A day of firsts.

My friend Liquid Proust recently sent me some sheng pu erh tea as well as a gaiwan, and today I used both for the first time. The tea I chose to drink was labeled 2011 Gusu Ingmu. I must say, the flavor was unlike anything I’ve every had. It was earthy and smooth and a bit crisp. the gaiwan is just the right size to fill on of my japanese teacups, and I drank and drank till I ran out of hot water, totally well over a liter of tea. The experience of brewing in a gaiwan is so much more meditative than western brewing. The tea left me feeling pleasantly tea drunk, and I look forward to trying another tea this way tomorrow.

If any of you out there haven’t tried sheng pu erh or gaiwan brewing, I highly recommend they try it out.