you know what I meant."
Nothing wrong with a spirited frontal attack on careless language, just so
it doesn't cut someone's head off. (from your Mix and Match Metaphor Dept.)
Michael
Andrew
Brandtthetrashandybrand...@netnews.worldnet.att.net7/2/0
2 19:25thetrash...@worldnet.att.net
Michael Plant
20:12am...@covad.net
>
> Alan L
Presumptive strike number 8,482.
You prose leaves something to be desired.
Boy, I'm beginning to get into this.
Back to Joyce for me.
Michael
Sean Dressler
them so the ones of us that do appreciate your effort might be guided toward
a better tea tasting experience. You want bad prose.... read MY reviews.
"Neal W. Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:39cbd1ce.02070...@posting.google.com...
Archie
"alan l" wrote:
| Don't you think you attitude is a little . . .
In support of Alan, I must say that I find his prose abosolutly
interestring.
:-)
Archie
Neal W. Williams
around here of late, especially from those who seem to have no
original or meaningful thoughts of their own to share.
NWW
aml...@covad.net (alan l) wrote in message news:<e793bfa.02070...@posting.google.com>...
Neal W. Williams
verbage are really not contributing anything useful or insightful to
this discussion group. I don't really care what orgiastic spasms a
certain tea causes the 'revewier' -- I want to know the basic
characteristics of the tea, where it was purchased, and whether the
drinker thinks it's worth the money. I don't need a laboratory-esque
description of the brewing procedure or a hairsplitting description of
the miniscule differences between each infusion. It does *not* take a
genius to brew a decent cup of tea. It's *easy*, people. So please,
can we just stick with the useful facts??
NWW
"Sean Dressler" <fuzzwa...@tds.net> wrote in message news:<nhDU8.21577$fH5.20...@kent.svc.tds.net>...
Natarajan Krishnaswami
> > think your attitude is a little presumptive?
>
> Forgive my presumptuous, Alan...but shouldn't that be "presumptuous"?
Is using "presumptuous" instead of "presumptuousness" a mark of bad
prose?
;-)
ObTea: Ten Ren "Oriental Beauty" (bai hao) oolong; dry leaf varies
from light brown to black with downy white-colored tips. I made it in
a 12oz mug with a filter basket, using ~2 tsp leaf and ~85-90C water.
Lemon and spice/wood flavors, moving from more lemon to more wood with
succesive steepings; pleasant, mild astringency; clear, dark
amber/brown liquor. Yum.
<URI:http://www.tenren.com/orientalbeauty.html>
N.
Neal W. Williams
before? Do you have any real idea to what I was referring in my
statement? If so, send me an email, and let's discuss your abilities.
NWW
Andrew Brandt <thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<thetrashandybrandt-F...@netnews.worldnet.att.net>...
Michael Plant
14:41n...@po.cwru.edu
snip
>
> ObTea: Ten Ren "Oriental Beauty" (bai hao) oolong; dry leaf varies
> from light brown to black with downy white-colored tips. I made it in
> a 12oz mug with a filter basket, using ~2 tsp leaf and ~85-90C water.
> Lemon and spice/wood flavors, moving from more lemon to more wood with
> succesive steepings; pleasant, mild astringency; clear, dark
> amber/brown liquor. Yum.
>
> <URI:http://www.tenren.com/orientalbeauty.html>
Natarajan,
That's one of my absolute favorites. I notice the web site charges less than
the 430.00 US I pay for it in their shop in NYC. Yum's the word. BTW, I've
heard this style oolong was developed in Taiwan to compete with Darjeelings.
How would you compare it to Darjeelings?
Michael
Michael Plant
> Natarajan,
>
> That's one of my absolute favorites. I notice the web site charges less than
> the 430.00 US I pay for it in their shop in NYC. Yum's the word. BTW, I've
> heard this style oolong was developed in Taiwan to compete with Darjeelings.
> How would you compare it to Darjeelings?
>
> Michael
Ouch. What have I done? I meant $30.00 US. 430.00 might be a little high
for this tea.
M
>
crymad
"Neal W. Williams" wrote:
> I don't need a laboratory-esque
> description of the brewing procedure or a hairsplitting description of
> the miniscule differences between each infusion. It does *not* take a
> genius to brew a decent cup of tea.
But it's very easy for a fool to make a bad one. I think Alan's more
analytical approach offers a surefire guide for brewing an unfamiliar
tea.
--crymad
Wesley Neal Williams
even achieving that. You *will* do it your own way, whether you like it or
not, unless you go to Alan's lab and join him in drinking it from a
test-tube.
NWW
"crymad" <crymadS...@xprt.net> wrote in message
news:3D2353B1...@xprt.net...
Wesley Neal Williams
going to one of the Ten Ren shops there when some Chinese women were
packing a newly-arrived green oolong for sale; the bulk of the tea was still
in its large round, plastic-lined shipping container. The sweet floral
scent greeted me as I walked in. Unfortunately I didn't have enough money
on me at the time to purchase any of it, but it's still a good memory.
NWW
"Michael Plant" <mpl...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:B948C94E.A6EF%mpl...@pipeline.com...
Natarajan Krishnaswami
> > amber/brown liquor. Yum.
>
> That's one of my absolute favorites. I notice the web site charges less than
> heard this style oolong was developed in Taiwan to compete with Darjeelings.
> How would you compare it to Darjeelings?
It definitely reminds me of Darjeelings, so much so that I wanted to
see if they complemented each other well, and tried mixing various
ratios of the liquors together, a couple of years ago (turned out
badly, alas). Here are some of related comments from posts from
around the time I first bought this oolong.
In a post from 20 Sep 2000:
: (Recently I was exploring some similarities between some bai hao tea and
: a Darjeeling I'd just bought, so I tried mixing them. "Incoherent" is a
: perfect word to sum up that confused combination. :-)
Unfortunately, I can't remember what Darjeeling that was--they go so
fast!
