Again, sorry for the late reflection! Christmas and friends and family happened.
Anyway, this project was pretty fun. I got to try a wide range of teas– from pu'erh to green– from a variety of places, including Australia and Azores. Some of my favorites were Australia Sencha, China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye', and Gu Ming Xiang Bing. I will admit that a few of my reviews were sub-par though, mostly because I haven't written a review in quite a while and I was rushing occasionally. I'll try to fix that in the future by expanding my tasting portfolio (either through tea or food; most likely the former, since I'm kind of a picky eater) and trying to fit my reviews in my free time. However, because of this project, I have been drinking a lot more tea; every morning, I've been sitting down with my tea set for breakfast and just going through a session with my Dad. I think my next goal/large block of reviews will be to buy a pu'erh tasting set or set of mini tuochas and review all of those, or to review sencha– my sister went to Japan and I paid her to bring me back a large amount of tea from there.
Expect an update after New Years, where I'll probably be talking about what's happened and what I expect in the future. You know, it's hard to believe that I've been working on this blog for almost a year now, and that I've reviewed around 120-130 different teas. Thanks for reading, and have a happy new year!
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 12: Azores Pekoe Black - What-Cha
Azores Pekoe Black - What-Cha
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Thin, long, dark black/brown rolled leaves with a few twigs.
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Last day! I'll probably write a reflection on this tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, even though this is a black tea, I'll be brewing this gongfu style. Today's album is Folie a Deux by Fall Out Boy.
Oddly enough, I think yesterday's oolong tasted more like a black tea (in terms of English breakfast or basic teas like that) than this one. The aroma of this was very smoky, woody, and malty, with the liquid a dark brown amber color. The flavor was actually pretty similar to the smell and surprisingly sour (but again, not as sour as the Australian Sencha), with the wood and smoke notes as the forefront. For some reason (probably the tanginess), I thought it was a bit similar to grapefruit (like the sports drink, Pocari Sweat) or lemon juice. As the brews went on, this fruity flavor became much more prevalent, losing the smoky taste. This tea was one of the shortest lived ones I've had, losing the majority of its flavor at around 4 brews. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, but I think I preferred the oolong from yesterday more. After this tea, I think I actually prefer some black teas brewed gongfu style rather than western style because it gives a much more wide flavor profile and gives the tea a bit more depth.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Thin, long, dark black/brown rolled leaves with a few twigs.
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Last day! I'll probably write a reflection on this tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, even though this is a black tea, I'll be brewing this gongfu style. Today's album is Folie a Deux by Fall Out Boy.
Oddly enough, I think yesterday's oolong tasted more like a black tea (in terms of English breakfast or basic teas like that) than this one. The aroma of this was very smoky, woody, and malty, with the liquid a dark brown amber color. The flavor was actually pretty similar to the smell and surprisingly sour (but again, not as sour as the Australian Sencha), with the wood and smoke notes as the forefront. For some reason (probably the tanginess), I thought it was a bit similar to grapefruit (like the sports drink, Pocari Sweat) or lemon juice. As the brews went on, this fruity flavor became much more prevalent, losing the smoky taste. This tea was one of the shortest lived ones I've had, losing the majority of its flavor at around 4 brews. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, but I think I preferred the oolong from yesterday more. After this tea, I think I actually prefer some black teas brewed gongfu style rather than western style because it gives a much more wide flavor profile and gives the tea a bit more depth.
Misc. Notes:
Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful day. Because it's Christmas Eve, I'll be doing stuff with my family, and as such I'll give the update and reflection tomorrow. Thanks!
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 11: Ceylon Moragalla Oolong - What-Cha
Ceylon Moragalla Oolong - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Long, thin, dark brown tightly rolled leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
It's hard to believe I'm already almost done with this project, and that I've tried almost every tea I've bought during Black Friday; at the time, it looked like so much, but now it doesn't look like much at all. Today's album is The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES.
Interesting tea today; it's more of a black tea than an oolong. Even with short brews, the liquid is a dark golden amber color, with a smell like compost, burnt wood, soy sauce and red wine. The flavor is a bit sour, with earthy and nutty notes. I could also notice a very slight fruity flavor too. It tasted mostly like a black tea (CTC Assam, I'm guessing), with a slight fishy puerh aftertaste. For some reason, I could only think of fuel (kerosene?) when drinking this, mainly because of the smell (it did not taste like kerosene; that would be bad). Oddly, even though I used boiling water, the tea wasn't hot at all; it felt the perfect temperature even after immediately pouring off, and lacked any astringency. The temperature of the room probably played a factor in that. Overall, this tea was surprisingly tasty, and I'd actually suggest trying it with milk and sugar on account of its earthy flavor (it is pretty good on its own, I will admit).
Misc. Notes:
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Long, thin, dark brown tightly rolled leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
It's hard to believe I'm already almost done with this project, and that I've tried almost every tea I've bought during Black Friday; at the time, it looked like so much, but now it doesn't look like much at all. Today's album is The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES.
Interesting tea today; it's more of a black tea than an oolong. Even with short brews, the liquid is a dark golden amber color, with a smell like compost, burnt wood, soy sauce and red wine. The flavor is a bit sour, with earthy and nutty notes. I could also notice a very slight fruity flavor too. It tasted mostly like a black tea (CTC Assam, I'm guessing), with a slight fishy puerh aftertaste. For some reason, I could only think of fuel (kerosene?) when drinking this, mainly because of the smell (it did not taste like kerosene; that would be bad). Oddly, even though I used boiling water, the tea wasn't hot at all; it felt the perfect temperature even after immediately pouring off, and lacked any astringency. The temperature of the room probably played a factor in that. Overall, this tea was surprisingly tasty, and I'd actually suggest trying it with milk and sugar on account of its earthy flavor (it is pretty good on its own, I will admit).
Misc. Notes:
If you noticed, today's review has kind of been half-assed. That's because I've had kind of a bad day and not that much motivation to write. I'll make it up for you guys tomorrow. Sorry.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 10: 2015 Spring 'Gu Ming Xiang Bing' Yiwu-Bulang Blend - Crimson Lotus Tea
Spring 'Gu Ming Xiang Bing' Yiwu-Bulang Blend - Crimson Lotus Tea
Type: Sheng Puerh
Appearance (dry): Compressed chunks and loose pieces of light and dark green, brown, and white leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: ~100°C, 5-10 g, 6s
Rating: A- | 91/100
# of Brews: 9+
Tasting Notes:
Interesting tea today. I'm using around 7-8 g just because I wanted to use the whole sample, and I'll be following the recommended brewing instructions: using boiling water, 3 second wash, then quick 6 second steeps. However, I'll be drinking with my dad today and writing the review after, mainly because I want to focus on just the tea. Today's album is Just Know That I Love You by Priscilla Ahn.
Well, puerh certainly is an acquired taste. For the first few brews, the tea was very, very fishy tasting (not suspicious tasting, but rather like seafood), earthy, and bitter, even with a very short brew time. The liquid was a light amber color, and the leaves definitely smelled like the pile (as in, fermented). However, as brews went on, and as my water temperature decreased, the tea tasted much better; it lost the fishy taste and became a bit sweeter and citrusy. The texture also became more smooth. I stopped at 9 brews since I have to write this review and I'll be going out in an hour, but I'll definitely continue drinking this throughout the day. Overall, I did not like this tea at first, but once the fishiness went away, I enjoyed it very much in the later brews. It had pretty good tea energy, and while I didn't get as tea drunk with this tea as I did with Planet Jingmai, I still liked it (I'm looking forward to drinking more puerh!).
Misc. Notes:
Type: Sheng Puerh
Appearance (dry): Compressed chunks and loose pieces of light and dark green, brown, and white leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: ~100°C, 5-10 g, 6s
Rating: A- | 91/100
# of Brews: 9+
Tasting Notes:
Interesting tea today. I'm using around 7-8 g just because I wanted to use the whole sample, and I'll be following the recommended brewing instructions: using boiling water, 3 second wash, then quick 6 second steeps. However, I'll be drinking with my dad today and writing the review after, mainly because I want to focus on just the tea. Today's album is Just Know That I Love You by Priscilla Ahn.
