New equipment, and new tea

The stuff
Today, everything but my yixing ware arrived. So now I have a Swiss Gold infuser and a gaiwan. I'm quite pleased with both! The gaiwan came with a free sample (5.3 grams) of Silk Oolong, from Anxi (the birthplace of Ti Kuan Yin tea). No, I don't know that much of tea lore. I found it a couple places, including Red Blossom Tea company where I purchased the gaiwan.

So .. what is a gaiwan, you ask? gaiwan translated in Chinese directly as "covered bowl." And that's exactly what it is! It's mostly used for small scale tea brewing, though there are some large gaiwans in use (by large, think maybe 16oz. as huge). The top of the bowl is flared, and larger than the dome lid. This makes for easy use of the lid as not only a cover, but when it's tilted it is a filter to strain the tea and keep the leaves inside the vessel. The lid also helps retain heat inside the vessel, so the water does not cool too quickly.



I'll try using my new gaiwan tonight. I know I probably won't do anything quite right, but getting things wrong is part of the path to learning, right? I hope.

The Tea
Silk Oolong. According to Red Blossom and Tea Laden.com (I would link, but I've only ever seen one person who recommended the site/vendor I don't know if it's over quality, pricing, or whatever -- they do seem to have their history right, though) Holy Mountain had a bit of information on the tea at one point, but it has since been removed.

Any way, Silk Oolong is known for its buttery and caramel-like aroma, and its smoothness. And indeed when I opened the small bag, I was surprised at the strength of the aroma! And it was very much as described, if the popcorn bit didn't smell a touch over-popped.

The leaves are little green bundles, just as I expected from the several descriptions and photographs. When I rinse the tea, the buttery aroma roils from the 'spill bowl' quite potently in the steam. I am very much looking forward to the experience!



First infusion
Water: Just off boiling
Steep time: 30 seconds

The tea is very light in color, a light yellow-brown. The aroma is surprisingly weak. Apparently I didn't steep it nearly long enough. Next time, though!

Second Infusion
Steep time: 60 seconds

The aroma is much stronger. Perhaps I was expecting too much from this tea's color. A review of the description on Red Blossom reveals that the liquor is "unexpectedly light and smooth for its richness." That explains it! The flavor is full indeed, if not a bit light. and the tea itself never gains much color. But with a slightly longer infusion, it gained very much in flavor! It's not a blast of flavor like some teas. but I'm understanding the milky smoothness and (butter)milk-like flavor.

Photographs aren't necessary. The color is so light, the picture would do it no justice.

Final infusion (tenth!)
Steep time: Several minutes

The color is only slightly lighter, but that doesn't say much for a tea that's so light from the beginning. There's only a touch of bitterness, but the flavor is much lighter. Perhaps I should have brewed this differently. Eh, well. Since I did not expect this tea, I'll count it as free and a chance to mess up without wasting money (though I feel like I've wasted some perfectly good tea).

So I know this tea is finished. However, it is tempting to give it one last go just to be sure. But I won't. I've already had plenty to drink tonight. So let me get on with this!

The leaves? They've unfurled and reconstituted, to fill the gaiwan! Sorting through, I find a lot of large, (nearly) whole leaves. That's always something to look for, especially in an Oolong (or so I hear -- I am still learning, after all). But it is a comforting sight, and speaks of the quality of the tea. There is still some aroma in the leaves, though perhaps not enough to fully inspire more brewing, if for no other reason than to purposely over brew the leaves.

The overall experience? Pleasant, sure. It's a relaxing tea, just like some people describe. But this isn't a tea I'll return to as a frequent drinker.

You'll find I don't rate teas so much. Foregoing explanation, I have little of a preference drive. If I like two things, I'll rarely have a preference over another. So I'll go without a star rating, or a (number) out of (total possible) rating, at least for the time. I'm still trying to experience enough to develop a discernment in tea quality.

Swiss Gold
I won't drag on about this. In the mornings, I typically brew a quick pot of tea, about 16oz. The tea pot I have is glass and came with a glass infuser. It lets a lot through! But when I saw strong recommendations for Swiss Gold infusers, I looked into it. I made a rough measurement of the tea pot's opening and depth, and chose the infuser closest to it. Lucky me! It fits perfectly!

The mesh (if you can call it that -- it's more of a metallic sheet with tiny holes punched, but so many it's very mesh like) is so fine, I feel confident to brew anything. I'll put it into use tomorrow morning!

Review and greetings!