And also 29 Jul 2000:
: I steeped the DJ-70 in just-boiled water for 3 minutes. It reminds me
: of bai hao oolong (except sweeter): spicy, sweet, almond-like. Very
: pleasant. Trying a second infusion now.
DJ-70 was Gopaldhara STGFOPI clonal Darjeeling, from the samples
Mr. Changoiwala sent out that summer.
N.
Jenny
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ui6rvs6...@corp.supernews.com...
Wesley Neal Williams
like someone to decide for you how you should brew your teas. I repeat:
tea is *not* hard to brew, and not even hard to brew well. It doesn't take
all this precise direction to brew good tea! If any of you are truly
baffled by an unfamiliar tea and don't find any joy or satisfaction in
figuring it out for yourselves, so to speak.. then I believe we are really
in trouble here. Experiment on your own, people! Find what's best for
you!
NWW
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d23b004$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
David Savige
will only serve to prevent people from posting reviews for fear of being
criticized. Most of us are not professionals in the tea business, and
those who post reviews do the best they can, which is all anyone can
expect. I, for one, greatly appreciate and admire their efforts, and
think of their reviews as gifts to the rest of us. If we allow for
human imperfection and strive for greater acceptance and tolerance of
each other, we'll all benefit.
David Savige
Michael Plant
darjeelings seriously drunk, but what you write speaks highly of them, since
I'm a Bai Hao fan. I'll have to start down the Darjeeling trail.
Thanks.
Michael
Natarajan Krishnaswamiag08bm$889$1...@eeyore.INS.cwru.edu7/3/02
21:28n...@po.cwru.edu
Michael Plant
21:47dr...@hotmail.com
Neal,
I'm responding with my own public thoughts. Keep a civil tongue in your head
-- to mix a metaphor -- and take a deep breath before responding. THEN, let
fly as you will...
snip
> I repeat:
> tea is *not* hard to brew, and not even hard to brew well.
Tea is hardly not hard to brew well. While I wouldn't want to get trapped in
someone else's parameters -- shades of psyberpunk here -- the subtlest shift
in the time/temp/leaf/water continuum will radically alter a truly decent
tea. Starting points are not necessarily end points. I **appreciate** a
couple guidelines to start. Shame on me if that's where I end.
snip
> If any of you are truly
> baffled by an unfamiliar tea and don't find any joy or satisfaction in
> figuring it out for yourselves, so to speak.. then I believe we are really
> in trouble here. Experiment on your own, people! Find what's best for
> you!
This has been one of my own favorite haranges. Who could argue with such
wisdom? The failures, so to speak, are important parts of the "journey" --
did I really write that?? -- because they teach us what to avoid; they teach
us, for example, how the effect of too high a temperature differs from too
long a steep: that kind of thing. Having said that, I would even recommend
purposely overdoing or underdoing just to see what happens: An exercise in
educating the taste and smell buds. That would introduce a scientific twist
-- perhaps. But.......not everyone wants to take that approach...or delve
that deep. Live and let live. Cut us some slack. To each his own cliche.
On a different note, I'm drinking Imperial Tea Court's Superior Yunnan Black
this morning, which happily improved muchly over the past month. I was using
a 5 gms tea to 10 ozs water formula. This one responds much better as 4 gms
tea to 12 ozs water with a longer steep time. I suppose I would have
discovered this earlier if I had paid more attention to Norm's review --
http://www.normbrero.com/cgi-bin/viewTea.cgi?search1=SHOW_TEA¶m1=4¶m
2=Superior+Yunnan+Black¶m3=Norm¶m4=2002-06-18
-- wherein he nailed this tea's parameters pretty well.
Michael
Wesley Neal Williams
you dislike people who disagree with you or your friends, then perhaps you'd
like to create your own totalitarian society.
Tea-brewing failures? Hardly the end of the world, these failures -- if
your tea is over-brewed, add some hot water and dilute it. If it's
underbrewed, infuse it some more. Again I say.. tea-brewing is too *easy*
to really to get so uptight about it. The only difficulty to deal with is
maybe describing your own tea-tasting experiences to others, and in doing
that, I still believe that it's best to stick to the very basics and let
others draw their own conclusions. Ultra-detailed descriptions or flights
of imagination don't impress me at all. Leave the flowery language to the
tea-sellers, please -- it's their job to sell the stuff.
Not *all* teas are affected profoundly by slight variations in water
temperature, infusion time, etc.. true, some of the Darjeelings can be a
real headache. Sencha can sometimes be the same... but face it, not even
*all* of these types are that way. Come on.. have fun with the tea. You'll
figure it out if you try. Write down own notes, if it helps you.. but for
heaven's sake, let your experience be your *own* experience.
Nailed a tea's parameters, did he? More laboratory-speak. But hey.. if you
want to try to experience exactly the same thing as one another, go ahead
and waste your time doing so. I still say that's not the point. You might
also try standing in the same stream twice. ;)
NWW
"Michael Plant" <mpl...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:B949A142.A727%mpl...@pipeline.com...
Archie
Corrections please to NWW's lines:
. . . create your own totalitarian **TEA** society.
Also:
| . . . Tea-brewing failures? Hardly the end
| of the world . . .
Absolutely the end of the world! Yes indeedy!
:-)
Archie
Campaign for uncomplicated tea drinking!
:-)
Wesley Neal Williams
any tea and look to them to pass judgement on any one tea because they seem
to do it so well (through laboratory-style analysis or pointless subjective
flowery language), then we are likely to miss out on experiencing much for
ourselves.
