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This was my second gong fu session yesterday. I used 7 grams of leaf in my older gaiwan. Both gaiwans are supposedly 100 mL and yet the new one seems much bigger so who knows.

This time around, I had a similarly minerally/astringent experience as I had with the oolong session earlier. Is that typical of gong fu brewing or is it my timings?

At least this time the drying was no so offensive and I was able to also get some flavor from the tea itself. The first few steeps had stonefruit and cocoa. Then I just kept steeping. I got about 10 steeps, the last few being the best as they no longer had the mineral/astringent quality despite the particularly long steeps (8+ minutes).

Mastress Alita

Personally, I don’t use such high leaf amounts (grams) when I do gong fu or it tastes really bitter/astringent to me. I use https://octea.ndim.space/#/ for my water-to-leaf ratios and it works well for my tastes, at least.

VariaTEA

This is awesome. Thank you!

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Mastress Alita

Personally, I don’t use such high leaf amounts (grams) when I do gong fu or it tastes really bitter/astringent to me. I use https://octea.ndim.space/#/ for my water-to-leaf ratios and it works well for my tastes, at least.

VariaTEA

This is awesome. Thank you!

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

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Waterdown, Ontario

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