Brand
Tea Ave
Price
~$11 for 25g or ~1oz
Type
Green oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temperature, Amount
Gongfu- brew up at 100°C with 8g of tea, adding 30s with each infusion up to 4 times
Leaf Appearance
Pre-steeped: Mix of large and small, dark and light green balled oolong leaves with bright pink and red rose petals
Steeped: Variety of different sized light, olive green leaves, most with stems (as is the case with balled oolong); didn't mention this in the other Tea Ave review, but their teas have some of the largest, unbroken leaves I have ever seen
Rating
A- | 90/100
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I'm sure you can tell that I enjoy rose tea. That I also enjoy milk/Jin Xuan oolong. So, what else would be better than to combine the two? I don't know, but let's see if this tea lives up to my expectations. However, I've actually already tried this. This review is using my last few leaves since I've been drinking this somewhat often gongfu style, but let's see how this tea holds up through cupping.
Brew 1 (5 min.):
As usual with my version of tea cupping, there is no rinse. I'm brewing for 5 minutes since I've found that that is the best time for the best flavor for oolongs (I do want to enjoy the tea, guys). I'm also using boiling water and a melon baller- 1 scoop- as a measuring spoon (it actually works and holds the tea pretty well because of the shape, and also I don't own a scale). The tea was a dark yellow green color with a very sweet, floral aroma- much sweeter than the Jin Xuan on its own. The leaves were beginning to unravel, and the rose petals are beginning their color. The taste was a little bit bitter, with a bit of a tart, grassy taste. The milk flavor was actually very noticeable throughout the taste and also lingered a while afterwards. I didn't really notice it until after I inhaled after drinking, but I could really taste it afterwards. I could also notice a bit of a cotton candy/sugar after taste as well. One interesting thing to note is that the tea liquid, in the first few minutes of brewing, was actually aqua/teal colored; I don't know if it was the lighting, the set, or the tea. Very cool though.
Brew 2 (5 min.):
This brew was surprisingly much clearer than the previous, and a much brighter yellow (with some green). The aroma was still very sweet and floral, but now had very light milky/creamy notes. The rose petals are now almost a dull yellow, with their pink/red color drained, and the tea leaves are continuing to unfurl with the smaller leaves fully opened. The flavor was remarkably less bitter than the previous, but was still a tiny bit bitter. It was also less tart, and more grassy and vegetal; however, the milky, creamy taste continues to linger after drinking. There was a considerable lack of sweetness compared to the previous brew, but it was still very flavorful.
Brew 3 (5 min.):
At this point, the color was still as vibrant as the previous brew; however, it was not as dark, and was moving towards a yellow/golden color. The aroma is becoming weaker now, but is still similar to before. It has lost the sweet notes and instead is becoming more floral. In fact, I could really only smell the perfume of the roses. Almost all of the leaves are fully opened by now, and the roses are almost colorless (but are still a little pink). The taste, somehow, is more tart than before and much more grassy. The creamy milk flavor is only an aftertaste by now, and does not linger like it did previously. There is still a very slight bitterness, but it isn't very strong at all.
Brew 4 (Final; 5 min.):
So, this is the final brew since I'm following the directions on the packaging. It is, in fact, losing its flavor and color by now, but I think it can go for 5 total brews instead of just 4. The color of the brew is more green than previously, but is still that light golden-yellow color. The smell is much more lighter now too- all I could really notice was the rose along with some light sweet and creamy notes. Leaves, at this point, are fully opened, and the rose petals are drained of any color they had at the start. The taste had no evidence of any bitterness that was present before, and was actually mostly a milky taste. There wasn't much tartness, or any other taste at all, really. It did have a texture that wasn't present before in other brews, which felt a bit chewy and astringent. Weak now, but still pretty decent. I did also notice that cotton candy taste which I had in previous brews.
Final Notes:
Overall, I actually really liked it brewed this way. During gongfu, it came out somewhat flavorless, but during cupping, it tasted great (it might just be that I'm forced to pay more attention, but I still liked it a lot). As such, I think this tea benefits from longer brewing times instead of the usual 10-20 seconds in gongfu. I think this was much better than Tea Ave's Jin Xuan since it had a bit more flavor and was actually more milkier (probably due to a slightly lower- 0.5- oxidation level). The rose added a lot to the tea rather than completely overpowering it, which is the case in many other flower flavored teas. One of my favorites from Tea Ave, but I recommend experimenting with it a bit to get the best flavor. I ended up getting 5 total brews out of it (the fifth was even weaker than the fourth, but had some flavor still).