Maybe some people do read them for entertainment purposes. I only hope that
people who class themselves as non-reviewers aren't turning into some kind
of sycophants who don't believe they are as adept in using their own mouths
as the people who spill verbage on the group. I honestly believe that some
of these "reviewers" have somehow created a sense of credibility more by
their verbal skills than by having found anything in the teas in question
than any other person could find. Whatever you accept, your cup of tea will
be your own, unless you sit on a certain reviewer's lap. ;)
You're right -- if you don't like a certain reviewer's style, you can just
avoid reading the reviews. But total agreement just because a certain
person turns in *lots* of reviews is the wrong idea, I think.
NWW
"David Savige" <dsa...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3D23F2B5...@earthlink.net...
Wesley Neal Williams
eventually. You'll find what you like. Some teas are over-promoted and
really don't taste all that great... even the expensive ones.
I can't comment on your sense of taste, but there are those green-tea
bundles called Lu Mu Dan (sold elsewhere as 'Green Sea Anemone' or
similarly); they are pratically foolproof and very uncomplicated to brew..
but again, I can't comment on the way you would perceive the taste! ;)
NWW
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
news:ag1pto$1v6$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
Archie
"Wesley Neal Williams" wrote:
| ... I have faith in you. You'll get it right
I'm a big boy you know, I can make it!
I presume you've already read the discussion thread on "Green
Tea - Don't spend . . ."
:-)
I'm currently on personal mission to discover the good and
affordable Sencha but keep hitting the bad and the ugly! mainly
stale stuff.
The only thing I have against badly made tea is to do with those
'several hour brew' black teas which cafes sell . . . my stomach
can't cope with them and occasionally they make me feel unwell.
Anyway, what's wrong with a good Ceylon then?
:-)
Cheers
Archie
Man in antiques shop: "So . . . what's new?"
Wesley Neal Williams
I've had some of the high-grade teas from other estates, many of which
tasted like malty yam-water.
I have read the thread you mentioned. I mentioned Lu Mu Dan because of the
close-to-foolproof method of brewing it. But it's certainly not always
easy to find a good, drinkable green tea at a decent price. Are you in the
UK? Is there a Ten Ren shop anywhere near you.. or a tea-shop of any kind
that might let you sample the teas on-site before you purchase?
Good sencha... hmmm...... www.leaves.com had some good ones last season at
fairly decent prices. It might still be close to fresh, even now.
NWW
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
news:ag1srm$jke$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
Jenny
out and buy a sample of a very expensive tea to buy.. I DON'T want to start
'experimenting' with it.. I will try what is recommended and then adjust it
as a please from there.
There is NO HARM in anyone expressing how they like there tea. It would
be very intolerant of us to tell them off /call them silly/put down the
process, etc simply because it does not seem important TO US. Just because
one person doesn't (need/appreciate/want/care for) the reviews is no reason
to go on a tangent. :) :) :)
Jenny
"Michael Plant" <mpl...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:B949A142.A727%mpl...@pipeline.com...
Jenny
clapping. :)
Jenny
Archie
"Jenny" wrote:
| Here here! . . .
Where, where?!
What did I miss Jenny?
Archie
:-)
Wesley Neal Williams
in my opinion, uninformative, predicatable, and sometimes truly innacurate.
If you want to get to know a tea, even an expensive one, get a sample of it.
The more generous vendors will even provide them free of charge.. which I
suppose excludes Imperial Tea Court. <sigh> That is precisely why I also
posted a request to anyone who had ordered the imperial grade of ITC's Lung
Jing, that we might do a little sample-trade, if he/she would like to sample
some Imperial Green from the same vendor.
NWW
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d249822$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
Wesley Neal Williams
the facts.
NWW
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d24984f$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
Andrew Brandt
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> The reviews I mentioned are,
> in my opinion, uninformative, predicatable, and sometimes truly innacurate.
Compared to the music reviews I've read about some of my performances,
the tea reviews on this list are models of accuracy and good
information. They are hardly predictable (at the very least, they are
not predictably bad). I, for one, enjoy reading all the reviews. I doubt
any of the writers are setting themselves up to be the sole arbiters of
good taste. Seeing as nobody is doing this for commercial purposes, I
appreciate their willingness to volunteer their individual experiences.
I would agree with you to the point that sometimes I find the reviews of
the reviews to be "uninformative, predictable, and sometimes truly
innacurate," or just plain picky.
And if somebody doesn't like the reviews, nobody is forced to read them!
People should be encouraged to share their talents as they may on this
list.
I'm reminded of a review of a concert I played once with the American
Wind Symphony Orchestra, where we played on a floating art center on the
Florida Coast. The reviewer (who, presumably, was paid to write his
review) obviously hadn't attended the concert, writing commentary on
works we hadn't performed (since we changed the repertoire from what was
originally published) and at the end of the concert had us floating out
into the sunset -- which we didn't do, since we were on the shore
playing to fireworks for the finale -- and it was AFTER the sun set in
any case.
Compared to music reviewers who don't know the difference between a
bassoon and an English horn, or an English horn from a French horn --
the reviewers on this list know quite a lot about tea and I learn a lot
from their ability to put a nonverbal experience into words. Thanks to
them all.
--
a n d y b r a n d t
Shreveport, Louisiana USA
thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net
Take out the trash to reply.
Wesley Neal Williams
Imperial Green tea, posted by someone who submits a great number of reviews:
did this person mention of the fact that this tea seems quite obviously to
be a pan-fired tea and has light toasty notes in the cup? Not that I
remember. The reviewer said "ethereal, floral, spiky leaves", etc.. but
hey, the vendor said that already. Let's face it -- most of these reviews
really don't stray far from the write-ups provided by the tea vendors
themselves. And many of the reviews are much too similar to things found on
the back-labels of certain wine bottles. Face this also: there may just not
be much to add to our favorite tea vendors' write-ups.