Well, puerh certainly is an acquired taste. For the first few brews, the tea was very, very fishy tasting (not suspicious tasting, but rather like seafood), earthy, and bitter, even with a very short brew time. The liquid was a light amber color, and the leaves definitely smelled like the pile (as in, fermented). However, as brews went on, and as my water temperature decreased, the tea tasted much better; it lost the fishy taste and became a bit sweeter and citrusy. The texture also became more smooth. I stopped at 9 brews since I have to write this review and I'll be going out in an hour, but I'll definitely continue drinking this throughout the day. Overall, I did not like this tea at first, but once the fishiness went away, I enjoyed it very much in the later brews. It had pretty good tea energy, and while I didn't get as tea drunk with this tea as I did with Planet Jingmai, I still liked it (I'm looking forward to drinking more puerh!).
Misc. Notes:
So, yesterday was pretty fun. Didn't get a massage (will do that today), but I did have dinner with the girlfriend (my parents liked her and it was fun seeing her) and watched Star Wars (surprisingly, really good). Again, not really sure what I'm going to do today; I might finally start those applications, practice my journalist articles for Mock Trial, work on the science fair project, or put together a final study guide for AP Statistics, though. It's hard to believe that I really have no work this break; it turns out I finished all of the work that my teachers were planning to have us do over winter break a long time ago, so I don't really have much to do other than drink tea and watch movies.
Monday, December 21, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 9: India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' - What-Cha
India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, dark green with streaks of brown white rolled & balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+ | 78/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Don't really have any preliminary matters to attend to this review, so today's album is the Oldboy OST by Jo Yeong-wook (as my friends say, I'm always a slut for waltzes, and this soundtrack has quite a few).
From what I've noticed, it looks like a vast majority of Indian teas have a muscatel flavor, and this tea is no exception. The liquid is a golden orange, with an aroma similar to puerh (in terms of the fermented, maybe fishy smell), rain/wet grass, and fruit (perhaps apricot or peach). The texture was generally smooth, but it did dry my throat quite a bit at first. Unexpectedly, one of the strongest flavors at first was cilantro, which was followed by muscatel and finally citrus fruits. Over brews, however, the fruity muscat flavor became the main flavor, accompanied by something I can only describe as sweet dish soap; it was very bitter, then very sweet for a split second (I'm guessing the water temperature was too hot, and I was brewing for too long; this flavor came out once I reached around the 20 second mark). It did lose its dry quality over time, but I ended up stopping at 6 brews because the tea had gotten that bitter. It could go for a few more brews, and I'm guessing if you used a lower temperature water (I'm guessing mine was around 80-90°C) and brewed for shorter times, it would taste quite a bit better. Overall, a decent tea, but I think it requires very specific brewing parameters which, when not followed, make for a pretty terribly tasting tea.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, dark green with streaks of brown white rolled & balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+ | 78/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Don't really have any preliminary matters to attend to this review, so today's album is the Oldboy OST by Jo Yeong-wook (as my friends say, I'm always a slut for waltzes, and this soundtrack has quite a few).
From what I've noticed, it looks like a vast majority of Indian teas have a muscatel flavor, and this tea is no exception. The liquid is a golden orange, with an aroma similar to puerh (in terms of the fermented, maybe fishy smell), rain/wet grass, and fruit (perhaps apricot or peach). The texture was generally smooth, but it did dry my throat quite a bit at first. Unexpectedly, one of the strongest flavors at first was cilantro, which was followed by muscatel and finally citrus fruits. Over brews, however, the fruity muscat flavor became the main flavor, accompanied by something I can only describe as sweet dish soap; it was very bitter, then very sweet for a split second (I'm guessing the water temperature was too hot, and I was brewing for too long; this flavor came out once I reached around the 20 second mark). It did lose its dry quality over time, but I ended up stopping at 6 brews because the tea had gotten that bitter. It could go for a few more brews, and I'm guessing if you used a lower temperature water (I'm guessing mine was around 80-90°C) and brewed for shorter times, it would taste quite a bit better. Overall, a decent tea, but I think it requires very specific brewing parameters which, when not followed, make for a pretty terribly tasting tea.
Misc. Notes:
So, busy day today. I cleaned my room, started prepping for a second round of my experiment and cooked tonkatsu (I got that recipe perfected now, which is great since tonkatsu is one of my favorite Japanese dishes). Later, I'm going to get a massage with the family, have dinner with the girlfriend, and watch Star Wars. I'm pretty excited for it, and also for tomorrow, since I'll be tasting some puerh (the first real puerh I tried was Planet Jingmai, and it set the bar pretty high).
As for the rest of break, still not really sure as to what I should do, but I think I'm going to try and get all of my work/applications done in the first half of this week so I can spend next week and Christmas chilling.
As for the rest of break, still not really sure as to what I should do, but I think I'm going to try and get all of my work/applications done in the first half of this week so I can spend next week and Christmas chilling.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 8: China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' - What-Cha
China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' - What-Cha
Type: Green (flavored)
Appearance (dry): Large pearls (.2 g each), dark green with white streaks
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 11
Tasting Notes:
I'm actually surprised myself on how much green tea I've been drinking; for some reason, I've always felt that I drink way more oolong or black tea, despite the fact that I enjoy a good sencha quite a lot. Regardless, it's always good to try a variety of different types of tea to expand the flavors you've tried. Like yesterday, I'm going to be writing this review after I'm done drinking (I think I prefer doing it that way, since tea with food is pretty damn good). Today's album is XX by the XX.
So, I ended up picking up a sampler of this tea last minute for free shipping, and I don't think I regret it. The leaves/pearls are huge, the smell is amazing (I think jasmine is growing on me), and the flavoring lasts for an absurdly long time. The liquid was mainly a golden orange color with a strong jasmine aroma, only getting darker as time went on. The flavor didn't really change much throughout the entire drinking session; at the forefront were the sweet and floral jasmine notes, and at the end were some short, sour, vegetal (grassy?) notes. As brews went on, the tea became less and less bitter (I will note that this tea is very forgiving in terms of brewing; I used near-boiling water and it still tasting pretty good), and more and more sweet and sour. The texture was smooth for the most part, but by the time I finished, the tea felt like it coated my mouth (which stayed long after drinking). I ended up stopping at a surprising 11 brews today, and it looked like the tea (including the jasmine flavor) could go for a lot more brews. Overall, I liked this tea very much; in my opinion, it's on par with the jasmine oolong from Tea Ave (although I think I like the oolong more because of its creaminess, this one is very enjoyable also).
Misc. Notes:
Type: Green (flavored)
Appearance (dry): Large pearls (.2 g each), dark green with white streaks
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 11
Tasting Notes:
I'm actually surprised myself on how much green tea I've been drinking; for some reason, I've always felt that I drink way more oolong or black tea, despite the fact that I enjoy a good sencha quite a lot. Regardless, it's always good to try a variety of different types of tea to expand the flavors you've tried. Like yesterday, I'm going to be writing this review after I'm done drinking (I think I prefer doing it that way, since tea with food is pretty damn good). Today's album is XX by the XX.
So, I ended up picking up a sampler of this tea last minute for free shipping, and I don't think I regret it. The leaves/pearls are huge, the smell is amazing (I think jasmine is growing on me), and the flavoring lasts for an absurdly long time. The liquid was mainly a golden orange color with a strong jasmine aroma, only getting darker as time went on. The flavor didn't really change much throughout the entire drinking session; at the forefront were the sweet and floral jasmine notes, and at the end were some short, sour, vegetal (grassy?) notes. As brews went on, the tea became less and less bitter (I will note that this tea is very forgiving in terms of brewing; I used near-boiling water and it still tasting pretty good), and more and more sweet and sour. The texture was smooth for the most part, but by the time I finished, the tea felt like it coated my mouth (which stayed long after drinking). I ended up stopping at a surprising 11 brews today, and it looked like the tea (including the jasmine flavor) could go for a lot more brews. Overall, I liked this tea very much; in my opinion, it's on par with the jasmine oolong from Tea Ave (although I think I like the oolong more because of its creaminess, this one is very enjoyable also).
