2011年4月27日星期三

More Reviews

Got another batch of reviews in from Thomas S this time here they are



Lao Shan Green Tea:
A fresh Chinese green with astonishing similarity to Gyokuro. Nutty. Rich, thick body. Savory. Smooth with a touch of grassy astringency. Mouthwatering chlorophyll crisp sweetness (like endives or romaine lettuce). Long-lingering vaporous feeling in the throat. 
Floral characteristics as it cools are similar to those found in lightly brewed first flush Darjeeling.
Good lasting ability; I was expecting the first brew to taste like the third. Subsequent infusions are more delicate with dry flowers (gardenia), lingering bitter similar to very dark cocoa, and later a pleasant light milky sour that hangs around for quite some time, enticing you to go and have some more.
Best results for range of flavors without the blanket nut and cut grass combination taking over was using 2.5g per 100mL water at 80 C and brewing 1 min 30 sec, followed by 2 min at 75 C, then 2 min at 85 C, terminating at the third infusion. Four good brews can be achieved using 4g per 100mL, but sacrifices to flavor range and balance in the first infision are the cost. I recommend trending on the shorter steep time (perhaps as short as 45 sec using 85 C water) for the greatest ease in producing approachable flavor from this tea.
A very hefty green tea that can accompany food well, but works even better as a finisher to a meal.

Yellow Mountain Fur Peak:
Refreshing mellow green tea. Crisp, sweet green bean flavor with aspects of bamboo shoots and water chestnut. Butter lettuce becomes dominant in second infusion and blanched baby spinach comes forward along with extra sweetness and light acidity for third and fourth brews. Excellent, well-rounded Mao Feng that can go for far more brews than I'd typically expect of a green tea. Managed to drag out seven infusions from 4g in 25mL water at 75 C at 1 min to begin and an extra 30 sec for each new one that all made for pleasant, light brews. Better range of greenery notes come out using water 85-90 C while more light aromas of carnation and sedge/rushes come through at 75-80 C, though flavor will be lighter. 
Really sweet throughout the different methods of brewing and ultimately attractive in all aspects - fragrance, leaf appearance, brewed aroma, tactile balance, nose, and taste are all in harmony and express light chlorophyll and pollen characteristics that are the embodiment of early spring.

Iron Goddess (Traditional):
Using the recommended brewing parameters on the website of 4g per 100mL boiling water for 45 sec seemed a bit daunting for such a lightly oxidized oolong, but I went ahead and gave it a try (using water not-quite reaching a boil, at 98 C).
Infusion 1: 
Very green, buttery oolong. Predominant aroma is uncut marsh grasses (sedges and rushes). Lightly sweet and refreshing, but not a ton going on. Very smooth and mellow.
Infusion 2: 
More body, much more balanced. More faint vanilla and jasmine in flavor. Surprising to get delicate flavors in spite of such high heat.
Infusion 3: 
Ah, that's much better! Lingering aftertaste incorporates honey-butter and cherry blossom aromas/flavors atop a butter lettuce or kale base. Light lingering milky taste. Comforting and smooth. Tasty, though not my all time favorite at this oxidation level. Very good for the price.
Infusion 4: 
Baby spinach all the way. Not many flavors to be gotten from here on, though it can be brewed three more times.
Using 6g in 60mL at 85 C with a rinse and 10 sec for first three infusions and adding 10 sec from then on produced a heady, floral progression of twelve brews showcasing a myriad of flower-infused butters accented with light spices. Cardamom, pepper, and clove all made guest appearances, though the base remained a light blanched baby spinach throughout.
I tend to prefer higher oxidation levels for tieguanyin, but this is an approachable, basic example with better balance (though perhaps not as great a range of expression) than most of the even-lighter ones out there.