I don't believe that it's difficult to brew good tea, nor is it difficult to
appreciate tea. I complain about the unnecessary amount of verbage being
piled up here, verbage that doesn't really enlighten anyone or educate
anyone. Certainly nobody is being forced to read these reviews, but
according to you, they are being considered as accurate, informative
material. And if we're not being informed, then we're really only being
entertained (or possibly annoyed). So instead of heaping on praise for
breaking new ground, 'appreciating' a tea, or really informing or educating
us, let's just maybe tell them thanks for whatever writing skills they may
or may not have, or for having a good attendance record.
I was told some years ago, and I believe it's true, that there are limits to
what tea can really 'do'. At some point, instead of repeating the same
things over and over or straining to make up new descriptions, all one can
do is compare most teas to teas with similar tastes that one may have drunk
in the past. Given time and experience, a person will probably taste pretty
much all there is to taste in tea, and the differences between the vast
majority of teas in any category will seem significantly smaller and not so
amazing, no matter how you might like to play them up or feel obligated to
do so to write a 'good' review. It's true that eventually, once in a great
while, you may just happen to find a tea that to you is extraordinary, so
delicious.. you will be amazed and will be inspired to go on and on about
it. But most of the time, you're going to keep finding more of same... more
of same... more of same. How many of us have not already spent a relatively
large sum on a certain tea, only to find that a cheaper tea of the same type
really seemed just as tasty, if not better? I repeat another of my points:
if we're going to write reports about the teas we drink, can't we please
keep it concise at least, and without needless repetition about what vessel
we use to brew our teas every single time and what brand of bottled water we
use, and could we omit the hairsplitting descriptions of the miniscule
differences in each infusion? In most teas, the flavor stays *basically*
the same in each infusion.. it just gets weaker.
Tell me Andy.. how do you know that the people on this list know a lot about
tea... because they repeat what the tea vendors say, or maybe because you
like their writing style? Where did they get their information? Even some
of the tea vendors just repeat what their suppliers told them about the teas
they are trying to sell to us.
I'm sorry that the reviewer of your concert obviously didn't care enough to
be factual in his review. If he had seen the concert, do you think he might
have done a better job? Have you seen any other reviews published by this
person?
NWW
"Andrew Brandt" <thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:thetrashandybrandt-7...@netnews.worldnet.att.net...
Jenny
they can attempt to replicate the experiment themselves at home in the same
way, and see if they get the same results.. I think I would be pretty P.O'd
if they DIDN'T list the water, etc.. Then I would have no way of knowing if
I had crummy tea, was a little off on steaping time, used a different water,
etc, if I didnt find the same result (Understanding of course that it may be
that pallates simply differ). Weren't you asking for some
consistency/something to compare other reviews to? The water can make a big
difference, and it would be hard to compare using 'fancy' water, to say,
gross tap water..
JMHO :)
Jenny
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uiaf9an...@corp.supernews.com...
Archie
"Jenny" wrote:
| The water can make a big difference . . .
Jenny
I am all for specifying things and giving exact details.
But, do NORMAL changes in water quality really make a difference
to your tea?
Look at it this way:
The world's tea companies for centuries have depended on people
ALL OVER THE WORLD drinking and liking and buying tea!
Tap water consistency all over the world cannot be the same.
HOWEVER, people keep buying the same types of tea no matter where
you go - otherwise there's no point at all reading this
Newsgroup, because we all live all over the world!
So, regardless of all the differing tap water in the world, a
good Ceylon tea is enjoyed in Africa, London UK, Cardiff Wales,
Iran, middle-east, USA, France, Moscow, Hong Kong and sometimes
in Swiss! :-) (just in case Laurent is listening).
So, really, what's the fuss with the type of water and tea?
The only way drinking water is going to make a 'noticeable'
effect on tea is if its pH (acidity) changes dramatically, or if
it carries 'un-desirable' solubles or if its taste significantly
differs from what people consider to be 'normal'. It's just
straight forward chemistry, nothing else.
To fuss about water chemistry for brewing a cup of tea is beyond
ordinary woman/man's tea brewing duty.
Anyway, interesting discussion.
Archie
Wesley Neal Williams
tea unless you duplicate someone else's quasi-scientific methods of brewing
tea, then perhaps you should have your taste buds checked. :-/ I'm sorry..
but that's the way I see it. And for that matter, how would you know
whether you got 'the same result', and for heaven's sake.. why would you
even feel obligated to *try* to get it? Remember where the lemmings go.
It's not difficult to brew tea, nor to brew it well, as I keep saying.
I use a Pur faucet-mounted filter because you are correct in that plain tap
water can lend its own tastes to the tea one might brew with it, and many of
those tap-water flavors are not very pleasant. I also use a Brita pitcher
at times, and I have used a Culligan faucet-mounted filter. What I'm saying
is that *we get it already*.. he uses bottled water. Other people will use
different things. We've established that beyond any shadow of doubt.
NWW
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d25bbe1$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
Wesley Neal Williams
how detailed a person should get when brewing tea; there are so many other
factors that influence the taste of the tea, as we've already mentioned
elsewhere.
I think I know what Alan is trying to do: he wants to taste the tea brewed
in a way that he believes will produce the best result to his palate, and
he's using what seems to be a rather scientific method of doing so.
In fact I asked him once (and he never bothered to reply) whether this
laboratory-style brewing method was the *only* way he brewed his tea. I ask
again.
NWW
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
news:ag4m3v$5ut$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk...
Andrew Brandt
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Andy... one example of something I noticed in a recent review of the ITC
> Imperial Green tea, posted by someone who submits a great number of reviews:
> did this person mention of the fact that this tea seems quite obviously to
> be a pan-fired tea and has light toasty notes in the cup? Not that I
> remember. The reviewer said "ethereal, floral, spiky leaves", etc.. but
> hey, the vendor said that already. Let's face it -- most of these reviews
> really don't stray far from the write-ups provided by the tea vendors
> themselves. And many of the reviews are much too similar to things found on
> the back-labels of certain wine bottles. Face this also: there may just not
> be much to add to our favorite tea vendors' write-ups.