Other Notes:
So, since August is coming up, I really gotta get off my ass and do work. I'll post about my plan later, but one thing I have is to get more reviews up. However, I might run out of stuff to review soon since I only have that Pi Lo Chun, Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin, Summer Rose Tea, and instant teas left. Buying tea isn't really a possibility since I'm actually broke now (I went from $550 in savings in March to $150 this month, which is pretty unacceptable considering I don't have any source of income). So, unless money starts coming in, I'll have to end reviews temporarily until I get back on my feet. I might post other stuff like life updates and creative writing, but there's that. Look out for another life/blog update coming soon, though.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Tea Review: The Rich Milk Tea - Twinings
Brand
Twinings (Japan)
Price
$6 for 190 g
Type
Instant/Powdered
Recommended Brew Time, Temperature, Amount
(Hot) Add three teaspoons (17g) of powder to 120 ml of boiling water
(Iced) Add three teaspoons (17g) of powder to 20 ml of boiling water, and then add 100 ml of cold water
Leaf Appearance
Very fine, light brown powder with some dark brown and sparkling specks
Rating
B- | 81/100
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I know a lot of people have an aversion to any instant tea, especially since its not even real tea, but I personally like it. The only reason is that during the time I spent in Philippines there wasn't any tea at all so I had to drink this stuff, which turned out to be somewhat decent (also the fact that I can be lazy in the mornings).
Anyway, I ended up buying this at a Japanese supermarket because I'm a sucker for Japanese milk teas (especially the canned/bottled ones). In fact, each time I've gone there I've bought a different brand or flavor of milk tea; I usually get Royal Milk Tea. As for this brand, I think it's one of the better instant milk teas I've had, especially since the taste is pretty close to the canned drinks. Unlike most other brands, it's not prepackaged into sticks so you can customize the strength of your flavor and reduce waste (I enjoyed the customization). The powder smells somewhat fruity and is obviously black tea; from the taste, I'm gonna guess that it's darjeeling mixed with ceylon tea, since it's very similar to the royal milk tea I make myself. It's not too bitter and not too sweet, which gives it a plus. It's hard to describe, but all I can say is that it tastes a lot like canned black milk tea.
My only problems with it is that the powder is weak-tasting, even if you follow the instructions (which leads to a really small cup), and that it isn't 'milky' enough. To add to this, it looks like the powder is also a bit hard to dissolve, which is a little weird. To fix this, I suggest just filling up a cup 3/4ths of the way with hot water, adding the powder to taste, and then pouring in some milk. Adding milk works with almost any instant milk tea, and in my opinion, makes it taste so much better. Overall, this is one of the better instant teas that I've had but the price point makes it a tough buy; try it iced and with milk!
Other Notes:
Gonna do 2 reviews today since I haven't done them in a while + this isn't even actual tea. July is coming to an end and I've ended up not doing a lot of what I've planned, so I'm going to spend today setting up work for August and writing stuff. On another note, I'm surprised at how much I could read on the back of this teas' packaging, especially since it's all in Japanese (thanks katakana skills!).
Twinings (Japan)
Price
$6 for 190 g
Type
Instant/Powdered
Recommended Brew Time, Temperature, Amount
(Hot) Add three teaspoons (17g) of powder to 120 ml of boiling water
(Iced) Add three teaspoons (17g) of powder to 20 ml of boiling water, and then add 100 ml of cold water
Leaf Appearance
Very fine, light brown powder with some dark brown and sparkling specks
Rating
B- | 81/100
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I know a lot of people have an aversion to any instant tea, especially since its not even real tea, but I personally like it. The only reason is that during the time I spent in Philippines there wasn't any tea at all so I had to drink this stuff, which turned out to be somewhat decent (also the fact that I can be lazy in the mornings).
Anyway, I ended up buying this at a Japanese supermarket because I'm a sucker for Japanese milk teas (especially the canned/bottled ones). In fact, each time I've gone there I've bought a different brand or flavor of milk tea; I usually get Royal Milk Tea. As for this brand, I think it's one of the better instant milk teas I've had, especially since the taste is pretty close to the canned drinks. Unlike most other brands, it's not prepackaged into sticks so you can customize the strength of your flavor and reduce waste (I enjoyed the customization). The powder smells somewhat fruity and is obviously black tea; from the taste, I'm gonna guess that it's darjeeling mixed with ceylon tea, since it's very similar to the royal milk tea I make myself. It's not too bitter and not too sweet, which gives it a plus. It's hard to describe, but all I can say is that it tastes a lot like canned black milk tea.