Shui Xian:
Very fruity, supremely smooth example of this type of oolong! The charcoal edge is right on the boarder line between light and heavy roast, making this a great jumping point into WuYi YanCha for those unfamiliar to them. 
Ripe white peach fruit undertones with light peach-pit and clove woodiness and an Amaryllis afteraroma. Brewing ratio dramatically influences body, which can easily reach up to a fuller mouthfeel level, but the flavor will skew to the roasty side if bumped above 4g per 100mL (though you may still enjoy up to 7g very much, especially with short infusions).
Definitely not your average teahouse Shui Xian / Rou Gui generic oolong. Leaves are far more intact than I'm used to and it takes until the seventh infusion to get them really opened up and for the flavor to really start diminishing. Most brews are really consistent between one-another when using 3-4g, making this exceptionally easy to brew. To me, this seems a nice second grade (or really good third)  Shui Xian that I'll be recommending.

Tan Yang:
Excellent red tea! Full body and great balance of sweet & sour. Smooth yet with a pleasant light acidity and full bodied. Rose is the predominant characteristic, but other bouquet-flowers are right alongside (notably carnation, but tulip is more obvious as it cools). Great balance between the flavors of a Dian Hong, Keemun Mao Feng, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri. Wasn't expecting such a range of characteristics. If using more tea (2.5g-3g) more malt and wood comes out and hints of shaved bittersweet chocolate. Lighter brews (1.5g-2g) are more delicate with lighter magnolia-like florals and grape notes. Nice to be able to shift so dramatically yet remain completely approachable. Produces four quick-to-disappear infusions, but not quite worth brewing a fifth. Very accommodating for different brewing parameters and styles. I burned through this sample and will definitely be buying more - it is a steal for the price it is listed at!

Yi Hong:
Crisp and sweet. Reminiscent of some of the balanced woody notes Hojicha can exhibit. A tad more flavor than expected, considering the moderate body. Like a more refreshing cousin to a Dian Hong but with similar flavor. Notes of cocoa and browned oats come forward as it cools and a terrifically balanced lingering sour and toasty sweet honey wheat toast flavor comes in through the aftertaste. Not the most exciting tea ever, but darned good and something I'd be happy to drink all day long. 
Unfortunately, unless you use more than 2.5g per 100mL and a first infusion shorter than 1 min 30 sec, subsequent infusions can be disappointing. First time I went for a second infusion I was presented wit a tea that was much, much lighter and with a somewhat unpleasant mineral oil or slightly burned rice taste that sorta sat on the tip of my tongue. This burned rice taste then becomes more evident in the third infusion, though there's little else to speak of in terms of flavor at that point. Use a 2g per 100mL dose for 2 min for one nice brew, but otherwise aim a bit higher for this particular Yi Hong. For multiple brews, I'd suggest up to 4g and water a tad cooler than boiling, around 95 C.

2011年4月12日星期二

Some Tea Reviews

Hey thanks to our good friend David L, we have some tasting notes for some of our teas!!!

Even more coming soon!


Sun Moon Lake Black Tea
1st infusion (30 seconds - 212 degrees Fahrenheit).
Nice sweetness with Raisin and current overtones.  Very complex tea with thick smooth mouth feel.
2nd infursion (2 minutes) Honey sweetness with chocolate flavors are more dominant.
3rd infusion (3 minutes)  Maintains cocoa flavors, but with less sweetness.  Some nuttyness
4th infusion (5 Minutes)  Tea is still very good with no astringency. Mostly chestnut with some cocoa undertones remaining.  This tea would still take more infusions and remain tasty.

Bitan Snow Tea
1st infusion (30 seconds – 190 degrees Fahrenheit).  Very floral nice brisk body and subtle sweetness.
2nd infusion (2 minutes – 190 degrees).  Liquor is bright, but is starting to take on more vegetable flavors.  Some astringency beginning to develop
3rd infusion (3 minutes – 180 degrees).  Water temperature was lowered to prevent tea from becoming too brassy.
 Mostly green chlorophyll and vegetable flavors left.    Someone who likes green teas may appreciate this more than I did.  I primarily drink Oolong and Black teas.