If a concert, or a Monster Truck/Tractor Pull for that matter, is billed
as the greatest concert of all time (or the noisiest, smokiest tractor
pull of the season), it is legitimate commentary by somebody who goes to
that event to say whether or not he/she thinks the event met its billing
(or hype). Likewise, if a vendor is making claims about a certain type
of tea, it is legitimate for a reviewer to say whether or not they
believe the tea lives up to its billing. (That's the first step of any
review.)
Whether or not you or I agree with that one reviewer's single critique
is of little consequence. However, if a reviewer eventually shows that
the teas of a certain vendor rarely, if ever, live up to its billing,
then that reviewer has performed a good service to those on this list.
Likewise, if the reviewer demonstrates that the vendor accurately
describes the teas on their web site, then that is an equally good
service. Is that a complete, all-encompassing review? No. But does EVERY
posting have to be a complete, all-encompassing review? No.
> I don't believe that it's difficult to brew good tea, nor is it difficult to
> appreciate tea.
Tea, as music, can be appreciated on many different levels. Some just
want a lot of bang for their Assam buck. Others want something more
complex from their green leaves. Others may enjoy learning about new
teas (and where to get them) so they can experiment on their own. It's
not difficult to brew tea, but sometimes we don't have the time or
inclination to try 12 different sets of parameters with a single tea
(especially if we only have a 1-1/2 oz. sample). If others can take some
time to do that and share that info with us, it can help us find the
taste that we want more easily.
Case in point: I have a couple of different 1st flush Darjeelings that
I'm experimenting with, but the tea seems, to my taste, to be a bit
spinach-y in flavor (more so than minty). I've been experimenting with
different temperatures and timings, but haven't found a combination that
is satisfactory yet. I plan to look over some earlier reviews to see if
I can find some brewing ideas which might improve my tea. If that
doesn't work, I may come back to the list and ask for your suggestions
(or write the vendor as well). Perhaps the tea is just too old or 1st
flush Darjeelings may not be my cup of tea. I wouldn't go so far to say
this is difficult -- but the info on timings, amounts, and temperature
may be very useful. And maybe not.
Likewise, many believe it is easy to listen to music. But the aural
skills of appreciating a Bach fugue on a harpsichord are quite different
from appreciating Britney Spears at the Coliseum. Some might find one or
the other more difficult to enjoy; some may prefer one or the other. In
either case, nobody is helped by someone glibly saying "It's not
difficult to listen to music, nor is it difficult to appreciate it." The
truth is that music can be very demanding to listen to and the person
that listens to The Backstreet Boys may not be equipped to appreciate
Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps on first hearing. Likewise, we can
learn from one another's tea experiments (successful and failed) and
their attempts to describe that technique and flavor. To make tea is
basically easy. To appreciate tea is less easy and can become a lifetime
pursuit to find new levels of appreciation. To write accurately and
informatively about the taste of tea is actually quite difficult. What
better place to practice than here on the tea list!
> I complain about the unnecessary amount of verbage being
> piled up here, verbage that doesn't really enlighten anyone or educate
> anyone. Certainly nobody is being forced to read these reviews, but
> according to you, they are being considered as accurate, informative
> material. And if we're not being informed, then we're really only being
> entertained (or possibly annoyed). So instead of heaping on praise for
> breaking new ground, 'appreciating' a tea, or really informing or educating
> us, let's just maybe tell them thanks for whatever writing skills they may
> or may not have, or for having a good attendance record.
The "unnecessary amount of verbage" (or verbiage) in the reviews pales
in comparison to the verbiage of this one discussion thread alone. One
review doesn't make a reviewer. A body of work (a number of reviews)
does give you the basis for deciding whether or not you agree with a
certain reviewer more often than not. THAT gives you the basis of
deciding for yourself whether those reviews are accurate or informative.
You may think not. I may disagree. Fine. They can write their reviews
for me and not for you.
These people are not flaunting themselves as professional reviewers or
arbiters of good taste. In the past year of reading this list I've
learned a lot about many different types of teas (and tea vendors) and
how to approach brewing them. I've also enjoyed the different approaches
of trying to describe their personal tea-tasting experience -- whether
it's the laboratory-careful measuring of different brewing parameters or
finding more creative ways to express the tea-tasting experience. If we
had MORE people giving their reviews on this list, we would probably
have more different opinions. Does that make one reviewer good and one
bad? Not necessarily. (Look at the reviews on one of the tea review web
sites touted on this list. They rarely agree in their reviews. But their
expressed opinions allow you to pick and choose which teas you want to
try and decide which criteria you want to use to judge the tea on your
own.)
> I was told some years ago, and I believe it's true, that there are limits to
> what tea can really 'do'. At some point, instead of repeating the same
> things over and over or straining to make up new descriptions, all one can
> do is compare most teas to teas with similar tastes that one may have drunk
> in the past. Given time and experience, a person will probably taste pretty
> much all there is to taste in tea, and the differences between the vast
> majority of teas in any category will seem significantly smaller and not so
> amazing, no matter how you might like to play them up or feel obligated to
> do so to write a 'good' review.
Well, there are some people that feel that all the good performances of
the Beethoven Symphonies have already been recorded and there is no
reason to go to a concert to hear another boring reiteration of the same
notes once again. After all, once you've listened to Karajan's and
Bernstein's interpretations there's not much else to be learned from
Beethoven. Then you go to a concert and it's a whole new experience --
you hear things you never heard before and before you realize it you're
giving the orchestra a standing ovation. Well, tea drinkers (and wine
drinkers, and coffee drinkers and steak eaters) may not give many
standing ovations, but if you truly believe that all the good teas have
been drinken and there's not going to be much variation in the future,
why are you on this list?