My only problems with it is that the powder is weak-tasting, even if you follow the instructions (which leads to a really small cup), and that it isn't 'milky' enough. To add to this, it looks like the powder is also a bit hard to dissolve, which is a little weird. To fix this, I suggest just filling up a cup 3/4ths of the way with hot water, adding the powder to taste, and then pouring in some milk. Adding milk works with almost any instant milk tea, and in my opinion, makes it taste so much better. Overall, this is one of the better instant teas that I've had but the price point makes it a tough buy; try it iced and with milk!
Other Notes:
Gonna do 2 reviews today since I haven't done them in a while + this isn't even actual tea. July is coming to an end and I've ended up not doing a lot of what I've planned, so I'm going to spend today setting up work for August and writing stuff. On another note, I'm surprised at how much I could read on the back of this teas' packaging, especially since it's all in Japanese (thanks katakana skills!).
Thursday, July 23, 2015
What's Going On? (Life Update) 7/23/15
Short update today since I feel kinda weird posting 2 life updates without anything in between.
So, California Extreme was great this year, even though none of my friends went. I played a ton of arcade games (and screwed up my wrist in the process!), joined a Panic Park tournament and got eliminated on the first round, met a bunch of people during my volunteering shifts, had a hell of a time at the Rockage SJ concerts, and overall had a lot of fun. I'm super happy since I got to meet the Megas (they complimented me on my Protomen shirt!) and Kirby's Dream Band (first time I heard their music ever, and I was blown away). I spent a ton of my money on merch, and got a CD from Dog Party, a vinyl from Kirby's Dream Band, and a CD from The Megas. I got the vinyl and Megas CDs signed for me and my friend (and in the process got to meet the bands and talk to them- they're super nice). Way better than last year even though Police 911, my favorite arcade game, or my friends weren't there.
As for non-CAX stuff, there wasn't really much since I've been taking it easy with my wrist. For tea stuff, I had a free sample come in from Teazillo, and I was pretty surprised. I got rose flavored black tea, and it came within two days of it shipping. The guy put them in really nice tins and included an extra (I only ordered 1). I'll get a review on that up sometime, but from what I've tried so far, it's actually pretty good. I've also been practicing cupping with the teas from Red Blossom Tea Co and Tea Ave, and drinking Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea (review also coming soon).
For non-tea stuff, I took another SAT practice test and got 2000 on it (10 more than last time, woo). The only 'work'- I doubt it even counts as real work- that I've really done is learning Audacity and converting my vinyls to digital. I also shipped out a package to my British friend with that signed Megas CD and some Ghiradelli chocolate, since he's the one who introduced me to the Megas and he's been having some health problems lately (hopefully it cheers him up). I also tried emailing a local ice cream shop that just opened if they're hiring, but they haven't gotten back to me (note to self: start filling out those apps!). Lastly, the girlfriend has been in Hawaii with her family for the past week and will be until the end of July, so I haven't really been talking to much people other than a few internet friends, namely the British guy mentioned above. Actually, my parents are going to Hawaii next week so I'm going to be alone with the grandparents then (I dunno how I feel about it).
Finally, that sleep study is going well! I finished doing a week-long sleep diary in which they call me daily and ask me a few questions about my sleep. I have to actually go into their lab for an in person interview, but according to my dad, it looks like I'm going to be accepted for their actual study with the ActiWatch and sleep coaching and sleeping at the lab and everything. He says they told him that the study could really help me and that I'm a good candidate for it. We'll see how the interview goes next week; I'm pretty hyped for it.
That's all for now! Thanks for reading.
So, California Extreme was great this year, even though none of my friends went. I played a ton of arcade games (and screwed up my wrist in the process!), joined a Panic Park tournament and got eliminated on the first round, met a bunch of people during my volunteering shifts, had a hell of a time at the Rockage SJ concerts, and overall had a lot of fun. I'm super happy since I got to meet the Megas (they complimented me on my Protomen shirt!) and Kirby's Dream Band (first time I heard their music ever, and I was blown away). I spent a ton of my money on merch, and got a CD from Dog Party, a vinyl from Kirby's Dream Band, and a CD from The Megas. I got the vinyl and Megas CDs signed for me and my friend (and in the process got to meet the bands and talk to them- they're super nice). Way better than last year even though Police 911, my favorite arcade game, or my friends weren't there.
