12/2/2020
Late Night bowl tea using water just off boil. This is my last of this sample.
Aroma is sweet and enticing. Leaves are small and often broken making first steeping in bowl a challenge to drink cleanly. May have been better suited for gaiwan.
I enjoy tea and music.
I am specifically exploring the personal storage and aging of puerh tea. I also enjoy exploring the diversity of oolong, red tea and green tea.
For 10 years I tended to overcomplicate tea consumption and just now have started simplifying, or at least, have been reprioritizing my efforts. My focus has shifted to recognizing how a tea makes me feel instead of its flavor/aroma. I’m not very good at classifying taste and smell anyway (chuckle). My aim on Steepster (currently) is to prevent my experiences from being lost to my forgetful mind.
Equipment and methods:
Hawaii Pot – my favorite clay pot for indulgent sessions of raw puerh. Capacity: 250 ml. Simple design, tight fitting lid. When paired with White Bowl during solo session, I fill about 3/4 way.
White Bowl – glazed clay bowl, 175 ml.
Kettle – 2L clay kettle, typically fired on an electric coil burner. Set to hold just under boil – probably about 200 degrees F.
Storage – I use an old wooden desk with drawers to store and age some teas. Notably, one drawer is for short term. I try holding this to 70 degrees F and 60-70% RH. This drawer offers easy access to puerh samples being prepared for tasting. Most morning sessions will draw from this drawer. I also have long term raw puerh storage that hold solid at 65% RH and a ripe puerh storage that holds at about 70% RH. I’m using wetted clay pebbles to help maintain RH levels. Room temp is generally conditioned to 70 degrees F and humidity is about 50% RH.
Tea rating interpretation:
95 – Medicinal and notably pleasant
85 – Medicinal
75 – Notably pleasant
65 – Unremarkably pleasant
55 – I wouldn’t gift
45 – I wouldn’t purchase
35 – I wouldn’t drink again
25 – Yuk
USA
