MUGPUERH

Sometimes We Play Dirty

2012-01-08T22:42:00.003-05:00

2005 Dehong Golden Melon
10g
Gaiwan - Cranes
Infusion times - boil - 15s, 12s, 20s, 25s, 35s, 50s - boil - 1m30s, 2m0s, 2m0s, 3m0s, 4m0s, 5m0s

I have a confession to make; my mind goes overboard when it comes to visualization. I can't make a stark comparison between two things without thinking of a hundred different scenarios that could be related, and only settling down when I've either exhausted my own resources, confused my company, sidetracked myself to the point where I have forgotten where my rant began. I'll try to avoid that tonight, because this tea does a damn fine job of being swanky all on it's own. It's one of the tightest compressed touchas I've ever handled; my right hand still has indentations from the butt of the puer'dao.

I pulled it off the shelf tonight because I was underwhelmed the past two sessions. My taste buds didn't register the way I had hoped, and my senses only blended together like sidewalk chalk in a thunderstorm. I could smell it from three feet back. Thick, dense, iron-like smoke. Small leaf, choppy, with a few little twigs here and there. Not sure why, but I've always been fond of it, and tonight is no exception. The soup is a cloudy orange with a dash of pink, and the aroma reminds me of a barbequed candy cane. It's by no means special, but it's got an obvious effect on me. My mouth is tingling already, and after the third infusion, I remember that I have never been a fan of gentle tea. (If anyone remembers my bout with pu-pourri, you'll know exactly what I mean) I get excited when a tea has a punch to it, and much the way we are drawn to absurd storytelling, or shock cinema, this feels like a dirty joke that I can't help but share with friends, but would never dare tell to my Grandmother.

By the eighth infusion, it seems that the tight compression has finally opened up entirely. The leaves are actually pushing the lid upward. Unfortunately, the most fun came from the first five infusions, each one made my entire mouth tingle. I'll ride it out until the kettle is empty, but I think we are about cached here.

I was worried that I would find myself underwhelmed here, and after the first five cups, I'm back in that same boat. It isn't bad, and it's definitely bold, but it's just not that exciting. I have been spoiled by aged sheng, as I am winding down, I smell the empty gaiwan, pleasantly surprised. The thick smoke aroma is much less present; almost not at all. It's got body, and I am wondering if that can somehow translate into flavour. I've had many sessions where the tea catches a second wind. Three minutes on the clock and I will find out. That minty, camphor scent is heavily present, and now that most of the leaf has opened up, I am shocked to find that although I'm not really seeing whole leaf, the pieces of leaf are much larger than I had initially anticipated.

At the three minute mark, the soup has taken on the colour of rust, and is actually quite good. Mouth is dry, and there is something competing for my attention in the back of my throat. Most likely, it's just my palate adjusting itself as my brain challenges it to bring something to the table. As I pour the final cup, I'm happy to catch some of the aromas I haven't experienced in other teas of late. It almost feels like being in some sort of rehabilitation for my olfactory system, which is pleasing, but it makes me wonder how I let that atrophy to begin with.

I have no doubt that this tea has some time ahead of it before it does everything it set out to do, but pulling air over the soup causes it to bubble out a crisp freshness, and closes with a familiar young sheng after touch. With the compression, it's no wonder. It's naturally going to have that sort of layered taste for years to come, which eventually, could prove rather interesting. Overall, my level of engagement here went up and down and then back up again to an eventual point of neutrality. For the $11 I paid for it back in 08', it was an early shot in the dark, and the only pain I endured came in the form of red marks on my palm (which haven't faded, by the way) from trying to cut off enough leaf to brew up. I'm sure you could all think of ten other teas you would rather spend your money on, and I'm sure looking back in time, I might make another recommendation, but we all pay our tuition.

Encumbered and Remembered

2012-01-05T22:48:00.011-05:00

SFTM Yi Wu Millenial Tea Tree
9 Grams
Rinse - 5 sec

After six years of drinking pu-erh, I have decided to revisit the tea that was my first love. It was the first tea I ever plunged a knife into. With water heated on a gas stove, we fumbled around and drank from a Japanese Kyusu. Six Famous Tea Mountains Yi Wu Millennial Tea Tree from 2006. I still have an unopened cake of this and I remember it with much fondness. It's like coming home to an old friend. Sadly, I haven't really done my part to make those phone calls and send out those postcards. I've got some growing up to do. I'll see what has been happening with this tea, and share with you (if you don't mind), a story.

1st infusion - 12 sec (slight sour bite right off the bat, more mellow than I remember. Not such a leafy aroma)

Whenever a child asks you to read them a story at night, you have two ways about it. You can read it to them in hopes that it will shut them up, close their eyes, and give you some peace and quiet. You can also let it become a sort of bridge to gap two minds, destined to lead to very different lives.

2nd infusion - 10 sec (aroma is much more robust. Embarrassed that I cannot place it with comparison. I must be getting old. Still has the slight taste of young pu-erh, but rolls over the tongue with ease. Trails off with a smack of sourness, just enough to make me close my eyes and shut everything out for a moment)

Now, where was I? Yes, bridges and different lives. Much of my world revolves around the bridges we build and burn. In this case, I look at building a bridge with my child whenever she asks me to read to her. Truth be told, she's perfectly capable of reading by herself, but sometimes she just wants me to do it. She'll curl up as close to me as she can get and just listen. I feel her eyes bouncing from word to word as she attempts to digest more than just what the words mean. She feels the story, and when that begins to happen, she becomes invested. That act, whether or not she remembers it ten years from now, will have a lasting impression on how close we are to become as people.

3rd infusion - 15 sec (the leaves have pulled the sleep out of their eyes and have bloomed up nicely in the gaiwan. Still having trouble identifying the aroma, but am reminded of the sensation of cinnamon subdued. It's teasing me, the way home made applesauce cuts through an entire house, even when you are cooking other food at the same time.)

What got me thinking about this tonight was a story we read called Zen Shorts. It is about a family of children who each come to befriend a panda bear whose umbrella ends up in their yard after a strong wind carries it away. Each of them has an encounter with the panda, and each time, he shares with them a story. One particular story had to do with the concept of letting go of the things we carry with us. We have, at any point, the means to leave things where they lie and move on. The story the panda shares is in regards to two monks who help a woman across a puddle; the older one picks her up and carries her. She doesn't thank him, and the younger one stews over it all day. The older monk says "I put her down hours ago, why haven't you?"

It got me thinking, of all the things I carry to bed with me, or the thoughts that jump into my head when I first wake, what am I missing out on? The simple joy of a sunrise, or of all the people I am affected by because I carry around what I'm sure they don't even know still exists. Think about that for a moment.

4th infusion - 40 sec (the leaves have stood up even more. Still can't place the aroma, don't care. It's tea. The mouth drying has begun. The mellow headed clarity has taken hold. I am wondering how much of it is the tea and how much belongs to the ritual.)

Recently, Grace brought me a book, given to her by a girl I dated for the greater part of a year, two years back. The inside of the jacket read "With Love, Jackie." She pulled it off of the shelf, and asked me "Dad, did this book come from my teacher Miss Jackie?" I replied by telling her that I once had a friend named Jackie, and I asked Grace if she remembered her at all. She shook her head no, clearly showing me that she was trying to pull together the very fibers of time, which still seem all too visible in my own mind. I both envied and pitied the moment and everyone involved, for a myriad of reasons. With Grace, I feel both for the same reason. Her age and the constant bombardment of information, coupled with the many experiences she has every day means that when she is older, she won't remember much of these past four years, and myself because suddenly, I felt very alone. I take pictures, I write her words, and I do everything I can to savour these moments, knowing full well that most of what I hold dear will be nothing more than stories I will tell long into old age. By this, I am heartbroken but awestruck. I pity the woman who gifted that book, because aside from the words on that page, she no longer exists in the mind of a child. That, to me, is the saddest way to go.

5th infusion - 1 minute (my senses are recovering. I've forgotten how to taste tea. To pair a sensation with a word that people are generally familiar with. It's as if I, too, have become a child again. Celery and cinnamon)

I was at a loss for the words today when I went to speak of this, and all I could do was put pen to paper. It's in my blood to write, and to chronicle my experiences. For no reason other than that eventually, I will be bone or ash. I read St. Exupéry, Murakami, Hemingway, and Kundera; finding myself pulled into their words and their worlds in ways that many people I speak to every day simply cannot. I've always kept one foot six miles off the ground, and because of that, I almost always lose myself in a good story. I read these authors and feel as if I understand fundamental qualities about them. What they value becomes apparent, and many of them are/were just trying to find their way. Much like the sight of a child, worlds apart from a man who spends half his week a bachelor, and half his week a father fumbling with a combination lock of sorts, finding just the right number of rotations to provide for both of us, the mental and emotional stability to raise her proper.

We take solace in those small bridges. We covet the paths that lead us home, and we choose a select few with with to share them. I've clearly forgotten what I once knew about these teas, but my hand is steady, and I am willing to listen.

6th infusion - Two minutes, thirty seconds and I am sure I will be hunting for something more than celery and cinnamon. I may well not find it, but what I have found are words to remedy a plague in my mind. A sorrow of sorts that someone once familiar became just that; someone once familiar. Words to remedy a sorrow that a tea once familiar also became just that.

There's always tomorrow.

Another year

2011-12-16T22:22:00.002-05:00

At some point, I lost my voice with tea. I lost the ability to listen to the way every single cup spoke to me; carried me through the nights of learning how to carve out my identity and live on as a single father. It taught me that patience is often rewarded with discovery and enlightenment. At some point, I stopped making it an important part of my daily ritual. In the past year, I've moved twice, and found myself in rooms and beds unknown, laughing in the company of strangers more than the familiar faces. I've warmed up to drinking coffee, even shitty coffee, and neglected the cakes of pu-erh which have always been proudly displayed in my home. I had even lost the appreciation for the swirling accumulation of sediment in the bottom of the mug.

Today, however, it hit me; those experiences in which we seem to control the flow of time, they are often the most cathartic. The ceremony of tea, whether it be authentic and true to tradition, or simply routine that takes over as soon as the water begins to boil is important, and becomes a vital part of the experience. Like prepping dough for pizza, there are steps and ingredients that are not always tangible, such as the passage of time and the process for kneading out the bubbles. So, tonight, I spent a few minutes taking in the aroma pouring off the shelves in the tea closet. It felt like sifting through old love letters, each of them carrying a particular heft and bound to the fibrous strands tying the past to the present. I took in the aroma of the heated gaiwan filled with dry leaf, and made time to appreciate the bouquet of the flush. Just like those old letters, I often remember the contents without having to unwrap them. I am transported to the nights of confusion and conversation, fumbling around with a new partner, unsure of what to expect, but tonight, this feels like home. It's not a new set of freckles on an unfamiliar shoulder.

At least pu-erh doesn't mind being neglected.

jamus~

Stretching

2010-10-05T22:22:00.002-04:00

This morning, I was fortunate enough to attend my daughter's dance class, and what a little lady she has become! It's incredible to me that in spite of how much I've seen her grow these past three years, physically, she's just a drop of water in a vast ocean. At some point, you can no longer experience it with eyes alone.

A Life Lesson (+ An Informal Symposium)

2010-09-22T15:24:00.007-04:00

Hello friends,

It's been a while, I know. I've got a two-part entry for today. The first is a blog post that isn't about tea (sorry, money-squeeze right now). The second part, loosely related to the post, is hopefully to solicit some feedback. I'll lay out the scenario after the post. As always, thank you for reading, and I welcome your thoughts. ^__^

A couple of weeks back, I took my daughter to Parmenter's Cider Mill in Northville, Mi. It's been one of my favourite places to frequent during autumn, and on the way back, we spotted this little guy. I showed it to Grace and she said "Daddy, what kind of silly bug is that?!?!?" I told her it was a Praying Mantis.

