I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.

http://www.adagio.com/oolong/oolong_... deede8d9cf13a

Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".

As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and
incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5
min". No information on how much leaf to use.

The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup
is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This
one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).

I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so
bitter, I threw it away.

Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way
too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better.
I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for
me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.

I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly
weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).

Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?

Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7
minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea
before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)

If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?

I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by
more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as
well.

Sounds like Adagio expects you to add cream and sugar. Darjeeling has
a wide taste profile from weak to strong. Second flush is more
desirable. I save my money and buy commercial Darjeeling. I have
some that is 25 years old stored in original clay pots I like the
most. Tasted one darjeeling tasted them all ie the muscatel aroma is
omnipresent and not special. The best Darjeeling Ive ever tasted is
classic Oriental Beauty from Taiwan. Darjeeling is the classic
example of where less is more.

Jim

On Mar 7, 4:41 pm, Square Peg > wrote:
> I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.
>
> http://www.adagio.com/oolong/oolong_...?SID=14213b0a8....
>
> Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".
>
> As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and
> incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5
> min". No information on how much leaf to use.
>
> The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup
> is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This
> one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).
>
> I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so
> bitter, I threw it away.
>
> Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way
> too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better.
> I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for
> me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.
>
> I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly
> weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).
>
> Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?
>
> Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7
> minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea
> before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)
>
> If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?
>
> I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by
> more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as
> well.

On Sun, 8 Mar 2009 08:22:07 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>Sounds like Adagio expects you to add cream and sugar.

I never use anything in my tea, so that never occurred to me. I bet
you're right. It would be nice if they mentioned that.

>Darjeeling has
>a wide taste profile from weak to strong. Second flush is more
>desirable.

How is it different from first flush?

>I save my money and buy commercial Darjeeling. I have
>some that is 25 years old stored in original clay pots I like the
>most. Tasted one darjeeling tasted them all ie the muscatel aroma is
>omnipresent and not special. The best Darjeeling Ive ever tasted is
>classic Oriental Beauty from Taiwan. Darjeeling is the classic
>example of where less is more.

I also had a 4-tin white tea sampler also from Adagio. One of them was
a White Darjeeling. Following the Adagio recs (2.25g/cup, 180°, 7 min)
produced a fairly mild tea that was just slightly bitter. In my second
trial, I increased the strength and reduced the time and temp (2.9
g/cup, 155°, 6 min) and got a pretty good tea with almost no
bitterness. That used up the sample, so I couldn't try any more.

>Jim
>
>On Mar 7, 4:41 pm, Square Peg > wrote:
>> I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.
>>
>> http://www.adagio.com/oolong/oolong_...?SID=14213b0a8...
>>
>> Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".
>>
>> As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and
>> incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5
>> min". No information on how much leaf to use.
>>
>> The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup
>> is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This
>> one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).
>>
>> I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so
>> bitter, I threw it away.
>>
>> Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way
>> too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better.
>> I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for
>> me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.
>>
>> I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly
>> weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).
>>
>> Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?
>>
>> Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7
>> minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea
>> before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)
>>
>> If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?
>>
>> I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by
>> more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as
>> well.

On Mar 8, 1:17*pm, Square Peg > wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Mar 2009 08:22:07 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
> >Sounds like Adagio expects you to add cream and sugar. *
>
> I never use anything in my tea, so that never occurred to me. I bet
> you're right. It would be nice if they mentioned that.
>
> >Darjeeling has
> >a wide taste profile from weak to strong. *Second flush is more
> >desirable.
>
> How is it different from first flush?
>
> >I save my money and buy commercial Darjeeling. *I have
> >some that is 25 years old stored in original clay pots I like the
> >most. *Tasted one darjeeling tasted them all ie the muscatel aroma is
> >omnipresent and not special. *The best Darjeeling Ive ever tasted is
> >classic Oriental Beauty from Taiwan. *Darjeeling is the classic
> >example of where less is more.
>
> I also had a 4-tin white tea sampler also from Adagio. One of them was
> a White Darjeeling. Following the Adagio recs (2.25g/cup, 180°, 7 min)
> produced a fairly mild tea that was just slightly bitter. In my second
> trial, I increased the strength and reduced the time and temp (2.9
> g/cup, 155°, 6 min) and got a pretty good tea with almost no
> bitterness. That used up the sample, so I couldn't try any more.
>
> >Jim
>
> >On Mar 7, 4:41 pm, Square Peg > wrote:
> >> I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.
>
> >>http://www.adagio.com/oolong/oolong_...?SID=14213b0a8....
>
> >> Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".
>
> >> As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and
> >> incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5
> >> min". No information on how much leaf to use.
>
> >> The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup
> >> is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This
> >> one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).
>
> >> I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so
> >> bitter, I threw it away.
>
> >> Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way
> >> too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better.
> >> I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for
> >> me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.
>
> >> I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly
> >> weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).
>
> >> Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?
>
> >> Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7
> >> minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea
> >> before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)
>
> >> If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?
>
> >> I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by
> >> more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as
> >> well.

