Precious Memories

For Mother's Day -

Mom has a collection of teapots. I have never seen her use any of them. I really don't recall ever seeing her drink hot tea. In our family, tea is prepared in a metal pot on the stove and iced. Lipton tea, iced, unsweetened, that is all I ever recall seeing growing up. It was served with lunch and dinner. You didn't have to ask, it was just there - always.

I digress. Since becoming a bit tea obsessed, I have admired mom's collection but never said anything, except to my wife. She of course told mom. Mom is in her 80's and at an age where she wants to give people things to make sure they go to those who will most enjoy and treasure them.

Mom asked me if I would like some of her teapots. I said I only want the one's that have a story. I want the teapots that mean something to you. So she looked them over and picked out two. One of them I'll tell you about on another day. The one in this picture was the first she took out of the glass cabinet.

Mom's Teapot and My Mug as Reference

The label on the bottom of the pot says Lefton China 911R-N. As best as I can tell it is a simple common teapot and doesn't have much value in and of itself, however to me it is priceless.

This particular teapot came from the hotel gift shop where mom and dad spent their honeymoon. Dad bought it for her to remember - as if she would forget. The hotel was in the town where they lived. Not having the money to travel, this was the best they could afford at the time. In fact for the time it was pretty extravagant in our community. When the 100 room hotel was built in 1923, it was considered one of the finest in Indiana. They were married in 1950. The hotel was demolished in 1994, but their love for each other and this teapot remain.

All the years I walked past the china cabinet full of tea pots, I never knew why this one was in the collection and how special it was (and is).

Mom, thank you for sharing this part of your's and dad's love story with me.

Verdant Tea, Vanilla Citrus Spice

Verdant Tea Description:
Yunnan black tea at its best has the most exquisite citrus and spice flavors to it. A good Dian Hong is cinnamon sweet with orange aftertaste. We decided that we would take this most beloved flavor pairing and bring out to the forefront through a satisfying blend that is beautiful hot and iced.

We start with Zhu Rong Yunnan Black, a spicy and full bodied tea with notes of sweet potato and cayenne. Next we bring out the citrus with orange peel, and draw out spice with ginger, cinnamon, and coriander. Finally, we emphasize the sweetness of the tea with generous whole vanilla bean and toasted dandelion root, creating a creamy and full bodied blend.

Ingredients:
Zhu Rong Yunnan Black, organic orange peel, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, organic coriander, organic vanilla bean and pods, organic toasted dandelion root

My Review:
It is late in the evening and I need tea. I grabbed this one thinking it was a tisane blend (meaning decaf). Oops. Looks like I may be up late tonight. It's all good as this is Zhu Rong Yunnan black, which is a wonderful Dian Hong, along with a bunch of spices and other goodies.

I took the leaf picture above and if I do say so myself, and I do, that is one good looking leaf.

I used my press and water heated to 209 F. The steep was two minutes. The brew is dark and a little cloudy from the spices. I was only supposed to steep this 45 seconds at 205 F. Of course I didn't look it up until after steeping. It didn't seem to hurt the cup any.

My first sip reminds me of spice cake. At first I don't taste tea, but as I grow accustomed to the flavors and it cools just a bit the Yunnan tea comes through gently. The main flavors though are the ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel. The vanilla seems very faint to me, adding only a slight smoothness to the cup. There is a bit of pepperiness late in the sip.

I said it before, I am not a big fan of teas that even remind of chai. That being said this is well blended and pretty tasty.

My First Yixing Teapot

I will be the first to admit I have not been a teapot person. I first used a Mr. Coffee to brew tea. Then I 'moved up' to a tea ball. It wasn't long afterwards that a co-worker started using a French Press with his tea. Seeing it was an awesome steeping device, allowing one to watch the leaves dance and unfurl as it brewed, kept the leaves out of the cup, and was super easy to wipe clean, I bought one for myself. In fact I now have two. They have been my main brewing vessels for more than a few years.