As for non-CAX stuff, there wasn't really much since I've been taking it easy with my wrist. For tea stuff, I had a free sample come in from Teazillo, and I was pretty surprised. I got rose flavored black tea, and it came within two days of it shipping. The guy put them in really nice tins and included an extra (I only ordered 1). I'll get a review on that up sometime, but from what I've tried so far, it's actually pretty good. I've also been practicing cupping with the teas from Red Blossom Tea Co and Tea Ave, and drinking Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea (review also coming soon).
For non-tea stuff, I took another SAT practice test and got 2000 on it (10 more than last time, woo). The only 'work'- I doubt it even counts as real work- that I've really done is learning Audacity and converting my vinyls to digital. I also shipped out a package to my British friend with that signed Megas CD and some Ghiradelli chocolate, since he's the one who introduced me to the Megas and he's been having some health problems lately (hopefully it cheers him up). I also tried emailing a local ice cream shop that just opened if they're hiring, but they haven't gotten back to me (note to self: start filling out those apps!). Lastly, the girlfriend has been in Hawaii with her family for the past week and will be until the end of July, so I haven't really been talking to much people other than a few internet friends, namely the British guy mentioned above. Actually, my parents are going to Hawaii next week so I'm going to be alone with the grandparents then (I dunno how I feel about it).
Finally, that sleep study is going well! I finished doing a week-long sleep diary in which they call me daily and ask me a few questions about my sleep. I have to actually go into their lab for an in person interview, but according to my dad, it looks like I'm going to be accepted for their actual study with the ActiWatch and sleep coaching and sleeping at the lab and everything. He says they told him that the study could really help me and that I'm a good candidate for it. We'll see how the interview goes next week; I'm pretty hyped for it.
That's all for now! Thanks for reading.
Friday, July 17, 2015
What's Going On? (Life Update) 7/17/15
Woo, California Extreme is tomorrow! I'm gonna be volunteering for 2 hours both Saturday and Sunday, so I'll have free admission for the whole convention (so many free play arcade games!). The Megas are also going to be playing there, so I'm excited; I'm going to try and get a CD signed for one of my friends. Oh, and I might also film a video since I haven't made one in a while (it might be hard since it's going to be only me, and you also kinda need 2 hands to play arcade games).
Anyway, now lets get to what's been going on in my life.
As for tea stuff, I've mostly only been practicing cupping tea (aka tea tasting with the set I got from Tea Ave), as you can see in my most recent review. I've only really been drinking the Tea Ave stuff lately, and to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel towards the brand. Some of their teas are really good (remind me to pick up some Oriental Beauty), but for some reason, their tea can be really hard to brew. Like, it either tastes really good or like total crap if its' done right, and from what I've seen, it's kind of hard to do it right. It might be just me, which is why I've been drinking it so much lately (to try and get a feel for it), but I dunno. Other than that, I've also been planning to do that review of Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea soon since I really want to try it.
My job hunt kind of went on hold because I'm losing motivation right now, but I'm going to force myself to fill out the apps next week, along with starting summer homework (the writing part- I finished reading the Scarlet Letter in a binge reading session). As of now, I've only turned in 1 app and have the rest just lying in a folder in my room. Oh well. The dream for a science internship is still alive, though (which is a great transition into my next paragraph!).
Instead of getting a science internship like I was hoping, it turns out that I'm going to be on the opposite side- I joined a study about teen sleep! Essentially, they're trying to see how effective sleep coaching is at UC Berkeley. I finished the first interview and they think I'm a good candidate, so they're making me do sleep diaries for a week (what time I went to bed, how many times I woke up, how long it took for me to fall asleep, etc.). If they like my sleep diaries and my second interview, I get to do an 8-week (?) long study, where I have to sleep at their clinic, wear an Actiwatch, and take sleep coaching sessions. They'll then keep a tab on me for the next year to see how I'm doing. I'm really excited for this since it's research that also can help me at the same time. Honestly, I tried sleeping like how I did during the school year earlier this week (6 or less hours of sleep), and I was tired as hell all day; I have no idea how I kept that up for so long, and I guess I can see why I always passed out for a nap right after school. So, I'm really hoping I'll get accepted into the study after the second interview.
Other than that, I didn't really do much this week because of how hyped I am for CAX and that study. Mostly just SAT classes, CS:GO, and the Kill Bill movies (I really liked those). Oh, and I finally saw my girlfriend for the first time since summer started! We watched movies and played games at her house with some other people, which was pretty fun (except the fact that it seemed like her parents were shooting daggers at and judging me the whole time and were using her siblings to spy on us). Can't wait until she gets back at the end of July.