It took me back to my childhood, when I used to try to look after every butterfly, baby bird, and other creepy crawly that I found on the sidewalk without a family. Something in my child brain told me that these little creatures needed looking after. One such summer, I found a mantis and of course, it needed a home within the empty fishbowl in my basement. Eventually, it became a pet, and the number of crickets that became helpless victims was absolutely mind boggling. I figured that the mantis just had a huge appetite, but as it turned out, the mantis was getting ready to carry out it's role in the cycle of life. That fall, it laid an egg case and shortly after, passed away during the night. The egg case housed anywhere from 100-400 mantids. Come spring, the eggs hatched, and we grew our own fruit flies to feed them. Eventually, I took them outside, opened the lid of the case and watched them disperse.

That was my first real lesson on just how different the nature of life and death is through the many species that inhabit this planet. The male often dies immediately during or after mating, and the female won't have any maternal role in the life of her children. Further, only 10% of the offspring will survive. It's an amazing process to see start to finish.

It's kind of a mindfuck. Let's back it up and build a new perspective on the world we presently live in. Say you only had a 10% chance of survival, and you made it. You spend your entire life looking for a partner (so far it's not too strange), and when you finally find a mate, you learn nothing about her. You don't talk much, but instead, just do the deed (still not terribly uncommon in the real world), copulate, and as your final duty for your children, you become a high-energy food source to ensure your kids get off to a good start. You never get a chance to meet your kids, and after you kick the bucket, your partner drops the kids off in an egg case and hightails it just in time to enjoy the last little bit of her own life. Eventually, your cannibalistic saplings race head to head in an attempt to survive long enough to do it all over again. Aside from the obvious part where you might get your dome chomped, the basics of life are all covered, and in a roundabout way, still can be related to the cycle of life and partnership as some people experience it, right down to the part where some parents never play a significant role in their children's lives.

So then, what makes it different? What puts us on a different level? It puzzles me; we have a nature to learn and grow, adapt to change, and be social. We build upon our previous generation by sharing our experiences and knowledge, and even though the primal behaviours don't change, we get to experience the cycle of living on a very different level than many of the other creatures we share our world with. We'd be fools to forget that. Take every single day, every experience with this in mind. Share your thoughts, even if you think they're stupid. You'll learn, you'll grow, you'll connect.

Sometimes I forget the inquisitive nature of children is just as important to their development and growth as keeping the freezer stocked with food and the fridge loaded with juice. Sometimes I forget to respond appropriately when Grace says "Look Dad, that dog is brown!" Some dogs are brown; all adults know that, but she's a child. When I find myself taking that information in, my response should be something to the effect of "Hell yeah! That is a brown dog! Let's talk about it!" As we get older, we all take on the role of educating and encouraging those around us.

and now, for the part where I will ask for some feedback

We live in a time where most, if not all of the people who read this blog have or know of someone who has felt the crunch of economic instability. It is, in and of itself, the primary reason I haven't been able to post on many of the teas I have been dying to taste. Money has been tighter, and I've already got enough to last me the next fifteen years. So, in lieu of my present life situation, the buying of and blogging about tea has taken a back seat. In the meantime, I've spent more time learning how to cook meals at home, doing more with less, and living an overall healthier existence.

Last night, I got into a rather heated debate with someone on energy efficiency and health care vs. education on healthier lifestyles. The point that we debated on the most was whether it is right for people to be irresponsible with their freedoms just because they have the bankroll. We discussed the fact that some restaurants are removing salt from their meals, teachers are educating children in schools about how to live healthier lifestyles, right down to reducing the impact on the environment by using CFL bulbs over incandescent bulbs and walking/biking instead of driving everywhere. The person I spoke with stood firmly on the idea that in a capitalistic society, if a person has the money to pay for it, they should be able to use as much energy as they want, eat whatever they choose, and let health insurance take care of the rest. That's what freedom is all about, right?

I totally agree that the option to have a choice is important, but I also believe that the misuse of a privilege, or wasteful use of resources, simply because you have the capital to afford it isn't an ethical way to live, and ultimately won't bode well as the nations move further into the global economy. I was informed that my thinking was naive and I was merely indoctrinated into believing what "the government" wanted me to believe. I'm hearing and reading so many contrasting points of view in the media that it's making my head spin.

So my question to you all is this:

If you live in a country where healthcare isn't afforded to you, or you pay for it out of pocket, what are your thoughts on the push for government reform and educating people to live healthier lifestyles? If you live in a country that has government programs around energy conservation and healthcare, what are some of your personal experiences with these kinds of programs?

Also, for anyone who has taken steps of their own to promote a lower-impact lifestyle, how do you go about educating friends and family members, and what kinds of push back do you get, if any at all?

I know it's long-winded, but these topics keep coming up in daily conversation, and most of us are already tech-savvy, involved in the global market, and definitely interested in the history and culture of the world around us. I don't want to repeat the same steps over and over just because that's what my country was founded upon. I want to be part of a positive change for my family and those around me, well-aware that without change, we stand to fall behind. I'm open to hearing both sides of this, so please educate me :-)

The Big Three

2010-07-21T02:13:00.005-04:00

This picture was taken when she was merely a week old. She turns three tomorrow. Where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday, my dear child. I may not get to see you tomorrow, but I will see you soon.

Poolside

2010-07-17T12:00:00.002-04:00

We were smashed with a wave of hot weather the past couple of weeks, so we've been spending the majority of our days around the pool. These days have been peaceful.

Eight

2010-06-27T00:52:00.015-04:00

"In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind."
-Tao Te Ching #8

It's often easy to forget that at the times, I've been the lesser grounded individual. It's often easy to leave it behind me that there were others along the way who cleared the brush until I knew my bearing without the aid of a gentle road at my feet. I feel it in my toes now wherever I walk. I can see the shift of the wind and the groans of a tired man, so wrapped up in his work that thirty years later, in his time for repose, the memories of pulling bodies from blazes has worn on his tolerance. Even on his best days, screaming children, in all their innocence, can become a nuisance to him. I can see how men get wrapped up in dreams and forget to turn off the lights when they leave the room. All these things I understand fully well, but I often have to remind myself to have the consistent patience to approach them with kindness.

My recent return to written word came about with a post on Unknown Soldiers; tea without a name. The many unidentified samples that sit in my cupboard, waiting for their turn to dance with the kettle, gleaning enough information for me to get an idea of where they came from. Sometimes, it's just not enough to know for sure. The agony of the leaves unfurling piques my interest, as they eventually, with enough force push the lid of the teapot upward. During each pour, I carefully balance the pot atop the chahai so every last drop finds it's way to me. This process, one of the few I follow as carefully as I used to count down the seconds, is a reminder of patience. By not rushing, my next cup won't brew prematurely; there won't be unnecessary bitterness waiting for me at the bottom of the cup. The empty pot can now rest and the steam reminds the leaves during early infusions that it's time to wake up.

This Unknown Soldier, a gift from Brett @ Teacup in Seattle, came to me in a small brown bag, with a kindly written postcard. An oolong of sorts, but that's as much as I care to read into it tonight. I'm on my third straight session with it, which means I must be enjoying myself. The postcard, which, at the time, knew the history of this tea, disappeared somewhere during the move last September. So, I've got another mystery at my hands, but I'm beginning to enjoy this, in the way we often find ourselves spilling, to strangers, the stories we dare not share with our loved ones. Some years ago, on a trip to Paris, I met a girl at the airport. She and I spent the entire afternoon at a park near the hotel, watching children play and gutting ourselves out. Perfect strangers, but perfect for each other in that moment.

So, on meditation and kindness, where does that leave us? I tend to think about a lot of things as they relate to my life as a father. Tonight, Grace had another bout with not wanting to sleep. I had to fix a scheduling mistake today created by someone else. After reminding them to take a look at it, instead of acting, they forgot about the conversation, and failed to take care of the issue. After an hour of my time spent making the necessary arrangements, my child had gotten bored and fallen asleep. I was hoping to keep her awake until bedtime, but by now, she was beyond waking, even with my best attempts. Three cheers for late naps. She woke up in a great mood, but I knew bedtime would be rough. After several failed attempts at putting her down, she began to cry, saying she didn't want to go to bed. All I could do was hold her and remind her that it's okay to cry; that it's okay to be frustrated and upset, and in the brutal honesty of a child's emotions, the only thing to do is deal with it in the here and the now. At her age, she isn't concerned with yesterdays or tomorrows; she's seeking comfort for what she feels right now. The act of laying next to her until she is carried off to sleep; the gentle words reminding her that it's going to be okay. Simple problems merit simple solutions and this doesn't just apply to dealing with children. From the day we're born, we learn that crying elicits a response from those who look after us. As we get older, we're all still crying, just in a more complex string of notes.

Brett, whatever this tea is, thank you. It just may keep me company until morning.

Ten Toes

2010-06-26T01:12:00.008-04:00

Right now, ten small toes attached to two little legs are draped across my lap. My child, nearing three years of age, sleeps on the couch instead of her own bed. She sleeps soundly, regardless of the events of the day. The ups and downs that brought her to this point no longer matter and fatigue took hold hours ago. She cried from her own bed tonight, saying simply "Daddy, I want to sleep near you tonight." My tongue is tingling from the Lao Mansa I've been drinking for the past hour. I picked it up from Norbu earlier this year and am finally getting around to drinking it. It's young, but smooth. It reminds me a lot of the Six Famous Tea Mountains YiWu Millenial Tea Tree from 2006 when that was maybe a year old.

There is a slow kid across the hall from me, and like clockwork, I hear him going out for his midnight jog. He's picked up a couple of my habits and the woman who looks after him (presumably his grandmother) has thanked me a couple of times, saying she's happy to see him running instead of sitting inside all day. At first, he would run to the end of the complex and come back home. On movie nights, I started timing him with my phone, but decided it's more fun to time him by the number of cigarettes any one of my friends smokes between the time he leaves and the time he returns. A sort of silent tally I keep to myself. First it was one, then two, and now three, and who knows where it will stop, so long as we can keep the air filled with enough conversation to keep us on the porch.

Much of my life has been in reverse: Decent paying job before finishing college, child before marriage, tea in the evening and water in the morning. It makes me curious as to the way many of my friends sleep well into the afternoon and go to bed as the sun is coming up. Time is relative, and the sequence of events might not be the more important piece when compared to having had the experiences themselves. One thing I am well certain of; these late nights are my time, and without them, I begin to lose something vital.

'Consistency' is the word that comes to mind. Just the way I can be sure the kid across the hall will go for his run, headphones blaring as he runs past my picture window; just the way I can be sure someone will open my fridge looking for a beer; just the way I can be sure my child will fight sleep unless I've done my best to wear her out; just the way I need these nights to stabilize after the day. Every scenario comes with people looking to find something, whether it be a healthier lifestyle, an altered state of mind, not wanting to miss a moment of discovery, or the capacity to balance a sloped lifestyle.

Those same ten toes, now wiggling as my child dreams, will be the toes that will help her keep her balance. The smallest of essential things. Just as these nights are my tipping point, to remember that being flexible with others is okay, so long as it is reciprocal. Are those I'm making myself available for making themselves as easily available when I am in need of council? Are those I'm sacrificing my time for making an equal sacrifice of time? All of these things, just so I can sleep, express, and make decisions as easily as a child, without bias or ego.