Misc. Notes:
Update on yesterday! I finished up my science fair application, got a haircut (it's eh), bought groceries, and watched a few movies- Oldboy (surprised at how good this was) and Little Witch Academia: Enchanted Parade (oh no I'm getting back into anime). Not really any plans today other than more grocery shopping since my asthma has been acting up and it's been getting cold and rainy outside (for California standards). I'll probably figure something out, though (if I remember, I'll try to make a plan or something for break and put it in the next review).
Saturday, December 19, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 7: Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' - What-Cha
Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' - What-Cha
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small to medium length rolled (pan fried?), basil green leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsp, 10-20 sec
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Again, like Four Seasons, I've already tried this tea before, and so I'll be doing this review after my drinking session (unlike the other teas, so expect this one to be not as detailed). Today's album is Lumine [GST-04] by bansheebeat.
Anyway, this was a pretty decent tea. I ended up having to do flash brews to keep it from getting bitter (essentially, fill the gaiwan with water and immediately pour it off). The liquid was a nice yellow-green (more on the green side), but not as bright as other green teas. There was a strong umami flavor with grass and seaweed notes, and the aftertaste was a slightly sour taste, similar to the Australian Sencha (but not as strong or lasting as long). Over some brews it became a bit sweet, but I didn't really notice the mint flavor other people have noticed. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I ran out of water and it was beginning to lose its flavor. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable green tea– it went great with my breakfast of milkfish, cereal, and yogurt– but I will admit it is a bit standard for a green tea (I think I preferred the Australian Sencha over this).
Misc. Notes:
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small to medium length rolled (pan fried?), basil green leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsp, 10-20 sec
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
Again, like Four Seasons, I've already tried this tea before, and so I'll be doing this review after my drinking session (unlike the other teas, so expect this one to be not as detailed). Today's album is Lumine [GST-04] by bansheebeat.
Anyway, this was a pretty decent tea. I ended up having to do flash brews to keep it from getting bitter (essentially, fill the gaiwan with water and immediately pour it off). The liquid was a nice yellow-green (more on the green side), but not as bright as other green teas. There was a strong umami flavor with grass and seaweed notes, and the aftertaste was a slightly sour taste, similar to the Australian Sencha (but not as strong or lasting as long). Over some brews it became a bit sweet, but I didn't really notice the mint flavor other people have noticed. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I ran out of water and it was beginning to lose its flavor. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable green tea– it went great with my breakfast of milkfish, cereal, and yogurt– but I will admit it is a bit standard for a green tea (I think I preferred the Australian Sencha over this).
Misc. Notes:
Slow day today. My plans for today are mostly just to watch movies (Star Wars maybe?), play some video games, do this review, get a haircut, read/do homework (if I have any), and finish my science fair application (just a risk assessment form that's due tomorrow). I might also start those internship applications, but hey, it's the first day of break and I should try to relax. Have a nice day!
Friday, December 18, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 6: Jasmine Oolong - Tea Ave
Jasmine Oolong - Tea Ave
Type: Oolong (flavored)
Appearance (dry): Medium to large dark green balls of oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 8g, start at 1 min +30 sec each brew.
Rating: A | 93/100
# of Brews: 8
Tasting Notes:
So, it turns out that all of the Tea Ave samples I have are all 3 grams of tea, so I'll just be working with that instead of the planned 5 grams today (sorry!). Along with that, I'll be using a tasting set instead of the usual gaiwan, since I think it'll work better with the smaller amount of leaf and flavor, and since it will also give me more brews for the same amount of water. Today's album is a mashup album/mixtape by Starcadian; just released today, hear it at: https://www.mixcloud.com/lamusiquesismique/lms-mixtape-n2-starcadian/ .
Anyway, I started without a rinse this time and brewed for a full minute. The aroma was undoubtedly jasmine, but it was also very, very fruity and candy-like. The liquid was a light yellow; in relation, the flavor on the first few brews hadn't come out– all I could notice was the jasmine and perhaps a very light creaminess from the Jin Xuan base. However, it did leave a very sweet aftertaste in my mouth, and had a smooth texture. Over brews, the liquid became a much more bright yellow green, and the floral notes– both in the aroma and taste– became more pronounced. It did lose that sweet aftertaste, but in general, the body of the tea was sweet. I also noticed some sour and definitely grassy notes which appeared at the end of the taste; in my opinion, it complemented the sweet, floral taste of the tea very well and added a bit of depth to it. Over time, it became more savory in flavor– it had lost its sweetness– but it gained the milk flavor of Jin Xuan, and retained the creamy jasmine from the beginning (it was not, however, as creamy or sweet as their rose or plain Jin Xuan oolong). I ended up stopping at 8 brews, but it looked like the tea could go for a few more.
Like most Tea Ave teas, this tea suffers from a lack of flavor, most likely from the small amount of leaf I used. I've also noticed that Tea Ave's teas tend to do the best with a large amount of leaf over many brews because they have absurdly large leaves (in fact, by the time I finished brewing today, one leaf was maybe 2 inches; they're huge), and the flavor just tends to be weak in general at the beginning. However, as brewing continues, their teas tend to last a very long time, even in western brewing, staying strong in flavor (in fact, one time, I brought about 10g of Rose Oolong to a Chinese restaurant once, and it lasted the entire night in a tea pot, brewing the entire time). Overall, I enjoyed this tea very much, even though I'm not that much of a Jasmine kind of guy; as I said before, I prefer rose a lot more. However, while I did think it was fun to drink, I noticed that it lacks complexity in flavor, but it does make up for it by just being a tasty tea.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Oolong (flavored)
Appearance (dry): Medium to large dark green balls of oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 100°C, 8g, start at 1 min +30 sec each brew.
Rating: A | 93/100
# of Brews: 8
Tasting Notes:
So, it turns out that all of the Tea Ave samples I have are all 3 grams of tea, so I'll just be working with that instead of the planned 5 grams today (sorry!). Along with that, I'll be using a tasting set instead of the usual gaiwan, since I think it'll work better with the smaller amount of leaf and flavor, and since it will also give me more brews for the same amount of water. Today's album is a mashup album/mixtape by Starcadian; just released today, hear it at: https://www.mixcloud.com/lamusiquesismique/lms-mixtape-n2-starcadian/ .
Anyway, I started without a rinse this time and brewed for a full minute. The aroma was undoubtedly jasmine, but it was also very, very fruity and candy-like. The liquid was a light yellow; in relation, the flavor on the first few brews hadn't come out– all I could notice was the jasmine and perhaps a very light creaminess from the Jin Xuan base. However, it did leave a very sweet aftertaste in my mouth, and had a smooth texture. Over brews, the liquid became a much more bright yellow green, and the floral notes– both in the aroma and taste– became more pronounced. It did lose that sweet aftertaste, but in general, the body of the tea was sweet. I also noticed some sour and definitely grassy notes which appeared at the end of the taste; in my opinion, it complemented the sweet, floral taste of the tea very well and added a bit of depth to it. Over time, it became more savory in flavor– it had lost its sweetness– but it gained the milk flavor of Jin Xuan, and retained the creamy jasmine from the beginning (it was not, however, as creamy or sweet as their rose or plain Jin Xuan oolong). I ended up stopping at 8 brews, but it looked like the tea could go for a few more.
Like most Tea Ave teas, this tea suffers from a lack of flavor, most likely from the small amount of leaf I used. I've also noticed that Tea Ave's teas tend to do the best with a large amount of leaf over many brews because they have absurdly large leaves (in fact, by the time I finished brewing today, one leaf was maybe 2 inches; they're huge), and the flavor just tends to be weak in general at the beginning. However, as brewing continues, their teas tend to last a very long time, even in western brewing, staying strong in flavor (in fact, one time, I brought about 10g of Rose Oolong to a Chinese restaurant once, and it lasted the entire night in a tea pot, brewing the entire time). Overall, I enjoyed this tea very much, even though I'm not that much of a Jasmine kind of guy; as I said before, I prefer rose a lot more. However, while I did think it was fun to drink, I noticed that it lacks complexity in flavor, but it does make up for it by just being a tasty tea.