Dao Hong Pao
1st infusion. (30 seconds 200 degree water). Wonderful complex classic Da Hong Pao flavor.  One could use adjectives like roasted chestnuts mixed with full mouth feel and so many other flavors, but it really does not do the tea justice as anyone familiar with Dao Hong Pao knows there is nothing else in the world that has this exact flavor.  This one is dead on.
2nd infusion (2 minutes 200 degree water).  All the distinct flavors coat the tongue and create a new flavor that is only know to those who love this tea.
3rd infusion (3 mimutes 200 degree water).  Still has good strong flavor with no astringency.
4th infusion (5 minutes 210 degree water).  Note, water temperature was raised for final infusions to extract all the wonderful flavors from this tea.  Some leaves are turning golden in the steep.  Still great flavor.
5th infusion (5 minutes 210 degree water).  Flavor is still good and strong.  I am icing the 5th, 6th and 7th infusions to drink as iced tea with dinner.  Wonderful tea.

Li Shan Oolong
1st infusion. (30 seconds 200 degree water).
Very smooth coating mouth feel.  Some cantaloupe like sweetness and interesting aromas
2nd infusion (2 minutes 200 degree water Still very smooth.  No astringency at all.  A very enjoyable tea
3rd infusion (3 mimutes 200 degree water).  Holds up very well even after close to 6 minutes of infusion.  No bitterness.  Fruity aroma is very nice and pleasant.
4th infusion (5 minutes 210 degree water). Still has a very nice flavor although not as strong as previous infusions.  No astringency and still very enjoyable.

Tung Ting
1st infusion (30 seconds - 190 degrees Fahrenheit).  Soft mouth feel.  Nice nutty overtones and complex flavors.
2nd infursion (2 minutes)  Nutty flavors still present.  No astringency.  Very good tea.
3rd infusion (3 minutes)  Still no astringency.  Flavor remains nice with roasted chestnut flavors dominant.
4th infusion (5 Minutes)  Holds up very well.  Not a strong flavor, but the flavor is still very nice with no astringency.

2011年3月31日星期四

So this week we have three new spring green teas in. West Lake Dragon Well, Green Snail Spring and Xin Yang Mao Jian Green teas are now exclusively from the 2011 harvesting.

This years Dragon Well is of much higher quality than the 2010 version. In 2010 it snowed during the early days of march (in Hangzhou). Thus the actual harvesting date was pushed back about 2 weeks. This year the weather was perfect and the tea was harvested on schedule.

Check it out!

http://www.chinesetea-shop.com/goods.php?id=133

2011年3月21日星期一

New website is now running!!!!!

Well it took a lot of hard work and a decent amount of time but we finally got our new website up and running.

www.chinesetea-shop.com

As a re-launch/ spring sale we offer the following amazing deals:


Spend $50 or more to receive 25 grams of Lapsang Souchong free! To celebrate the arrival of our new 2011 spring green teas we are having a 1 month only incredibly deal. It is very simple and doesn’t cost you an extra cent!

Simply place an order with us, totaling $50 between March 22nd and April 22nd and you will receive, in addition to your purchased products, 25 grams (.88 oz) of Lapsang Souchong. For example, buy 100 grams of Li Shan Oolong tea totaling $82.49 and in your package will be an extra 25 grams of Lapsang Souchong.

We want to make the arrival of our 2011 spring teas as memorable as possible. Try some of our beautiful Peaceful Monkey Leader or Lao Shan Green tea, some of the freshest tea available anywhere.

In addition to this amazing offer you will still receive a small token of Chinese culture and of course, free shipping on all orders over $100.

We are here to help you have an absolutely wonderful spring season this year, don’t miss opportunity as it only comes around once a year! Just to recap you will receive:

  • A free gift of 25 grams of Lapsang Souchong with any purchase of 50 dollars or more
  • Free shipping on all orders over $100
  • A small token of Chinese culture, regardless of purchased amount.
  • Free samples of tea with every purchase




2010年12月22日星期三

How To Buy The Perfect Tea!