Thank you Greg for the tea. The leaves are entirely spent, and now produce nothing more than sweet aroma and golden water. Dust off a bing, I feel an order coming on.

Paying Respect at a Funeral

2010-06-23T19:19:00.007-04:00

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
-Tao Te Ching #48

I start this post before I empty the gaiwan from last night, before I rinse the dried leaves from the strainer, and long before I've put the kettle on to boil. I started this post because I wanted to make sure I have mentally committed myself to the tea I will be drinking this evening; that I will choose to put myself into a position where, for the next hour, I will be uninterrupted to enjoy the product of another's hands. Too often, I find myself starting a brew, only to get a phone call or to be pulled away for an errand. After two infusions, the gaiwan gets tucked away and forgotten about. I even forgot about one of them for several days and came back to find mold. I often try to think about pu-erh as a living, breathing entity, because, for what it's worth, it really is.

My mindset on the handling of tea changed recently when I decided to see to a different means of disposing of spent leaf. Since then, not a leaf (aside from fannings lost rinsing a strainer) has found it's way to a plastic bag in my dumpster. I've been careful to lay out the spent leaf to dry it, and then, to give it back to the Earth. It makes me wonder how it is that I can be so careful with this, almost ceremonial task of ensuring these leaves end up under the open skies, yet I allow myself to be so easily distracted at a time when the tea still has something to say. How many times have you heard someone explain the way we learn to drink tea? How many times have you heard something about having a conversation with the tea? Even while listening, it often takes multiple sessions before you really understand how to get a particular tea to work for you. Sure, we all have our methodologies; favourite brewing vessels, water preferences, steaping times, and the like, but I've found that I enjoy tea more when I don't count out the infusions.

...13...14...15...pour!

It takes away some of the magic, constantly being worried about timing this and grams that. To just know when to pour, to know when to pinch out a little leaf, or exactly what colour the soup should be to yield perfection to your tastebuds. I'd opt for the latter. The day my electronic scale started acting up, I can assure you I was more frustrated than when I found out someone had stolen my credit card number. At least with the credit card, I could call the bank, close the card, get a temp issued, and file an investigation. With the scale, I stood there, repeatedly pushing the one menacing, silver button. This multi-faceted button controls the power, the units of measurement, and even zeroes the tare weight! Yet, here I am, helpless to weigh my leaf, helpless to convert ounces to grams because the damned thing is trying to do too much. I believe the definition of insanity is something to the tune of repeating a process in hopes of a different result, and most of the time, it pegged me insane. Oh, but every once in a while, the button worked, and gave me hope that my tea would be perfectly measured every time.

That was a long time ago. I have since given up on such madness, and if anyone can come up with a creative way to destroy the confounded device, I'll happily record a video and post it here.

Regardless, the point is to do what works for you; to do what allows you to enjoy it the most. For me, I'd much rather take the cake, pry off the amount that feels like what I want to drink, and start there.

You can say you know a person two different ways. Anyone who has read the Little Prince will immediately know what I mean, but if you haven't, let me give you an example. You can say your friend makes $71,000 a year, lives in a three-story house with beautiful red bricks, and weighs 165lbs. You can even say they have studied at Harvard.

On the flip side, you can know the way your friend laughs and thinks, you can know know the colour of their hair and be reminded of them every time you see it in nature. You can share things that cannot be measured with charts, science, and reason (or madness...they're pretty much the same thing anyhow).

I am...at this point, maybe six, eight...ten (???) infusions into this tea, but as I get back up to refill the kettle, I always think. Tonight, this is what hits me:

When you spend your life in the company of an individual and the time comes that they should pass on, you can be honoured enough to speak on their life, or their character. I ask you now, how would you rather know them then?

The thing I have learned is the thing I will let go of.

Yunnan Sourcing Copycat

2010-06-06T21:00:00.006-04:00

Around the community of tea enthusiasts, many, if not all of you have had the pleasure of doing business and getting to know Scott Wilson from Yunnan Sourcing. Just in case you haven't heard, I wanted to put this out for everyone to see. There is a company who has made almost a perfect clone of his shop with similar layout and products. They have even stolen images and verbatim descriptions of the teas and wares Scott has for sale. Having gotten to know a decent number of sellers over the past few years, I am well aware that there is a lot of hard work put in to keep it together. This is the kind of hard work that allows us to enjoy teas that, in many cases, aren't available to the Western World. I'm happy to say that I have reputable sources to purchase the teas I drink every day and share with my loved ones.

The site that is copycatting his is called Pueryunnan.com can be found here.

Many of us rely on people with reputable track records to ensure that the products we purchase are of quality, are well stored, and legit. It makes me question the foundation of a company who can't be bothered to take their own pictures and write up their own descriptions. If it's their product, why wouldn't they want to? The tea community deserves better than this. Thoughts?

Mornings with Unknown Soldiers

2010-05-21T07:25:00.007-04:00

It's Friday morning and I'm finally starting to get used to the fact that this is no longer a time when I am working. I recently changed my work schedule to better fit the needs of a changing business and to spend more one-on-one time with my employees and what I'm finding is that this change also comes with other ancillary benefits too. I've now got three days during the week in which I have the option of catching a little extra sleep; windows open so the birds can keep the cat entertained. I've also got the option to wake up early so I can spend some time inside of my own head, while the chahai's smoke signal pushes past every inch of this screen, always reminding me that I've just poured a hot cup and it's begging to be consumed. Mystery samples taunt me; bags long since forgotten about hold teasures, like soldiers without a tag, wanting nothing more than a proper ceremony before being given back to the earth.

Grace sleeps in her own bed most nights, but right now, is curled up in mine. Perhaps the smells she associates with my hair and skin when I hold her and tell her everything will be okay carried her through the night. She's having a tough time right now because her mother is moving to a new home and for the first time, she's old enough to understand some of what that means. Her house is about to become a little quieter, and she's about to lose the companionship of another child close to her in age. They've been all over town looking at places, and from the way I've seen her pick up on my state of being, I'm sure Grace is just as frazzled as her mother right now. I put her in her time-out chair last night because she was kicking and hitting, and when I asked her if she understood why we can't hit people, she lost it; collapsing into my arms, she cried until she fell asleep. A mere child in size, but overrun with emotion and feeling enough for twenty-five adults. She's a faucet at full-stream. She's frustrated, and that's okay. Her mother and I have agreed to be very close these next couple weeks to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible for our child.

There is a woman who lives upstairs from me and she comes out and talks to me whenever I do laundry. Our children play together, and as we laugh at the way two young minds turn whatever they can find into magic wands capable of dog-whistling fantastic people into existence right before us that only children can see. I can pretend I see them too, but I think Grace knows I don't entirely see through the eyes of a child anymore. She knows the weathered look that hangs just below my pupils on days when I have to spend a couple of hours dealing with shoplifters who are so young, threatening to come back up to the store and shoot us down. The most recent two were having a conversation while detained about how pissed they were that they were going to have to go back to Wayne County Jail because they didn't like the food they would be fed while they were there. 18 and 20 years old and they know what's on the menu at local jails. My heart goes out to them and as much as I would love to give them my silver and send them down another path, I've yet to meet Jean Valjean. One of them even had a picture of a child on his phone, saying it was his own...that he had to steal to take care of her. He told a story about how scared he was of his girlfriend and losing his child, so he sits quietly while she beds other men right next door to him...all of it, lies. It hardens a person. I remind myself every time that when someone steals from the company that puts food on my table, they steal from my daughter's pockets; from her future. It wears on me.

My senses, dulled to the dissatisfaction of the same things in and out. Warmer weather is coming and I felt very alive just kicking around a soccer ball at the park on Wednesday. Two and a half hours in the sun, my arms no longer transparent from the long winter now behind us. I need more of that in my life, and less bottles littering my kitchen table come morning.

This tea is winding down and so is this post. I still haven't been able to identify it as anything other than shu, at least four years aged, stored dry. Decent cha-qi has me feeling clear, lifted, and optimistic that today will be bright, regardless of the looming clouds sitting just outside my window. The dryness in my throat; this unknown soldier has been good to me. Mellow and sweet, with a touch of tingly camphor, it sat patiently as my fingers re-acclimated themselves with a keyboard. I rather enjoy not always knowing what I'm drinking. This tea was a gift, from a friend as well as a gift from the earth. These leaves should be given back. They've spent enough time inside of a plastic bag. Perhaps I can find a garden in need of some compost.

Pathways

2010-05-16T01:38:00.002-04:00

Well, to give you all a brief catch up on what I've been upto, this video pretty much sums it up:

There is a little person living in my house now, and she's asked me to play Go with her. She's got opinions and rationalized thought. She knows how to get my attention, she knows to comfort me when I'm upset, and she has become my best friend. Further, she will be running the board before I know it if I don't keep up. For tonight, an 06 V93 and catching up with my sister, who resides 2,100 miles away from me. Simple days, and simple nights. All is well; just prioritizing my role as father. A real post to come this week.

Best of '09 Part 4/4 (#5 - #1)

2010-02-23T18:05:00.008-05:00

I completely forgot to post this entry, so I apologize. Without further a due, the semi-dramatic conclusion to this Best of '09 listy list.

#5 - Beirut - March of the Zapotec

I came into this group a little later than I probably should have, as this was the first album I really got to listen to. Zack Condon started this up as a small project and later expanded into a band. He has a hauntingly beautiful voice that fits well with the eastern folk indie rock blend of music. You'll never hear another band like this, so if you haven't heard it before, you'd be wise to look him up.

#4 - Islands - Vapours

Islands has been one of those bands that can do no wrong in my book. I've been a huge fan of everything they've been a part of, from the Arcade Fire to the Unicorns and Human Highway. It's catchy, dancy, and a crisp album all around. With the return of Jamie Thompson, Nick Thorburn put together an entirely new lineup of players for the album. Wonderful stuff.

#3 - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

This album was a sleeper for me. I had it for several months before I really gave it a listen. When I first picked it up, I was in the process of work transitions, getting ready to move, and mending a life that never really felt 100% legit. On the surface, there is some nice pianowork, as well as sweeping distorted guitars creating a sonic wall that drives and lulls at the same time. When life finally slowed down, I was smacked in the face by an even deeper realization of this album. It never really makes me feel comfortable because of the way it changes. A very spirited youth pulling the strings makes it move from start to finish seamlessly, as the heavy distortion and riled vocals taper off into Indiana, which is a beautiful pop song. It was the first time I really stopped to give this band a deeper look. I'm going to kick myself in the face if I don't get a chance to see them perform live sometime, I just know it.

#2 - Mew - No More Stories are Told Today, I'm Sorry, They Washed Away

Anyone who knows me should not be surprised by this. Danish indiepop rock is on the list of things I want every year for Christmas. Some years back, I was floored by And the Glass Handed Kites, and then by Frengers, and once again by this. These guys have always had a very unique sound, blending melodies, harmonies, and rhythms together almost effortlessly on the surface. When it's all said, the guitar work is tight and technical, the drums are wild, often pulling us in and out of odd-meter, and Jonas' vocals are spot on. When I first listened to them, I seriously thought his voice was processed. Palace Players gives us a taste of how a song can be in total disarray and pop us a quick on to the jaw saying "just kidding" as they take seemingly senseless noise and lock it up to show us we had the entire picture all along; a driving dance rock anthem. We just weren't looking at it the way we should. Silas the Magic Car is probably my favourite album on the track, but I almost always listen start to finish. Again, highly recommended album.

