So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.

--
Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
cup All I can say is to try a number of both cooked and uncooked
because the variance between Puerh is insane. I really like the "wild,
old tree" cooked stuff personally but I've had a few good cooked and
uncooked of different types and factories too... I've also waded
through quite a lot of terrible stuff both cheap and expensive. Tea
involves a lot of variables as it is and Puerh easily doubles them so
every little detail matters like storage, processing, quality, etc. to
an even greater degree. I don't love it enough to devote a significant
portion of my life to it which it would indeed require as it is a
world of it's own, Mike Petro's page is still a major resource for me.

I'm not sure if you've ever delved into Kombucha or not but if you
like earthy and unique it is a great side addition to normal teas,
although I buy mine bottled and don't get into the cultivation stuff.

- Dominic

On Mar 10, 9:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
only gets better from here!

"Dominic T." > writes:

> On Mar 10, 9:52 pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
>> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
>> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> heh, I think everyone (myself included) hears the "earthy" term thrown
> around and thinks they know what it means... and then they have a
> cup

Quite right! Hah. Actually, what surprised me was that when I heard that
it was an ``earthy'' tea, I thought that it would have a bit of grit to
it. Amazingly, it really was smooth and earthy at the same time. I
thought that was kind of an oxymoron before I tried some. :-P

Actually, while I like it in my first testings, I don't have the time,
either, to go fishing around to find the absolute best. I think I'll
have plenty of fun to start with using the stuff I got from Little
Mountain. I have two cans, so I'm interested to see how the tastes vary
from the same company. After I finish this off, which may take a while,
I'll see where else this tea leads me.

--
Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

beecrofter > writes:

> On Mar 10, 9:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
>> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
>> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> Nobody serves the good stuff to a beginner! So rejoice! Because it
> only gets better from here!

Haha, well, I only got the single loose leaf variety that is available
from Little Mountain. It's not guaranteed to be anything, green, black,
or whatever, so I'm sure that I'm getting a lot of differences in there,
but so far, it's nice. I was really surprised at the smoothness of the
whole tea from start to finish.

--
Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

On Mar 10, 6:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

I've been drinking pu-erh for quite a while and, like China, the more
I know, how little I know.
Pu-erh - a long, winding journey that never gets boring.
Welcome to the pu-erh path!
Shen

Yes, puerh earthy is a good thing for me, I've been enjoying a Yunnan
sourcing cooked (the premium melon cooked tuo from Jiu Wan if anyone wants
to know) the last few days (I shouldn't have used a whole tuo though, it
was like 15 grams and kept going...and going...and going. I think I still
hadn't gotten all I could've out of it before I had to dispose of it.). The
humus-y thing puts me in mind of, I think it was Lord of the Rings maybe?
The Ents (tree beings) were much into the taste of various types of earth
and it's textures etc. It was in the book, not the movie, if it was LotR.

I'm not a puerh aficianado as such (I don't pay attention to specific
vintages, recipies, etc.) but I do like a cup and when I find one I like I
return to it. The shu doesn't seem to bug my stomach as much as say a green
oolong, and I really can drink it all day long.

Melinda

"Aaron Hsu" > wrote in message
...
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

ex-girlfriend of mine likes pu-er with honey in it! Never tried that
myself.

On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
> So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> --
> Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. The price isn't
always indicative of quality. The most common comment I get when
introducing others to this tea is: "it tastes like dirt". Right on!
I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
practice. Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

On Mar 12, 11:51*am, fluxustulip > wrote:
> On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>
> > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > --
> > Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
> always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
> introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
> I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh.net.
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.

On Mar 12, 11:51*am, fluxustulip > wrote:
> On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>
> > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > --
> > Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
> always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
> introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
> I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh.net.
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving mighty Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at
a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the
liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.

On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, fluxustulip > wrote:
> On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>
> > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > --
> > Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
> always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
> introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
> I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.

I tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
effect
at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
with
large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak

On Mar 12, 5:03*pm, wrote:
> On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, fluxustulip > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>
> > > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > > --
> > > Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> > > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> > I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
> > always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
> > introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
> > I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> > practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.
>
> I tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
> effect
> at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
> you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
> asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
> when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
> like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
> with
> large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
> use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
> pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I practice yoga, as well and you may want to learn gung fu style tea
service - the ritual and discipline work rather well, before and
after.
Shen