Teapots are neat to look at but never really interested me because I tend to brew only a single mug at a time. British style teapots are a way too large for my tea drinking style. I became kind of interested in the yixing teapot once I learned they are generally very small. An American sized mug is considered huge by yixing standards. Of course the price of a purple clay pot is usually quite high. I just could not justify the price on an unconfirmed promise that it would brew better tea.

Recently I ran across the yixing teapots on the Enjoying Tea website. Their regular prices were about half the lowest prices I had seen elsewhere. Low end pots tend to be $40 and up on other sites. Here several of their already low cost teapots were on sale. One of them was the Traditional Purple Clay Bamboo Gongfu Teapot and it was on sale for $6.98. What? That couldn't be correct. But it was.

I had been looking for a small crystal teapot for display teas. They also had one of them on sale at the time for a reasonable price. So I ordered both. Honestly, I was expecting very little from such an inexpensive pot, but ordered it for giggles anyway.

When the pots arrived, I pulled the yixing box out of the shipping box first. The only English on the box says Yixing Ceramics Art. I opened the box and removed the well wrapped lid and pot. It was twice as heavy as I expected. The look and the feel impressed me. This one is rated at 350 ml or 11.9 oz. The perfect size for me and yet huge by Chinese standards. You can see my mug and French press in the background for comparison.

This picture looking inside the pot at the spout, shows the filter holes that keep larger pieces of leaf out of the cup.

I am well aware this is a machine molded pot. The etching on each side may or may not be hand etched. I have no idea how such things are done. I am also aware this may or may not be actual yixing purple clay. Based on what I have read on various sites it appears to be a legit machine molded yixing. In truth I don't care. I love this little guy!

It is actually darker than it appears in the picture. When I first took it out of the box, I ran several hot pots of water through it, wiped with a soft cloth, and let it air dry. No soaps touched this pot. Then I took a low end puerh I've had for years (terrible when I bought it but has aged into a pleasant drinkable tea) and prepared it in the pot. I let it set and steep for a several hours. Then I poured it out, wiped, and let the pot air dry. 

I know there is a good chance this is just my imagination, but the very first pot I brewed for actual drinking seemed more flavorful and alive. Real or imagined, I don't care. Having never been a teapot person, I suddenly found myself unable to wait for the next opportunity to use it again. 

When using, the belly of the pot gets and stays hot, but the handle remains nicely cool. It feels easy to control when lifting and pouring. The spout does dribble a little at first and the pour is kind of slow compared to my French Press. I do sometimes have to wipe up a small amount of tea after pouring. I need to get a tea towel and/or a tea tray to catch the spills. The strainer does keep large leaf out of the cup but small pieces do pass through. If that annoys you, pouring through a mesh filter would solve it. I quickly learned to ignore the bits in the bottom of the cup.

I have used my first yixing several times now for puerh. What I have read recently suggests this shape pot is better suited to oolong. For puerh it was stated the pot should be taller rather than wide. Again, I don't care. This is now my official puerh brewing vessel.

An experienced yixing user could undoubtedly give you many reasons why a more expensive pot would be a better choice. That's fine. This is like my first bike. It was a red 16" bike with training wheels. I remember the day the training wheels feel off and what hill I was coasting down at the time. I didn't think, "Man, I wish I had a better bike." Nope. I just enjoyed the pleasure of the moment. 

Bottom line: For what I paid, I have already had a hundred times more fun out of this pot.

An Update: I knew when I ordered my teapots that Enjoying Tea stated a free tea sample was included with each pot. When I opened the box I didn't see it and promptly forgot about it. In writing a soon to be published review of the second teapot I remembered the offer. So today I wrote Enjoying Tea. I got a reply back very quickly - yes samples should have been included. I still had the box of peanuts in the garage, so a search party ensued. Yep, In my excitement over the teapots I had overlooked the samples. One little tin of tea for each teapot. So a word of caution, if you order a teapot or teaset make sure to thoroughly dig through the package.

Ocean Of Tea, Ti Kuan Yin

Ocean Of Tea Description:
Ti Kuan Yin is the most famous Chinese Oolong tea with a great orchid aroma and finish. This tea is nice, light and has a hint of dried apricot. 