#1 - The Antlers - Hospice

By far this is the album that hit me the hardest this year. I found it by accident because I had In the Attic of the Universe and remembered liking it. When I first got a chance to hear it, I wasn't at all prepared for what I was about to embark on. Proof that a crushingly beautiful piece of work doesn't need to be riddled with witty lyrics, the Antlers put together an album that would have been too much for lesser bands. It takes us through a reminiscent tale of a love lost through the eyes of someone now standing without a hand to hold. Perhaps it's the fact that I've been around several people directly affected by cancer that amplifies my experience, but I don't think that is even the slightest excuse to discredit this album's authenticity. Meet someone and fall in love, only to ride out their last days with them. There is such a rich array of the very rawest of human energy here that I almost don't want to know if this was written about a personal experience or not. As it ends, it shows us the reality of coping with loss. The feeling of falling into your bed as you snap out of a dream to find the one you love most ripped out from under you. Everyone knows that body jolt. To wake up and realize it's not a brand new thing; it tugs at you every day until you muster up the strength to move on and live again. Not a gentle subject, but they make no effort to apologize for it. It's so perfectly executed that you can't help but to give it your attention. It goes from spacey, ambient, to driving and even uplifting, right back to the lowest of lows. I seriously meant every word of it when I said that lesser bands would crumble under the pressure of juggling so much at one time. Bravo!

...and that's it, my twenty favourite albums of 2009. Now I can close the door on '09 and focus on the new year (two months in might I add). Hopefully some of you will enjoy this list, and please please please share with me the songs and stories that got you through the year. I'm all ears. :-)

It's winter time and we've got almost a foot of snow on the ground. I have to fight to rip off the covers and get moving in the morning. Sounds like the perfect time to start drinking tea again. :-)

Best of '09 Part 3/4 (#10 - #6)

2010-01-09T22:26:00.008-05:00

I took a few days off to enjoy the New Year, drink some of the new teas I've acquired, spend time with friends and family, get ready for school, and visit my new nephew. Tonight brings the third installment of the top albums that somehow dragged me through 2009.

#10 - Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of

This is Faunts' second album, but the first one to make it into my hands. Originally a Canadian trio, they took on a fourth member for this band and the result is a very lucid, dreamlike album that is equally dancey and spacey at the same time. Driving beats, sweeping chords, and wispy vocals are layered together beautifully.

#9 - Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health

Any way you slice it, this album is flat out fun. Slightly off-key vocal that feel somewhat spoken, great use of layered harmonies, drums, horns, musicboxes, dirty synthesizers, and chord progressions that make any pop artist jealous.

#8 - Throw Me the Statue - Creaturesque

This is starting to become the year of over-the-top poppy indie rock. This album is anything I could have hoped for as a follow-up album. Not a bad tune on this album, and it hasn't left the deck in my car for two weeks. It's more put together than Moonbeams, and even if they continue down the path of production, I think I'll still be a fan. The biggest gripe I have heard from others is that it's such a clean sounding album...I can't wrap my head around docking a band for wanting to produce a clean record. Regardless, there are so many catchy songs on here that I can't help but love it. Noises is probably my favourite track from the album. Other favourites are Hi-fi Goon, which sounds like something that would have fit nicely onto the FLCL soundtrack and Pistols, a more mellow track that rides along the beat of latin perc and an array of floor toms.

#7 - Minus the Bear - Acoustics

A very different side of Minus came out with this EP, and instantly I was in love all over again. Another one of those groups that are so highly talented, yet never really met the acclaim they deserved. Anyone who is already familiar with their work will be immediately intrigued; anyone who isn't is missing out. The most remarkable thing about this collection of tracks (all older, except one new track titled "Guns and Ammo") is how well they translate to a more stripped down version of themselves. Nothing feels forced or awkward. There aren't any gaps or anything that feels missing. I'd really love to hear more of their catalogue translated this way, but for now this more than satisfies.

#6 - Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land

I've always been a huge fan of this band. The two tracks on this EP were such a regular part of my 09 listening that I couldn't help but include them on this list. Lyrically sharp, but more laid back than usual, this album makes me wonder what lies in waiting for the full length 2010 release. Still riddled with stormy lyrics, it sounds like they're more than ready for a change, and clearly have the balls to let us know it's coming.

On Shu

2010-01-05T09:46:00.011-05:00

When you are at one with the Tao,

The Tao welcomes you.

When you are at one with Virtue,

The Virtue is always there.

When you are at one with loss,

The loss is experienced willingly.

I decided to take a sick-day and have been drinking Hong Yun Shu all morning. I bought a tong of these mini iron cakes almost a year ago and haven't regretted it at all. People seem to talk down on shu-pu, but it has earned itself a very prominent place in my heart. Actually, it is often times more drinkable than young sheng, even though I'm very much out in the open about my love for the ridiculous bite of a sheng that hasn't mellowed yet. The thing I love most about shu is it's very pronounced earthiness and how it makes no effort to cover that up. Camping, woods, wet earth, cellar floor, musty basement…call it what you will, but not much in this world warms my heart the way a piping hot cup of shu does. It courses it's way to the back of my mouth and wakes up every taste bud along the way. The cha'qi hits and a subtle sweetness sits at the front of my mouth, while the back of my throat dries and the soup tingles all the way down until it warms my stomach.

When I first blogged about this particular tea, I remember writing that it instantly took me back to a time when I was camping in the mountains during a rock climbing / white water rafting excursion. We would come back to camp in the evenings, cook dinner, drink around the fire, and share laughs from the day. One night in particular, it rained and my tent was flooded. I ended up sleeping in the CR-V (oh I loathed that thing...fortunately it wasn't mine). The following morning, I remember hanging up all of my things to dry them out, and somehow being totally okay with the fact that so much of what I brought along with me was ruined. I was the first one awake that morning and drank green tea out of a large rounded mug that was, ten minutes prior, home to milk and cereal. I thought about how happy I was that the rain had stopped, and remembered that nothing lasts forever; not rain, not life, nothing. A lot has changed since then, but there are some events that, simple as they may seem, un-shape us. They let us carry on as we are, unaffected by the influences of the outside world.

Shu takes me to a moment in time where there is nothing but the here and the now. It reminds me that all will be well. It's not demanding, it's not overly expensive, and in most cases waits patiently to be drank. No matter what sits in store, it will pass. It drops me off to a place where I can think clearly, slow myself down and let go.

Sometimes I need reminders that

one gets from life exactly what one seeks.

Norbu 2009 First Pluck Alishan

2010-01-04T00:16:00.013-05:00

Lately, days have been long and nights have been longer. Life comes and life goes. In the past week, I've welcomed two lives and said goodbye to two lives. Nature always has a way of balancing itself out.

The softest thing in the universe

Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.

That without substance can enter where there is no room.

Several months ago, Brett at Teacup in Seattle turned me onto Alishan, and ever since then, I have drank what little bit I've had in my collection sparingly. Always a pleasure to drink, I often saved it for nights when I knew I would be in good company. In Taiwan, this is a highly sought after tea, often demanded far beyond the quantity of production. Floral aroma, buttery light roasted oolong has been my go-to on the quiet nights, especially those nights Grace spends with her mother. I recently acquired some of a 2009 First Pluck Alishan from Greg at Norbu Tea, and have been drinking it pretty much nonstop ever since.

Tight rolled leaves unfurl to the length of two sipping cups side by side

As for the tea itself, it is fairly fragrant. A floral aroma with rich green leaves that begin to lift the lid from the teapot as they unfurl. The leaf integrity just won't quit! Big beautiful greens create an almost hypnotic neon yellow soup that anyone familiar with high mountain oolongs can't help but fall in love with.

The fragrance doesn't carry much over into the flavour, but has some presence. Instead, what comes through the most is a slightly sweet, thick buttery cup that fills the mouth and slowly works it's way towards the back of the palate. After a couple of infusions, this tea takes on a slightly sour aftertaste, which is my my favourite part of drinking this. It's not your typical candy sour bite either. The buttery nature of the tea makes it a very unique sour (almost like a sour cheese) that rounds out the tea very nicely. It hangs around in the back of my throat, and the overall experience is warming my whole body. Definitely something worth sharing in the company of friends, this (like most oolongs) is very accessible to people who haven't had a lot of exposure to different teas. It's simple enough to appeal to those who don't drink tea often, yet complex enough to keep those of us who do entertained.

After an hour with this, it finally starts to wind down. This is definitely something worth sharing with friends. The lid to the teapot is pushed up several millimeters now and reminds me of the way my father used to loosen his belt and stretch out after a good hearty meal. It's no wonder this tea is so sought after. The first harvest is, to the best of my knowledge, gone by now, but second flush is still available and I just purchased 100g of that. I'm sure this tea will have slightly varying characteristics in comparison to the second flush due to seasonal and weather changes. I will post my notes on those as soon as I get a chance to try it out.

Holiday

2009-12-25T23:57:00.000-05:00

I hope that everyone had a safe holiday today. I slept in this morning and Grace's mother dropped her off a little after 1:00 PM. We spent a majority of the day at my parent's place, and came back this evening so Grace could open her presents. After getting her put down, I decided to reorganize my tea. Kind of my treat to myself for Christmas. Now that I am officially drunk off Lao Mansa, it's time for bed. Some of have to work on Saturday. :-\

Best of '09 Part 2/4 (#15 - #11)

2009-12-20T23:50:00.006-05:00

Every year, I like to put together a list of my favourite albums from the year. So often, music literally carries me through my day and there's seldom a tea session without it. So, here's part two of my 'Best Albums of 09.' Enjoy!

#15 - I Heart Hiroshima - The Rip

Agitated vocals with twinging guitars, the familiar call and response between male and female vocals, witty lyrics, and very on point drumming. Perhaps this is a guilty pleasure album for me, but that familiar UK post punk grunge sound comes through here. This album has a higher level of production than I would usually expect from this kind of music, but it's driving and catchy, so it works.

#14 Spider + Octopus - La Arana Esta Susurrando

Another throwback album, Spider + Octopus is a folk act from Pensacola. They sound like a pretty small act and I wasn't really able to find out much else about them, other than the fact that their album is available online for $5 USD. Very subtle use of electronics fill out the sound a bit, but this is a very refined, acoustic album. Uneven production makes me think this wasn't all recorded or mastered at the same location. Soulful lyrics, almost raspy at times. The harmonies are well-executed, and there isn't anything that feels rushed about this album. I wasn't expecting it at all when it landed in my hands. Very good storytelling makes this a collection of lovely porch songs.

#13 - Fun. - Aim and Ignite

This album captivated me in a most unusual way. It's very produced, and extremely commercially accessible, yet somehow, it drew me in. I think it has a lot to do with Nate Ruess' vocals. So many of the songs were littered with awkward pauses, cadence changes, time signature changes, and tempo changes, but all done in a fashion to follow the vocals, giving much of this album a sense of diction, similar to the way a musical would jump in and out of song. The theatrical aspect of so much of the music reminds me of a variation of some of what Silverchair was going for with their two most recent albums, but in a more lighthearted fashion.

#12 Cowboy Indian Bear - Cowboy Indian Bear EP

Again, another EP that found it's way into regular rotation this past year. An intriguing group, consisting of drums that feel somewhat off when they're right where they ought to be, harmonies that remind me of chant, and an electric orgran that makes the hair on my neck stand on end, this is a band that I see having some absolute promise. The first track, Saline, opens slow and mellow, with the drums beating in the background like a pulsing heart, until about halfway through the song when everything comes together, distortion pedals click into the on postition, drums pick up and suddenly the band says "just kidding, here's what we're really all about." Very intricate drumming at points, but never to the point where it takes away from the music, but instead directs it in and out of the beat as tempo and back-beat bop back and forth flawlessly. Can't wait until they finish their album, but until then, this has to suffice.