Finally, here's just a list of what I want to get done before July ends:
-Finish/turn in all of those job apps
-Participate in the sleep study
-Read those science textbooks I've been too lazy to read lately
-Read the APUSH text & work on the respective homework (along with AP english stuff)
-Make an examples Quizlet for AP english
-Practice piano, better handwriting, etc.
-Write those reviews I've been waiting to do for so long
-If I do record stuff at CAX, then edit + release the video
-Bike/exercise/eat/cook more & better
-Other stuff that I can't remember right now; I might update this later
Well, thanks for reading! I'm going to go be excited about CAX and the Megas and all that other stuff.
Anyway, now lets get to what's been going on in my life.
As for tea stuff, I've mostly only been practicing cupping tea (aka tea tasting with the set I got from Tea Ave), as you can see in my most recent review. I've only really been drinking the Tea Ave stuff lately, and to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel towards the brand. Some of their teas are really good (remind me to pick up some Oriental Beauty), but for some reason, their tea can be really hard to brew. Like, it either tastes really good or like total crap if its' done right, and from what I've seen, it's kind of hard to do it right. It might be just me, which is why I've been drinking it so much lately (to try and get a feel for it), but I dunno. Other than that, I've also been planning to do that review of Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea soon since I really want to try it.
My job hunt kind of went on hold because I'm losing motivation right now, but I'm going to force myself to fill out the apps next week, along with starting summer homework (the writing part- I finished reading the Scarlet Letter in a binge reading session). As of now, I've only turned in 1 app and have the rest just lying in a folder in my room. Oh well. The dream for a science internship is still alive, though (which is a great transition into my next paragraph!).
Instead of getting a science internship like I was hoping, it turns out that I'm going to be on the opposite side- I joined a study about teen sleep! Essentially, they're trying to see how effective sleep coaching is at UC Berkeley. I finished the first interview and they think I'm a good candidate, so they're making me do sleep diaries for a week (what time I went to bed, how many times I woke up, how long it took for me to fall asleep, etc.). If they like my sleep diaries and my second interview, I get to do an 8-week (?) long study, where I have to sleep at their clinic, wear an Actiwatch, and take sleep coaching sessions. They'll then keep a tab on me for the next year to see how I'm doing. I'm really excited for this since it's research that also can help me at the same time. Honestly, I tried sleeping like how I did during the school year earlier this week (6 or less hours of sleep), and I was tired as hell all day; I have no idea how I kept that up for so long, and I guess I can see why I always passed out for a nap right after school. So, I'm really hoping I'll get accepted into the study after the second interview.
Other than that, I didn't really do much this week because of how hyped I am for CAX and that study. Mostly just SAT classes, CS:GO, and the Kill Bill movies (I really liked those). Oh, and I finally saw my girlfriend for the first time since summer started! We watched movies and played games at her house with some other people, which was pretty fun (except the fact that it seemed like her parents were shooting daggers at and judging me the whole time and were using her siblings to spy on us). Can't wait until she gets back at the end of July.
Finally, here's just a list of what I want to get done before July ends:
-Finish/turn in all of those job apps
-Participate in the sleep study
-Read those science textbooks I've been too lazy to read lately
-Read the APUSH text & work on the respective homework (along with AP english stuff)
-Make an examples Quizlet for AP english
-Practice piano, better handwriting, etc.
-Write those reviews I've been waiting to do for so long
-If I do record stuff at CAX, then edit + release the video
-Bike/exercise/eat/cook more & better
-Other stuff that I can't remember right now; I might update this later
Well, thanks for reading! I'm going to go be excited about CAX and the Megas and all that other stuff.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Tea Review: Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong - Tea Ave
Brand
Tea Ave
Price
~$10 for 25 g or ~1 oz
Type
Green oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temperature, Amount
Gongfu*- brew up to 60s at 90-95°C with 8g of tea
Leaf Appearance
Pre-steeped: a mix of large, dark and light green balled oolong leaves; size varies anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 inch long
Steeped: large, light green leaves; many have stems attached (which is to be expected with ball oolong)
Rating
B | 85/100
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, today I'll be tasting Tea Ave's Jin Xuan (aka Milk) oolong. However, instead of using a gaiwan like I usually do, I'll be using a professional tea tasting set from Tea Ave. My brewing parameters are going to be boiling water for 3 minutes, with about 3 grams- estimated. I'm not really experienced with this, so this is mostly just going to be practice (I'm also kinda lazy today for cleaning up my whole tea set, which is why I'm using this today).