On Mar 12, 7:39*pm, Shen > wrote:
> On Mar 12, 5:03*pm, wrote:
>
> > On Mar 12, 1:51*pm, fluxustulip > wrote:
>
> > > On Mar 10, 8:52*pm, Aaron Hsu > wrote:
>
> > > > So I tried my first Pu Er (or what is sold as Pu Er) today. Very
> > > > different. :-) The term earthy really does it justice. I think I am
> > > > going to come to enjoy this particular tea, a lot.
>
> > > > --
> > > > Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
> > > > ``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
> > > > live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat
>
> > > I love Pu Er and have tried any that I have found. *The price isn't
> > > always indicative of quality. *The most common comment I get when
> > > introducing others to this tea is: *"it tastes like dirt". *Right on!
> > > I love it for my first cup of tea in the AM, before my hatha/pranayama
> > > practice. *Wakes you up and calms the digestive system.
>
> > I tried tea before doing asanas and I found that I don't like the
> > effect
> > at all, but I've only tried blacks, greens and white teas. Now that
> > you mentioned pu-erh, I realize that it may be more suitable for
> > asanas, but the trouble is that I always waste too much time
> > when making pu-erh with a gaiwan and many infusions, and I feel
> > like I'm wasting a good pu-erh if I brew it in a standard fashion,
> > with
> > large volume and 1-2 infusions. How do you deal with that? Do you
> > use cheaper pu-erh so that you don't feel guilty for making it in a
> > pot? Or maybe it doesn't make much difference to you? -ak- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I practice yoga, as well and you may want to learn gung fu style tea
> service - the ritual and discipline work rather well, before and
> after.
> Shen

I do know gong fu style tea service, that's what I meant by 'gaiwan
and
many infusions', but it takes too long. I usually practice asanas for
about an hour or a bit more, and try to fit in around other things,
work,
etc, and if I did a gong-fu style preparation, then all of that
combined
together would take too much time.. Maybe I take too long when doing
gong fu! It takes me about an hour to set everything up properly, heat
up water (in a zojurishi pot), time infusions, clean everything up
after-
wards. I can see doing everything in maybe 40 minutes if I rush but
then I might just as well drink lipton:-). Come to think of it, that's
why I almost never do gong-fu thing at all, except for when I have
some easy work to do that allows me to devote some attention to
timing infusions.. -ak

I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
(community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
on Pu-erh.net.
My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
small price.
After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
pour.
But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
description.
Shen
(sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.




Oh dear Shen, I'm afraid I don't measure up to your standards for tasting
ability...in fact this is something I've noticed about myself and while I do
concentrate hard sometimes I can't seem to get the huge wide breadth of
adjectives about taste to occur to me. I thought using the word "loamy"
was an indication of growth in my tea tasting vocabularly, you have wounded
me deeply.

Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
great perfumer for example.

Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
describing sheng puerh.

On Mar 15, 2:41*pm, "Melinda" > wrote:
> I'm reading all of these "dirty, earthy" notes and must butt in: some
> shus and many shengs are smooth, mellow, and more OR less robust. I
> would suggest reading the list at Livejournal
> (community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea) or checking out some critiques
> on Pu-erh.net.
> My favourite pus are older, mellower, and very, very complex.
> Considering pu characteristics as simplistic as a loamy adjective is
> not giving might Pu its due - like saying "greens are fishy".
> Buy samples of good pu from good vendors: Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon
> House and, of course, HouDeAsian all sell very worthwhile samples at a
> small price.
> After tasting several you'll begin to discern the lengthy variety of
> flavours that arise in a cup of pu-erh. Use a Yixing and make a small
> bit; try multiple infusions and distinguish the changes from pour to
> pour.
> But, PLEASE, NEVER insult pu-erh with an uninspired categorical
> description.
> Shen
> (sipping 2004 Chan-Tai Jin Zhu Shan Yeh Sheng Wild Beeng) - uncooked
> pu-erh, yet round, smooth, barely astringent. More delicate and
> hauntingly aromatic. Even in the 5th, 6th and 7th infusion, the liquor
> remains amber and sweet. A pu that will age extremely well.
>
> Oh dear Shen, I'm afraid I don't measure up to your standards for tasting
> ability...in fact this is something I've noticed about myself and while I do
> concentrate hard sometimes I can't seem to get the huge wide breadth of
> adjectives about *taste to occur to me. *I thought using the word "loamy"
> was an indication of growth in my tea tasting vocabularly, you have wounded
> me deeply. *
>
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.
>
> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

Oh, Melinda,
I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. I just thought folks should
give it a fair shot.
We are fortunate now that even the Chinese vendors on eBay are
offering samples of really good stuff at a fair price.
I would suggest writing to vendors like Sebastian at Jing's or
Stephane (www.teamasters.blogspot.com) and ask them what they'd
recommend for specific flavours that you are looking for in a pu-erh.
Or Guang, who, really, really knows his pu-erh stuff.
These guys are pretty willing to discuss what they've got and what to
expect from it.
Also try washing your mouth out between infusions and having a bite of
an unsalted cracker to "clean the palate".
Truthfully, I find, in general, many more complexities in some Oolong
and blacks (reds) than I do in pu-erh.
Cheers.
Shen

On Mar 15, 4:41 pm, "Melinda" > wrote:
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.
>
> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

I don't think "earthy" is an insult at all, as it is the root of what
Puerh is all about. Sure from there it is an amazing voyage into any
number of directions, flavors, and experiences I don't think anyone
would argue that.