Misc. Notes:
Despite it being the last day of school before break, and a minimum day at that, today was surprisingly uneventful. I had class, went home early, had a nap (because of a headache), played some video games and watched videos/browsed the internet, watched Lee Daniels' The Butler (I actually liked it quite a bit), and am now writing this review. In fact, I actually still had that headache at the start of this review, but by the end, it's gone (I can't tell if it's because I was relaxed or because of the tea).
As for what I'm going to do over break, I'm not entirely sure. I am going to fill out a few applications for summer internships and write the essays (for both those internships and for a homestay in Japan over summer), work on my science fair project (the one with slime mold), read some books (When Marnie was There probably), drink tea, study/prepare for finals, work on writing that story with my girlfriend, hang out with people or just go outside, and just relax. I'll give updates on how that goes. Wish me luck!
As for what I'm going to do over break, I'm not entirely sure. I am going to fill out a few applications for summer internships and write the essays (for both those internships and for a homestay in Japan over summer), work on my science fair project (the one with slime mold), read some books (When Marnie was There probably), drink tea, study/prepare for finals, work on writing that story with my girlfriend, hang out with people or just go outside, and just relax. I'll give updates on how that goes. Wish me luck!
Thursday, December 17, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 5: Four Seasons - What-Cha
Four Seasons - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large, dark yellow-green balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 1-2 min
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
So, I've actually already tried this tea before; it was one of the first teas I tried when my package from What-Cha came in. It was good, but I don't think I really paid that much attention at the time (which is what this review is for!). Today's album is Sunglasses & Solar Flares by the Y Axes.
From the first brew, the liquid was a clear, light yellow with an aroma similar to a roasted oolong (Tie guan yin?) and the sticky rice tea I've had before. The flavor was very smooth, with a very prevalent buttery, caramel taste. It was sweet, but not as sweet or creamy as other teas such as Jin Xuan (both flavored and unflavored). It did slightly dry my throat, and the buttery flavor lingered in my mouth as an aftertaste. Over brews, the color and aroma barely changed, only becoming very slightly darker. The flavor, on the other hand, became more sweet, but the aftertaste had gained a vegetal/grassy, slightly tangy note. The rice– possibly the sticky rice– also was much more noticeable in both the flavor and aftertaste. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I'm feeling a bit tired (staying up late for the last week is catching up with me), but it looks like the leaves haven't actually fully unfurled, meaning that this tea could go for a large number of brews. Overall, I like this tea because it's a nice in between an unroasted and roasted oolong, with a sweet finish; however, like some of the other teas I've tried this project, it doesn't really have a taste that pops out at me.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large, dark yellow-green balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 1-2 min
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6
Tasting Notes:
So, I've actually already tried this tea before; it was one of the first teas I tried when my package from What-Cha came in. It was good, but I don't think I really paid that much attention at the time (which is what this review is for!). Today's album is Sunglasses & Solar Flares by the Y Axes.
From the first brew, the liquid was a clear, light yellow with an aroma similar to a roasted oolong (Tie guan yin?) and the sticky rice tea I've had before. The flavor was very smooth, with a very prevalent buttery, caramel taste. It was sweet, but not as sweet or creamy as other teas such as Jin Xuan (both flavored and unflavored). It did slightly dry my throat, and the buttery flavor lingered in my mouth as an aftertaste. Over brews, the color and aroma barely changed, only becoming very slightly darker. The flavor, on the other hand, became more sweet, but the aftertaste had gained a vegetal/grassy, slightly tangy note. The rice– possibly the sticky rice– also was much more noticeable in both the flavor and aftertaste. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I'm feeling a bit tired (staying up late for the last week is catching up with me), but it looks like the leaves haven't actually fully unfurled, meaning that this tea could go for a large number of brews. Overall, I like this tea because it's a nice in between an unroasted and roasted oolong, with a sweet finish; however, like some of the other teas I've tried this project, it doesn't really have a taste that pops out at me.
Misc. Notes:
Woohoo! I'm finally done with all of my tests before winter break, and I think I did pretty well on them since they were mostly easy. I don't think I'll be writing much today, though, since I'm super tired and am kinda spacing out while writing this whole review. Sorry! Tomorrow will be better though, since school ends at 12:40.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 4: Nepal First Flush Oolong - What-Cha
Nepal First Flush Oolong - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Rolled, brown, white, and olive drab leaves of medium to small size
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 2 tsps, 60-90 sec
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
Hey! Short review today because I just got home from Mock Trial (oh hey, I need to give an update on that sometime) and have 4 tests to study for. Today's album is Sounds of System Breakdown's self-titled album. In my opinion, an average album (SOSB has some other good albums/singles), but some of the songs in it make up for the rest: namely, Underneath the Floorboards and Love's Only Chemicals.
Anyway, just from looking at this tea, I could notice quite a few similarities to Oriental Beauty. The leaves had similar colors, albeit smaller, and the first brews had a very similar aroma. It had the citrus notes of Oriental Beauty, but seemed much more malty or earthy (similar to a black tea). The flavor was interesting, to say the least. It was in the middle between a roasted oolong and a black tea, with notes such as malt, citrus, and muscatel; it also dried my throat and coated my mouth after drinking, similar to other black teas. The liquid was a light gold color, but as brews went on, it changed to a darker, more amber color. Over time, it began to become much more drying, but more and more fruity (in fact, it tasted almost the same as Muscat tea from Lupicia, which is flavored; this is not). There were also light smoky undertones, which complemented the muscatel flavor. I ended up stopping at the 5th brew because of time, but it looked like the tea could go for a few more brews (it had begun to lose its color, however). Overall, it's an average tea, but it's not really my cup, especially because it became really astringent/dry over time.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Rolled, brown, white, and olive drab leaves of medium to small size
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 2 tsps, 60-90 sec
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
Hey! Short review today because I just got home from Mock Trial (oh hey, I need to give an update on that sometime) and have 4 tests to study for. Today's album is Sounds of System Breakdown's self-titled album. In my opinion, an average album (SOSB has some other good albums/singles), but some of the songs in it make up for the rest: namely, Underneath the Floorboards and Love's Only Chemicals.
Anyway, just from looking at this tea, I could notice quite a few similarities to Oriental Beauty. The leaves had similar colors, albeit smaller, and the first brews had a very similar aroma. It had the citrus notes of Oriental Beauty, but seemed much more malty or earthy (similar to a black tea). The flavor was interesting, to say the least. It was in the middle between a roasted oolong and a black tea, with notes such as malt, citrus, and muscatel; it also dried my throat and coated my mouth after drinking, similar to other black teas. The liquid was a light gold color, but as brews went on, it changed to a darker, more amber color. Over time, it began to become much more drying, but more and more fruity (in fact, it tasted almost the same as Muscat tea from Lupicia, which is flavored; this is not). There were also light smoky undertones, which complemented the muscatel flavor. I ended up stopping at the 5th brew because of time, but it looked like the tea could go for a few more brews (it had begun to lose its color, however). Overall, it's an average tea, but it's not really my cup, especially because it became really astringent/dry over time.
Misc. Notes:
Nothing much to say, really. School was alright, but after school was pretty fun. The girlfriend bought me pizza (not my choice; she insisted), and we studied SAT math. I'm actually feeling pretty confident about the math now, since it looks like most of my issues come from not focusing hard enough/not reading closely. As for tomorrow, I just need to study for quite a few tests– English (essay, vocab, and possibly a reading test), Biotechnology (DNA!), Statistics (sample proportions and means, not too hard but still), and Precalculus (not sure how I feel about this considering how I've been doing on my homework, but I've been doing pretty well on tests so far so not too worried)– so I'm going to be staying up a bit late tonight. Wish me luck! Once I'm done, I can finally relax for winter break. Oh, and also, I've started applications to summer internships (mainly Stanford and the Arthritis Foundation), so wish me luck on those too!
PS: Also, I've finally figured out my schedule for next year after talking to a few people; I'll be taking (or applying to) Comp Civics, Science Research, AP Chem, Video Production, AP Literature, and AP Gov/Macro.
