non-blog entry
{
i've been drinking mostly senchas the past 6 months mornings afternoon
and eves
.... with minor interruptions of oolong, shu pu
i'm out of any black teas ... -> will refill with some Foojoy bags
soon,
.... havent had keemun in long time -> to do
had gyokuro for the first time - not bad, tho flavor strength medium-
low
.... too hot to make tea this week, no A/C - just sitting creates
diaphoresis
}
=> investigate how to make cold tea ...
not getting much sencha flavor out of cold water infused leaf, will
try hot then stick bottle in fridge - tho alot of work is involved
which will create more diaphoresis ... :>

On Jul 27, 10:42*pm, SN > wrote:
> non-blog entry
> {
> i've been drinking mostly senchas the past 6 months mornings afternoon
> and eves
> ... with minor interruptions of oolong, shu pu
> i'm out of any black teas ... -> will refill with some Foojoy bags
> soon,
> ... havent had keemun in long time -> to do
> had gyokuro for the first time - not bad, tho flavor strength medium-
> low
> ... too hot to make tea this week, no A/C - just sitting creates
> diaphoresis}
>
> => investigate how to make cold tea ...
> not getting much sencha flavor out of cold water infused leaf, will
> try hot then stick bottle in fridge - tho alot of work is involved
> which will create more diaphoresis ... :>

As much as I love sencha/bancha/gyokuro it is hard to make it a steady
diet. Gyokuro can be enjoyed as any tea, but it takes quite the effort
to finally hit that magical point of perfection in the brewing and it
can be very different among different gyokuro. That is the one tea I
always suggest having prepared for you by someone highly skilled at
least once so you can then gauge how close you are getting on your
own, although any end result that is enjoyable is fine. It was eye
opening the first time I had it expertly prepared and it was nothing
like I had ever tasted before.

For room temp./cold brew I generally use a cheaper bancha like Hime
brand and it does very well. Tek Soon makes a decent dragonwell teabag
and Yamamotoyama makes a good sencha teabag which both come out great
cold.

- Dominic

> It was eye
> opening the first time I had it expertly prepared and it was nothing
> like I had ever tasted before.
>

Dominic,

Where were you able to get Gyokuro expertly prepared?

Best,

Joel

On Sep 19, 4:26*am, Joel Dietz > wrote:
> > It was eye
> > opening the first time I had it expertly prepared and it was nothing
> > like I had ever tasted before.
>
> Dominic,
>
> Where were you able to get Gyokuro expertly prepared?
>
> Best,
>
> Joel

That first time I spoke about was a friend who owned a small pan-Asian
grocery who was very into tea. She saw that I was very into Japanese
greens (which to me at the time I knew only of Sencha, bancha,
kukicha, and some bad run-ins with genmaicha). She said she was going
to be getting some gyokuro in from a friend for her personally and she
invited me to her shop the day it arrived to try it with her. She was
meticulous and the tea she made was the gold standard I judged my
gyokuro brewing on for a long time.

The second time was a friend of a friend who was from Kyoto, he
brought back two types because he had heard I really enjoyed Japanese
teas. I think he thought my tea knowledge was going to be plunking a
sencha teabag into water, but I think I surprised him and he spent a
good deal of time really explaining everything from the processes used
to make it to brewing and then he brewed what I still believe to be
the best green tea I've ever tasted. No gyokuro, regardless of price,
has ever matched that tea and I don't believe it has to do with my
brewing abilities... it was just amazing tea.

As always, the surroundings and people make good tea better, but that
second bout was what sold me and started my search for some to match
that quality. I've always come up short, but even then it is a great
treat.

- Dominic