#11 Owen - New Leaves

This is a band that continues to deliver fantastic music at every turn. Mike Kinsella got married, had a kid, and somehow put together arguably one of, if not, the best albums of his career. From a technical stance, this is more put together than prior albums and the production is top notch. Lyrically, you might think becoming a family man would help him sort things out, but that's not always the case. It's full of confusion and questions. It's intelligently dark, and somehow reminds us that nobody has it all. Thanks Mike, now go spend some time with your kid.

Best of '09 Part 1/4 (#20 - #16)

2009-12-20T02:51:00.011-05:00

So, as promised, the first installment of my favourite albums for 2009. A few of these at the bottom of the pile were so close to one another it made choosing a mite difficult. Anyhow, without further a due, here's my Best of 2009 list. I welcome your thoughts and definitely want to hear what you've been listening to these past twelve months.

#20 - And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Century of Self

An almost epic feeling album. This was one I picked up early on in the year, and right from the opening track, it builds with what a dear friend of mine used to call the "Big Burst of Sound Theory," in which a track will slowly and gradually build steam and layering until it drops you clean off the edge of the cliff. Giants Causeway ends with a subtle piano and immediately you're smacked in the face with feedback, driving guitars, and vocals that fit right in with Sparta and Cursive. Spread that out with beautiful intermissions of harmonized chorus and space-rock synth and beautiful things happen. There's a couple of interesting lull tracks towards the end of the album, and Insatiable One & Two are masterpieces for sure.

#19 Bobb Bruno - Dreamt On EP

In previous years, I've never included EPs in my 'Best of' lists, but this year, there were so many EPs that stood up just as well as full-fledged albums that I decided to include a few of them. This one was a gem I happened upon and fell in love with on one of my runs through Hines Park (which is a several mile trail that spans a few cities, chocked with several scenic spots and parks). Entirely instrumental, it's got a very spacey vibe to it, and is driven by everything from an electric piano to steel guitar. I've really come to appreciate instrumental music, especially as a complimentary piece to reading, writing, and jogging. I find this album does the same thing to me as The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place by Explosions in the Sky; it allows me to clear my head and focus on everything that sits before me, just with a bit more lo-fi. With grainy pop-drumming, bells, and synths that sound like they were stolen from a 70's porno, this is definitely not an album for everyone, but it won me over after a single listen.

#18 Dinosaur Jr - Farm

What can I say about Dinosaur Jr that hasn't already been said? They're fantastic. I was a bit skeptical about this album because my initial thought was "They haven't released anything new in years...they've GOT to be hard up for cash." As I so often am, I was terribly wrong here. It's a very solid album that shows us very clearly these guys still have it. The only reason it didn't get ranked higher is because I was so hesitant to really digest it and it hasn't spent a lot of time in rotation on my player. Much like Frightened Rabbit's last LP, I'm sure I'll have a greater appreciation for it once 09 is over and I've got more time to let it consume me.

#17 The Seal Cub Clubbing Cub - Super Science Fiction

I have a confession to make when it comes to this band. Over the years of my life, I have had a weakness for jumping at artists creative enough to come up with the most ridiculous name. The Seal Cub Clubbing Club does just that. Much to my surprise, I was presented with a catchy indie pop album layered with slow strings, funky guitars, and some catchy lyrics. The thing I find most remarkable about this band is the fact that they deviate a bit from the traditional expectations of pop and venture into some progressive elements. A few points in the album drop some odd-meter on us, and before you know it, you're right back into the beat before you ever knew you were off the rails. For a band still finding their way, I was most impressed. Hoping to see more goodness from them in the future.

#16 Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Andrew Bird, world class whistler and master of anything stringed. His hauntingly beautiful voice and prowess with such a diverse array of instruments paired with a collection of songs that induces comas (I mean that in the best way possible). This is a perfect chill-out album. Musically laid back, draped with beautiful harmonies and Mr. Bird's ingenious lyrics. I still don't think it stacks up to Armchair Apocrypha, but it's a wonderfully put together and enjoyable album.

Winter is Here, Take Your Time Coming Home

2009-12-20T00:18:00.007-05:00

Well, Winter is officially here. Michigan made history December 1st by having the first November in recorded history without snowfall. Now, almost twenty days into December, we get our first snowfall of the year. Albeit not much snow, it's plenty enough for Gracie to have a good time.

Last year, I lived in an old house that was built in the 1890's with wooden floors that were cracked from humidity, and windows that were poorly sealed. The furnace was always running and because it was constantly running, it sucked all the moisture out of the air. It constantly felt as though I needed to turn the heat up. I did some reading and discovered that with low humidity, it will always feel cold, no matter what you turn the heat upto. My solution was to put humidity beads into my tea cabinet, and to buy a humidifier for the house. Both solutions worked to a degree, but not nearly as well as I would have liked.

This year, I am living in a new home. One that doesn't have a typical furnace, but instead has radiated heat and ceiling fans in all of the rooms. I've already noticed my allergies have been better, the air feels warmer and I haven't even had to really use my heat yet, and my tea cupboard still carries a lovely smell (which I was expecting to disappear just as it did last year).

Late night tea sessions are finally giving me a chance to catch up on some of the albums I've been meaning to get around to all year long. With that comes my annual "Best of" album list. Last year, I believe I only picked ten albums, and the year prior was fifteen. This year, I decided to go with twenty albums released after January 1st of 2009 and will be posting those albums in four separate posts. I'd also be curious to hear what some of you have been listening to. Generally, my tastes shift towards indie rock/pop, but that will never sway me from listening to or checking out anything that is recommended to me. Having played in bands with genres ranging in everything from jazz, progressive rock, fusion, funk, hard rock, folk, and and even dabbling with electronic music, one would be hard pressed to find something I can't appreciate.

It's 2:10AM already. I love these nights. I'm finally back to a point in my life where I don't worry. Last night, someone got a hold of my debit card number and charged almost $400 to an Egyptian airline service, and instead of freaking out, I called the bank, got everything straight, and went to the bakery and ended up getting a free gingerbread cookie for Grace and bought a giant dinosaur cookie for me. The girl there was absolutely adorable and had the prettiest smile. It's rare to find someone who smiles with their eyes as well as their mouth. Sometimes, it's the smallest of pleasures that remind us that whatever happens, it will pass. Even with all of the headache, how can your day not get better with this staring you in the face?

Dinosaur cookie FTW!

(sorry, Grace mowed her gingerbread man before I could snap a picture of it.)

This is the time of year when I constantly remind myself to talk, walk, think, and act a little slower. Everything with a little more care. Everything with a little more deliberation. Take time with everything, even coming home. It's been a tough run getting back to this mindset.

Irony = all of the colour coming back to my world as the colour is literally leaving the world and being replaced with skeletons of trees and white blankets of snow.

I think I'm ready to start sharing my tasting notes again.

Wiped

2009-12-17T21:49:00.003-05:00

I don't have the energy to write tonight; just the energy to sleep. So I leave you with this.

The first bowl sleekly moistened throat and lips,
The second banished all my loneliness
The third expelled the dullness from my mind,
Sharpening inspiration gained
from all the books I've read.
The fourth brought forth light perspiration,
Dispersing a lifetime's troubles through my pores.
The fifth bowl cleansed every atom of my being.
The sixth has made me kin to the Immortals.
This seventh...
I can take no more.

- Lu Tung, Chinese Poet

Healthier Living

2009-12-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

Homemade Spinach Salad

In an earnest effort to live a simpler life, I've been making conscious strides to be aware of what I'm putting into my body. To take the time to listen to one's own body reveals a wealth of knowledge on just what is needed to get through the day. Obviously, there's no big secret that we drink tea for it's numerous benefits, whether they be chemical, social, or spiritual. There is a certain level of interconnectedness when it comes to tea. One of my favourite quotes comes from the jacket of Three Cups of Tea, which reads:

"Here, we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything-even die."

In the culture of kinship, I must say I've not met and gotten to know as many amazing people as I have through this journey to find the perfect cup of tea. The insightful conversations, the sharing between the community, and the realisation that what I'm drinking was carefully cut from a bing by someone I have an immeasurable amount of respect for thousands of miles away from me. It's these repeat conversations that really make a great many of you feel like family. In this sense, it's just like sampling teas. You normally brew something a few times before you really start to have a meaningful conversation with it. That's been the flow of my life since day one: Attempt, fail, attempt, fail, and so on until one day you meet success.

One of the biggest struggles I've had over the course of my life has been with the foods I put into my body. As a child, I was a very picky eater. I would often pass on entire meals simply because they weren't chicken, beef, macaroni, or something pre-packaged and processed. When I was maybe ten years of age, my father actually put an entire meal into the blender and made me drink it because I wouldn't eat. I wasn't allowed to leave the table, or do anything else for that matter, until it was gone. Talk about tough love. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, mono-disodium whatsiewhosit, polysorbate 60, and soylent green (which turns out, IS people). There's so much in our commercialised solution to the "lack of time" cuisine failures that I don't even know where to begin.

I came home from work today and changed out of my work clothes, and made it a point to head to the grocery store and fill an entire bag with raw foods and get out for less than $15 USD. In the past, grocery trips have cost me well over $130 USD for garbage. I made a point to make a sandwich before I left and tried as best as I could to listen to my body. Apples, oranges, baby leaf spinach, apricots, bananas, bell peppers. All of these things suddenly jumped out at me as vital. Food for the body and the soul.

The awareness of a mental shift in priority is astounding sometimes. One day you crave good food, but settle for garbage. The next day you crave good food, and make sure to give your body what it is asking for. The meal I had tonight was a fairly small portion, and yet, my hunger is absolutely satisfied.

I'm not sure if anyone else has this habit, but I will often start out doing a search for something I'm interested in learning more about, and then I'll just jump from link to link to link until I'm so far removed from my original search, I'm learning about something I had no way of anticipating. Anyhow, the other day I happened upon a book by a fellow named Jon Gabriel. I'm not really for or against diet routines, but the synopsis of his story was so ridiculous I couldn't help but scrutinise this guy's story. He was 410lbs, and now weighs less than I do (which is 195lbs, if you must ask), not by dieting, but simply by incorporating better food. He has a theory that the body tends to do what is safe for it. If you eat garbage, your metabolism slows down and the fat stays with you because your body is starving for nutrition. If you eat REAL food, your body desires to be lean as a means to survive against a potential predator.

I didn't need to get much further than that in the 200-some page book before I closed the PDF (digital books are amazing) and realised that it was time I started questioning my own eating habits. It's all about learning through conversations, with others, as well as with my own body and the things I am consuming.

As the kettle is brimming with boiling water, I can't help but to think of it as a sort of combustion engine. Fuel. The steam fuels the tea.

If tea fuels the soul, then healthy food fuels the body.

That's the thought I reflect on as I pour this next cup.

Tea Wave

2009-12-13T15:02:00.004-05:00

So the more and more I talk to people about it, the more people I come across people who have had a chance to mess around with Google Wave. It's an amazing vehicle for communication and information sharing. The problem however, is that nobody really knows exactly what to do with it yet. It's got features that allow users to embed pictures, maps, links, and even pull people into waves in real-time. This got me thinking about using it as a resource to help spread knowledge about various teas, vendors, the regions they come from, tips for brewing, and whatever else people might be interested in learning. I know I've already got a few of you listed as contacts, but I still have 12 invites if anyone is interested in using something we all know and love to find out what exactly can be done with Google Wave. Any takers?