PS: Also, I've finally figured out my schedule for next year after talking to a few people; I'll be taking (or applying to) Comp Civics, Science Research, AP Chem, Video Production, AP Literature, and AP Gov/Macro.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 3: Australia Sencha - What-Cha
Australia Sencha - What-Cha
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large/long, rolled green tea leaves with some light green and brown stems (?)
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsps, 30-45 secs
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
Woo, an unusual sencha! For this tea, I'll be back to the originally planned brewing parameters: 5 grams of tea, estimated water temperature, in a gaiwan. Today's album is After the Lights Failed by Curious Quail; I've seen these guys a few times live and each time has been pretty great, since a lot of the gigs they have are more personal due to less people showing up and smaller venues.
Anyway, since this is a sencha, I'll be using short brews, starting at 10 seconds and adding 5 seconds each brew. The first few brews were a very bright green, with an aroma similar to stewed or corned beef, dried seaweed, and string beans. Drinking it, I noticed that it was a bit tart (it was actually one of the most sour green teas I've had, and I felt it all on the back of my tongue which was interesting), with flavors similar to grass and citrus. In fact, the sour taste lingered in my mouth long after drinking, with some fruity (maybe blueberry?) notes appearing. Over brews, the color became much brighter and yellow, and the corn flavor that was described on the packaging began to come out. The tart, citrus flavor gave way to the corn and something I can only describe as rice, but I could still notice it in the back of my throat. It also became much sweeter and grassier, but retained a smooth texture throughout (it did make my mouth feel dry by the time I did finish brewing, however). I eventually stopped at 5 brews, since I ran out of water and have work to do, but the tea was still going strong. Overall, a very interesting sencha that I'll be sure to drink of more.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large/long, rolled green tea leaves with some light green and brown stems (?)
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsps, 30-45 secs
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
Woo, an unusual sencha! For this tea, I'll be back to the originally planned brewing parameters: 5 grams of tea, estimated water temperature, in a gaiwan. Today's album is After the Lights Failed by Curious Quail; I've seen these guys a few times live and each time has been pretty great, since a lot of the gigs they have are more personal due to less people showing up and smaller venues.
Anyway, since this is a sencha, I'll be using short brews, starting at 10 seconds and adding 5 seconds each brew. The first few brews were a very bright green, with an aroma similar to stewed or corned beef, dried seaweed, and string beans. Drinking it, I noticed that it was a bit tart (it was actually one of the most sour green teas I've had, and I felt it all on the back of my tongue which was interesting), with flavors similar to grass and citrus. In fact, the sour taste lingered in my mouth long after drinking, with some fruity (maybe blueberry?) notes appearing. Over brews, the color became much brighter and yellow, and the corn flavor that was described on the packaging began to come out. The tart, citrus flavor gave way to the corn and something I can only describe as rice, but I could still notice it in the back of my throat. It also became much sweeter and grassier, but retained a smooth texture throughout (it did make my mouth feel dry by the time I did finish brewing, however). I eventually stopped at 5 brews, since I ran out of water and have work to do, but the tea was still going strong. Overall, a very interesting sencha that I'll be sure to drink of more.
Misc. Notes:
So, apologies for the bad formatting. Like I've said before, this was a very last minute thing and I haven't had the time to fix everything to a more reader-friendly look (I will eventually go back and fix the formatting, but for now, I'm going to leave it until I'm done with tests). Anyway, today I'm just going to be finishing up homework so I can spend most of the day tomorrow studying for tests, doing mock trial stuff, and hanging out with the girlfriend.
But, also, I've been trying to figure out my schedule for next year; I'm planning on taking Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, AP Lit, Competition Civics, AP Gov/Macro, and Video Production. The issue is that I only have 6 periods and I have to take an art (Video Production- except apparently the teacher that will be taking over sucks), English (AP Lit), and a social studies class (AP Gov/Macro). I have to choose to drop Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, or Comp Civics, but I want to take all of those classes- Science research because I plan to have a career in that and I am especially interested in the subject, AP Chem because of, again, science and I haven't taken chemistry yet, AP Calc because a lot of sciences use calculus, and Comp Civics because I enjoy the subject. And I can't just take A period because I'm going to go crazy with stress and lack of sleep if I do take that. I just don't know.
But, also, I've been trying to figure out my schedule for next year; I'm planning on taking Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, AP Lit, Competition Civics, AP Gov/Macro, and Video Production. The issue is that I only have 6 periods and I have to take an art (Video Production- except apparently the teacher that will be taking over sucks), English (AP Lit), and a social studies class (AP Gov/Macro). I have to choose to drop Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, or Comp Civics, but I want to take all of those classes- Science research because I plan to have a career in that and I am especially interested in the subject, AP Chem because of, again, science and I haven't taken chemistry yet, AP Calc because a lot of sciences use calculus, and Comp Civics because I enjoy the subject. And I can't just take A period because I'm going to go crazy with stress and lack of sleep if I do take that. I just don't know.
Monday, December 14, 2015
12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 2: Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight - What-Cha
Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight - What-Cha
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, curled, dark reddish-brown leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+* | 79/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
This tea is actually one of the few that I didn't pick up at Black Friday. I think I bought this during Summer when What-Cha was selling them for 1p, and I'm now finally getting to drinking it. Personally, one of the reasons why I haven't gotten to this one is because I don't really drink black tea gongfu style (I usually only drink stuff like English Breakfast or flavored black teas western style). Anyway, since this is a Western black tea, I will be breaking my brewing parameters once again; this will be brewed with the tasting set, with 5 grams and +5 seconds each brew from 10 seconds. No specific album today while drinking, but I suggest the album Sky Parade [GST-05] by Galaxy Swim Team (another solid chip album).
So, from the first brew, this tea was already very earthy and smoky. The brew was a dark gold/amber color, with a smell similar to soy sauce. Along with the earthy and smoky notes, the tea was just very bitter (leading me to lower the brew time significantly) and tasted very similar to wood. I could also pick up some nutty notes, such as hazelnut, which combined with a sort of vegetal (asparagus? or just soupy) flavor to create a slightly sour taste. The later brews brought out the fruity, muscatel notes which were pleasing, but I eventually stopped at the fifth brew. This was due to a variety of factors- mainly the brew style and the time of day (I'm multitasking right now, since I have a bit of homework).
*Despite the flaws that I found with this tea, I think that it is actually a pretty good tea. The only reason it tasted overwhelmingly bitter was almost all my fault, since I think I used too much tea, not enough water, and long brewing times (in relation to the ratio). If you brew it according to the parameters on the container, I think it would taste great as a breakfast tea, with milk and sweeteners.
Misc. Notes:
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, curled, dark reddish-brown leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+* | 79/100
# of Brews: 5
Tasting Notes:
This tea is actually one of the few that I didn't pick up at Black Friday. I think I bought this during Summer when What-Cha was selling them for 1p, and I'm now finally getting to drinking it. Personally, one of the reasons why I haven't gotten to this one is because I don't really drink black tea gongfu style (I usually only drink stuff like English Breakfast or flavored black teas western style). Anyway, since this is a Western black tea, I will be breaking my brewing parameters once again; this will be brewed with the tasting set, with 5 grams and +5 seconds each brew from 10 seconds. No specific album today while drinking, but I suggest the album Sky Parade [GST-05] by Galaxy Swim Team (another solid chip album).
So, from the first brew, this tea was already very earthy and smoky. The brew was a dark gold/amber color, with a smell similar to soy sauce. Along with the earthy and smoky notes, the tea was just very bitter (leading me to lower the brew time significantly) and tasted very similar to wood. I could also pick up some nutty notes, such as hazelnut, which combined with a sort of vegetal (asparagus? or just soupy) flavor to create a slightly sour taste. The later brews brought out the fruity, muscatel notes which were pleasing, but I eventually stopped at the fifth brew. This was due to a variety of factors- mainly the brew style and the time of day (I'm multitasking right now, since I have a bit of homework).
