Thank you JC for this sample tea!
This is a TGY from Thailand! Yep, bought there in the market by JC himself and brought back to the USA, then shared with me. I feel very special getting to taste a tea that I know he probably had a hard time parting with!
I didn’t have directions so I took a look at how tightly the leaves were rolled, then did two quick rinses.
Steep one: 180 degrees for 20 seconds.
Surprisingly, the first steep wasn’t very strong or floral. The flavor was clean and fresh with a light savory taste and a cucumber seed bitterness at the end.
Steep two: I lowered the temperature to 140 and 40 seconds.
This pour was still sweet but had a buttery texture and camphor coolness like many Oolongs from Taiwan. (That was also a surprise.)
Steep three: Boiling water and 45 seconds.
The flavor was more floral, sweet but less buttery or savory. I preferred the lower temperature from my three tests.
The leaves were filling my small white Gaiwan now, they were not only long…but fat.
I returned to the shorter steep time and lower temperature and the flavor lingered after each sip with a savory coolness, the wafting of flowers somewhere close by reminding me this was a Tie Guan Yin.
Every cup I drank was delicate, smooth, sweet and fresh with a little butter coating my lips.
Now that I’ve tasted this tea, I’m watching what Thailand is producing!
Thanks JC! Unique TGY!
People who liked this
Comments
Now I want to go back. Tropical Paradise, amazing food, tea and the largest China town (besides China :P )
You’re not gettin the TGY back!!!
Hahahaha! I’m glad you liked it. I wish I had the green tea I bought there as well. Amazing scent and taste! I took hundreds of pictures while in Thailand, but I cant remember anything clearer than the scent when I smelled the leaf from that HUGE bag they brought for me (after I had gone through all of the other tea). I was so excited I took a Tuk-Tuk back to the hotel (slight mistake due to over-excitement), but I made it alive.
I bought bottled water on my way (tap water is a NO-NO in Thailand), and prepared the tea. I really want to go back now.
I understand about water, my Aunt and Uncle lived in Peru and water was a no-no there too and it was even hard to get coffee let alone tea because they exported EVERYTHING!!! (no wonder coca te’ or mate de coca was popular!)
My cousin lives in Thailand, used to live in Nepal before the fighting. She and her husband are linguists and have been there probably 20 years.
Now I want to go back. Tropical Paradise, amazing food, tea and the largest China town (besides China :P )
You’re not gettin the TGY back!!!
Hahahaha! I’m glad you liked it. I wish I had the green tea I bought there as well. Amazing scent and taste! I took hundreds of pictures while in Thailand, but I cant remember anything clearer than the scent when I smelled the leaf from that HUGE bag they brought for me (after I had gone through all of the other tea). I was so excited I took a Tuk-Tuk back to the hotel (slight mistake due to over-excitement), but I made it alive.
I bought bottled water on my way (tap water is a NO-NO in Thailand), and prepared the tea. I really want to go back now.
I understand about water, my Aunt and Uncle lived in Peru and water was a no-no there too and it was even hard to get coffee let alone tea because they exported EVERYTHING!!! (no wonder coca te’ or mate de coca was popular!)
My cousin lives in Thailand, used to live in Nepal before the fighting. She and her husband are linguists and have been there probably 20 years.