Dust

2009-12-12T03:58:00.002-05:00

Tonight I broke out the 2005 Dehong Golden Melon. It was one of the first tuochas I ever purchased, and when I first bought it, it was brutal. It had amazing presence and the chaqi was strong but it turned a few of my friends off (likely because they were babies). Two years later, it's still got some bite, but has definitely mellowed a little bit. I rather enjoyed drinking it tonight. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice dust in the cup. I've found this tends to happen more with choppier pu-erh, but is an attribute I've grown quite fond of. It creates a texture that you don't get all the time. An ever-so-slight grittiness and from what I can tell, the source of this tea's strong ku.

Then again, perhaps it's just my beard talking...

Gravity, you there? + (Mini Review 901 Menghai Ba Da Gao Shan)

2009-12-10T22:49:00.013-05:00

So yeah, it's been a while. It's been a rather interesting few months too. I've found myself easily at my lowest of lows and have only recently begun to start putting it all back together. I wasn't sure if I'd ever write here again, and my research into language and the difficulties of literal/figurative translation is taking far longer than I ever could have ever imagined it would. This could be a project that follows me around for several years before I'll have anything to show for it.

The fact is, I can't write when I can't enjoy the time I get to spend in my own head, and those wonderful nights staying up late, absorbing all of the new albums I still make a point to gather up haven't been a regular part of my world since I moved to this new place. Part of it is the holidays for sure, but a big part of it is the fact that I've been so far removed from finding joy in small moments that the hours go slipping past and it's morning all over again, rushing to be out the door to do a job that feels much less than satisfying. The only thing that hasn't slipped is my time spent with Grace.

To slow down and take it all in, a lot has happened over the course of the past couple years and I'm still scratching my head at how I walked away from this with only a bruised ego and mild reversible brain damage. The mountain of failed relationships have shown me just how a deft blow to the heart can send a man clean out of orbit.

Recently, I was having a beer with a dear friend and we were discussing the flow of things and we summed it up to being in a car with an opaque front windshield. You see the world go whizzing past you, everyone else outside can see where you're going, and they'll even warn you when things get in your way. You can even see where they're going, and what stands in their way. Yet most of the time, we're too busy tinkering with the radio to give any real credence to their warnings. So a seemingly unstoppable force collides with an immovable object and thus begins the story.

I've had the luck of acquiring friends who, for lack of a better phrase, had no difficulty seeing through the bullshit, picking me up, dusting me off, and sending me off into the world time and again the past few months. I can only assume most of them could easily write a song to the beat of my trips and stumbles, but they stood by. That said, I'm quite sure I'm past my reckless point, but some days are still more difficult than others. Grace's mother still tends to spin me about without even trying, and each day I have to remind myself to breathe past the difficult points, sewing my mouth shut, but often missing one or two stitches. Given time, it gets easier, but it requires effort every single day.

Now, onto other matters. ^__^

Winter snuck up on us this year. It went from 50F days down to 10-12F almost overnight, and most of us weren't ready for it. What this means is that humidity is down in the house, so the sweet aromas that normally fill my nose every time I walk past my tea stash taper off a bit. It's also the time of the year when I make a point to get really heavy back into drinking tea. I dig out old teas and see what they've been up to all spring, summer, and fall while I've been away.

Dragon of Bulang, you still disappoint me.

Hai Lang Hao, you always come through for me.

All of my shu is just as deliciously musty as I remember it, and on numerous occasions, I've gone all day with a few of the old tea nuggets.

Some of my TGY needs a refresh in the roaster, but otherwise deliciously thick and buttery.

Tonight, I'm drinking something new though. Something I don't have prior experience with. It was a gift from Bryan at Teajournaling. Every year, we buy a bing and a tuocha for birthdays. It's easy and never disappoints. This year, he got me something new from Menghai; the 901 Ba Da Gao Shan Organic Sheng pu.

Big fuzzy leaves, very clean aroma, bright clear soup. According to Scott's description on Yunan Sourcing, this is entirely composed of higher quality leaves and is entirely Certified Organic 2009 spring flush, as opposed to the usual blend of younger and older mao cha. I'm fairly confident this will age decently well, but at the rate I've been drinking this, I'll have to buy another cake soon if I want to find out.

The closest I'll be getting to a tea-mountain anytime soon...

This tea has a very good lift as well. I'm feeling a mild tea buzz from it, and the same kind of warmth and happiness that I generally feel after I've enjoyed a big bowl of Panang Curry at Lai Thai (which is a small Thai restaurant run and owned by a lovely woman who has been an unwavering source of optimism and my benchmark for genuine human compassion). A warm, full belly and a happy heart. That's what this leaves me with. Lasting impressions and a moment to reflect.

Today on the way home from picking Grace up, she said to me "Daddy, do you remember my mommy?" It floored me, if only for a few moments. I just said "Yeah Grace, I remember your mommy very well." She's got such a simple presence, even taking her inquisitive nature and ridiculous vocabulary into consideration. Over time, I'm sure the questions are only going to become more elaborate. What will my words and actions add when she finally understands the story that led up to her birth and life?

When it boils down to it, the importance in anything is the impression it leaves us with. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.

Tea Nooks

2009-11-26T00:35:00.003-05:00

I think I finally figured out one of the reasons why I haven't been drinking too much tea lately. Since I moved into the new place, I haven't taken the time yet to carve out a little nook for drinking and enjoying tea. I don't need anything fancy, but I do need the right kind of lighting and a space that feels like it was meant for stepping outside of the everyday woes of the world. In my last two homes, I've had quaint little spaces that help me focus, much the same way people have rooms for meditation. It blocks out the distractions

Tonight I am running the gauntlet of teas, but won't be taking too many notes unfortunately. I started with a tea I received from Shiuwen at Floating Leaves; the Farmer's Choice Baozhang. Delicious as always, and her teas can handle the hottest of water without any hesitation. Next, I went to an 08 Menghai Mu Ye Chun Sheng (Old Tree Green Cake) I got from Greg at Norbu last year, and will be finishing up with an oolong tea from Brett at Teacup. Anyhow, my friend Marie just signed online and told me she's in Seattle right now and happened to be mere blocks away from two of the people who sent me these three teas. Amidst the excitement, I totally forgot that I was steeping the 08 Menghai and much to my dismay was punished severely by the Tea Gods for pu-erh neglect. It was probably the most brutal cup of tea I've had in months. Realistically, that cup would have been perfect in 24 hours, when I'll be heading into work at 3:00 AM to deal with the madness that is Black Friday in retail.

I must say that the most remarkable thing about tonight is that something is happening I certainly didn't expect. All of the old familiar aromas are beginning to come back to me. Dryness in the back of my throat, the sweet minty smell of camphor when I take a whiff of the bottom of a bing Bryan bought me for my birthday, the buttery thick soup of good oolong tea.

This is promising news on many fronts.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who loves good food. It's almost 3:00 AM and I've got a little sleeping angel on the couch who needs to be tucked into her big girl bed.

Hello, Ni-hao, Bonjour, Konnichiwa, and all that Jazz

2009-11-08T15:01:00.003-05:00

I'm finding that I am unable to do much more than give brief notes on what I'm tasting these days. I remember having a conversation with Scott Wilson some months back about teas and he told me that talking tea is very different in English than it is in Chinese. He said he can describe it in ways that lack comparison in the American tongue. It makes me interested to start writing in other languages again. I'd be curious to hear the input of anyone who reads and/or writes in a multilingual capacity already.

I've always been fascinated by the contrast between literal and figurative translation. For example, in French, one might say "avoir de l'oseille" to say someone has money. Avoir de....to have. L'oseille....sorrel. Sorrel is an herb used in salads. Lettuce? Ever heard anyone refer to money as lettuce? It's American slang for paper money. Coincidence? Possibly, but I doubt it. Lets take one that is a bit less literal. To see yourself getting angry. Americans might say something to illustrate the way a person's face and ears become red when angered. A common saying in french is (and correct me if my sentence structure is incorrect as it's been a few years since I studied the language fervently) "avoir la moutarde qui monte jusqu'au nez." This translates literally to having mustard going up one's nose; a concept that makes sense to anyone who has ever had too much wasabi or spicy mustard. Even then, I have still never heard it used to describe anger in English.

In English, the word for body is always the same. Body of a car, body of water, human body, and so on. In Japanese, there is a different word for each, but all translate to body. What I was told is that the reason for this is that certain words have a greater level of cultural importance. Just how there might not be a literal translation to English for concepts and ideas that don't exist in Western society.

The closest translation for Tao is "the way," but again, almost all the authors and translators of Lao Tsu's Tao te Ching stress the importance that the true meaning behind Tao is something more.

I could go on all day long about these parallels, yet I am still stumped to jot down the detailed notes about the mellon flavours, mushroom, huigan, camphor, cha qi, and whatever other terms used to describe the mysterious characteristics of pu-erh tea.

Perhaps a fresh perspective on how I write and how I enjoy my tea could be beneficial. Perhaps just learning to enjoy it for what it is will be the greatest lesson of all.

It's getting colder and the nights are consuming more and more of each passing day. I'll be starting school here in a few short weeks and slowing down will not be a viable option.

My friend Bryan just gave me a Dayi sipping cup that reads simply

茶有大益

For now, those words are plenty enough for me.

Mystery Samples

2009-09-05T02:07:00.002-04:00

Today I received a phone call saying my package from Scott at YSLLC arrived at the local post office. I'm in the process of moving so I had the package shipped to my parents' house. Mom said "They left one of those 'Sorry we missed you' notes at the door, but they didn't even attempt to deliver the package." Mom was really annoyed. I've had far worse issues with the post office (rummage through some of my old posts for clarification) so I'll be happy to drive up there in the morning so I can begin the festivities.

Tonight, Grace and I curled up on the couch together and watched the episode of Dora the Explorer where they go to Coney Island in pursuit of ice cream. At one point, an ice cream truck hides behind an object and the kids have to guess where it is based on the sound it makes when that object wiggles. Here's the conversation between Grace and I:

Me: Grace, where's that ice cream truck?
Grace: It's behind the tree daddy!
Me: What a silly place for an ice cream truck to hide. Why would an ice cream truck try to hide anyways?
Grace: I dunno daddy.
Me: Perhaps he ran out of ice cream and doesn't want to disappoint anybody.

At that point, Grace just mashed into my chest and took a deep breath and we both dozed off to sleep. My hair is a mess because of it and it actually looks like I've got a giant wing coming off the side of my head. Fatherhood comes with it's own rewarding moments. This was definitely one of them.

Coming Clean

2009-08-16T02:06:00.002-04:00

She's two now. It's humbling. Any parents out there will know exactly what I am talking about. We've been busy enjoying our time together. We're also getting ready for a move at the end of this month. Most of my tea is boxed up and ready to go. Two large boxes now house most of my tea (not nearly as large as Hobbes', but maybe someday) and my box of samples is getting a lot of attention right now. It's strange to know that in a couple short weeks, this place that has been my home for the past year and a half will be locked for the last time until some other tenant decides they like large porches as much as I do.

There have been several humbling musings lately. The move, the conversations over warm tea cups, and the discussions that put dinner preparations on standstill. Through lots of laughter and plenty of tears, I'm finding myself at a much better place than I was a year ago. I found myself hanging onto a lot of things that until earlier this year, I wasn't ready to let go of.

Coming clean about everything in your life to a loved one is a very difficult thing to do when it hasn't been my way of life for so many years. Finding myself in a relationship with someone who wants to know everything about me without judging me is an absolute delight, no matter how hard it is to let go of the reins that hold the walls up.

Best advice: let go.

The kettle is still hot. I think this tea still has another four or five rounds of life in it. Thanks Brett for the Alishan High Mountain Tea (read more about it here). It's carrying me through tonight.

...and the train barrels onward.

