Alex digy.com9/19/04


Anyway, I hate monogamy in all of its
forms. Important thing is to have enough of zishas to keep the ladies from
meeting each other.

Anyway, now that you put it that way, I'll re-examine my position.

Greens in general suit me better for now. These are more solemn, ceremonial,
strict, knightly. I have not tried Dai bamboo yet, I am waiting for the
right moment.

Really nice tea. When the moment strikes, report please.

Mini Menghai Beencha 1999 - all that I expected and a promise of more. I do
not have yet the point of reference - too many too complex things that have
not yet sort themselves out. I feel like I opened a math text on a subject I
have no special knowledge of.. Like topology, for example. But it is
interesting and intriguing and demands attention and work of mind.

Well said, to be sure. I love it. It's complexity enthrawled me. I'm
ordering some today. Wonder if it would be a good saver tea. That's the
impresion it gives me.

Fangcha - 1999 Not too impressed. May be I am too green and inexperienced
myself and I should try sometime later.

I enjoy mine, but against the Menhai Beengcha 1999, it seems a bit weak.
Haven't tried it in months. I'll have another go.

I did not wanted to buy black puerhs because I did try them before and did
not like that special taste of a dog breath. Dave, however talked me into
trying some (did not take him too long) and I bought Ages Large leaf from
Old trees and Gold Bud beencha.
These have almost no dog-breath and even if they did - that dog had his food
prepared by a gourmet chef.

What about soil, loam, peaty earth? Anything in there? Did you try a Liu
An? Not Pu-erh per se, but Pu-erh like, and from Guangxi.

More feminine, passionate and less contrasty. Compares with green like a
sophisticated touch of a female hand compares with a exceptionally good
translation of your favorite passage from Confucius. You want to dissolve in
first and have a long thought about the second. But both are near-orgasmic.

Near?

I liked better the Gold bud, but while my first judgments about oolongs
almost always never changed, this time I am not so sure. I may just be
entering something for complexity of which I am not ready yet and have to
see much more before I start to distinguish between art and kitsch. Picasso
looks rude at first too.

Picasso *is* rude, but so then is Pound. Now, I'm not that fond of Gold Bud
myself, but again, I compared it to the Meng Hai, which is special. Perhaps,
not fair to the Gold Bud.

More to come.

Good.

By the way, in answer to your "how to brew" post, I have two suggestions:
First, the Perin Params: 175F, half as many grams of dry tea as ounces of
water, four minutes. Also, try at 195-200F,beginning with near instant
pours and increasing according to taste. Use small pots and somewhat more
leaf to water.. Neither method will be Gung-fu True, but you can pretend.
That is what I do. Oversteeping will harshen the tea.

Michael