As for tasting or vocabulary, I find most of it useless and to some
degree pretentious... just as I find most tasting notes on wines. I
don't think a never ending flow of words helps to convey much. I can
get hints and feelings of hundreds of things upon both the dry leaf
and brew but simply listing them as in a wine review doesn't really
mean anything. Sure, I may get charcoal, raisin, wood, chocolate,
flowers, and on and on upon hitting it off with a Shui Xian but while
some may like that list I'd rather focus on the whole package and not
small (almost atomic) hints and notes and waftings. I'm not saying I
even come close to conveying everything I wished I could about each
tea I drink, but I also would rather just go with what is off the top
of my head and a basic overview and let the experience be up to the
individual from there since to me that is all that matters anyhow.

- Dominic

"Dominic T." > writes:

>On Mar 15, 4:41 pm, "Melinda" > wrote:
>> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
>> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
>> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
>> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
>> great perfumer for example.
>>
>> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
>> describing sheng puerh.

>I don't think "earthy" is an insult at all, as it is the root of what
>Puerh is all about. Sure from there it is an amazing voyage into any
>number of directions, flavors, and experiences I don't think anyone
>would argue that.

Actually, the combination of smooth yet earthy and robust tastes gave me
the biggest surprise in my tastings of Pu Er. The Pu Er that I am
drinking now is very nice (to my limited buds) because it tastes both
earthy and smooth.
--
Aaron Hsu > | Jabber:
``Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to
live at the expense of everybody else.'' - Frederic Bastiat

"Melinda" > writes:

> [...]
> Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> great perfumer for example.

I'm sure we vary in native sensory abilities. But I think what we're
born with is dwarfed by the abilities some of us, at least, develop
through experience. The experience, I think, consists of
concentrating on the taste and, especially, aroma of different teas
and also verbalizing the sensory experience so it's easier to remember
in the future. There was a study published in a respectable
scientific journal showing that, with enough training, humans could
track scents about as well as dogs.

> Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> describing sheng puerh.

I completely agree.

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

On Mar 16, 8:42*am, Lewis Perin > wrote:
> "Melinda" > writes:
> > [...]
> > Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to discern
> > various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> > logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> > concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is a
> > great perfumer for example.
>
> I'm sure we vary in native sensory abilities. *But I think what we're
> born with is dwarfed by the abilities some of us, at least, develop
> through experience. *The experience, I think, consists of
> concentrating on the taste and, especially, aroma of different teas
> and also verbalizing the sensory experience so it's easier to remember
> in the future. *There was a study published in a respectable
> scientific journal showing that, with enough training, humans could
> track scents about as well as dogs.
>
> > Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> > describing sheng puerh.
>
> I completely agree.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /

I agree.
When we lived up in Sonoma County, we could not help but drown
ourselves in all the wonders of Sonoma County wine. While I heard the
"wineheads" use words describing a red I had just quaffed as
"tobacco", "chocolate" or whatever, my mind would snap to attention,
delve into the glass, examine more carefully what I had just enjoyed
(or loathed) and attempt to get it - "oh, yeah. I taste some of that,
too."
What the verbal experience did was encourage me to go deeper into my
personal enjoyment experience and be more discerning - more aware.
The complexities of these tastings taught me to acknowledge the grape,
the season, the condition and age of the vine, the soil, the farmer,
the vintner, the barrel, the bottle and even the label.
I don't find the breadth of descriptions at all pretentious. It's just
more fun and enlightens the experience for me to look into this cup of
tea with more curiosity and much, much more gratitude.
The nuances I've discovered have enhanced my life; just as nuances in
any delightful observance enhance my life.
Having a cup of tea with this perspective urges me to be grateful and
in the hub-bub of our daily lives, the war, an election year, the
economy, I crave the simplicity AND the intricacy of a peaceful cup of
tea.
Shen

