sophistre

Wanted to try this at a higher temperature after reading Auggy’s note from the other day about how, at that slightly higher temp, the toasted element sort of took a backseat to the milky quality.

This is totally true. I feel like the toasted rice is still very much there, but smoother and less ‘overdone popcorn’ than just…nutty and toasty. There’s a definite saltiness that seems to be part and parcel with the brothy, milky, matcha-creamy flavors.

It would never have occurred to me to change the temp. I’m surprised by how different it is…especially that saltiness. Neat, though.

2010-03-23 06:37:03 -0400

195 °F / 90 °C

2 min 45 sec

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Auggy 2010-03-23 09:51:56 -0400

Yay! I’m happy to see this since it means my taste buds weren’t just playing tricks on me.

sophistre 2010-03-23 10:16:37 -0400

I’ve wondered that the last few days, myself. I put some Four Seasons into a travel tumbler, and…I kid you not…salty. Like gatorade salty. WTF? Maybe I oversteeped…but there are definitely days I wonder if my tongue is just being weird for no good reason.

This was good though…the Ryokucha. :D Briny but not overpoweringly so…and I like that it took the ‘burnt’ element out of the toasted-ness.

Auggy 2010-03-23 10:46:23 -0400

Salty? That’s so weird. I’ve had an unpleasant experience with a Keemun in a travel tumbler because the lid blocked the smell but even with the scent of the oolong blocked, salty seems like a weird result. And I definitely think I’ll be making the Ryokucha at a slightly higher temp now – it really does temper the toasty edge and bring out the creamy. And now I want some.

sophistre 2010-03-23 11:24:36 -0400

I…haha. It’s funny…I came back to check this post because I am starting to think my Brita filter is responsible, somehow…even though it’s new. I will know soon. But yes…salty is…strange. After I posted that I started to worry, myself.

Auggy 2010-03-23 12:21:58 -0400

Hopefully you figure it out because it’d be a shame to ruin Four Seasons with salty!

sophistre 2010-03-23 13:00:10 -0400

Okay, crazy possibility: drinking lots of caffeinated tea + intensifying exercise routine = dehydration, which results in…everything tasting salty. WTF? Pretty sure the brand new jug of apple cider I bought is not ACTUALLY salty. Or the new jug of milk. So, definitely my TONGUE.

Bummer.

Auggy 2010-03-23 15:41:27 -0400

Eew @ the salty milk – though I have to admit, I laughed. That’s sorta freaky and I almost think that your tongue making things taste salty is worse than if the tea had ended up salty. But I’m still laughing. Kind of in horror.

Welcome to Steepster, an online tea community.

sophistre

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