I just spent a wonderful half hour in "In Pursuit of Tea" in Brooklyn.

Sebastian was great, subtly correcting my pronunciation of "gaiwan" and showing
me short movies of tea picking & making in India & China while making me a
couple of cups of the Silver Needle Pu-erh which was, if possible, even better
than Lew's review of it.

I left with some of each of their Pu-erhs.

As I type, I am sampling the Tibetan Mushroom Pu-erh which is great. Not as
subtle or sweet as the silver needle but very flavorful with nice nuances.

Thanks for the recommendation guys!


--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance

"Tom" > wrote in message
...
> I just spent a wonderful half hour in "In Pursuit of Tea" in Brooklyn.
>
> Sebastian was great, subtly correcting my pronunciation of "gaiwan" and showing
> me short movies of tea picking & making in India & China while making me a
> couple of cups of the Silver Needle Pu-erh which was, if possible, even better
> than Lew's review of it.
>
> I left with some of each of their Pu-erhs.
>
> As I type, I am sampling the Tibetan Mushroom Pu-erh which is great. Not as
> subtle or sweet as the silver needle but very flavorful with nice nuances.
>
> Thanks for the recommendation guys!
>
>
> --Tom

Sounds great, Tom. I am likely headed that way soon, where is it located? TIA
Karen

In Pursuit of Tea Inc
224 Roebling Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

>Subject: A Great Visit: In Pursuit of Tea
>From: "Frayed" cal
>Date: 1/5/2004 2:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: k.net>
>
>
>"Tom" > wrote in message
...
>> I just spent a wonderful half hour in "In Pursuit of Tea" in Brooklyn.
>>
>> Sebastian was great, subtly correcting my pronunciation of "gaiwan" and
>showing
>> me short movies of tea picking & making in India & China while making me a
>> couple of cups of the Silver Needle Pu-erh which was, if possible, even
>better
>> than Lew's review of it.
>>
>> I left with some of each of their Pu-erhs.
>>
>> As I type, I am sampling the Tibetan Mushroom Pu-erh which is great. Not
>as
>> subtle or sweet as the silver needle but very flavorful with nice nuances.
>>
>> Thanks for the recommendation guys!
>>
>>
>> --Tom
>
>Sounds great, Tom. I am likely headed that way soon, where is it located? TIA
>Karen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance

Tom,

I'm glad to hear you had a good time over there. The films are fun, aren't
they? I'm do to visit myself since I'm out of some of my favorites. Did you
try (or buy) the aged Lu An? That's the fermented green that comes in a
bamboo basket topped with big dry leaves. Tastes of earth and beets.
Wonderful. But, the Silver Needles Beencha Pu-erh takes the prize. Nothing
else in its class.

Isn't it gettin' on time for those winter Bao Zhongs to start rollin' in?

I'm almost completely out of Oolong. That is *not* a good thing. BTW, and on
the subject of Oolong, have you tried Big Apple down on Howard Street,
Manhattan? They're pretty cool, they have good stuff, serve formal gungfu --
beware the killer strength though -- and they'll talk with you too, not
unlike the IPOT guys. It's Lew's find. How could it be bad?

Michael



1/5/04


> I just spent a wonderful half hour in "In Pursuit of Tea" in Brooklyn.
>
> Sebastian was great, subtly correcting my pronunciation of "gaiwan" and
> showing
> me short movies of tea picking & making in India & China while making me a
> couple of cups of the Silver Needle Pu-erh which was, if possible, even better
> than Lew's review of it.
>
> I left with some of each of their Pu-erhs.
>
> As I type, I am sampling the Tibetan Mushroom Pu-erh which is great. Not as
> subtle or sweet as the silver needle but very flavorful with nice nuances.
>
> Thanks for the recommendation guys!

Michael Plant > writes:

> [...visiting IPOT...]
> I'm almost completely out of Oolong. That is *not* a good thing. BTW, and on
> the subject of Oolong, have you tried Big Apple down on Howard Street,
> Manhattan? They're pretty cool, they have good stuff, serve formal gungfu --
> beware the killer strength though -- and they'll talk with you too, not
> unlike the IPOT guys.

Let me add that what Michael undoubtedly means by "formal" is that you
get gongfu tea service with all the tools and accessories. The
atmosphere is far from formal, though: it's loose and relaxed.
They'll let you do the brewing yourself if you prefer.