White, Green, Oolong and Black tea all are produced from the "Camellia sinensis" plant. "Camellia sinensis" is native to China and Asia and grown in many tropical regions throughout the world today. WikiPedia states, "It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below two meters (six feet) when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5–4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals." The main difference in each one of these teas is when and how they are processed. "Processed" means picked, fermented (or oxidized), dried, etc. etc. Optimal time to pick the tea leaves is April-May with some variations expected. It can take several years for these plants to produce a plentiful harvest. Green and White tea is considered the least processed with the most antioxidants and the least amounts of caffeine. Green tea will have a pleasant grassy taste while White tea will boast a more floral flavor. White tea is actually produced using the plant's flower buds. The buds are picked before they bloom and then baked or steamed to halt any oxidation process. This preserves the high anti-oxidant properties of the tea. Green tea is made in a similar fashion but with the leaves of the plant. The highest quality green tea will contain only leaves while some lesser quality varieties will be leaves and twigs combined. Next in line is oolong tea. Oolong teas are said to be the hardest of the four to create. Oolong tea is somewhere in between green and black tea. This is because they are only partially fermented "oxidized" during the processing cycle. Oolong tea has less antioxidants than green and white tea but more than black tea. Caffeine levels are in the middle. Finally the most processed of the teas are black tea. Black tea leaves are picked the same way green and oolong tea leaves are picked but these leaves are fermented "oxidized" the longest. The term oxidized refers to how long the leaves are exposed to a set air temperature and humidity. You can compare this to an oak tree leaf falling on the ground and beginning to turn brown. The longer the tea leaf is oxidized the more it is considered "processed". The tea leaves that are most processed have a unique taste that is loved by many but lack the high levels of antioxidants that the green and white teas contain. Black tea contains the highest levels of caffeine also and have a full bodied taste.

Basically there are 3 main things to consider when choosing your tea. You have flavor, nutritional benefits, and price.

White tea has a light, delicate, flavor with a touch of sweetness. Green tea can have a range of flavors depending on many factors but most all will have a fresh green grassy taste. You will either love or hate green tea but it is a must try. Oolong tea will produce a woody, earthy taste with slight flowery taste and last of all black tea can be compared to your morning cup of coffee. It gives a bold, deep, earthy flavor. The nutritional benefits of tea are vast and deep. Several studies have revealed the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant poly-phenols found in tea. From cancer fighting properties to health skin support it has been proven that 2-6 cups of tea per day is healthy addition to any diet. Some teas have higher antioxidant levels than others. To reap the amazing anti-oxidant properties choose either white or green tea. These are the least processed and have the highest levels of poly phenols (antioxidants) per ounce as well as the lowest levels of caffeine.

As far as cost goes, well we would have to give white tea the highest prices. A high quality Darjeeling White Tea can cost upwards of $150/lb.! Green and black tea have the most appealing prices as these are the teas which are produced the most. Supply and demand tend to dictate the cost of tea just as with anything else. Oolong teas are second in price after white tea. So in conclusion the cost from high to low is white, oolong, green, and black tea. Sampling different teas is not only fun and relaxing but healthy for you too! May the tea be with you always!


From allvoices.com by floridaherb


        Buy black tea, green tea and oolong tea  in Chinese tea shop                    

2010年12月21日星期二

Keemun Black Tea (High Grade)


Keemun Black Tea (High Grade)




Black Tea by Foruntay Tea (ChineseTea-Shop.com)

Black Tea- Keemun Black Tea

Other Name: Qimen Black Tea, 祁门红茶

Origin: keemun Black Tea is a famous black tea variety, produced in the areas of QiMen County, southwest of AnHui Province.