*Despite the flaws that I found with this tea, I think that it is actually a pretty good tea. The only reason it tasted overwhelmingly bitter was almost all my fault, since I think I used too much tea, not enough water, and long brewing times (in relation to the ratio). If you brew it according to the parameters on the container, I think it would taste great as a breakfast tea, with milk and sweeteners.
Misc. Notes:
Well, today was pretty eventful. Had class, went to work (asked the first of many teachers to write a letter of recommendation for a summer internship, and she said yes!), bought chocolate chips at the grocery store, went to piano class, baked cookies, and then did this review. I tried making some chocolate krinkles (a recipe from one of my aunts) without the cocoa powder, instead substituting it with chocolate chips. Instead of getting the intended result, I ended up with a dry, airy hybrid between a cake and cookie. Lesson learned, though. Anyway, there's day 2! Personally, I rushed a bit through this review because of all of the stuff I stated before, and wasn't really paying attention to the tea. When I tried the tea before, though, I thought it wasn't half bad- it was certainly worth the 1p I spent on it (thanks What-Cha!).
Sunday, December 13, 2015
12 Days of Christ-Tea-Mas - Day 1: Wenshan Baochong - Tea Ave
Wenshan Baochong - Tea Ave
Type: Unroasted Oolong
Appearance (dry): Dark green, rolled leaves with a large spread in sizes
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C water, 10g(?) of tea, steep up to 30 sec
Rating: B | 83/100
# of Brews: 8
Tasting Notes:
Well, Day 1 and I already violated the brewing parameters I set for myself; I was given a sampler of this tea when I bought some Rose Oolong and a gaiwan, and it turns out that it only has 3 grams of tea. Anyway, it was a free sampler, so who cares. Today's album is he's not with us anymore by casio dad; pretty good chip-rock album, and it's free.
So, from the first brew, there was a very strong, sweet floral aroma- mainly, jasmine and roses- and the liquid was a surprising bright yellow-green. The flavor was similar to a tieguanyin, but not as roasted or astringent; rather it was smooth, brothy, and floral, like its smell. I could definitely taste the jasmine that was in the aroma. However, as time went on, it began to lose the floral notes and became more soup-like (in terms of viscosity and flavor); by the 4th brew, I could notice flavors such as cabbage, herbs (I'm guessing sage?), and a faint sweetness. However, by the 6th, the tea had begun to lose its flavor, but had gained sort of a Chinese-origin matcha (in terms of sweetness and floral notes). I stopped at brew #8, but it looks like it could go for a few more. Overall, a good tea, but it's a bit average for my preferences, mainly because it didn't really have any qualities that popped out to me.
Misc. Notes:
So, for these reviews, I'm going to go back to my original format in which I'll put the basic info (appearance, recommended brew parameters, a rating, number of brews, etc.) and a short section about flavor and how I brewed it. On another note, nice day today. Super strong winds and rain since I woke up to the time I'm writing this review. I'm mostly just going to do homework today, bake some stuff for friends, and head to UC Berkeley to finish up the sleep study (just an interview; I have another one at 6 months, and another at a year, and I'll be completely done!). See you guys tomorrow.
Type: Unroasted Oolong
Appearance (dry): Dark green, rolled leaves with a large spread in sizes
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C water, 10g(?) of tea, steep up to 30 sec
Rating: B | 83/100
# of Brews: 8
Tasting Notes:
Well, Day 1 and I already violated the brewing parameters I set for myself; I was given a sampler of this tea when I bought some Rose Oolong and a gaiwan, and it turns out that it only has 3 grams of tea. Anyway, it was a free sampler, so who cares. Today's album is he's not with us anymore by casio dad; pretty good chip-rock album, and it's free.
So, from the first brew, there was a very strong, sweet floral aroma- mainly, jasmine and roses- and the liquid was a surprising bright yellow-green. The flavor was similar to a tieguanyin, but not as roasted or astringent; rather it was smooth, brothy, and floral, like its smell. I could definitely taste the jasmine that was in the aroma. However, as time went on, it began to lose the floral notes and became more soup-like (in terms of viscosity and flavor); by the 4th brew, I could notice flavors such as cabbage, herbs (I'm guessing sage?), and a faint sweetness. However, by the 6th, the tea had begun to lose its flavor, but had gained sort of a Chinese-origin matcha (in terms of sweetness and floral notes). I stopped at brew #8, but it looks like it could go for a few more. Overall, a good tea, but it's a bit average for my preferences, mainly because it didn't really have any qualities that popped out to me.
Misc. Notes:
So, for these reviews, I'm going to go back to my original format in which I'll put the basic info (appearance, recommended brew parameters, a rating, number of brews, etc.) and a short section about flavor and how I brewed it. On another note, nice day today. Super strong winds and rain since I woke up to the time I'm writing this review. I'm mostly just going to do homework today, bake some stuff for friends, and head to UC Berkeley to finish up the sleep study (just an interview; I have another one at 6 months, and another at a year, and I'll be completely done!). See you guys tomorrow.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Welcome to the 12 Days of Chris-tea-mas!
Original name, yes, I know, but this was kind of a last minute thing.
Anyway, as I stated before, I'll be reviewing 12 different teas- essentially the teas I bought during Black Friday- in the days leading up to Christmas. There will be 1 review a day, starting tomorrow, and hopefully I'll finish on Christmas Eve.
As for brewing parameters, I'll be using:
-5 grams of tea
I finally got a balance/scale, so I can control that now! I still need to get a thermometer though.
-Varied temperature; depends on the tea
I'll be using boiling water from the tap, waiting for it to cool down to the recommended temperature on the packaging (I'll just be guessing the temperature, for the most part). I'll write down the actual specifics/recommendations for brewing on each review, though.
-A porcelain gaiwan
The new one from Tea Ave I bought; honestly, though, I just really want to use it. I'd use the competition tasting set, but I think I'll need a thermometer (or just use boiling water only) if I truly want to make everything equal. But, since I want to try enjoying and learning the tea, I'll be using a gaiwan.
-Varied brew time; depending on the tea, I'll most likely start from 10-15 seconds and working my way up
Since I'll be tasting a variety of teas in this (puerh, oolongs, greens, and blacks!), I can't really use the same brew times. I will include the exact times I used in the reviews, however.
And finally, here's the lineup:
Day 1. Tea Ave's Wenshan Baochong oolong
2. What-Cha's Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight black
3. What-Cha's Australia Sencha green
4. What-Cha's Nepal First Flush oolong
5. What-Cha's Four Seasons oolong
6. Tea Ave's Jasmine oolong
7. What-Cha's Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' green
8. What-Cha's China Fujian Jasmin 'Phoenix Eye' green
9. What-Cha's India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' oolong
10. Crimson Lotus Tea's 2015 Spring 'Gu Ming Xiang Bing' Yiwu-Bulang Blend sheng puerh
11. What-Cha's Ceylon Moragalla oolong
12. What-Cha's Azores Pekoe black
I promise I'll try to make this work, but I apologize if I miss a review. I have school this upcoming week, and some tests, so studying or extracurriculars may eat into tea time. Thanks for reading, though!
Anyway, as I stated before, I'll be reviewing 12 different teas- essentially the teas I bought during Black Friday- in the days leading up to Christmas. There will be 1 review a day, starting tomorrow, and hopefully I'll finish on Christmas Eve.
As for brewing parameters, I'll be using:
-5 grams of tea
I finally got a balance/scale, so I can control that now! I still need to get a thermometer though.
-Varied temperature; depends on the tea
I'll be using boiling water from the tap, waiting for it to cool down to the recommended temperature on the packaging (I'll just be guessing the temperature, for the most part). I'll write down the actual specifics/recommendations for brewing on each review, though.
-A porcelain gaiwan
The new one from Tea Ave I bought; honestly, though, I just really want to use it. I'd use the competition tasting set, but I think I'll need a thermometer (or just use boiling water only) if I truly want to make everything equal. But, since I want to try enjoying and learning the tea, I'll be using a gaiwan.
-Varied brew time; depending on the tea, I'll most likely start from 10-15 seconds and working my way up
Since I'll be tasting a variety of teas in this (puerh, oolongs, greens, and blacks!), I can't really use the same brew times. I will include the exact times I used in the reviews, however.