Our tea is hand-harvested from the Wu-Yi tea bush and made by using traditional crafting techniques developed in China’s Fujian province. The leaves are tightly rolled and you can get 3-4 good infusions out of the same leaves. Affordably priced, this is a great tea to drink with company.

Sample provided by Ocean of Tea.

My Review:
This is my second Ocean of Tea offering. The first being Earl Grey Premium. I learned from that one to trust the recommended steeping instructions that are clearly listed on the simple, yet well laid out, label. I also found the quality of the tea to be very good, so I am a little more relaxed with this one.

I opened the sample and removed 2 tsp of leaf per instructions. This looks like Man Tea because it looks like camo. There is hunter green, olive green, lighter green, and some tan leaf in the tightly rolled mix. Yep, I could get lost in this.

The leaf went in the press and to it was added filtered water heated to 195 F. The steep time was three minutes. This produces a lot of leaf. A tea ball is definitely not recommended by me. It expands way too much and needs to be free. The liquor is honey golden in color and the wet leaf scent is medium roasted with orchid notes.

The sip is much like the aroma except the roast and the orchid floral notes are very balanced. Another thing I notice is this has a strong honey like sweetness. I do not detect any bite or bitterness, then again I don't expect any. It is somewhat drying. The company description mentions dried apricot. Many of the reviews by fellow bloggers mention it as well. Having never tasted a dried apricot, I don't make the connection. I'll take their word for it. Others also mentioned nutty. On that I will agree, though here I don't make a connection to a particular type of nut.

For my personal tastes, I prefer a greener less roasted tieguanyin but if you are a moderate roasted oolong person, I can find nothing off putting or out of place with this cup. Ocean of Teas' Ti Kuan Yin seems to me to be a solid oolong at a fair price.

Visit the Ocean of Tea website.

Dragon Tea House, 2006 Menghai Mount Elephant

Dragon Tea House Description:
Robust leaves from Mt. Elephant, Menghai. Sheng/raw

My Review:
This came my way from a friend's generosity. One source I found on the internet claims this is so named because on the mountain where this is grown there used to be a large tree that resembled an elephant. Works for me.

The sample I have is loose leaf not cake. I hope to have a camera of my own soon to start taking pictures for this blog. I never think about borrowing the wife's camera until after I have started to write. Of course then it is too late.

The leaf is large broken pieces that resemble grass. It is obvious this is a raw pu'er. Or is it puerh, or just puer? If you're interested here is a link to a thoughtful explanation for the different spellings.

I used a yixing to steep this in today. I'll do a review one day soon. What I'll say here is I love this little guy. I have never been a teapot person, but this is so much fun. I used about 5 g of leaf and steeped for around 45 seconds. That may have been a bit long. The brew is golden orange, which seems kind of dark for sheng, but this is a 2006 tea. The wet leaf is brown and green resembling leaf bits found in an outdoor pool or pond. In fact that is probably the best explanation of the wet leaf scent - pond water.

The sip reveals definite sheng flavors. The taste is quite mineral. It is bright, edging towards metallic but doesn't cross the line. It also tastes kind of green pond soaked leaf like. If you have had sheng before that probably makes some sense. There is a slight saltiness. Late in the sip it seems somewhere between fruity and lightly floral but not strongly enough I can give it a name. The first cup is only mildly sweet. It is somewhat drying but does have an astringent bite.

The main element that excites me here is way down in my lungs I can feel a lightness and a coolness like menthol or camphor without the smell. It lingers long, long, after the sip is gone. I can feel this working its way through my innards. That is another cool part of puerh and especially raw tea.

Later cups cups are honey colored as I reduced the steep time of the second to 15 seconds. The deep cooling, open lung freshness, and the wonderful tea working through my stomach with healthy bacteria and energy, continues.

The flavor of raw puerh may not appeal to all. For those who enjoy it or at least like it, the energy in a good tea after sipping is where the real enjoyment is for me. If I use the term correctly this is cha qi, which basically means good tea energy. This is not the same as a caffeine buzz. I used to read things like this and think 'whatever', but having experienced it more than a few times I assure you it is an excellent part of the tea experience. I have to say I really like the energy of this one.