2009-06-06T14:32:00.001-04:00

It's amazing how quickly life starts to catch up with us when we spend our time rediscovering the world through the eyes of a child. I hear from old friends time and again whether it be Alex, Greg, Scott, or a whole run of other people I used to talk to in the world of tea. Yet I find myself time and again running out of spare time to just sit down and write. So I carry on, enjoying a cup whenever I can. Most of my sipping cups find themselves filled with Apple Juice so Grace can join in for a session every now and again.At one point, it becomes less about what's in the cup and more about who is handling the cup.

Yesterday I took her to her first baseball game. At one point, I looked in front of me and saw a camera man, so I placed her in the aisle. Next thing I know her face is plastered all over the big screen on the scoreboard and I can hear people all through the ballpark going "Awwww!"

After the game, the fireworks caught her completely off guard. She buried herself in my chest and said "Daddy, I don't like those!" Eventually she calmed down and said "Is that one red?" The cautious optimism and curiosity of a young mind taking hold of the fact that there really is a lot of world to see and explore is an amazing thing to be part of.

It will likely be some time before I seriously sit down and blog here regularly again, but I will definitely post pictures here and on my other blog (http://lifeinaphotograph.blogspot.com) if anyone would like to keep up with it.

In the meantime, my heart and best wishes go out to all of you!

jamus~

Late Nights

2009-04-10T22:59:00.003-04:00

Almost everyone I've spoken to in the tea community generally drinks tea in the morning or throughout the day. They all tell me that the alertness they feel from being tea-drunk keeps them up all night. I'm not sure if it's because cans of Pepsi and Coca Cola mixed with package after package of sweets loaded with sugar and partially hydrogenated soybean oil and whatever else we feed our children in this country has made me immune (or at least moderately desensitized) to everyone's favourite alkaloid. To that, I have no answer. The truth is I've never lost sleep because of tea; only a wandering mind keeps me awake...well, that and the occasionally fussy baby.

It's also been a very long while since I've found time to sit in front of the keyboard and let ideas flow freely. I haven't been buying much tea at all. I haven't been drinking much either. Most of my sessions have been shared with other people and the tea merely compliments the conversation, which, in my opinion is not a bad thing at all. Unfortunately, with the state of the economy, I'm faced with a potential tightening in finances. I'm not even allowed to discuss what is happening at work without fear of losing my job, but big changes are coming there. I'll know more soon, but the plan for the year is to simplify my life as much as possible and be in a new house by the year's end. If I can pull through this, then perhaps I'll be investing in some of the 09 pu-erh, but at this moment I'm on hold.

I have been dabbling a bit in oolong teas, which I must confess I know very little about. I'm presently seasoning a pot for oolongs, and it's starting to develop both a beautiful patina and a delightful aroma. I find myself prepping the pot before I even add the leaf and spacing out while I take a deep whiff of the pot. Thick buttery soup, tastes and aromas reminding me of vegetables, cinnamon, and even sweet fruity tastes are taking turns pummeling my tastebuds. This is quite a different experience from what I'm generally accustomed to. It almost makes me think that oolong would be the most likely candidate for a 'gateway tea.'

The things I have figured out thus far is that many decent oolongs don't cost a terrible amount of money. Don't get me wrong, some of this stuff is just downright expensive and likely to be damn delicious, but you don't have to fork over your child's college savings to afford a decent cup. Also, for brewing, I already caught myself dumping the first infusion. I'll likely post a memo somewhere near the sink basin that reads:

"Hey stupid, you're supposed to drink the first one!"

I've also been told that any good oolong can handle water that is fresh off the boil. If it chars the leaf, it means the tea was likely made from lesser leaves....not necessarily bad, but unlikely to be anything spectacular (although I'm not sure to what extent this statement holds water because I've been told that is not the case with dancongs).

So, while I find myself learning the differences between tieguanyins and baozhang (which is one of my favourites thus far), wuyi and shui xian, please bear with me; for this is going to take some time to sort out. Fortunately, Bryan from Teajournaling and I have been drinking together again and have had plenty to share between the two of us.

Here's what I'm presently digesting:

Norbu Tea: Diamond Grade Tie Guan Yin - Fall 2008 Harvest, 2007 Fall TGY (to play with roasting)
Floating Leaves Tea: Taiwan Wuyi, House Oolong, and Baozhong "Farmer's Choice"
Jing Tea Shop: Wuyi Grade 3 Shui Xian Oolong, Feng Huang Milan Dancong

I'd be more than welcome to any suggestions to help me get a better understanding. ^__^

An Excellent Day in Tea

2009-04-05T15:54:00.005-04:00

I recently received a very exciting package from Hobbes and inside found a couple of gems that got some attention this afternoon.

From Hobbes; a 2004 Baijiguan Yancha and a 2006 Dian Hong!
From Teddy; something a bit older...

Video now; reviews later. Thanks Hobbes, your package was most generous!

Springtime is finally here

2009-03-19T23:38:00.005-04:00

The other morning I woke up and it was nearly 60 degrees Farenheit (somewhat less for those of you who live in the world of Celsius...which is probably most of you) so I decided to bust out the rake and clean up my front lawn for the first time all year. Grace caught wind of what I was doing and said "I wanna help you rake daddy." This was her noble effort, and even though the object that stood before her absolutely dwarfed her, she didn't give up until she had pulled it across the leafy grass the very same way she had seen me do it. The fact that she kept on with it made me wonder just what she was trying to say. Was it just a means of replicating what she saw her father doing? Was it a means of saying "Hey, I can pull my weight too!" Was it just a game? Expression? Art even? Is it really that different from the little shapes she likes to draw on everything when she gets a crayon, pen, or pencil into her hands?

How does this differ from the way we carry ourselves through our days? Do we have that kind of dedication to stand up in the face of the things that seem to dwarf us? Do we keep on until we've been able to replicate the results of the people we know have come before us and carried a task to the point where it becomes an accomplishment? It's almost like children are pre-programmed with the right wiring of morality without ever having to work for it. Little buddhas following the eight-fold path. Right views, purpose, speech, conduct, vocation, effort, awareness, and concentration. They ask for love and basic needs. Remarkable little people they are.

Makes me wonder where and how we sometimes fall off that almost righteous path. Where our innocence fades, and where we first learn to cut corners. To not give our best in a world that is smaller than ever. It doesn't make sense but I'm guilty of it as well. It all becomes part of a better balanced life. I often think that is why my mother seems to be such a happy woman. She carries herself as a very content woman, and I think a great deal of it is because she does everything to the best of her ability. She doesn't cut corners, she doesn't do work with an ego. She truly has it figured out.

I recently started rock climbing again. It had been over seven years since I last climbed. I went once last week and the feeling overwhelmed me again. The feeling of the holds beneath my fingertips. Launching off in a dyno and grabbing onto a hold that would otherwise be just out of reach. All the simple applications and no room for cutting corners. It wasn't but two days later I went out to purchase an entire set of climbing gear and last night I found myself bouldering for almost four hours straight. I found a path I was interested in tackling. Right foot on the stone beneath me, left foot, both arms on the starting stones. Left hand reaching up and grabbing onto the next hold, the next piece of the problem. At first, I fell numerous times just getting to that point. Then I figured out how to reach both hands to the same stone, and suddenly my left hand was free to reach the next hold. Right foot came over to shuffle and my left foot was already well on it's way to the next foot hold. Before long, I found myself making these moves without thinking. It was totally automatic and suddenly my slips and falls all felt very natural and almost vital for me to be able to see this out to it's conclusion. There were several other stones I could have used, but none of them were part of the path that lay before me. All of the muscles in my arms and hands are feeling it today; very alive and stretched in ways they're not used to.

I suppose this collection of words and ideas doesn't really tie into tea so much aside from the fact that my hands are still warm from the gaiwan that steeped the tea I am presently drinking, but it's more than that. It's the fact that I slowed down part of my day to enjoy this. I warmed the kettle, prepped the wares, cut the leaf from the bing, and every step was done very deliberately and carefully. When I am done, I will be sure to empty the kettle and clean out the wares because it's all part of the process. It brings this thing to completion and when I am ready to enjoy it again, I know it will be ready to go. I won't be cleaning up messes from a prior instance.

Perhaps it's clear to say that there is a recurring motif in all of this. It's about slowing down to enjoy simple things as well as standing up to the obstacles that seem to tower over us. The growth of a child, learning how to overcome my physical limitations on a wall. Even small things like making music or even enjoying a properly brewed pot of tea. They all carry with them the idea that love and respect must be present for anybody to benefit from them.

I can't think of a better thought to carry with me into Spring.

Reading and Marking

2009-03-07T20:49:00.005-05:00

Since my daughter likes to make funny faces and play ALL THE TIME, I've been on a bit of a vacation from writing lately. My leftover effort and energy has all gone into reading more than anything else. I constantly find myself kicked back on the couch with my nose in a book and a pot of tea on the table next to me. It's an excellent deviation to just drink it without a pen in hand.

I was actually having a conversation with my friend Amy yesterday about books and whether or not one should mark in the books that they read. I told her that I can't bear to mark inside of a book, and she said "remind me to never let you borrow any of my books then" because she marks them up and down. She brought up a few points about taking notes to see how your feelings and opinions have changed whenever you get a chance to re-read them. It's a fantastic point, but I still don't think I'll find myself marking up my books anytime soon. It does give me an interest in revisiting some of my old tasting notes to see if my tastes have changed in the past couple of years.

On a side note: Tonight as I was putting her to bed, Grace's sleep playlist was going and the Christopher O'Riley version of Fake Plastic Trees came on to the player. Grace started listening intently but couldn't hear the words. She finally said "Can't hear that music daddy" with a look of exasperation on her face. I replied with "Well baby, that's because they aren't singing and there aren't words." She stared at me for a moment and said with a firmness only a child could muster up, "Sing it daddy."

At that moment I did the only sensible thing a father is to do when a nearly sleeping child makes a request; I sang every word of the song to her and by the time it was finished she was sawing logs in my arms.

Moments like that make all of this madness well worth it.

I'll get back to blogging about tea again sometime soon; I promise.

Serenity

2009-02-14T22:03:00.002-05:00

Spent all of today with Grace. She is finally healthy again, as you can see from the above picture. The afternoon consisted of playing Hide 'n' Seek, going shopping for groceries, making a big dinner, reading a few books with Gracie that Amy picked up at the John K. King library downtown (best library ever!), and a session with the 2005 Dehong Purple Varietal. Amy is picking up some food after she get's off of work, and we're watching Serenity this evening. A glorious evening for Browncoats everywhere! Hope everyone enjoyed/behaved themselves today.

"I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar!"

2009-02-12T22:17:00.003-05:00

“Memories of love are, in fact, no exception to the general laws of remembering, which are themselves subject to the more general laws of habit. Habit weakens all things; but the things which are best at reminding us of a person are those which, because they were insignificant, we have forgotten and which have therefore lost none of their power. Which is why the greater part of our memory exists outside us, in a dampish breeze, in the musty air of a bedroom or the smell of autumn’s first fires, things through which we can retrieve any part of us that the reasoning mind, having no use for it, disdained, the last vestige of the past, the best of it, the part which, after all our tears seem to have dried, can make us weep again.”

- Marcel Proust

Solids, Zen, and a trip to Pasha Mountain

2009-02-11T13:12:00.005-05:00

I've always enjoyed posting pictures of what each session looks like when set up. I'm an extremely visual person so it is mostly for me to grab onto events of the day, moods, or whatever else may have been present at the time I made each post should I ever need to look back in time. It just hit me that I post them a lot, and for anyone curious, that's why. As dangerous as it can be to revisit past events, sometimes it can help us to become something more in the future. This next part is here mostly for me, as a reminder:

"To realize freedom, the mind has to learn to look at life, which is a vast movement without the bondage of time, for freedom lies beyond the field of consciousness. Watch, but don't stop and interpret, "I am free" - then you're living with the memory of something that has gone. To understand and live now, everything of yesterday must die."