"Shen" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 16, 8:42am, Lewis Perin > wrote:
> "Melinda" > writes:
> > [...]
> > Seriously though, I'm seeing huge differences in people's ability to
> > discern
> > various taste nuances in tea (if I go by what they say on their tasting
> > logs). I really do think it's something physical, not just a person not
> > concentrating or being careless or whatever. After all, not everyone is
> > a
> > great perfumer for example.
>
> I'm sure we vary in native sensory abilities. But I think what we're
> born with is dwarfed by the abilities some of us, at least, develop
> through experience. The experience, I think, consists of
> concentrating on the taste and, especially, aroma of different teas
> and also verbalizing the sensory experience so it's easier to remember
> in the future. There was a study published in a respectable
> scientific journal showing that, with enough training, humans could
> track scents about as well as dogs.
>
> > Melinda, who also thinks the term "camphor" is used perhaps too much in
> > describing sheng puerh.
>
> I completely agree.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /

I agree.
When we lived up in Sonoma County, we could not help but drown
ourselves in all the wonders of Sonoma County wine. While I heard the
"wineheads" use words describing a red I had just quaffed as
"tobacco", "chocolate" or whatever, my mind would snap to attention,
delve into the glass, examine more carefully what I had just enjoyed
(or loathed) and attempt to get it - "oh, yeah. I taste some of that,
too."
What the verbal experience did was encourage me to go deeper into my
personal enjoyment experience and be more discerning - more aware.
The complexities of these tastings taught me to acknowledge the grape,
the season, the condition and age of the vine, the soil, the farmer,
the vintner, the barrel, the bottle and even the label.
I don't find the breadth of descriptions at all pretentious. It's just
more fun and enlightens the experience for me to look into this cup of
tea with more curiosity and much, much more gratitude.
The nuances I've discovered have enhanced my life; just as nuances in
any delightful observance enhance my life.
Having a cup of tea with this perspective urges me to be grateful and
in the hub-bub of our daily lives, the war, an election year, the
economy, I crave the simplicity AND the intricacy of a peaceful cup of
tea.
Shen


This is a little off topic but:
I can't help but remember an article about a wine critic that I read years
ago, it's a famous critic but I don't remember his name nor where I read the
article (I'm sure I could find it on Google someplace) anyhow this
particular critic apparently used the term "fruit bomb" quite frequently
which I found amusing...it became, according to the article, very overused,
and its meaning became diluted because of that. Personally I'd love to find
more reds that were more fruit bomb and less burning "oaky" tannins, but
that's another topic...

I definitely agree with you Lew but I didn't explain to all that I used to
smoke years ago and while my sinuses have recovered somewhat, I also have
bad allergies so...at least right now my nose isn't really helping much and
smell is so important to taste. That's probably why I feel so clueless when
some teas are described as so complex and I don't get that when I taste
them. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy tea though, it's more like seeing 4
different shades of red instead of 50. I don't think my equipment is up to
very fine nuances at this time. So...I get what I can, lol. Which is what we
all do. I CAN tell the difference between a less smooth shu and a more
smooth shu though...I remember my first camel mini-tuos that weren't bad but
they weren't as smooth as others I've had since then.

Melinda

On Mar 17, 12:57 am, "Melinda" > wrote:
> It doesn't mean I don't enjoy tea though, it's more like seeing 4
> different shades of red instead of 50. I don't think my equipment is up to
> very fine nuances at this time. So...I get what I can, lol. Which is what we
> all do. I CAN tell the difference between a less smooth shu and a more
> smooth shu though...I remember my first camel mini-tuos that weren't bad but
> they weren't as smooth as others I've had since then.
>
> Melinda

In response to both Shen and Melinda (as well as anyone else I just
wanted to clarify my position on the issue... IMO the laundry list of
scents, flavors, and hints almost forces you to "find" them yourself
even if it was not your actual first impressions. It's kind of like
someone telling you they see 50 shades of red instead of just the 4
you really saw and you force yourself to "see" them as well. My
grandfather was a renown artist and he could paint a winter scene that
almost contained no actual white but made you physically cold to look
at it, it's because he saw purples and blues and yellows where the
average person saw "white." Even if I were to try to force myself to
see the scene through his eye it was strained and forced rather than
natural. To some degree this helped my art to know and force myself to
see beyond white, but to this day more often than not I still go with
my gut instinct. Same for wine or tea I guess, and I like to discover
a hint over having the mystery uncovered before me. It's almost like a
strange game of hide-and-seek and I feel rewarded when I discover a
tough note - I also find it a personal thing. I can appreciate the
other form of play though, where it becomes almost a scavenger hunt to
uncover the pre-defined list... just to me it limits your search to
the set list and keeps you from exploring and maybe finding a few
items present but not on the list. I like the hunt rather than being
told what I'll find.

- Dominic