Description: The branch of the Yellow Mountain runs though the county, and the fertile red soil and mild climate with adequate rainfall and moderate sunshine make the tea trees very good quality. The shape of the Keemun Black Tea is tight and neat, and the needles are beautiful with a shinning black color (commonly known as “Glory” ). It has a mellow flavor. Keemun Black Tea is one of the Top 10 Famous Chinese Tea.

Taste: It tastes fresh and mellow with the flavor of honey fragrance, and the best-quality one even carries the everlasting orchid fragrance (commonly known as “QiMen fragrance” ). The liquor is bright red and the residue is also red. Drinking the tea alone is the best way to taste its fragrance, while adding some milk will still keep.

How to brew:
1. Containers selected: usually white porcelain tea set.
2. Tea and water consumption: 3-5g for a commonly-used cup, ie, the tea covers the bottom of the tea cup; for serving 3 or 4 people, 10-15g tea leaves are appropriate amount.
3. Water temperature and brewing time: best brewing for 3-5 minutes with hot water of about 90-100 ℃. In order to maintain the original flavor of tea, we suggest you’ d better draw the tea 7-8 times at most.

Harvest Period: Spring, 2010


Thomas Smith
89

Wow, another good Keemun!
I’m really happy to have stumbled upon this company – both the teas I bought from them really exceeded my expectations.

Really pretty leaves with a preponderance of golden buds. I’d have trouble telling this apart from Silk Road’s Golden Monkey by just looking at it, but the leaves are a bit smaller here.
I’m on my second preparation of this today. First time ’round I used 4g per 125ml with steep times-temps: 1.5min-95C, 3min-90C, 4min-85C, 5min-85C, 5min-100C. Second round I used 2g per 125ml and drank from continuous infusions using 95C water and finishing at around 27 minutes first brew and 15 minutes second brew.

Dry fragrance is a bit like hay in a barn… a clean barn, but still – straw and hardwood. Wet aroma pops up with some tart apple smell and more resinous redwood. Liquor carries an apple and pear cider aroma mixed with toasted sesame seeds, flax seed, and whole wheat pasta. Tacky smelling and sort of carries a smell that reminds me of a cork board.

Flavor is a tad earthy and ever so slightly bitter, like a potato or pear carries bitterness. Balances nicely with the refreshing crisp qualities it has. Toasty, and certainly “Keemun-like” but it’s a mellow one. Soothing yet with a touch of spice. Cassia, nutmeg, and allspice. Aftertaste like the taste the air takes on around dry sand or river rocks – slight dusty tasting mineral quality I feel as a bit “spicier” than more clay- or gravel-like mineral tastes. Very pleasant, and adding dimension to this approachable tea. Aftertaste brings a bit of that flaxseed back from the front and ends on a brown rice note. A bit of dried fig/prune comes through at the end of a very long infusion. Flavor has a slow recession, but the aftertaste doesn’t linger very long at all. I usually prefer a very long lasting aftertaste and aroma, but this is the second red tea I’ve enjoyed greatly today that fades quickly.

Maybe not as complex as the Xian Zhen from TeaSpring, but every bit as enjoyable. Smoother, and with a little bit more body, though the flavor progression is a soothing flow in, then out with little trace. A huge plus for me is this is slightly less consistent between brews, developing from crisp and floral (orchid and honey notes mentioned in company description come through easily at first), to fruited and ripe, to toasty and salivating tannin, then richer wood before receding to bamboo, pecan and slight caramel accents in later infusions.

From steepster.com by Thomas Smith

Lapsang SouChong (Special Grade)


Lapsang SouChong (Special Grade)




Black Tea by Foruntay Tea (ChineseTea-Shop.com)

Black Tea- Lapsang SouChong

Other Name: ZhengShanXiaoZhong, 正山小种

Origin: WuYi, FuJian Province

Description: Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the WuYi region of the Chinese province of FuJian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. Lapsang souchongs is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang souchong leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour. The name in Fukienese means “smoky sub-variety.” Lapsang souchong is a member of the WuYi Bohea family of teas. The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the WuYi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines. Lapsang souchong from the original source is increasingly expensive, as WuYi is a small area and there is increasing interest in this variety of tea.