Just as with coffee, most "suggestions" on packaging or from vendors
is going to have you *way* overshoot the actual amount of leaf to use
per cup so that you buy more and often. All of those numbers seem
quite wrong and overstated, from temp to amount to time.

The basics:

a lot of leaf + high temp water = very short steep ~30-45sec. (but you
will get many steeps)
low amount of leaf + mid-high temp water = normal brew (you will get
less steeps but more tolerant to time ~3-4min)
mid-lot of leaf + low to mid temp water = light to normal brew that
can bring out some new/different aspects ~1-5 min depending on tea

My personal rule of thumb:

most greens: less leaf (maybe a tsp per 6oz.) + shrimp-eye stage water
or a touch less + 2-3 min steep
most oolongs: mid amount of leaf (maybe 2 tsp per 6oz.) + crab-eye
water + 1-2 min (maybe 3 depending) steep
red/black: about a tsp + as rapid boil as possible + 45 sec-1min

These are very basic but about as accurate as needed to get it "right"
90% of the time. Some oolongs benefit from a ton of leaf, some greens
do better in hotter or cooler water... but overall these will *never*
create the bitter brew you had to endure. HTH

- Dominic

On Sun, 8 Mar 2009 13:15:11 -0700 (PDT), dxt178
> wrote:

>On Mar 8, 1:17*pm, Square Peg > wrote:
>> On Sun, 8 Mar 2009 08:22:07 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>> >Sounds like Adagio expects you to add cream and sugar. *
>>
>> I never use anything in my tea, so that never occurred to me. I bet
>> you're right. It would be nice if they mentioned that.
>>
>> >Darjeeling has
>> >a wide taste profile from weak to strong. *Second flush is more
>> >desirable.
>>
>> How is it different from first flush?
>>
>> >I save my money and buy commercial Darjeeling. *I have
>> >some that is 25 years old stored in original clay pots I like the
>> >most. *Tasted one darjeeling tasted them all ie the muscatel aroma is
>> >omnipresent and not special. *The best Darjeeling Ive ever tasted is
>> >classic Oriental Beauty from Taiwan. *Darjeeling is the classic
>> >example of where less is more.
>>
>> I also had a 4-tin white tea sampler also from Adagio. One of them was
>> a White Darjeeling. Following the Adagio recs (2.25g/cup, 180°, 7 min)
>> produced a fairly mild tea that was just slightly bitter. In my second
>> trial, I increased the strength and reduced the time and temp (2.9
>> g/cup, 155°, 6 min) and got a pretty good tea with almost no
>> bitterness. That used up the sample, so I couldn't try any more.
>>
>> >Jim
>>
>> >On Mar 7, 4:41 pm, Square Peg > wrote:
>> >> I have an Oolong sampler from Adagio.
>>
>> >>http://www.adagio.com/oolong/oolong_...?SID=14213b0a8...
>>
>> >> Today, I tried the one labelled "ooooh darjeeling".
>>
>> >> As is typical of Adagio, the brewing information is inconsistent and
>> >> incomplete. The only brewing guidelines that came with it say "212° 5
>> >> min". No information on how much leaf to use.
>>
>> >> The Adagio website recommends 1 tsp/cup, but it doesn't say what a cup
>> >> is. I assumed 6 oz. It also says to use more for loose-leaf teas. This
>> >> one is about average, so I started with 2.25g / cup (6 oz).
>>
>> >> I brewed 6.8g in 18 oz of boiling water for 5 minutes. It was so
>> >> bitter, I threw it away.
>>
>> >> Brew #2 was same strength and temp, but for only 3 minutes. Still way
>> >> too bitter. I diluted this by 50% making almost 6 cups. Much better.
>> >> I've been sipping it all afternoon. It's still slightly too strong for
>> >> me and maybe a little bitter, but very drinkable.
>>
>> >> I have enough left for 2 more tests. I think I will first try slightly
>> >> weaker (1g/cup) and then try it at a cooler temperature (~180°).
>>
>> >> Is this considered a 'dark' oolong?
>>
>> >> Adagio's general recommendations for dark oolongs is 212° for 7
>> >> minutes. I think this tea would have eaten a hole in the ingenuiTea
>> >> before the 7-min timer went off. ;-)
>>
>> >> If you had this tea, what brewing parameters would you try?
>>
>> >> I was surprised that I had to lower both the strength and the time by
>> >> more than 50% and I'll probably like it better at a lower temp, as
>> >> well.
>
>Just as with coffee, most "suggestions" on packaging or from vendors
>is going to have you *way* overshoot the actual amount of leaf to use
>per cup so that you buy more and often.