Brew 1 (3 min.):
No rinse this time. The tea was a bright yellow-green, with a few leaf particles (no filter). The aroma was milky and grassy; however, it was more on the grassy side. Compared to Vital Tea Leaf's, this is much less milky smelling but still very pleasing. The leaves were beginning to open up, but still had the pearl shape. Oddly enough, there was a light roasted taste, which was quickly followed by the vegetal and creamy milk taste. It had a tiny bit of tart to it, and was very smooth with little astringency.
Brew 2 (3 min.):
Color started moving towards a brighter green from yellow. The leaves are still opening up, but are much larger now. The milky and creamy smell is much more prevalent, making it seem much more sweeter. As for the taste, it had lost the roasted notes and is becoming more creamy and grassy, ending on a sour note. It feels even more smooth now- I really enjoyed this brew.
Brew 3 (3 min.):
Color was becoming a bit more lighter, but retained the yellow-green shade. By this point, the leaves were almost fully open (I may have used too much leaf since there are a ton; it's either that or they are big). The aroma was very sweet and milky, but for some reason I got some really light metal-like notes. However, the taste was beginning to lose its sweet and milky qualities and is becoming similar to a green tea.
Brew 4 (3 min.):
Surprisingly, the color was a much more bright green for this brew. Leaves were fully expanded, and the aroma was still milky but had somehow lost its sweet notes (to be honest, it's kind of hard for me to describe). It's starting to lose its flavor- it is still very smooth, but is lacking the milky flavor found in earlier brews.
Brew 5 (3 min.):
Last brew- note that the label says it can go to 6 brews, as long as you increase the brew time (which I'm not). Anyway, the color was a bright green but very light, and the aroma was relatively the same (milky, but without any sweet notes- it's weird). There was almost little taste at this point. I could notice some vegetal notes, but they were too light to really be any factor.
Final Notes:
Overall, a pretty enjoyable tea- milk oolong is still one of my favorites. However, I do prefer Vital Tea Leaf's over this, since it has a much stronger flavor that lasts longer too. Despite that, this is still a good tea. The lower price point (and online availability) makes this much easier to obtain which is a huge plus for me. If you're buying from Tea Ave, I suggest picking this up with your order.
Other Notes:
So, I tried some of the samples a couple of days ago, and I'm impressed. The magnolia oolong (along with the rose) fits well with the jin xuan base, and is not too overbearing like most flower teas. The oriental beauty, however, is my favorite. It smells exactly like fruits and honey, and tastes like it too. It's different than most teas I've had and I really like it.
Tea Ave
Price
~$10 for 25 g or ~1 oz
Type
Green oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temperature, Amount
Gongfu*- brew up to 60s at 90-95°C with 8g of tea
Leaf Appearance
Pre-steeped: a mix of large, dark and light green balled oolong leaves; size varies anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 inch long
Steeped: large, light green leaves; many have stems attached (which is to be expected with ball oolong)
Rating
B | 85/100
Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, today I'll be tasting Tea Ave's Jin Xuan (aka Milk) oolong. However, instead of using a gaiwan like I usually do, I'll be using a professional tea tasting set from Tea Ave. My brewing parameters are going to be boiling water for 3 minutes, with about 3 grams- estimated. I'm not really experienced with this, so this is mostly just going to be practice (I'm also kinda lazy today for cleaning up my whole tea set, which is why I'm using this today).
Brew 1 (3 min.):
No rinse this time. The tea was a bright yellow-green, with a few leaf particles (no filter). The aroma was milky and grassy; however, it was more on the grassy side. Compared to Vital Tea Leaf's, this is much less milky smelling but still very pleasing. The leaves were beginning to open up, but still had the pearl shape. Oddly enough, there was a light roasted taste, which was quickly followed by the vegetal and creamy milk taste. It had a tiny bit of tart to it, and was very smooth with little astringency.
Brew 2 (3 min.):
Color started moving towards a brighter green from yellow. The leaves are still opening up, but are much larger now. The milky and creamy smell is much more prevalent, making it seem much more sweeter. As for the taste, it had lost the roasted notes and is becoming more creamy and grassy, ending on a sour note. It feels even more smooth now- I really enjoyed this brew.