Taste: High quality of lapsang souchong possesses a taste of dried Longan for the first few brews. Its’ flavour is strong and smoky, similar to the smell of a campfire or of Latakia pipe tobacco.

How to brew: When drunk by itself, black tea is prepared by first cleaning the tea ware, then putting a certain amount of tea leaves into a teapot with a teaspoon, and finally pouring in boiling water at about 90 degrees celsius from a kettle lifted high above the teapot at a proportion of 50 to 60 ml of water to one gram of dried leaves. In order to maintain the original flavor of tea, we suggest you’ d better draw the tea 7-8 times at most.

Harvest Period: Spring, 2010


Thomas Smith
90
Never thought I’d be wishing I bought a larger quantity of Lapsang. This is utterly incomparable to any tea bearing the same name that I have ever seen, tasted, or even heard of.

First, and foremost – it is not smoky. There are light whiffs of toasted marshmallows, wheat bread just finishing cooking in an oven, or a very hot smokeless oak fire oven/grill, but really it is more about the light “smokiness” of tobacco leaves and milled grains. Pay little heed to the company description of “strong and smoky”!

While this is not a pure bud tea (two leaf and a bud intact sets are common throughout) it is entirely covered in light golden hair. Leaf length and color is very similar to a pure bud Yunnan red. Measuring the 4g I used for my gaiwan resulted in a volume around 1.5-2 tablespoons. Used 125ml with steep times-temps: 1.5min-95C, 2.5min-95C, 4min-90C, 5min-85C, 5min-100C, 9.5min-85C.

Dry fragrance is similar to the Golden Monkey reds I’ve been going through a lot lately – dried apricot and nectarine – but when tossed into the prewarmed gaiwan, the fragrance was straight up natural cocoa powder. Wet leaves like doused, burned hardwood – not smoky, but toasty with a refreshing light char note oddly reminiscent of grilled Tilapia (not fishy, mind you) and indiscernible fruit “ripeness”. The lid from the gaiwan, however combined a touch of the former cocoa with piles of ripe fruit aromas. Kumquat above the rest, but also white peach, uncut nectarine, longan, intact raspberries, black figs, apricot kiwi, and just a hint of avocado and coconut. These carry through in the liquor aroma but longan takes the stage.
Liquor is bright red-orange and very clear.

Flavor takes the fruit notes and blends them nicely with roasted nuts – almonds and macadamias primarily, but chestnut, cashew, brazil nut, pecan, and peanut also play a small part. The taste is a base of woody characteristics – brown rice, sesame seed, dried grasses, barley, oak, sunflower seeds and palms. Aftertaste brings in a mineral quality of adobe clay or mud bricks and a bit of gravel in the afteraroma. Not heavy on the minerals, but it certainly draws up similarities to other WuYi Shan teas. Nice heavier-medium body is much thicker than most Lapsangs, on par with heavier Keemuns. Smoooooooth. Mouthfeel again makes me think of clay in a sort of slip-slurry. There’s a very slight astringency just up against the uvula… Don’t think I’ve had a tea that hits that part of the mouth and nowhere else. Fleeting crispness and faint herbaceous acidity leaves a mouthwatering effect, but not a ton. Really clean – - aftertaste diminishes really quickly and afteraroma is short. impression of the tactile elements lingers for a while, though.

Man, this is yummy. Definitely getting more the next chance I can make the excuse. Expensive, but oh so worth it. I brewed this up with the intent of something to kick me awake, but it wound up being comforting and satisfying, making me want to curl up and take a nap. I finished long before the tea did and this would be a great candidate to drink straight from the gaiwan with. Again, you can not compare this to other Lapsangs – this is much more akin to specialty Taiwanese Reds.


From steepster.com by Thomas Smith