> <snip> I repeat another of my points:
> if we're going to write reports about the teas we drink, can't we please
> keep it concise at least, and without needless repetition about what vessel
> we use to brew our teas every single time and what brand of bottled water we
> use, and could we omit the hairsplitting descriptions of the miniscule
> differences in each infusion? In most teas, the flavor stays *basically*
> the same in each infusion.. it just gets weaker.
I find the reviews that list these parameters to be the most concise of
them all. If the reviewer is careful to measure these parameters, that
is part of the review -- to show how changes in those parameters affect
the brew. I wouldn't have thought that trying a bottled water with a
different pH would have made a significant difference in the tasting of
a green tea, but apparently it does for some palates. Even if my palate
is not sensitive enough to discern those differences, I'm glad some
people can and will share their experiences.
What seems repetitive and is now getting boring is your repetitive
insistence that certain reviews are repetitive and boring. Nobody's
getting paid for their postings. You're getting your money's worth. If
you don't like them, don't read them and let us read and agree or
disagree as we like.
> Tell me Andy.. how do you know that the people on this list know a lot about
> tea... because they repeat what the tea vendors say, or maybe because you
> like their writing style? Where did they get their information? Even some
> of the tea vendors just repeat what their suppliers told them about the teas
> they are trying to sell to us.
EVERYBODY on this list probably knows a lot about tea because they
already drink tea. It isn't a contest to see who knows the most. I don't
read certain people's comments because I think they know a lot more
about tea than I do. I read them because they are willing to share their
experiences and ideas. Some of them obviously know much more about tea
because they've sampled a great many more different kinds of tea than I
have; some of them have more practiced palates; some of them obviously
know more about certain kinds of teas than I do. Some of them are much
better at verbalizing their tea drinking experience. Great! But I also
read comments by others who may know less about certain aspects of tea
drinking than I without any boredom or distress. I may respond to their
postings with my own observations or hints or suggestions, or just to
talk together about tea and make a few jokes. One thing I NEVER do is
denigrate another's postings because I think they are repeating info
they learned on a website or are just whistling out their teakettle.
What I DO find boring and annoying to the extreme are postings by people
who do nothing to add to the discussion other than criticize other
people's postings. If you like or dislike some teas, share that info.
(You actually have in some cases. Good. Thanks.) If your main goal in
life is to flame other posters because you think their comments are
repetitive or boring or ill-informed, but have nothing to actually add
to the discussion, then either go away or I'll put you on my twit
filter. That is not the case, yet, but let's go back to talking about
tea.
> I'm sorry that the reviewer of your concert obviously didn't care enough to
> be factual in his review. If he had seen the concert, do you think he might
> have done a better job? Have you seen any other reviews published by this
> person?
That was on a tour, so I never read that reviewer again. I've read some
local reviewers that occasionally are way off-base, and sometimes hit
the problems right on the nose. Unfortunately, there's no universal
agreement on which reviews do which. I learn to take the bad reviews
with a grain of salt and treat the good reviews with a little gratitude
even when considering the source. Maybe we all should do the same.
Currently tasting and enjoying Adagio's Singbulli Estate 2nd flush
Darjeeling (their "Darjeeling No. 2").
Wesley Neal Williams
point this out.....
My point is that many of the reviews posted here on a regular basis are mere
verbal exercises that amount to nothing -- and many times seem very
"played-up"; they are little more than re-statements of the tea vendors'
advertising copy, or they are quasi-poetic flights of fancy.
NWW
"Andrew Brandt" <thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:thetrashandybrandt-A...@netnews.worldnet.att.net...
Neal W. Williams
so what makes a bad review, if you in fact believe there are some?
Care to share? My opinion is that the bad ones are the only ones that
are receiving any attention at all!
Ahhh... but tea is *not* like music in the sense that we are observing
someone else's performance "of" it and then commenting on that
performance. What woudl be point of watching someone else drink a pot
of tea and then saying "Wow.. that was great!", if you really want to
taste tea yourself? Should I offer congratulations to a reviewer for
his/her having enjoyed a certain tea? It may be a jumping-off point
for others, but beyond feelings of benevolence toward the reviewer or
the acceptance of good(!) advice, there isn't much else to do with a
review. You cannot taste tea unless you take it into your mouth, and
there's probably no way you can experience the "same" tea that someone
else brews unless you travel to that person's vicinity and drink from
the same pot or cup, right? Even if tea-reviewer "finds" something in
a tea that you want to experience, there's no guarantee that you'll
find the same thing, even in your best attempts to create the same
brewing conditions on your own. That could be part of the fun,
certainly... but another contributor to this forum state she could
determine whether she had "crummy" tea unless she read someone else's
review of that tea -- sounds almost like a form of co-dependency to
me. If you don't like a tea, don't drink it. Sure, a pointer here
and there about brewing might help you, but if you have to get someone
else's "approval" to appreciate your tea... ye gods!
That "orchid" aroma touted to be in so many oolong teas.. especially
those written up on tea-vendors' websites ... sometimes you'll find
it, sometimes you never will. Was it not there? Well, maybe it was
when the vendor brewed it at his place. Maybe it won't show up in
your house, for a variety of reasons. If you think you're always
going to get the same result as any other given person does in brewing
tea, I would just have to say best of luck to you.. you're going to
need it, given all the variables that go into this equation. I think
a good rule of thumb is that the more nuances a reviewer finds in a
certain tea, the more chances another person will probably have of
*not* finding exactly the same nuances. For example... yesterday I
spent several hours out in an open field, helping to build a fence,
which created an allergic reaction today. I am congested, and so my
ability to taste is compromised somewhat. I brewed ITC's Imperial
Green this afternoon, hoping to enjoy the wonderful flavor of it as I
remember it to be. But most of the subtler flavor notes were just not
"there". Why? Well, not because I left the bag open, because it's
tightly closed with an oxygen-absorbing packet, it's been stored in
the refrigerator (granted, that could open yet another debate), and I
honestly don't think the tea could possibly could have gone stale,
given the way I've stored it. In today's case the taste of the brewed
tea was familiar, but I could not sense some of the more subtle notes
because I am congested. Plus I was very tired today, not having slept
well, and I am very sore because of all the hard manual labor I did
yesterday. Yes, I'm coming to a point.. actually a re-statement of a
point: Even if I had a way to magically preserve a portion of a tea I
had brewed weeks ago, perfectly saving its flavor characteristics, it
might still taste different to me, due to a possible variety of
factors.. and these differences *can* be significant. I would know
it's the same tea, but the taste could be markedly different and
possibly not as enjoyable as the other time I had tasted the same tea.