It's an odd feeling to get from tea. I just finished drinking a second infusion of Song Yang. By the end, I feel pleasantly relaxed. My lower extremities have a warmth from more than wearing denim pants in the summer. The tea itself is light in flavor, and light on bitterness. Though the second infusion had notably more bitterness -- the slightly drying kind which does not detract from the flavor, but somehow enhances it if the tea hasn't been over brewed. I'm going back, to heat more water for two more infusions. What better way is there to know what's enough, but to go too far?

The leaves are crisp and rolled before they go into the pot. They're a soft green, cuddled in fine white fibres. But it's not nearly as much as the Silver Needle I had a few days ago.

The water is heated. I've decided on at least two more infusions, depending on the character of the last cup. I forgot to check the time with this one, so it may be a little off. It's currently 7:57pm, and already was immediately after pouring the water into the tea pot. In the time I needed to click to bring the seconds reading, time had advanced to 7:57:20. I'd guess maybe ten or fifteen seconds had passed. Eight on the dot, I'll say. Maybe I'll wait just a few seconds. Then I'll test this tea again.

The third infusion is poured. Its color is slightly less than the previous two. But the aroma is promising, though a touch darker than the previous cups. Two sips. The strength has not diminished much more, surprisingly. It's a touch more bitter, but not significantly more than the second infusion. The color? Light yellow, with just a hint of green. Photographs? Pictures are unnecessary here. During the pour, the tea takes a trip from the spout of the tea pot and the cup, cascading backlit by my computer's monitor. the site in the browser is white. The tea, by all accunts, on all pours, has appeared transparent. In the cup, a soft yellow appears. Lighter each time, until at the third it is nearly transparent as still water.

The fourth and final infusion. While pouring the water, I noticed some of the leaves have completely unfurled. Some are still curled, but they seem softened by the warm water. The water had cooled more than I expected. Color? Lighter still. Aroma? Almost nonexistant. This tea has now fully served its purpose. The overall flavor of the fourth cup is lighter, though somehow the bitterness is dominant. But it's so diluted that it makes little difference. I still find it pleasant.

The leaves, post use:
Some are stull curled, but most have fully unfurled. It's good to see so much nature in the pot!



It's a very relaxing tea. Sure, white teas have less caffeine than darker teas, but I wonder how much that has to do with anything. Before recently, everything I drank in life (save a nice glass of Scotch or snifter of Brandy) has been in haste and unappreciated for more than its surface qualities. Tea is a new appreciation for me. I have much to learn, and much more to love.

So I don't know much of the nuances of tea. I cannot yet explain, cannot describe, what I'm experiencing. I am, after all, a novice to tea.

Tea: Song Yang from Adagio 3 grams
Water: Bottles spring water, just to a boil then cooled.
Infusion times: 3, 4, 4+, 4+ minutes respectively.



This is the pot I used. It's a simple ceramic tea pot, imported from Japan. It was more of a for-run purchase, until i started with tea. It's a good all purpose pot.




OK, so this is my first and opening post here. Why tea novice? I'm very new to tea. I see a lot of blogs out there made for experienced tea drinkers. I thgout someone should show perspective from the beginning. So, in stead of waiting for one, I made one. I have a lot of teas to experience, and I'll post about many. Though I've already tried some, it was more experimental. I'm learning a lot about brewing right now. In fact, I have some tips:

1.) Pay very close attention to brewing time. Brewing too long the first time can ruin later infusions. Not steeping long enough later on will result in too weak a tea, and discarding still good leaves.

2.) Water temperature is very important. Though I don't use a thermometer, I don't use just-off-the-burner boiled water for teas that should use cooler water. In fact, many teas need to be steeped in water cooled enough to drink. Of course, every tea has its own requirements.

3.) Experiment! This is very important. Try many kinds of tea. See what kinds you like. See which ways of brewing each renders the best results.

4.) Slow down a bit. This isn't about throwing some foliage and water in a bowl, and spending the "waiting" time doing things that will make you forget the tea. Use a timer, or keep an eye on a clock with a seconds indicator. You'll want to be used to this if you ever delve into the world of gong fu brewing.

5.) Relax. Tea isn't something to get worked up over. In fact, tea's casual ritual (for lack of a better word) is about relaxation. Clear your mind of the day's worries. It's not about meditaion or forgetting. It's about a change of pace, setting aside the rest for later, even if later is at the end of your tea break.

6.) Find your brewing style. Don't feel obligated to brew western style, gong fu, or any particular way at all. Find what fits you best. And don't feel intimidated if you get the impression that tea is for women to make or enjoy, or whatever. IT's not. Tea is for everyone. I promise. And you'll find plenty of equipment out there without flowers and all that on it. I promise.

7.) Enjoy the tea. Find what you like. Experiment as you wish. As someone recently said, "At the best you'll have a great cup of tea. In the worst, you'll have tea-flavored water." Or somethign like that.