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

Sounds awesome.

Where is it?

>Subject: A Great Visit: In Pursuit of Tea
>From: Lewis Perin
>Date: 1/6/2004 11:05 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>Michael Plant > writes:
>
>> [...visiting IPOT...]
>> I'm almost completely out of Oolong. That is *not* a good thing. BTW, and
>on
>> the subject of Oolong, have you tried Big Apple down on Howard Street,
>> Manhattan? They're pretty cool, they have good stuff, serve formal gungfu
>--
>> beware the killer strength though -- and they'll talk with you too, not
>> unlike the IPOT guys.
>
>Let me add that what Michael undoubtedly means by "formal" is that you
>get gongfu tea service with all the tools and accessories. The
>atmosphere is far from formal, though: it's loose and relaxed.
>They'll let you do the brewing yourself if you prefer.
>
>/Lew
>---
>Lew Perin /
>http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
>
>
>
>
>
>


--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance

1/6/04


> Sounds awesome.
>
> Where is it?
>
>> Subject: A Great Visit: In Pursuit of Tea
>> From: Lewis Perin
>> Date: 1/6/2004 11:05 AM Eastern Standard Time
>> Message-id: >
>>
>> Michael Plant > writes:
>>
>>> [...visiting IPOT...]
>>> I'm almost completely out of Oolong. That is *not* a good thing. BTW, and
>>> on
>>> the subject of Oolong, have you tried Big Apple down on Howard Street,
>>> Manhattan? They're pretty cool, they have good stuff, serve formal gungfu
>> --
>>> beware the killer strength though -- and they'll talk with you too, not
>>> unlike the IPOT guys.
>>
>> Let me add that what Michael undoubtedly means by "formal" is that you
>> get gongfu tea service with all the tools and accessories. The
>> atmosphere is far from formal, though: it's loose and relaxed.
>> They'll let you do the brewing yourself if you prefer.
>>
>> /Lew

Tom,

First, Lew is of course quite right about formality at Big Apple. I was
referring to the fact that they use gungfu set ups and run the entire
routine of heat-ups, rinses, washes, and steeps. The atmosphere is indeed
informal, though.

Big Apple is on Howard Street on the North side between Broadway and
Lafayette, closer to the latter. You walk up some steps, if I recall. Their
sign features "internet," I think. They have a couple computers, and it
costs something like six dollars an hour to connect. Not so bad. Lew will
have to chime in with a more specific address.

Michael

Michael Plant > writes:

> 1/6/04
>
>
> > Sounds awesome.
> >
> > Where is it?
> > [...]
> [...]
> Big Apple is on Howard Street on the North side between Broadway and
> Lafayette, closer to the latter. You walk up some steps, if I recall. Their
> sign features "internet," I think. They have a couple computers, and it
> costs something like six dollars an hour to connect. Not so bad. Lew will
> have to chime in with a more specific address.

What I find engraved on the inside of my eyelids is 22D Howard St.
It's not far north of Canal St.

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

Dean /6/04

> "Michael Plant" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Isn't it gettin' on time for those winter Bao Zhongs to start rollin' in?
>>
> Michael,
>
> Perhaps you buy your Oolongs from B&M shops, but if you do use internet
> sources, which ones do you think have the best selection and quality?
>
> Thanks,
> Dean


Dean,

I'm at something of a lose here myself -- wish Laylage were around; she
knows -- but it seems Brian of ShanShui down in Washington DC is a major
player. For me these are finicky teas, not in the brewing but in the
finding. Sometimes they're great and just right, sometimes too "viscous,"
sometimes too thin. It's the melon flower flavor and aroma that hook me. The
year before last, IPOT offered a really great one. Last year's IMHO was not
as fine. I'm just an amateur, though; the mood of the moment weighs in
heavily. (All the above about Bao Zhong.)

More generally, Oolong-wise, I get off on the IPOT Monkey Picked Competition
Ti Guan Yin, although I've been out of it for quite awhile. Some remarkable
ones I've tasted from Taiwan Tea. I had an aged dark Oolong and a Li Shan
from The Oolong Tea Store in New Jersey that I liked a lot. Also, I've
enjoyed those I've had from ITC, but I don't enjoy their prices. I tend away
from the flowery light green Oolongs and more toward the complex ones with a
(slight) resiny, steely, and or woody overlay. The truth? I usually like
the one I'm drinking at the moment best.