I like to hope that this is not "most" vendors, but caveat emptor.

This may well be true for Agadio. I am not likely to buy from them
again.

>All of those numbers seem
>quite wrong and overstated, from temp to amount to time.

So it seems.

>The basics:
>
>a lot of leaf + high temp water = very short steep ~30-45sec. (but you
>will get many steeps)
>low amount of leaf + mid-high temp water = normal brew (you will get
>less steeps but more tolerant to time ~3-4min)
>mid-lot of leaf + low to mid temp water = light to normal brew that
>can bring out some new/different aspects ~1-5 min depending on tea

Interesting synopsis. I have been doing some testing and collecting
data. I'll have to check this out against my results.

>My personal rule of thumb:
>
>most greens: less leaf (maybe a tsp per 6oz.) + shrimp-eye stage water
>or a touch less + 2-3 min steep

About what I have concluded. I did have to increase the leaf quite a
lot and decrease the temp for pone sencha before I could drink it.

>most oolongs: mid amount of leaf (maybe 2 tsp per 6oz.) + crab-eye
>water + 1-2 min (maybe 3 depending) steep

That's a bit shorter than I have seen recommended. Since I'm currently
testing oolongs, I'll test that, too.

>red/black: about a tsp + as rapid boil as possible + 45 sec-1min

I can't wait to try this out. Most recs for blacks are 3-5 minutes or
more. I almost always find that too bitter.

>These are very basic but about as accurate as needed to get it "right"
>90% of the time. Some oolongs benefit from a ton of leaf, some greens
>do better in hotter or cooler water... but overall these will *never*
>create the bitter brew you had to endure. HTH
>
>- Dominic

Thanks. Very helpful.

PS: I'm working on a program to capture the data and analyze it. If it
works, it will suggest test parameters and try to zero in on the
optimal combination for each tea for each user. I suspect most of the
folks here will find this heretical, but I'm having fun. ;-)

I just got back from the local tea shoppe. I browsed some of the books
on the tea table. Jane Pettigrew's The New Tea Companion mentions
Dong Fang Mei Ren was marketed in Europe and US as a Darjeeling before
WWII. There was a nice chapter on Georgia teas, all hand processed.
And I thought Nigel was setting up the latest vegi-matic :-).

Jim

On Mar 8, 9:22 am, wrote:
....Google Group knows...
> The best Darjeeling Ive ever tasted is
> classic Oriental Beauty from Taiwan.
>
> Jim

"Square Peg" > wrote in message
...
>
> PS: I'm working on a program to capture the data and analyze it. If it
> works, it will suggest test parameters and try to zero in on the
> optimal combination for each tea for each user. I suspect most of the
> folks here will find this heretical, but I'm having fun. ;-)

LOL! That will keep you busy for quite a while since there are over 3,000
varieties of tea.

How do you plan to account for the individuality of each person's palate?

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi, but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:08:57 -0500, "Bluesea"
> wrote:

>
>"Square Peg" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>> PS: I'm working on a program to capture the data and analyze it. If it
>> works, it will suggest test parameters and try to zero in on the
>> optimal combination for each tea for each user. I suspect most of the
>> folks here will find this heretical, but I'm having fun. ;-)
>
>LOL! That will keep you busy for quite a while since there are over 3,000
>varieties of tea.

I don't plan to test them all myself.

>How do you plan to account for the individuality of each person's palate?

The first version of the program will be for my personal use, so all
ratings will be mine.

If the program works, all I need to do is add one extra field (userid)
to allow it to accept ratings from other users. The program can easily
compile stats and make recommendations for each user. It can also
compile composite stats so a new user can see what others think about
a particular tea.

If that works, I might put it up on a website and let people who have
been nice to me use it. ;-)

> wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:08:57 -0500, "Bluesea"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Square Peg" > wrote in message
. ..
>>>
>>> PS: I'm working on a program to capture the data and analyze it. If it
>>> works, it will suggest test parameters and try to zero in on the
>>> optimal combination for each tea for each user. I suspect most of the
>>> folks here will find this heretical, but I'm having fun. ;-)
>>
>>LOL! That will keep you busy for quite a while since there are over 3,000
>>varieties of tea.
>
> I don't plan to test them all myself.
>
>>How do you plan to account for the individuality of each person's palate?
>
> The first version of the program will be for my personal use, so all
> ratings will be mine.
>
> If the program works, all I need to do is add one extra field (userid)
> to allow it to accept ratings from other users. The program can easily
> compile stats and make recommendations for each user. It can also
> compile composite stats so a new user can see what others think about
> a particular tea.

Sounds interesting. Good luck with it.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi, but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.