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“Interesting! I dropped some leaves in my mug and poured down-a-bit-from-boiling water in, then spent several minutes going “ooh” as the leaves gracefully unrolled and arrowed down through the...” Read full tasting note
“My Life in a Teacup samples are here! I grabbed this one 1st because it’s so unique. I love bamboo shoots, but I rarely eat them so I can’t really remember what they taste like… So I’m kinda...” Read full tasting note
“Steep Information: Amount: 5.1g (it was too hard to spoon measure) Additives: none Water: 1 teapot (2c) full filtered boiling, then let sit to 165 degrees Steep Time: a little over 2...” Read full tasting note
Production Year: 2009
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Sichuan Province
Style: Chao Qing (stir-fry to kill enzyme)
Brewing methods for green tea:
2a. Chinese Green Tea (except for all-bud varieties)
Vessel: mug, gaiwan, or whatever cup of proper size
Water temperature: newly boiled water (around 95 °C or 203 °F)
Amount of Leaves: let dry loose leaves cover 2/3 of the mug/cup bottom
Time: when most leaves sink to the bottom, it’s good to drink
Re-steep: when there is 1/3 liquor left in the vessel, add hot water to re-steep. Most Chinese green teas can be infused for at least 3 times.
When using a teapot, leave the lid OFF and steep for 1 minute for each of the first 2 infusions.
2b. Chinese early spring Green Tea with mostly leaf buds
Method (1):
Vessel: mug or whatever cup of proper size
Water temperature: boiled water that has sat aside for 2-5 minutes (around 90 °C or 194 °F)
Amount of Leaves: same as “2a”
Time: same as “2a”
Re-steep: same as “2a”
Method (2):
Vessel: Gaiwan
Water temperature: boiled water that has sat aside for 5-10 minutes (around 80-85 °C or 180 °F)
Amount of leaves: same as “2a”
Time: wait for 1-2 minutes, with the Gaiwan lid OFF. Then use the gaiwan lid to gently wave away any floating leaves, and meantime start drinking SLOWLY.
Re-steep: same as “2a”
Company description not available.
Interesting! I dropped some leaves in my mug and poured down-a-bit-from-boiling water in, then spent several minutes going “ooh” as the leaves gracefully unrolled and arrowed down through the water. The water started darkening almost right away and was a pinkish sort of gold by the time most of the leaves were off the top of the mug and I could start sipping.
The first steep of this was really strong. Not bitter, but certainly harsh. I wasn’t enamored, but I figured I might as well keep going (if nothing else, the excuse to get up and walk away from the project documentation I’m writing for long enough to heat the water was a draw!).
By the second steep, all of the leaves were down on the base of the mug, but many of them were just barely touching down, like they were dancing around down there. To my surprise, this steep was very different, smoother and with a lingering sweet aftertaste to each sip. For the third steep, it’s sweet almost all the way through, with a lingering astringency and juiciness.
My Life in a Teacup samples are here! I grabbed this one 1st because it’s so unique. I love bamboo shoots, but I rarely eat them so I can’t really remember what they taste like… So I’m kinda winging my description.
The sample is 6.86g. YAY for getting a large sample, but not yay that the bag isn’t resealable.
2.25g of leaf/6oz water ~200 degrees F.
Wow! what an interesting tea. The leaves look very needley like silver needle, but are much more sharp on the ends. Once I add the water, this is one of the most gorgeous non blooming/rolled teas to watch steep. The leaves start floating on top of the water, but then some of them slowly begin to drift down in a verticle position. The liquor is a wonderful golden color.
The aroma is incredibly sweet- not fruity or floral sweet, but almost honey-esk. This is the 1st time I’ve had a tea that smells like honey.
The flavor is also really sweet and honey-esk… but there’s also just a hint of something else… I just don’t know how to describe it… is it bitterness? Astringency? If it is, it’s not a bad thing. If it wasn’t there, this’d be too sweet.
It’s a very sweet tea so it’s not something I’d drink all day every day, but I will be ordering it again. Thank you, Gingko!
2nd infusion, 4min. Slightly lighter liquor and aroma, but still strong flavor. Still very sweet, but not honey tasting.
Drank this while I talked to my special someone… unfortunately the convo only lasted as long as the cuppa… 3rd infusion, 5min. Liquor is the same as the previous infusion. While not weaker, the flavor is less sweet and more smooth.
Um… yeah… wow… 4th infusion, 6min. The liquor fell off the roof and died… Thank GOD there is still a light, but sweet and clean, flavor. Against the opinion of my eyes, I think I may try another infusion.
Steep Information:
Amount: 5.1g (it was too hard to spoon measure)
Additives: none
Water: 1 teapot (2c) full filtered boiling, then let sit to 165 degrees
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: grassy
Steeped Tea Smell: grassy
Flavor: watery, vegetal, but smooth, maybe a little nutty?
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter, vegetal that lingers
Liquor: transparent with a green tint
I got this as part of a sample set from Life in Teacup.
I failed to follow directions and left the lid on (http://www.lifeinteacup.com/brewing-tea) the water was too cool, and perhaps I should have steeped a bit longer sigh. I am not even sure if i used too little to too many tea leaves.
Overall it was the weakness of the flavor and the bitter aftertaste that are turning me off. At first you sniff and there is the hint of grass. The you sip and you get smooth water…then grass/vegetal…and if you look hard enough this slight nut flavor comes out. Then you swallow, and you get this bitterness coating your tongue. The bitterness fades and you entire tongue seems to have a sheen of vegetation on it, it’s a fuzzy feeling.
Post-Steep Additives: none
My blog with images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/02/life-in-teacup-loose-leaf-green-tea-zhu.html
i tried resteeping, hotter water, longer, it tasted a bit stronger but still too acidic, i tossed it, i think i ruined those leaves, i have enough for 1-2 more cups – anyone have any suggestions on how not to ruin them?
I’m not particularly familiar with this type of tea, but with chinese greens [this looks like a chinese green to me?] I typically cool the water further and steep shorter to see if that gets rid of any lingering bitterness. I’ve had to go down to 140F before. I’d probably try 155-160 for 1:30, but I’m not positive that will help, unfortunately. Best of luck! Hopefully someone who knows Zhu Ye Qing will drop by!
thanks, i’ll try much cooler water next time, i’ll have to wait until i’m not all hopped up on cold meds so i can taste it though!
I used vastly different steeping parameters, but yes it IS an interesting tea! And I like it:)
I’m always intrigued by the way Life in Teacup’s steeping suggestions are so different from the standard set, and how often there are two or three different ways to do it. It makes me want to try them all and compare!
It was also surprising to me how different each steep was, given that I wasn’t drinking the leaves dry but kept about a quarter (I never remembered to stop at a third!) of the water each time….
Way too complicated and type B for me… it’s funny- I’m only type A when it comes to my steeping parameters.