Brew 3 (3 min.):
Color was becoming a bit more lighter, but retained the yellow-green shade. By this point, the leaves were almost fully open (I may have used too much leaf since there are a ton; it's either that or they are big). The aroma was very sweet and milky, but for some reason I got some really light metal-like notes. However, the taste was beginning to lose its sweet and milky qualities and is becoming similar to a green tea.
Brew 4 (3 min.):
Surprisingly, the color was a much more bright green for this brew. Leaves were fully expanded, and the aroma was still milky but had somehow lost its sweet notes (to be honest, it's kind of hard for me to describe). It's starting to lose its flavor- it is still very smooth, but is lacking the milky flavor found in earlier brews.
Brew 5 (3 min.):
Last brew- note that the label says it can go to 6 brews, as long as you increase the brew time (which I'm not). Anyway, the color was a bright green but very light, and the aroma was relatively the same (milky, but without any sweet notes- it's weird). There was almost little taste at this point. I could notice some vegetal notes, but they were too light to really be any factor.
Final Notes:
Overall, a pretty enjoyable tea- milk oolong is still one of my favorites. However, I do prefer Vital Tea Leaf's over this, since it has a much stronger flavor that lasts longer too. Despite that, this is still a good tea. The lower price point (and online availability) makes this much easier to obtain which is a huge plus for me. If you're buying from Tea Ave, I suggest picking this up with your order.
Other Notes:
So, I tried some of the samples a couple of days ago, and I'm impressed. The magnolia oolong (along with the rose) fits well with the jin xuan base, and is not too overbearing like most flower teas. The oriental beauty, however, is my favorite. It smells exactly like fruits and honey, and tastes like it too. It's different than most teas I've had and I really like it.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Quick Update: 7/10/15
Alright, so here's a quick update of what's happened lately and what I'm planning to do soon.
I bought some stuff from Tea Ave (http://teaave.com/) and it came in the mail yesterday, and I am very pleased with what I got. It came from Vancouver to California in 2-3 days with free shipping, and inside the package was a free totebag, 4 free samples (3 loose leaf, 1 teabag), a letter, their business cards, and the tea and oolong competition tasting set I bought. First time buying from them, and I am very impressed.
As for the tea I got from them, I bought myself 25g of Jin Xuan oolong and 25g of Rose oolong, so expect reviews from those. The samples they gave me were Tie Kwan Yin oolong, Magnolia Oolong, and Oriental Beauty- as for these, I want to drink it and enjoy it without having to worry about writing a review each brew, BUT I might write a quick/very short review about them. I'm actually tempted to buy the larger packs of these oolongs from Tea Ave if I like them enough.
Now, the upcoming reviews are:
Tea Ave. Jin Xuan oolong/Rose oolong/Magnolia oolong*/Tie Kwan Yin oolong*/Oriental Beauty oolong*, Red Blossom Tea Co. Pi Lo Chun/Monkey Picked Tieguanyin,
assorted instant milk teas (like Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea and Owl teas),
and very possibly re-reviews of some Lupicia teas (since I've been drinking some of their loose leaf).
*possibly a short review or none at all
And finally, what's going on in my life. Woke up today to a nice surprise- a 5 on the AP Bio exam- so I'm pretty happy about that. Thanks to urging from my dad and girlfriend, I think I've decided that I'm going to self-teach myself AP physics (and possibly chem) from the textbooks and also take the AP exams, since I have the whole year to learn it. I'll have to work my ass off for that, but I guess it won't be too bad since I can retake the test. Secondly, I got most of the applications from the places near me, and I've turned in an app to Baskin Robbins, but I'm waiting for them to call back. So, for the next week or so, I'm just gonna be filling those out, editing my resume, and turning those in. Thirdly, I also took another SAT practice test. It wasn't as bad as the first time, and I actually think my essay was decent this time. I didn't finish one section, but oh well it's just a practice test for Princeton Review. And finally, California Extreme is coming up next week! I'm volunteering both days so I'm super excited, especially since The Megas are playing there (free play arcade games are awesome too). My friends might come, but I think they're going on their own since I have an early shift.
So, that's it! Thanks for reading.
I bought some stuff from Tea Ave (http://teaave.com/) and it came in the mail yesterday, and I am very pleased with what I got. It came from Vancouver to California in 2-3 days with free shipping, and inside the package was a free totebag, 4 free samples (3 loose leaf, 1 teabag), a letter, their business cards, and the tea and oolong competition tasting set I bought. First time buying from them, and I am very impressed.