Sure, taking tea might be in some ways similar to a musical concert,
but *you* have to be a "musician" to really apreciate the music.. and
you *will always* be a soloist.
Regarding 1st-flush Darjeelings, they vary widely in flavor
characteristics. I thought my first Darjeeling tea (a first-flush
Puttabong from Special Teas) was incredible. Since then, I've found
some that were roughly equally as enjoyable, and I've found some that
I could only say were so-so, compared to that first one. But we do
have to compare the taste of any tea to something tangible, otherwise
it's fanciful and can really probably only be viewed as entertainment.
Indeed it's a good place (here on this list) to practice describing
tea. I say some contributors might need more practice.
I never said any reviewer is setting him/herself up as an "authority"
on tea, but some people such as yourself certainly seem to be
indicating rather clearly that you believe as much.
Oh I agree: let's talk about tea, but let's do so in a way that's
really helpful and not just repetitions of things we already know, not
using meaningless subjective terminology, and not using
applause-provoking flights of quasi-poetic fancy, please. Personally
I don't do many "reviews", because frankly most of the teas you'll
find for sale in North America (on websites I mean, which is where the
majority of people contributing to this form actually buy their teas)
are not earth-shatteringly fine, nor are they so widely dissimilar in
taste one from another among their respective types; once a person had
widened his/her tasting experiences, this will become clear. The
truly fine teas always have been and always will be in short supply.
True.. sometimes these rather mundane teas are all that we have to
choose from. If I find something that I believe is truly
extraordinary, or something that I believe is a true bargain that
other people might enjoy, I will mention it.. even describe it. I
also tend to seek out teas that are out-of-the ordinary, considering
what is commonly made available online in North America.
NWW
Andrew Brandt <thetrasha...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<thetrashandybrandt-A...@netnews.worldnet.att.net>...
Wesley Neal Williams
that really needs clarification is the one referring to the list-contributor
who states that she could NOT determine whether or not she had "crummy" tea
(or so her post seems to indicate) unless she reads someone's review of that
tea.
NWW
"Neal W. Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:39cbd1ce.02070...@posting.google.com...
Jenny
"Neal W. Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:39cbd1ce.02070...@posting.google.com...
You must have misinterpreted what I said.. I was used to more 'generic'
black tea.. A friend of mine sent me some finer white tea (very different by
the way! :)). As her english wasnt the greatest, she did not send me
instructions... So I ended up 'burning' the first few pots I made.... tried
slightly lower temps (Was used to making my tea VERY hot to take with me a
stay warm all day..), but not low enough. Reading some of the advice/review
about greens/whites made me realize that I needed to lower the temp more..
What resulted was a truly wonderful tea, rather than the crummy tea (from
the crummy job I had done with it) that resulted earlier.I was wondering if
I had a bad batch of tea, or simply did have a taste for it. I certainly
know if I like or don't like a tea on my own... I may not know if I am
making an error with it, as I have not been drinking fin(er) teas for very
long.
Jenny
Wesley Neal Williams
that give useful instructions for brewing nearly any kind of tea.
NWW
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d27b37b$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
Jenny
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uiffck6...@corp.supernews.com...
> Ah.. I gotcha. Well, you can find useful brewing instructions on many web
> that give useful instructions for brewing nearly any kind of tea.
>
> NWW
Very true.. At the time (Years ago), I didn't use the net.. Got 5
different 'tea' books from the library.. Some mentioned Green Tea, none
mentioned white.. :) Should have gotten on this net thingy years ago. :)
Jenny
Wesley Neal Williams
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3d287769$1...@news3.accesscomm.ca...
>
>
> Very true.. At the time (Years ago), I didn't use the net.. Got 5
> different 'tea' books from the library.. Some mentioned Green Tea, none
> mentioned white.. :) Should have gotten on this net thingy years ago. :)
>
> Jenny
>
There's a lot of good information, and also a lot of vague, rather
misleading information, to be found out there. If you ask me, the best way
to educate yourself is to do a little research, then strike out on your own,
visit tea-stores if you have them near you, talk to real people, do lots of
experimenting, and use your own judgement... oh, and *enjoy* the process.
I remember doing a sort of back-track. I had been drinking tea for a few
years, and then I read that book "All the Tea in China"; I didn't find much
in it that I didn't already know. I had requested the book at the local
public library, and when I went to pick it up, I sat down and read through
the book then turned it back in within an hour.
NWW
Archie
"Wesley Neal Williams" suggested:
| . . . talk to real people, . . .
Both Jenny and I are puzzled as to how one would go about talking
to 'un-real' people!
Archie
Would you pass me the mug please.
Wesley Neal Williams
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
Well, if you ever take Xanax, as I did a few months ago, you may find
yourself talking to some un-real people! ;)
I meant talk to real, living breathing human beings, in the flesh if
possible, at tea-shops if possible; it's often easier to judge whether they
know their stuff if you confront them in the flesh (I advise wearing
clothing).
NWW
Archie
LOL
Mr Williams, it's been a real pleasure!