And finally, here's the lineup:
Day 1. Tea Ave's Wenshan Baochong oolong
2. What-Cha's Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight black
3. What-Cha's Australia Sencha green
4. What-Cha's Nepal First Flush oolong
5. What-Cha's Four Seasons oolong
6. Tea Ave's Jasmine oolong
7. What-Cha's Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' green
8. What-Cha's China Fujian Jasmin 'Phoenix Eye' green
9. What-Cha's India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' oolong
10. Crimson Lotus Tea's 2015 Spring 'Gu Ming Xiang Bing' Yiwu-Bulang Blend sheng puerh
11. What-Cha's Ceylon Moragalla oolong
12. What-Cha's Azores Pekoe black
I promise I'll try to make this work, but I apologize if I miss a review. I have school this upcoming week, and some tests, so studying or extracurriculars may eat into tea time. Thanks for reading, though!
What's Going On? (Life Update - Part 2) 12/12/15
Well, here's an update for the past 2-3 months! There's a ton of stuff that happened, but I'll try to remember the important stuff. Apologies for the lack of updates and the length of this post.
As for school/schoolwork, it's been going pretty well. I can handle my course load decently, because of I've gotten better at time management (thanks sleep study!) and I've been pulling pretty good grades. In fact, as of right now, I have As in every class except AP US History, in which I have a B+ (I bombed an essay, and have been trying to recover since). The main thing I think I need to practice on is my writing, especially just essays under pressure (that reminds me; I got a 2050 on the SAT, which is OK but I'd prefer getting something closer to my high score of 2200). Anyway, since Winter break is this coming week- it starts the 18th/19th- I can finally relax because I finished all of the work for my hard classes last week and I only have tests for my easy ones.
Extracurriculars, on the other hand, have been quite a doozy lately. The fact that I'm actually doing stuff (compared to last year around this time), combined with the fact that I am kind of freaking out over what I should do because colleges are a thing (a very, very big thing at my school to add), has been quite a dilemma. Essentially, I have 3 main things I do: piano, tutoring (I got a job!), and Mock Trial. Piano, like usual, is Mondays; I've just been practicing recital pieces for Spring. As for tutoring, I go to my old middle school and for an hour after school help kids in the library do homework. It pays relatively well ($10/hr), but I only work 2 hours a week so overall my paycheck isn't amazing, but it's something. Most of the time kids are in there doing homework on their own because their parents are working or something, and I usually end up tutoring Chinese kids in English, Math, or History (most of the people there are in English Learner's classes). Finally, for Mock Trial, I think it's been going pretty well. As a journalist, I haven't been really doing much (I'm actually procrastinating on an article I should write), but overall, the team is great. We went against another team for the first time today in San Francisco and that was pretty fun (except for something that happened at the end; I'll expand on it below). One of their defense attorneys was pretty cute, too.
Anyway, as for other extracurricular things, I'm currently trying to figure that out. Instead of a lot of the people I know at my school, I want to do activities that pertain to things I'm interested in (science, mainly biotech and statistics, and tea!). But, since this is the Bay Area, and I'm from a wealthy area, getting work like internships is very competitive. I'm currently trying to apply for some lab internships at Stanford/UCSF, but they're due in February and I have to get letters of recommendation, my transcript, things like that. In the same vein, I've been working on my science fair project for this year: using slime mold to measure the efficiency of public transport and roadways and design a better version. So far, I've only done most of the application paperwork and tested it out with BART, and I've had decent results (turns out BART is pretty efficient as it is; the main thing the slime mold changed was the connection of the Dublin/Pleasanton line to Bay Fair. Instead it connected to South Hayward, and also connected SFO to OAK, which would be interesting). Oh, and finally, the sleep study has been working well. Barring the past few days, since I've had a lot of stuff happening, I've been sleeping at around 10:30 PM and waking up at 7 AM, with no naps. It's been working surprisingly well, which I'm happy with.
So, how about friends and relationships? The friend group of last year has partly dissolved, but it's alright; we're all friends for the most part, but just have busy schedules. There's been quite a bit of drama which I'd rather not go into, but mainly it revolves around dating, relationships, and people interpreting things the wrong way and getting offended. One thing I've been pretty happy with though is I've made a few more friends (gasp- seniors!) because of mutual classes and my old friend group is wanting to hang out together over break. Anyway, remember how I dated that one girl, who broke up with me, and then went to Homecoming with someone else (I'd rather not remember homecoming, but oh well)? Well, funny story. The guy she went to Homecoming with, she ended up dating, which turned out horribly, and well, now we're back together. I guess it's not really socially acceptable for her to do that, but it's OK. One thing though is that most of the time (it really depends on the time, place, or how I feel), I don't like doing public displays of affection since I feel kind of uncomfortable with it, but my girlfriend enjoys them and wants to do them often. I don't know why I don't like them, but I think it might be the attention that you draw with them (and also the fact that some of our friends are super nosy or touchy? about it, considering all of the relationship drama that has happened lately). Also, this is a bit unrelated, but I've been practicing my creative writing & writing skills with her on a Google doc, which is fun. But, anyway, that's that.
On that note, here's what I've been doing lately that's unrelated to the above. I'm alright in terms of health, but I'm in the process of changing my diet due to issues with my digestion. I've also been cycling a lot more with my Dad because that's his hobby now, but since it's been quite cold in the mornings (even for California) and I've had projects and stuff, I haven't biked that often as I'd like. Oh, and our mountain bike got stolen at the BART today during the Mock Trial scrimmage- someone cut the cable lock and took it- which kind of sucks, but oh well; it was an old bike, we haven't been using it, and hopefully the person that stole it is going to use it or needs the money for something meaningful (not drugs). I'm going to start saving up the money I'm getting from tutoring so I can surprise my dad with a new mountain bike, hopefully for Christmas. Other than that, I've just been listening to a lot of music: I got some more records (the new Protomen single), went to an amazing concert (Curious Quail, the Y Axes, Dangermaker, Please Do Not Fight/Zen Zenith, Picture Atlantic), and have been downloading/buying new stuff. My girlfriend and I are also planning to try and start a tea-based charity and are currently in the process of figuring out paperwork and organization and everything. From what I envision, it'll mostly just be us setting up booths at town events, brewing tea gongfu style for people for free, possibly selling other tea drinks like milk tea, and asking for tips. All proceeds will go to some charity- maybe one in China, because tea- and since I have a ton of tea already, and am somewhat middle class, I'll be fine with losing money on this; after all, I'll be happy just because I'll be making tea for people and helping people out with the funds. I'll give updates on that, but it might just turn into a small thing where I put up a table at street fairs (after applying for one) as an unofficial group/organization and give whatever money we make to charity.
And finally, I have some tea news. Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing the 12 Days of Chris-tea-mas, in which I'll be starting up reviews again: a different tea every day until Christmas Eve. I have been drinking quite a bit of tea lately, but haven't practiced my reviews, so this'll be fun. Anyway, I'll post the info and lineup and everything in an info post later.
Thanks for reading!
As for school/schoolwork, it's been going pretty well. I can handle my course load decently, because of I've gotten better at time management (thanks sleep study!) and I've been pulling pretty good grades. In fact, as of right now, I have As in every class except AP US History, in which I have a B+ (I bombed an essay, and have been trying to recover since). The main thing I think I need to practice on is my writing, especially just essays under pressure (that reminds me; I got a 2050 on the SAT, which is OK but I'd prefer getting something closer to my high score of 2200). Anyway, since Winter break is this coming week- it starts the 18th/19th- I can finally relax because I finished all of the work for my hard classes last week and I only have tests for my easy ones.
