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Indigobloom

332 Followers / 251 Following

Indigobloom drank Ben Shan by Tea Dynasty

I HAVE A GAIWAN!!!!
Yipeeeeee! I’ve wanted one of these for SO long, and when I discovered that TD was down to their last few sets, and weren’t likely to be getting more anytime soon… well I could not resist. My tea ban is on “tea” not tea*ware* so I haven’t broken the rules yet. Right?!??
And the price was pretty darn good to. $26 is good, isn’t it? (I need to double check, maybe it was 36? my receipt is downstairs)
Aaaaaanyhow, about the tea. I sampled three kinds today so forgive me if I mix them up. I’m pretty sure I did get these out of order!
I can tell you that I tried a Ben Shan, a Buddhas Palm, and a… err, was it White Needle?? Frank, if you end up reading this, please help!!
Oh yes, let me introduce Frank! He is the lovely tea guru who was so kind to brew the tea and share with me :)
Now, if am not mistaken, this was the last one I tried. It was quite light with a hint of fruitiness, and very sweet. More sweet than the other two I tried.
My least fave of the three but still very good! Incredibly smooth, esp compared to anything I’ve tried before this.
I am rather new to actually enjoying green oolongs so I was pleasantly surprised by how different they can be. Before my ‘bud flip, I was a serious dark oolong girl who typically shunned the green side. and now? I cannot get enough! go figure.
If you are ever in Toronto, be sure to stop by the shop. It’s halfway between Wellesley and Bloor on Yonge St.

2012-01-22 21:51:21 -0500

I Like This

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Amy oh 2012-01-22 22:06:36 -0500

Yay! Every tea lover needs a Gaiwan!

Dinosara 2012-01-22 22:13:24 -0500

A gaiwan on my list, but I think I’m going to wait until China. But it feels so long! :)

Indigobloom 2012-01-22 22:13:49 -0500

hehe I agree Amy! I cannot wait to try it… which sadly won’t be for a few weeks.

Amy oh 2012-01-22 22:16:50 -0500

Well you can steep any tea in a gaiwan actually…

Indigobloom 2012-01-22 22:23:52 -0500

Dinosara- ooooh yah you will have so many options in China! mine isn’t the prettiest, but it IS a Gawian :P
Amy, hmm you’re right! but since I consume most of my caffeinated teas at work, and am not home often during the day… well that leaves me a little short on time so it will have to wait til my next free weekend day, which is Feb 5th! but that is only cuz on the 4th, I have a tea tasting to attend lol

ScottTeaMan 2012-01-22 23:16:49 -0500

dO YOU HAVE A PIC OR A LINK TO A link to the pic of your Gaiwan??

Indigobloom 2012-01-22 23:20:26 -0500

Scott- not yet, but I will post one when I get ahold of a decent camera! :)

ScottTeaMan 2012-01-22 23:24:37 -0500

OK :))

ashmanra 2012-01-23 07:54:24 -0500

I want…um….MOST of these! :)
http://purepuer.com/puer_tea/do/category/gaiwan

Amy oh 2012-01-23 10:52:49 -0500

Ashmanra, those gaiwans are beautiful…

ashmanra 2012-01-23 13:22:25 -0500

And the company is fabulous. They are so helpful and accommodating. We have ordered a lot of tea ware from them and love it, and I just got some tea from them as well. When you call you will be speaking to the owner or his wife!

Indigobloom 2012-01-23 21:47:40 -0500

they are so purty!! not like mine, all clunky and unrefined. but probably better that way considering my clumsy ways haha.
One day I’ll have a Gaiwan to display proudly!

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Let’s see… I’m a tea and workout fanatic, I work in HR, and most of my friends consider me to be an egg. White on the outside, Asian on the inside :)
-from philosophy to food, I love it all
Otherwise, what you see is what you get! I can be very straightforward and yet shy.

Also, I’ve started taking tea sommelier classes and it is an absolute blast! Well, so far I’ve only finished the first out of eight courses, but I am really looking forward to the next one.

Anyhow, if your curious as to how I rate things, this is how I work…

0-25
Like eating dirt, or some other unsanitary indelicacy that mentioning in my profile here would likely get me banned.
I don’t think I’ve found cause to banish a tea to the wasteland yet though so who knows what it’d inspire ;P

25-50
You know that expression “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”? I imagine drinking that water would be terrible enough to warrant this rating!
I’d never make my enemy drink this, but perhaps I’d throw it at them. Good thing I don’t have any enemies!

50-70
This is “tea”?? I tried finishing the cup… but my body rejected it. There may be others who enjoy this tea, but it’s beyond me!

70-80
I tried liking it, and I can almost get there! I certainly don’t hate it, but something is holding me back. Allergies? Men in white suits? who knows… certainly not me!

80-90
Lovely tea! Not my all time fave but close. I likely wouldn’t repurchase, but may decide to based on many factors: price, accessibility, whether it fills a “tea gap”, medicinal applications, and how often I crave it.
Every once in awhile I find the sweet spot that bumps these up to 90+. Those are the days I need to buy a lotto ticket!

90-95
Sweet Camellia! this is realllly good tea! Don’t talk to me until I’ve finished my cup…

95-100
Tea of the gods. I would do anything to get my hands on more of this liquid gold!