Some Tea With Me

Tag: stories

  • Painter’s Roast Oolong

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    Of all the many, many (read: too many) teas I brought back from Taiwan, the most eloquent was a small unlabeled pouch of rolled oolong carefully hand-roasted by a man in Lùgǔ (鹿谷鄉). As I’ve just sipped the last of that fine vintage, I thought I might tell you the story of where I found it.…

  • Old Tea: Ali Shan Jin Xuan

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    This is the first set of teas I decided to test in my grand (old) tea tasting experiment of this summer. My first foray into the stash of oolong I’ve been keeping around brought back fond memories of days spent in Taiwan. A 2011 Ali Shan Jin Xuan which I purchased at the top of…

  • 2012 Ping Shui Ri Zhu from Shao Xing

    2012 Ping Shui Ri Zhu from Shao Xing

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    Today’s tea was a gift from a tea factory I visited in Shao Xing (绍兴), Zhejiang province, somewhat near Hangzhou. We had traveled to the factory to learn more about the production of Zhu Cha (珠茶), more commonly known in the West as Gunpowder green tea. Zhu Cha is often considered a lower-quality style of…

  • 2011 Da Hong Pao – Wuyi Star Tea

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    I originally wrote this post for Cha Xi Collective, but I’m recording it here as well for reference. Dark twisted dry leaves that look like the leaves on the trees outside on this chilly fall day. The aroma is pure warmth, like sweet wood smoke. The liquor is a beautiful autumn leaf blazing red that…

  • 2011 Rou Gui from Shanghai

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    I originally wrote this post for Cha Xi Collective, but I’m recording it here as well for posterity. This tea came from Ming Qiu Cha Yuan, a shop in a Shanghai tea market. Pumpkin orange in the cup, there’s a lot of Autumn in this tea. A fairly strong roast to the leaves gives much…

  • 2011 Pinglin Bao Zhong

    2011 Pinglin Bao Zhong

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    This post was originally written for Cha Xi Collective. Just keeping a copy here. Brewing this in Cha Xi for the early Autumn, sitting by the window with the pink and purple of the season’s last morning glories peeking in. Memories of distant sun-soaked Pinglin are coming out of the pot right along with the…

  • Gao Shan Lao Cong Shui Xian

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    This article was originally written for Cha Xi Collective. Just keeping a copy here. Oolong Tea found at Si Hai Cha Zhuang in Ningbo Roasted and crispy, as expected from a Wuyi Shui Xian. A woody aroma and a golden orange color. The first few infusions have very little real flavors on my tongue – more of…

  • 2005 Chang Chang Hao Nan Nuo Shan Shou Bing by Shan Ye Cha Zhuang

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    This post appeared originally at Cha Xi Collective. This is just an archived copy. Ah, the taste. Another wonderful bing I brought back from Yunnan. Sweet and a little tart with the definite flavor of blackberries. I liked the smooth earthy aroma and I may have sensed black cherries in there as well. Rewardingly mellow…