5.5g, 200F, gong fu method

I'd describe it as honey sweet, warm baked, chocolate, and a tanginess for intrigue. This is the heaviest roast I've tried from Taiwan, but with their hot air roasting method, I think it works well. I do enjoy lighter roasts too, but this brings more depth and makes the tea last for more steeps. I think of this as the ultimate dessert tea. For me, it fully replaces the need for actual dessert.

This is my most favored tea from Taiwan. I like to have this tea once every week or two. It is in a class of its own for me. I'd be interested to try other teas that I would consider comparable, to compare quality. So if you know one, please share!

My experience

Having a temperate controlled kettle has greatly improved my tea enjoyment. Not just for more sensitive tea types, such as greens, but for all tea types.

When I started my journey with tea, I primarily drank black tea. I believed that I just didn't enjoy green tea and even many of the black teas that I was trying. It turns out that I was not only over-steeping them, but also negatively affecting the balance of the profile by only using boiling water. I have since learned that some teas need a lower temperature to be in balance. Temperature control has enabled me to experience all tea types at varying temps, tweaking the balance and profile to get that perfect cup. I have found more complex and enjoyable profiles in teas that I thought were simple and harsh.

I know that temperate control is not for everyone, either due to differing preparation methods making it not necessary or maybe you are better than me at getting the temperature right on your own. For me, my kettle is my most important teaware. I'd gladly give up all other teaware to keep it.

My kettle

I have the kettle shown as the image of this post. You can find it by searching "temperate controlled goose-neck kettle" on Amazon. It must be a generic, as it has gone by multiple manufacturer names. I have 2 of these, one at home and one at work. After a few years with them, I am still happy. It is a cheaper kettle, but it still has all of the features that I want. My only complaint is that I wish it held more water, so I didn't have to refill as often.

• Single degree temperate control
• Easy and fast to change temperature
• Mute mode
• Hold function (holds for 2 hours)
• No plastic in contact with water

Share your water preparation method and teaware!

I've been greatly enjoying this tisane lately. I enjoy the clean simplicity of it. It's just 2 ingredients. It's been refreshing in the summer heat.

In the morning, I'll drink it hot, to wake up my breathing and perk up from the brightness. In the afternoon, I'll drink it over ice as a relaxing and cooling summer beverage, indoors or outdoors.

My first experience with this tisane was unintentional. I needed just a little more in my cart to get free shipping, so I tried this one out on a whim. I'm so glad that I did.

What's your favorite tisane lately?

Here's my favorite tea...

I've been exploring the world of tea for about 5 years and have tried just over 200 teas of nearly all tea types. There is one tea that I've consistently gone back to since I have discovered it. It is a sheng puer from Yunnan Sourcing. I have an interesting relationship with this tea. I have never thought of this tea as wildly complex or as an experience. Instead, it has balance with just the right amount of intrigue to work as a daily drinker. I'm always happy to drink this tea.

2020 Wu Liang Mountain (the pic of this post)

https://yunnansourcing.com/products/2020-yunnan-sourcing-wu-liang-mountain-wild-arbor-raw-pu-erh-tea-cake-1

Tasting notes: Thick texture; mineral, wood, and sweet body; citrus and herb high notes; a bitter-to-sweet aftertaste transformation.

Today, I don't want to focus on the exact tea I'm drinking. Instead, I'd like to think about the water temperature I'm using.

For black tea, I typically use 200-205F (93-96C). I find that this brings out the strength and body, but still leaves some subtle notes for intrigue.

But today, I wanted to brew this tea at 195F (90.5C). There are so many sweet, floral, and fruity notes that come out at this lower temp that aren't as present at the higher temp. There is still sufficient strength and body, so I'm not missing the higher temp.

This is just a reminder to myself, and to anyone out there, to try out your teas on different water temperatures. You may find a new profile from an old tea that you enjoy even more!

I'd consider myself proficient with using a gaiwan now, but I wasn't for the first few years of my tea journey. I was scared of them.

That's not going to filter the tea properly. That looks uncomfortable to use. I'm gonna burn myself!

At first, I used tea infusers that sit in your cup. These bothered me for a few reasons: some tea types don't expand and steep well in a confined space; they clogged constantly; and they can be annoying to clean.

I then took my first baby step towards gaiwans - with an "easy" gaiwan. It was a nicer experience, but still had some of the same issues: it tended to clog and was annoying to clean. It has a lip that is difficult to clean under. And it actually lets quite a bit of tea bits through.

Similar to this one:

After a few years, I got my first gaiwan for cheap, and I'm so glad I did! It was just easier. You can keep the lid mostly closed and it somehow filters tea bits better than my "easy" gaiwan. It's soooo easy to clean. Now, I do actually use a filter sometimes to catch fine tea dust, but I don't actually need to.

I'm sure gaiwans are synonymous with loose leaf tea for many people, but they aren't common where I am in the US. So for anyone who hasn't tried one, I say give it a try!

-- PS - One cool looking kind of teaware I have yet to try is a shiboridashi. This looks like a better version of my "easy" gaiwan: