What tea did you enjoy last night?

[Seumas]

I had a meal in what presented as a more traditionally Chinese restaurant in Manchester yesterday. (Clues, the clientele were heavily Chinese, hhe menu was mostly written in Chinese......! )
Had a lovely Chinese tea.
Though really im a sucker for an English breakfast!

"I like a nice cup of tea"

 

[otc]

Well technically it was afternoon. I don't usually drink caffeinated teas at night.

 

[sajesak]

Hmm, I don’t think this thread exists. Here we go!

Last night, I tried some very old yancha, a 1997 Horse Head Cliff shui xian from Essence of Tea. Very interesting experience as compared to every other Wuyi oolong I’ve ever had, which I assume has to do with the exceptional age.

I brewed it gong fu-style in a 100ml zhuni teapot, which I filled more than 3/4 full with leaves (about 9-10 grams). We used filtered spring water, heated to 100 degrees Celsius. I flash-brewed the first four or five steeps, about a second each. Subsequent steeps I increased to 4-5 seconds. The last couple of steeps were 10-20 seconds.

First of all, the smell of the liquor: old books, mossy funk, slight tinge of over-ripe fruit. Not very complex, but quite clear and consistent across all nine steeps.

The taste: again, not very complex, but very clear and lasting. Zero astringency and very quiet and mellow flavor development in the mouth. After a moment, the taste of over-ripe lychee surfaces—you know, when all the sweetness is gone and the flesh of the fruit has shrunk and oxidized. Rock and mineral notes are very present sativa indica, but l would otherwise not have guessed from taste alone that this was yancha at all.

Mouth feel and texture were exceptional! Extremely smooth and thick soup. Leaves the mouth and throat feeling coated with fuzz.

Overall, a very elegant and extremely unique yancha, though I think some experience with non-aged yancha would provide helpful context for appreciating it. Some might be disappointed by the quieter, less complex fragrance and taste, but they’d be missing out on the very special texture and feel.

Hello, I have a question about herbal tea and its benefits. I've recently started exploring different types of herbal teas, and I'm curious to learn more about their potential health benefits. I've heard that herbal teas can have various therapeutic properties, such as aiding digestion, promoting relaxation, and boosting the immune system. However, I'm wondering if anyone here has personal experiences with herbal teas and can share their insights. Are there any specific herbal teas that you swear by for certain health benefits? Any tips on how to incorporate herbal teas into a daily routine?