I've updated my blog with my notes from the last of the greens from my
last order from teaspring, and as I promised, I'm posting them here as
well. I realized I left out a couple things from my writings on this
tea, so I'll add them in here. I forgot to say that I get 2-3 really
solid brewings from the leaf, and also that while I did touch on the
wild variation in brewing I failed to state that it never becomes
bitter no matter what is done to it. OK, so on to my thoughts:


The final green from my most recent order is Tai Ping Hou Kui. TPHK is
a very long flat-pressed leaf that is very different from many teas of
any type. The initial hit from the smell of the dry leaf is strange,
it's hard to really put a finger on. My best single description is
vegetal. But there is much more in there, almost too much to properly
separate the smells out for accurate description. My first brewing
followed suit and I was actually unsure of anything.

It didn't help that I used my little glass teapot that I bought for
artistic teas, which doesn't get much use by me. I used it so I could
get the long leaves into the post without disturbing them. The teapot
has a thin rim of plastic and a plastic lid with a huge stainless-
steel mesh basket that would allow you to fill the entire teapot with
leaf if you wanted to. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't allow two
materials near my tea brewing: Metal and Plastic. I only went with
this teapot because the "plastic" is actually nylon and it was highly
recommended by a close friend.

The reason for that aside about the teapot was that I thought I could
taste plastic in the first and second brewing, and it put me off. I
switched over to a larger gaiwan of mine and the flavor persisted even
with new leaf. I realized that the flavor was not that of plastic but
some sort of roasted flavor from the tea. Now, I'm not sure if just
the thought of the plastic taste tainted my view right off the bat,
but it took me about 7 or 8 brewings to get past it... and that is why
it took me this long to cover it. I'm still on the fence with this
one. Again, yes, it is a highly prized and unique tea, but is it a
favorite or an amazing standout? Not quite. I'd take my Huo Mountain
Yellow or Teaspring's Bi Lo Chun in a heartbeat over it. I do get the
nutty and slightly sweet flavors but I do not ever experience the
flowery notes they describe on their site. It is a complex flavor
though and varies wildly based on the brewing so I'm not ruling out
that I may get it to appear yet. I've found that a medium amount of
leaf with a bit hotter water than normal for greens is my personal
sweet spot. Just as in the initial smell, there is a lot going on with
this tea, and that may appeal to many but for me it is just too much
to really enjoy. It's kind of like a treasure hunt where you could
almost taste anything you can think of during each sip; charcoal,
plastic, nut, sweet, sour, citrus, and what may be the strangest
notion I've ever had with tea: Roast Beef. Yep. Roast beef. I have had
this thought on more than one occasion while drinking this tea and
while it may seem farcical I promise you it is there.

This tea has been an enigma from the first opening, it has taken me
from plastic to roast beef and all points in between (of which there
are quite a few). I'd say I got my money's worth just in the adventure
with this one. Would I place it in my personal 10 famous teas? No.
Would I ever crave it? No. Can I understand the allure? No. But it is
interesting, unique, very different, and a great singular experience?
Yep.

I've given up on trying to rank teas. These days I am into sexy leaf
since I drink off the top in a double walled thermo glass. This one
sounds like it fits the bill. I rather have one sitting on my shelf
that I rarely drink than not. I wished I had put this one on my look
for list on my recent trip to SF Chinatown. My only reget I never
tried a hot pot.

Jim

PS Those self cleaning toilets downtown are a technological wonder.
The bums don't even have to use the toilet. Nasty if the next
cleaning cycle is after you. I was always hopping a trolly to the
Ferry building.

Dominic T. wrote:

This tea has been an enigma from the first opening, it has taken me
from plastic to roast beef and all points in between (of which there
are quite a few). I'd say I got my money's worth just in the adventure
with this one. Would I place it in my personal 10 famous teas? No.
Would I ever crave it? No. Can I understand the allure? No. But it is
interesting, unique, very different, and a great singular experience?
Yep.

Space Cowboy writes:

I've given up on trying to rank teas. These days I am into sexy leaf
since I drink off the top in a double walled thermo glass.

If you've used yours for a while and it still doesn't leak, please
tell where you got it from!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

9oz Bodum Pavina double wall thermo glass. Religiously for the past
couple of months, knock, knock. They come as a pair with a retail of
$15. I got mine at a discount.

Jim

Lewis Perin wrote:
Space Cowboy writes:

I've given up on trying to rank teas. These days I am into sexy leaf
since I drink off the top in a double walled thermo glass.

If you've used yours for a while and it still doesn't leak, please
tell where you got it from!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On Sep 26, 9:43 am, Space Cowboy wrote:
I've given up on trying to rank teas. These days I am into sexy leaf
since I drink off the top in a double walled thermo glass. This one
sounds like it fits the bill. I rather have one sitting on my shelf
that I rarely drink than not. I wished I had put this one on my look
for list on my recent trip to SF Chinatown. My only reget I never
tried a hot pot.

Jim

PS Those self cleaning toilets downtown are a technological wonder.
The bums don't even have to use the toilet. Nasty if the next
cleaning cycle is after you. I was always hopping a trolly to the
Ferry building.

I agree, my aim isn't to really "rank" teas but to cover some of the
different teas from the different vendors we talk about often here so
that people have some sort of reference or starting point if they are
new to tea. I'll never assign points or a rating scale, and it is
always just my personal taste and opinions... I'd happily welcome
others to either reply in the comments of my site or even in response
to the simulpost here of their thoughts, notes, and experiences with
any of the teas/vendors.

And, you missed out if you didn't try hot pot... it's a great thing.
I've yet to find a place in Da 'Burgh that offers it. I have had a
great Sichuan hot oil thing though that was amazing, and if you're
ever in town there's a great place called Sushi Kim with true Korean
food that brings tears of joy to my eyes each time I go.

- Dominic

/as for the TPHK, I still can't really get into it and I almost have
to force myself to continue drinking it until it is gone. It is
certainly a sexy leaf though.

Space Cowboy writes:

Lewis Perin wrote:
Space Cowboy writes:

I've given up on trying to rank teas. These days I am into sexy leaf
since I drink off the top in a double walled thermo glass.

If you've used yours for a while and it still doesn't leak, please
tell where you got it from!

9oz Bodum Pavina double wall thermo glass. Religiously for the past
couple of months, knock, knock. They come as a pair with a retail of
$15. I got mine at a discount.

Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about those
Chinese tea jars that you can carry around with you on the subway or
wherever. The one I bought at a bricks-and-mortar in New York's
Chinatown leaked after a few weeks. Bodum Pavina sure is nice in its
place, though.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On 2007-09-26, Space Cowboy wrote:
9oz Bodum Pavina double wall thermo glass. Religiously for the past
couple of months, knock, knock. They come as a pair with a retail of
$15. I got mine at a discount.

They do rock; I got a pair that eventually broke; so I bought another.
Beautiful cups.


N.

Lew,

What should I be looking for in Chinatown. The vacuum jars could be
right in front of me.

Jim

Lewis Perin wrote:
Space Cowboy writes:
9oz Bodum Pavina double wall thermo glass

Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about those
Chinese tea jars that you can carry around with you on the subway or
wherever. The one I bought at a bricks-and-mortar in New York's
Chinatown leaked after a few weeks. Bodum Pavina sure is nice in its
place, though.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Space Cowboy writes:

Lew,

What should I be looking for in Chinatown. The vacuum jars could be
right in front of me.

Cylindrical double-walled glass with screw top (that's what'll
probably leak) and a grate to keep the leaves out of your mouth.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html