As for the tea I got from them, I bought myself 25g of Jin Xuan oolong and 25g of Rose oolong, so expect reviews from those. The samples they gave me were Tie Kwan Yin oolong, Magnolia Oolong, and Oriental Beauty- as for these, I want to drink it and enjoy it without having to worry about writing a review each brew, BUT I might write a quick/very short review about them. I'm actually tempted to buy the larger packs of these oolongs from Tea Ave if I like them enough.
Now, the upcoming reviews are:
Tea Ave. Jin Xuan oolong/Rose oolong/Magnolia oolong*/Tie Kwan Yin oolong*/Oriental Beauty oolong*, Red Blossom Tea Co. Pi Lo Chun/Monkey Picked Tieguanyin,
assorted instant milk teas (like Twinings' The Rich Milk Tea and Owl teas),
and very possibly re-reviews of some Lupicia teas (since I've been drinking some of their loose leaf).
*possibly a short review or none at all
And finally, what's going on in my life. Woke up today to a nice surprise- a 5 on the AP Bio exam- so I'm pretty happy about that. Thanks to urging from my dad and girlfriend, I think I've decided that I'm going to self-teach myself AP physics (and possibly chem) from the textbooks and also take the AP exams, since I have the whole year to learn it. I'll have to work my ass off for that, but I guess it won't be too bad since I can retake the test. Secondly, I got most of the applications from the places near me, and I've turned in an app to Baskin Robbins, but I'm waiting for them to call back. So, for the next week or so, I'm just gonna be filling those out, editing my resume, and turning those in. Thirdly, I also took another SAT practice test. It wasn't as bad as the first time, and I actually think my essay was decent this time. I didn't finish one section, but oh well it's just a practice test for Princeton Review. And finally, California Extreme is coming up next week! I'm volunteering both days so I'm super excited, especially since The Megas are playing there (free play arcade games are awesome too). My friends might come, but I think they're going on their own since I have an early shift.
So, that's it! Thanks for reading.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Recipe: Avocado Baked Eggs with Garlic, Tomato, Lemon, Sea Salt, and Green Tea
So, thanks to my girlfriend, I've also decided to post some of my recipes on here (I'll try to include tea in them just to fit with the blog theme)! This, along with guacamole, is my go-to recipe for avocados.
Ingredients
Avocado (1 whole avocado)
Garlic (1-2 cloves)
Loose leaf green tea (1 tbsp of leaves)
Lemon (1 whole lemon)
Any oil (Spray or 1 tbsp)
Tomato (1 whole tomato)
Egg (1-2 whole eggs)
Sea salt (Add to taste)
Pepper (Add to taste)
Water (2-3 tbsp)
How to prepare
Step 1: Cut your avocado (hass) in half and remove the pit. Scoop out some of the avocado to create a deeper well for the egg. You can either get rid of the excess avocado, place it in a separate ramekin, or stuff it into one of the avocado halves (if you're only using 1 egg). Preheat the oven to 350-400°F.
Step 2: Place the avocados, with the flesh facing out, on a baking tray so they stand up & are balanced. Crack open an egg or 2 and pour them into each well. It should sit snug, but it's fine if it overflows- just get rid of the excess (it can get messy). Scrambled eggs work too!
Step 3: Cut a tomato into slices (size depends on preference, but I cut it 1/3" thick). I use roma tomatoes for this. Place the slice on top of the avocado; it shouldn't be wider than the avocado.
Step 4: Chop or mince your garlic cloves. Evenly sprinkle/distribute it over the avocado.
Step 5: Heat your water if it isn't already warm, and brew your tea. Once the leaves are opened, evenly sprinkle them over the avocado. Personally, I like using a loose leaf green tea, like a sencha or Pi Lo Chun since the leaves are small and taste pretty good on their own. If your baking tray allows, pour the brewed tea onto it so it can evaporate and create an aroma (don't waste!).
Step 5: Cut your lemon, depending on how much juice you want. Squeeze/juice it over the avocados. I haven't tried this yet, but you can also try adding lemon zest, along with the juice, for flavor.
Step 6: Sea salt and pepper to taste. Quickly spray the tops of the avocados with oil (I use canola because I have it), or just drizzle (grapeseed or olive oil would work great too).
Step 7: Carefully place in oven, so as to not knock over the avocados or spill anything. Cook at 350-400°F for 20-30 minutes, depending on how well done you want your eggs.
Step 8: Serve! They're great as their own meal or as a side.
Note: you can pretty much do anything with this recipe- add spices, do steps 3-6 out of order, miss/add steps, whatever! It's pretty forgiving since it's so simple.
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