B&M? Took me a couple minutes. Bread&Mortar, Bread&Roses, Bread&Tea. Got it
now. I buy teas from The Big Apple (Something) in NYC on Howard Street
between Broadway and Lafayette, a gungfu tea place with internet.I've been
known to buy at Ten Ren's shop, but less and less, since they're too big now
for my tastes, having bragged to me about their hundreds of locations in
China, PR of, that is.

Best,
Michael

"Brick," I meant "Brick," not "Bread," Brick.

"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> Dean /6/04

>
> > "Michael Plant" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >> Isn't it gettin' on time for those winter Bao Zhongs to start rollin'
in?
> >>
> > Michael,
> >
> > Perhaps you buy your Oolongs from B&M shops, but if you do use internet
> > sources, which ones do you think have the best selection and quality?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dean
>
>
> Dean,
>
> I'm at something of a lose here myself -- wish Laylage were around; she
> knows -- but it seems Brian of ShanShui down in Washington DC is a major
> player. For me these are finicky teas, not in the brewing but in the
> finding. Sometimes they're great and just right, sometimes too "viscous,"
> sometimes too thin. It's the melon flower flavor and aroma that hook me.
The
> year before last, IPOT offered a really great one. Last year's IMHO was
not
> as fine. I'm just an amateur, though; the mood of the moment weighs in
> heavily. (All the above about Bao Zhong.)
>
> More generally, Oolong-wise, I get off on the IPOT Monkey Picked
Competition
> Ti Guan Yin, although I've been out of it for quite awhile. Some
remarkable
> ones I've tasted from Taiwan Tea. I had an aged dark Oolong and a Li Shan
> from The Oolong Tea Store in New Jersey that I liked a lot. Also, I've
> enjoyed those I've had from ITC, but I don't enjoy their prices. I tend
away
> from the flowery light green Oolongs and more toward the complex ones with
a
> (slight) resiny, steely, and or woody overlay. The truth? I usually like
> the one I'm drinking at the moment best.
>
> B&M? Took me a couple minutes. Bread&Mortar, Bread&Roses, Bread&Tea. Got
it
> now. I buy teas from The Big Apple (Something) in NYC on Howard Street
> between Broadway and Lafayette, a gungfu tea place with internet.I've been
> known to buy at Ten Ren's shop, but less and less, since they're too big
now
> for my tastes, having bragged to me about their hundreds of locations in
> China, PR of, that is.
>
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm still exploring Chinese Oolongs, trying to
better understand their character. I live in the Philadelphia area, there
is only one real tea store in Phila that I'm aware of and its hours don't
correspond to mine very well. Most of my explorations are by necessity done
through online vendors, which prompted my original note.

My usual tea of choice is Darjeeling, and thanks to another thread I now
think of Darjeeling as Indian oolong. I've had the Gopaldhara WT-8 from
Specialteas and thought it extraordinary - the only Darjeeling from which
I've ever been able to get good multiple infusions, probably because of the
bold leaf style. If this is the wave of the Darjeeling future, I for one am
all for it!

Regards,
Dean

"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> Dean /6/04

>
> > "Michael Plant" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >> Isn't it gettin' on time for those winter Bao Zhongs to start rollin'
in?
> >>
Michael,

Imperial Tea Court is advertising a "Imperial Wen Shan Bao Zhong", but the
price is stunning: $70 for 4 ounces!

Regards,
Dean

"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...

> Isn't it gettin' on time for those winter Bao Zhongs to start rollin' in?
>
Michael,

Perhaps you buy your Oolongs from B&M shops, but if you do use internet
sources, which ones do you think have the best selection and quality?

Thanks,
Dean

In article > "Dean Macinskas" > writes:
>Perhaps you buy your Oolongs from B&M shops, but if you do use internet
>sources, which ones do you think have the best selection and quality?
>
>Thanks,
>Dean

I purchase mine he

http://www.oolong-tea.com/

and I most like the Summer Oolong with its
woody, peach-like aroma.

C. H. Yang provides fast and friendly service.

--Marshall