German TebievA little #tea diary.
In this thread I will document my tea tasting journey.
I was expecting to start this thread much later, somewhere in May, but then I discovered that I had a sample.
The first one here would be the so-called Gaba (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABA_tea) Gold tea. In the case of teas, I don't know how to provide an international name, but I will try my best to translate.
I enjoyed the tea, it has the expected intense taste. However, I seem to enjoy Gaba Diamond more.
All the names of #Gaba teas I've seen are unusual compared to classic ones (e.g., Longjing or Jin Jun Mei). However, as far as I know, they are based on other existing teas. The difference is in the fermentation type. It's oxygen-free for Gaba.
While I don't have new teas to taste, I have the ones that I liked and ordered.🙃
I'll write about them.
Today I brewed the 𝙳𝚊 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙿𝚊𝚘 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hong_Pao) #tea. On Wikipedia, it's written to be extremely expensive, but there are different kinds, and mine is very basic and not very expensive.
The tea is roasted, and it's the main flavour it has. However, this roast is gentle and fluid. I have another tea which name I couldn't translate, and it's roast is forceful.🔥
The only shēng pu'er (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%27er_tea) in my collection is Simao shēng pu'er. It's straightforward, but the taste and aroma is very fun: apricots halves.
I've recommended Jin Jun Mei #tea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Jun_Mei_tea) several times already, but have never shown it. Once brewed, it has vibrant aroma and taste. It's one of my favorite teas.
I am back from vacation, and it’s time to continue the #tea journey.🙂
Today I have a special one. Some time ago, the tea shop where I buy tea wrote a beautiful letter that they could arrange a purchase of the Yue Guang Bai grown on the mother trees. I joined and purchased my humble 50 grams collected in the autumn of 2021. These trees are claimed to be more than 500 years old.
The taste of tea is hospitable and tender. I would recommend it to tea lovers.
The first stop on the renewed #tea road is Sapphire #GABA #Oolong. It is said to be classic GABA with medium fermentation and roasting. And it is just like that. Well-balanced tea with a jam-like sweet aroma.
Yesterday, a #friend of mine visited us. We didn't meet for a few years, and what could I do besides serve him several good teas to taste?😃 So in one teapot I had Tie Guanyin Xiang Hua #oolong, and Lao Dan Tsung Mi Lan Xiang oolong in another.
Also, I've discovered a more visually aesthetic way to photo teas.
Tie Guanyin Xiang Hua #oolong has the confident aroma of a lilac tree. I served it ten times today for the same brew, and it was still in its full presence.
Lao Dan Tsung Mi Lan Xiang #oolong once again has confident but still delicate aroma of the burnt tree. It's very different from the previous oolong I mentioned. But it is still that charming.
Today’s #tea is Lao Cha Tou or “Old Tea Heads”. It’s an unusually looking shu #puer tea, which lasts multiple brews. Also, these heads do not split apart.🙂
However, I don’t understand how good it is because I don’t understand #shu puers at all.🙈
The Xiao Zhong #tea. For me, it tasted like the default black (or red) tea. It was similar to the Ceylon tea I am quite familiar with. The only difference I felt was the prolonged aftertaste. I see it as a good basis for every tea collection.
Lew Perin@turbobureaucrat@hachyder
Is it this? https://babelcarp.org/babelcarp/babelcarp.cgi?phrase=zhengshan+xiaozhong&define=1
@babelcarp @tea, hi Lew! I don’t know why, but I didn’t get any notifications about your question.👀
However, I’ve asked the shop where I buy tea, and they’ve said it’s approximately the same, so yes.🙂
Sebastian Dröge 🍵@turbobureaucrat @babelcarp @tea Isn't that one ("Lapsang Souchong") usually quite smoky, and not so much like a default black/red tea?
I guess that's what the "good grades of this tea do not have a tarry aroma" part is about 😅
@slomo @babelcarp @tea, I don't know, and I am a little confused. The synonym of the “Lapsang Souchong” name is “Zhengshan Xiaozhong” according to the link @babelcarp provided. And in my case, it was just “Xiaozhong” without “Zhengshan”.
Moreover, these are two different teas on the website I use to purchase teas on. I think they are not that different, but still “Zhengshan Xiaozhong” is 30% pricier than “Xiaozhong”.
Eric R. Scott@turbobureaucrat @slomo @babelcarp @tea Zhengshan is the place, so maybe it's cheaper because it's not from the typical place of origin for that kind of tea. Also, I think maybe only the made-for-export version of this tea is super smoky. It might be that this was made more for Chinese consumers if it isn't smoky.