This is so intriguing. I have some experience with unflavoured blacks, but this is a totally different universe. I get a really rich thick liquor, almost brothy. I get what I refer to as cocoa notes, but I don’t know that it is cocoa per se. At first I wasn’t sure what I thought, but it grew on me through the cup. I wanted to use words like grainy and roasty and even malty, but I don’t know if those are associations or just words that got stuck in my head. Won’t rate until I’ve tried it again as this tea demands attention.
The beau pointed out that it has honey notes and I didn’t get that in the tea itself but in the aftertaste. Dark chocolate in the sip (but not at all bitter!) and sweet honey in the aftertaste.
Steeped 3/4 tsp in smallish gaiwan with boilling water for around 3 minutes.
Comments
I hVe a couple of gaiwans and have used them a few times, trying to observe traditional methods. How do you manage not to burn your fingerprints right off? Unless I really leave that cup to sit a while, I get scalded!
I’ve observed when I go for tea tastings that they don’t heat the water up to boiling most of the time…
@ashmanra – the honest answer is that you develop calluses over time. but you can also avoid the brim getting too hot by not filling the gaiwan all the way up. fill to 3/4… although with tightly rolled oolongs in particular the abundant leaf material can make it hard to avoid filling it all the way up. I tend to burn my fingers most when I’m doing a lot of consecutive infusions of a rolled oolong. my calluses are gradually developing and making it easier though.
I actually did burn my fingers this time as some of the water opted to come out the side. : ( It has taken me a couple tries to be able to pour it without a whole lot of pain, but I definitely still feel it and move quickly. I do use boiling water for my black teas, but I also (as Geoffrey said) don’t fill my gaiwan to the brim, so it’s not too hot right at first. I still spill occasionally, or have to set it down for a second so I don’t start swearing. : )
Thank you! I simply trained myself not to fill my gaiwan up very far and assumed it was a deeply imbedded Asian lesson teaching about the evils of greed! LOL! I have read about trick cups from way back that are still being made that will not permit you to get any liquid if you overfill them. I think someone linked to them long ago on the discussions threads.
I hVe a couple of gaiwans and have used them a few times, trying to observe traditional methods. How do you manage not to burn your fingerprints right off? Unless I really leave that cup to sit a while, I get scalded!
I’ve observed when I go for tea tastings that they don’t heat the water up to boiling most of the time…
@ashmanra – the honest answer is that you develop calluses over time. but you can also avoid the brim getting too hot by not filling the gaiwan all the way up. fill to 3/4… although with tightly rolled oolongs in particular the abundant leaf material can make it hard to avoid filling it all the way up. I tend to burn my fingers most when I’m doing a lot of consecutive infusions of a rolled oolong. my calluses are gradually developing and making it easier though.
I actually did burn my fingers this time as some of the water opted to come out the side. : ( It has taken me a couple tries to be able to pour it without a whole lot of pain, but I definitely still feel it and move quickly. I do use boiling water for my black teas, but I also (as Geoffrey said) don’t fill my gaiwan to the brim, so it’s not too hot right at first. I still spill occasionally, or have to set it down for a second so I don’t start swearing. : )
Thank you! I simply trained myself not to fill my gaiwan up very far and assumed it was a deeply imbedded Asian lesson teaching about the evils of greed! LOL! I have read about trick cups from way back that are still being made that will not permit you to get any liquid if you overfill them. I think someone linked to them long ago on the discussions threads.