Extracurriculars, on the other hand, have been quite a doozy lately. The fact that I'm actually doing stuff (compared to last year around this time), combined with the fact that I am kind of freaking out over what I should do because colleges are a thing (a very, very big thing at my school to add), has been quite a dilemma. Essentially, I have 3 main things I do: piano, tutoring (I got a job!), and Mock Trial. Piano, like usual, is Mondays; I've just been practicing recital pieces for Spring. As for tutoring, I go to my old middle school and for an hour after school help kids in the library do homework. It pays relatively well ($10/hr), but I only work 2 hours a week so overall my paycheck isn't amazing, but it's something. Most of the time kids are in there doing homework on their own because their parents are working or something, and I usually end up tutoring Chinese kids in English, Math, or History (most of the people there are in English Learner's classes). Finally, for Mock Trial, I think it's been going pretty well. As a journalist, I haven't been really doing much (I'm actually procrastinating on an article I should write), but overall, the team is great. We went against another team for the first time today in San Francisco and that was pretty fun (except for something that happened at the end; I'll expand on it below). One of their defense attorneys was pretty cute, too.
Anyway, as for other extracurricular things, I'm currently trying to figure that out. Instead of a lot of the people I know at my school, I want to do activities that pertain to things I'm interested in (science, mainly biotech and statistics, and tea!). But, since this is the Bay Area, and I'm from a wealthy area, getting work like internships is very competitive. I'm currently trying to apply for some lab internships at Stanford/UCSF, but they're due in February and I have to get letters of recommendation, my transcript, things like that. In the same vein, I've been working on my science fair project for this year: using slime mold to measure the efficiency of public transport and roadways and design a better version. So far, I've only done most of the application paperwork and tested it out with BART, and I've had decent results (turns out BART is pretty efficient as it is; the main thing the slime mold changed was the connection of the Dublin/Pleasanton line to Bay Fair. Instead it connected to South Hayward, and also connected SFO to OAK, which would be interesting). Oh, and finally, the sleep study has been working well. Barring the past few days, since I've had a lot of stuff happening, I've been sleeping at around 10:30 PM and waking up at 7 AM, with no naps. It's been working surprisingly well, which I'm happy with.
So, how about friends and relationships? The friend group of last year has partly dissolved, but it's alright; we're all friends for the most part, but just have busy schedules. There's been quite a bit of drama which I'd rather not go into, but mainly it revolves around dating, relationships, and people interpreting things the wrong way and getting offended. One thing I've been pretty happy with though is I've made a few more friends (gasp- seniors!) because of mutual classes and my old friend group is wanting to hang out together over break. Anyway, remember how I dated that one girl, who broke up with me, and then went to Homecoming with someone else (I'd rather not remember homecoming, but oh well)? Well, funny story. The guy she went to Homecoming with, she ended up dating, which turned out horribly, and well, now we're back together. I guess it's not really socially acceptable for her to do that, but it's OK. One thing though is that most of the time (it really depends on the time, place, or how I feel), I don't like doing public displays of affection since I feel kind of uncomfortable with it, but my girlfriend enjoys them and wants to do them often. I don't know why I don't like them, but I think it might be the attention that you draw with them (and also the fact that some of our friends are super nosy or touchy? about it, considering all of the relationship drama that has happened lately). Also, this is a bit unrelated, but I've been practicing my creative writing & writing skills with her on a Google doc, which is fun. But, anyway, that's that.
On that note, here's what I've been doing lately that's unrelated to the above. I'm alright in terms of health, but I'm in the process of changing my diet due to issues with my digestion. I've also been cycling a lot more with my Dad because that's his hobby now, but since it's been quite cold in the mornings (even for California) and I've had projects and stuff, I haven't biked that often as I'd like. Oh, and our mountain bike got stolen at the BART today during the Mock Trial scrimmage- someone cut the cable lock and took it- which kind of sucks, but oh well; it was an old bike, we haven't been using it, and hopefully the person that stole it is going to use it or needs the money for something meaningful (not drugs). I'm going to start saving up the money I'm getting from tutoring so I can surprise my dad with a new mountain bike, hopefully for Christmas. Other than that, I've just been listening to a lot of music: I got some more records (the new Protomen single), went to an amazing concert (Curious Quail, the Y Axes, Dangermaker, Please Do Not Fight/Zen Zenith, Picture Atlantic), and have been downloading/buying new stuff. My girlfriend and I are also planning to try and start a tea-based charity and are currently in the process of figuring out paperwork and organization and everything. From what I envision, it'll mostly just be us setting up booths at town events, brewing tea gongfu style for people for free, possibly selling other tea drinks like milk tea, and asking for tips. All proceeds will go to some charity- maybe one in China, because tea- and since I have a ton of tea already, and am somewhat middle class, I'll be fine with losing money on this; after all, I'll be happy just because I'll be making tea for people and helping people out with the funds. I'll give updates on that, but it might just turn into a small thing where I put up a table at street fairs (after applying for one) as an unofficial group/organization and give whatever money we make to charity.
And finally, I have some tea news. Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing the 12 Days of Chris-tea-mas, in which I'll be starting up reviews again: a different tea every day until Christmas Eve. I have been drinking quite a bit of tea lately, but haven't practiced my reviews, so this'll be fun. Anyway, I'll post the info and lineup and everything in an info post later.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 7, 2015
What's Going On? (Life? Update) 12/7/15
Oh, hey there! It's been a long time. This is going to be a short update since I am super busy this week, but I just wanted to let you guys what's been happening since I got a ton of tea this Black Friday. I'll try to keep my personal stuff out of it this time because I have a lot to catch up on, so here are some reviews to expect (for real now, since winter break is coming up and I'll have quite a bit of extra time):
Teas:
Crimson Lotus Tea- Planet Jingmai, 2015 Spring "Gu Ming Xiang Bing" Yiwu-Bulang Blend
[So, I've begun my foray into Pu'erh with Planet Jingmai. After trying one ball- I've bought multiple- I actually enjoy sheng pu'erh quite a bit and I'll be sure to get more when I have the money]
Tea Ave- Rose Oolong, Wenshan Baochong Oolong, Oriental Beauty, Jasmine Oolong
[Just bought the Rose Oolong again since I enjoyed it quite a bit, not sure if I'll do another review on it]
What Cha- Azores Pekoe Black, Ceylon Moragalla Oolong, Nepal First Flush Oolong, Vietnam 'Ta Jin Xuan' Green, Australia Sencha Green, Taiwan 'Jin Xuan' Milk Oolong, Thailand Sticky Rice 'Khao Hom' Oolong, China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' Green, Thailand Four Seasons Oolong, Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' Green, India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' Oolong
[Now this is quite a bit of tea. What-Cha is one of my favorite vendors since their tea is super cheap and Alistair, the owner, is really nice. I got all of this during their Black Friday sale]
I also got a new gaiwan and scale, so there's that. Now I can't promise that I'll be able to review every single one- a lot of these teas are in small sample bags, and I like to focus on just drinking- but I'll try to do as many I can.
Anyway, expect those reviews coming up and a full update on how my life is soon- hint: it's going alright.
See you guys then, and sorry for not posting that often!
Teas:
Crimson Lotus Tea- Planet Jingmai, 2015 Spring "Gu Ming Xiang Bing" Yiwu-Bulang Blend
[So, I've begun my foray into Pu'erh with Planet Jingmai. After trying one ball- I've bought multiple- I actually enjoy sheng pu'erh quite a bit and I'll be sure to get more when I have the money]
Tea Ave- Rose Oolong, Wenshan Baochong Oolong, Oriental Beauty, Jasmine Oolong
[Just bought the Rose Oolong again since I enjoyed it quite a bit, not sure if I'll do another review on it]
What Cha- Azores Pekoe Black, Ceylon Moragalla Oolong, Nepal First Flush Oolong, Vietnam 'Ta Jin Xuan' Green, Australia Sencha Green, Taiwan 'Jin Xuan' Milk Oolong, Thailand Sticky Rice 'Khao Hom' Oolong, China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' Green, Thailand Four Seasons Oolong, Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' Green, India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' Oolong
[Now this is quite a bit of tea. What-Cha is one of my favorite vendors since their tea is super cheap and Alistair, the owner, is really nice. I got all of this during their Black Friday sale]
I also got a new gaiwan and scale, so there's that. Now I can't promise that I'll be able to review every single one- a lot of these teas are in small sample bags, and I like to focus on just drinking- but I'll try to do as many I can.
Anyway, expect those reviews coming up and a full update on how my life is soon- hint: it's going alright.
See you guys then, and sorry for not posting that often!
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