Sorry about the jokes, promise not to do them anymore, for today
anyway.
Take care.
Archie
Xanax is that good, hey?!
:-)
Wesley Neal Williams
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
Well, it's "good" enough to produce that kind of effect in some people...
but good *for* a person... um, probably not, in my case anyway. ;) Talking
to the un-real was strange enough, but after I stopped taking the drug (too
quickly, as I was later told), I had a brush with death.
NWW
Archie
NWW:
| . . . but after I stopped taking the drug . . .
Now you're scaring us!
Hope everything is OK now and GOOD enough to enjoy a beautifully
coloured drink of tea in one of those largish glass mugs with a
handle . . .
Ah, nearly forgot, here is a feather for your cup!
Don't understand why you fussed so much about the feather thingy
anyway?! Didn't the colour match your taste or what?! :-)
Anyway enjoy! just give us the feather back when your finished,
will you.
Archie
Wesley Neal Williams
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
Hehehe.. I'm really tired of repeatedly typing so much, and I doubt that
anyone else in the group would want to see it all again. If you want to
hear my gripes about the green feathers, send me an email. ;)
I'm doing fine and feeling good now, thanks. I doubt the other list-members
would want to hear the gory details of my health crisis, but again.. if you
want to hear about it, send me an email. It was a trip, that's for sure!
When you mentioned a large tea-mug with a handle, it reminded me of the
Russian-style tea glasses, and along that line, just the other day I ran
across a very tiny, now-empty, tea-tin.. which once contained the first tea
I bought for myself, with my own money, back when I was 15 years old. I
didn't remember that I had held onto the thing for so long. It was a
Russian Caravan type tea.
It's been fun talking with you!
NWW
Jenny
Jenny
"Wesley Neal Williams" <dra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uigupmo...@corp.supernews.com...
Jenny
You know this from experience? ;)
Jenny
Jenny
Samovar differs from a tea pot? (I know it has some kind of a heat element
in it, and I have seen pictures.. Some more detail from somebody would be
nice.. )
Jenny
Christopher Roberson
> If were on the topic of Russian, and Tea, can somebody explain to me how
> a Samovar differs from a tea pot? (I know it has some kind of a heat
> element in it, and I have seen pictures.. Some more detail from somebody
> would be nice.. )
A samovar has a large container for hot water and a space on top for a
special fitted teapot. You fill the large container with hot water and
then brew a very concentrated tea in the teapot. The tea concentrate is
served diluted with the hot water from the urn portion.
Traditionally, the tea is flavored with lemon and drunk through a piece of
rock sugar held in the front teeth.
Hope this helps,
--
Christopher Roberson
The domain my-deja.com no longer exists. To reach me,
visit my web page: http://www.enteract.com/~robchr/
The Immoral Mr Teas
Russian tea:
"Please look at
http://www.fazekas.hu/~nagydani/rth/Russian-tea-HOWTO-v2.html
for some info on Russian Tea for software developers ;-)
JB"
("Russian Tea, April 1st" thread, early April: NOT an April fool, just
a coincidental date ...)
Jenny
"The Immoral Mr Teas" <teai...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ae7fcc55.02070...@posting.google.com...
Archie
"Jenny" wrote:
| Thank you! :)
|
| "The Immoral Mr Teas" wrote:
| > Here's a reminder of a link earlier this
| > year to a great article on Russian tea:
| >
| > "Please look at
| >
| > http://www.fazekas.hu/~nagydani/rth/Russian-tea-HOWTO-v2.html
| >
| > for some info on Russian Tea for software
| developers ;-)
I haven't read the article yet, but liked the straight forward
thinking/writing style of the writer.
The introduction says:
"First rule: tea is made of tea. Period. . . . "
Clear cut thinking. The rest of the article seems to follow the
same style. Excellent style!
Archie
Archie
"Wesley Neal Williams" wrote:
| . . . a very tiny, now-empty, tea-tin.. which once
| contained the first tea I bought for myself,
| with my own money, back when I was 15 years old.
Neal
What were you doing chasing tea-tins at 15?!
Even though you admit to studying languages at Uni, still, it's
unusual, no? :-)
. . . Were you interested in the tea/herbs/spices trade or was it
actually just drinking tea that intrigued you?
Archie
Wesley Neal Williams
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
> What were you doing chasing tea-tins at 15?!
>
> Even though you admit to studying languages at Uni, still, it's
> unusual, no? :-)
>
> . . . Were you interested in the tea/herbs/spices trade or was it
> actually just drinking tea that intrigued you?
>
>
> Archie
>
>
Oh, who knows? Sure you've gathered from all this that I actually do *like*
tea, right? ;) I was a weird kid.. and now I'm a weird adult.
NWW
Archie
"Wesley Neal Williams" wrote:
|
| Oh, who knows? Sure you've gathered from all
| this that I actually do *like* tea, right? ;)
| I was a weird kid.. and now I'm a weird adult.
|
RTFLOL
:-)
I'm cracking up!
:-)
Archie
OK . . . so was it the same with Scotch?!! LOL
Wesley Neal Williams
"Archie" <m...@email.none> wrote in message
Well, I think we're getting way off-topic now. ;) Maybe you should send me
a private email, and we'll talk about the Scotch. hehe
NWW
Andrew Brandt
"Jenny" <mo...@accesscomm.ca> wrote:
> If were on the topic of Russian, and Tea, can somebody explain to me how a
> Samovar differs from a tea pot? (I know it has some kind of a heat element
> in it, and I have seen pictures.. Some more detail from somebody would be
> nice.. )
>
> Jenny
For a more historical view of samovars, you might also check:
http://www.samovar.holm.ru/index_en.htm
Plus more pretty pictures of exotic samovars at:
http://www.therussianshop.com/russhop/catalog_samovars.htm