Ocean Of Tea, Earl Grey Premium

Ocean Of Tea Description:
Perhaps the most famous blend of black tea in the western world, Earl Grey Tea remains a cherished favorite. This is our favorite of the Earl Greys. Made from the finest black tea blended with just the right amount of oil of bergamot, this show-stopper will renew your love of Earl Grey and have you craving a second cup. 

Wonderfully smooth, slightly tangy and extremely well balanced. The aroma is amazing and you will love the smell of a freshly opened bag!

Sample provided by Ocean of Tea.

My Review:
This is a new tea provider to me. When I opened the envelope the samples arrived in, I could smell faint traces of glorious bergamot. I didn't have time to sit and enjoy a cup just then and had to put the samples on the shelf. This one sat there taunting me until now.

The love the simplicity of the sample label: Company name, tea name, brief description, and three graphics giving brewing instructions. The printing is large enough for older blurry eyes to read it easily first thing in the morning. The sample pouch is flat black and resealable.

Opening the bag and removing a spoon of leaf, the BOP appears much darker than the picture suggests. The aroma is fresh clean citrus. It is very lemony. Times a wasting, let's brew some tea.

I used my press as normal, and filtered boiling water. The steep was 3 minutes. Ocean of Tea says 4 but I always err on the side of caution with my first tasting of a black tea base. The liquor is standard orangey/red and the wet leaf is cinnamon colored and highly fragrant. I could sniff bergamot all day.

OK, this could have withstood a 4 minute steep. I would probably use 3 again anyway. Based on the dry and wet leaf aroma, I was prepared for a blast of citrus. That is not what is in the cup. This is smooth and balanced. There is a moment with each sip when the astringency tickles the sides of the tongue. This gives way to a velvety mid sip with a touch of dryness. Late sip the lemony bergamot flavor moves in without totally dominating, causing the mouth to water. The aftertaste has traces similar to cinnamon notes.

The base tea is ever present but hard to single out. It is not abrasive and rough like many of my Ceylon based Earl Grey's. Neither is it flat and two dimensional like Twinings. I like Twinings but do find it lacks presence. This Earl Grey Premium from Ocean of Tea has depth with no rough edges from the base.

This is a smooth well balanced Earl Grey. There is enough bite to be pleasing. The bergamot is wonderfully lemony without being overwhelming, or worse, wimpy. I believe an Earl Grey junkie, such as myself, would find this to be a very satisfying cup to start the day. I love the smell of bergamot in the morning.

Visit Ocean of Tea.

 

Life In Teacup, Dong Ding Oolong traditional medium roast

Life In Teacup Description:
Production Year - 2013
Production Season - Spring
Production Region - Nantou County, Taiwan
Style - Traditional medium roast
Pack Size - 1 oz. (28g pack)
Price per unit - $5.40

Sample provided by Life In Teacup

My Review:
Oops, apologies to Life In Teacup. In searching through my drawer of tea today, I found this sample. I had reviewed several other samples some time back, but obviously I missed one.

This is a medium roasted oolong from Taiwan. When I removed the sample from the packet I was amazed at the tiny size of the leaf pellets. They are very dark. I used about 3 g in my press with 10 oz of 190 F water. The steep was two minutes. I did not look up the recommended parameters. I just went with my gut.

The liquor is shiny green when poured but turns honey gold quickly in the cup. Someday I hope to read an explanation of why that happens. I find it fascinating. The leaf has not completely relaxed but has really expanded. It is also fascinating to me how they roll the leaf so tightly. I am always amazed by the art of tea processing.

The wet leaf is strongly roasted in scent. The sip, however, is lovely. The roasting is medium to light. This is nicely sweet and tastes like roasted honey. It seems very thick and milk like but a little more creamy. I taste the mountain oolong notes in the lingering aftertaste. This is really very nice.

It is rainy and gloomy out my window today and this is a little warm ray of sunshine. I'm kind of glad I misplaced this one until the perfect day to enjoy it. This is really hitting the spot.