I decided to attempt solids today, and thus far it's been successful. My sense of taste is returning to normal again as well. I wanted to sit down with some tea this morning and figured and old favourite would be just the ticket. Roughly seven months ago, I posted a drive-by on the 2006 Haiwan Pasha Mountain sheng-pu, referring to it as the Snickers Bar of pu-erh. I said this because it was consistent throughout. There weren't any surprises to be had; just a straight shooter with a good flavour profile. Thought it would be the perfect control group for a more extensive set of tasting notes in lieu of my waning illness.

First off, the area where Pasha Mountain is located is in Menghai county, grown at 1,700 meters up. It has beautiful tips and a sweet fragrant aroma to it. To my (recovering) nose, it doesn't really carry any kind of the earthy aroma I usually associate with sheng-pu. I'm crediting 3+ years of decent storage partly for that. I'm also a big fan of most of the Haiwan cakes I've encountered; with the watchful hand of Zhou Bing Liang overseeing the whole process, it's no wonder.

After the initial rinse, I started smelling the earthy, leafy aroma we're all too familiar with. Clean is another word I would use to describe it. Everything about this cake smells and tastes very clean, although I have found a couple of small hairs in it...nothing us pu heads can't handle. First infusion went for 15 seconds, and I was left with a very light yellow soup that felt like it was cleaning my mouth as I took my first sips. Taste reminds me of earthy mushrooms dusted with the aroma of freshly cut grass. No bitterness, no tang. Clean, consistent, just as I remembered it. By the second infusion (20 seconds), I notice a slightly darker colour of liquor. This time around, the taste was still very similar, but with a more drying feeling. It also had a tarty aftertouch and left a noticable tinge on my lower lip. In the gaiwan, I'm staring at leaves that are green with some integrity (any Ken Nordine fans out there?). A green to be seen with! That's the green for you!

Third infusion came around (25 seconds) and an even darker hue sat within my cup. Still, the flavour remained consistent. Again, the tangy aftertaste grew in strength. I don't remember such a strong finish when I had this last summer...actually, I don't remember ANY kind of astringency or tangy finish at all. Either this tea has taken on some interesting characterists, or my tastebuds are still a bit wonky. Fourth (35 seconds), fifth (50 seconds), and sixth (1 min 15 seconds) all continue to polish out a thick, tasty soup, and that bite at the end continues to dominate my taste buds again and again.

I'm starting to think that my sense of taste isn't deceiving me at all. I really think this tea just decided to learn a new trick. If anyone else is hanging onto some of this, it may not be a bad time to go break off a little and see if you get similar results. As for myself, I'm just happy to still have a cake of this.

Sick Day

2009-02-10T16:17:00.002-05:00

This is the view I've pretty much had for the past couple of days. Gracie and I are both down with the flu right now. She came down with it first, and took the initiative to show me how much of a sharp shooter she is with the puking by getting it only on me. Nothing on her, nothing on the couch. That's what dads are for I suppose. Anyhow, like something out of a movie (a not very funny movie might I add), I stopped to pick up apple juice and bananas for her yesterday after work. I wasn't feeling fantastic myself and called into work because I was going to take her to the doctor if she wasn't better today. While getting her ready, she puked on me again. After cleaning her up, I put her in the car praying to anyone who would listen that she wouldn't get sick on the ride home. Fortunately for me, that prayer was answered. However, by this point, I was feeling very nauseous myself. I pulled into the driveway, kicked open the door, laid Gracie down on the couch (she was asleep thankfully) and made a mad dash to the loo in just enough time to keep everything contained within the porcelain. Lucky day indeed! Taking care of a child when you're sick as well; not as fun as advertised. We endured, and today has been somewhat better.

I'm still feeling ill, and Gracie is actually just starting to groan a bit, meaning she's about to wake up from her nap. I decided to keep foods simple today. Saltine crackers, bananas, apple juice, and pu-erh. I was surprised how easily it goes down on an upset stomach and how much it makes me feel better. I decided that shu would probably be easier than sheng. I can't taste it as well as I normally would, but I still feel the cha'qi working it's magic on my intestines. I've been reading a little bit on the medicinal qualities of pu-erh over the past few months; about how it aids in digestion, lowers cholesterol, cures hangovers. I even saw one study that said it has the same effects as the most powerful cholesterol-lowering medicines on the market. I will have to keep looking to see if I can't find any medical journals showing specific studies with pu-erh and influenza. If anyone has seen such a study, I'd love to read about it. All I know is that pu-erh has been trusted for it's medicinal purposes for over 1,700 years, and in the half-hour since I poured my first cup, I'm already feeling much better. My body feels warm throughout, I've got an angel sleeping right next to me, and a mild tea-buzz. Having the flu has never been so sweet.

2008 Menghai v93 Sheng Tuocha

2009-02-09T00:32:00.007-05:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you're probably familiar with the buzz around the 2005 Menghai v93. I just acquired one of the 2008 release and I went into it with a very open, yet optimistic mindset. The only bias I have is the one that I believe 2008 was a good year for Menghai.

Initially, the tuocha had a very smoky aroma with a touch of mint to it. I expected it to taste a little new, but I had no idea what I was actually in for. As I opened up the tuocha, I was surprised to see some of the loosest compression I've ever seen. I put the puer'dao into the tuocha and leaf after leaf quickly enlisted to be sacrificed to my tastebuds. Next thing I knew, I was sitting in front of a gaiwan filled to the brim with a tea that definitely didn't hesitate to start rounding the bases with me.

I didn't even bother to measure out the leaf in this one. I figured I'd just feel it out as I went along. 3/4 full in a 125ml Gaiwan is the best approximation I can give you. Boiling hot water with a flash rinse and my usual times: 15s 12s 25s, 35s, 50s, 75s, etc.

I once read about a word called mitote in a book. As for the credibility of the book, I've found it to be lacking. However, as a friend pointed out, the word literally translates to "dance" or "ruckus" in Nahuatl. The way it settled into my head, the word was a dreamlike fog; a bustling coutyard with thousands of conversations going on all at once. With so many voices, it can be a mite difficult to hone in on the ones that really matter. That's kind of how I felt about the first few infusions of this tea. It has a lot of character. There is definitely going to be a bit of buzz with this, but since it still has a very new taste to it, a lot of what it has to offer is going to be initially masked.

Normally, this new taste isn't an issue, but I think because I haven't been drinking much in the panel of young sheng, it took a stronger hold on me; similar to the way a couple of beers will have you feeling buzzed much quicker if you haven't drank in a while. I even needed to stop to make food because I was getting a stomach ache.

Once I worked through those few snags, I really started to see what was going on with this tea. Leaves are still very green with an immediate kick. They fill out your mouth with a tangy astringency that recedes into a very welcome tarty flavour that eventually fades out but keeps tingling the back of my tongue almost a minute after my cup was empty.

It's got character, it's thick, it has a very up front punch that hangs around with ample amounts of astringent tang, and it's loose compression makes me hopeful that it will age quicker than most tuochas. I think that given a few months to mellow, it will show drastic improvements. I highly recommend trying this one. Thanks Scott for your generosity.

Outgrowing the World

2009-02-07T20:10:00.006-05:00

"Sorry for the delay" is what I really wanted to say, but I know that the quality of my life has improved greatly since my last post. I've been spending more time with my daughter. Bath night, which used to be a task before bed a couple nights a week is now a nightly activity I look forward to every day. I long for my eyes to become heavy so I can scoop Grace out of her crib and toss her into my bed, even though I am fully cognizant that she's a bed hog. I see her taking on new challenges every day, not really owning much that is solely hers. It's inspired me to gut my home of things that don't carry their own weight and in the process I've killed more than a few demons. It's a funny game life plays on us.

We start very small with very little that is truly 'ours'. Our name, our pride, our integrity, among a few other things. As we begin to grow and understand the world around us, we'll collect trinkets. Some of them will be useful until the day we pass. Other items, seemingly valuable, will hang around until we no longer have need for them. In the natural order of things, we'll grow into our world. We'll eventually outgrow some of it as well; ideas, homes, vehicles, clothing, even friendships and relationships. As we become the people we are to be, a lot of changes will take place. As humans, we have the capacity to make things as simple or as complicated as we like them to be. If you are hungry, eat. If you're tired, lie down. If you get nausea drinking young sheng on an empty stomach, don't do it. There's always going to be an input/output when it comes to people living their lives and making decisions. There will always be wasted potential. I just want to see if I can minimize that as much as possible, not to make a statement, but because it's what I want of my life.

Move 12 Small things...

2009-01-24T23:22:00.006-05:00

...or something along those lines. I'm not exactly sure how the quote goes, but a friend of mine read a book on Feng Shui and now she's my expert. She said "move 12 small things before you move one big thing." I took it with a giant pinch of salt until this evening. I've been a bit lethargic. Definitely down about the weather being so frigid. The humidity has been low, so cranking the heat up still leaves me feeling cold. Obviously a humidifier is the solution. A trip to Target (as well as IKEA) are both on the horizon for tomorrow morning. Anyhow, I felt like a change was in order, and small changes weren't taking care of it. Normally, finding enough old clothes to fill a bag for goodwill, or cleaning out a closet helps. Dishes (oddly enough) have been a slice of salvation. Yet, these past two weeks, not even the small things work. Perhaps I'm alone, but the enjoyment of coming home to a clean and empty kitchen sink makes me feel like I've earned the right to kick my shoes off and take a knee. After eleven and a half months and much frustration, the bedroom finally got the big shuffle, and I was left with a new sanctuary for reading, researching, creating, and drinking.

Fact is, lately I haven't been so much concerned with what I've been drinking. I haven't been hot to review a hundred different teas just so I can share my tasting notes. It's winter time, I'm cold, work has been hectic, and the demands of a growing child all occupy the time that would otherwise be spent happily inside of a Moleskine. What I do know is that a big part of enjoying tea is being in a comfortable position. In many regards, I miss my old kitchen. I miss heating water on a gas stove. Above all else, the lighting was pristine. The stove had a single incandescent bulb tucked into the range hood that lit the small kitchen perfectly. There wasn't even room for chairs, but it just felt right.

Tonight, I was talking with another friend of mine and she sent me this, which came from a friend that follows her blog, which came from a friend of theirs via Twitter. I'm not sure what the real origin is.

"We seldom ask for what we really want. We ask for what we think we can get or ought to have, but seldom ask for what we really want. Ask."

Sure, I'm a single dad. I don't have the fanciest house, and not a ton of cash but I'm doing pretty well for myself. Why can't I have the most enjoyable place to reside while I'm here? The answer is simple. I can. I just settled for less than what I really wanted. I think as people, we often do that to make things easier for those around us. Perhaps it just gives us the perception that it makes things easier for those closest to us. When it comes to one's happiness, we have to look out for ourselves too.

Some of that resonates and leaves a somewhat unsatisfied feeling in my gut, but most of it is hopeful that I've locked in on a better way to live. Simple, honest, direct. When we stop and step back from it all, none of the superficial stuff really matters. It's up to us to figure out what we really need and satisfy that need. The desk, the tea, the placement of everything else; yeah it's fresh and new, but what I really needed was comfortable lighting. I satisfied that need and at this point, the type of tea in my pot doesn't matter. It's hot tea. What more could I ask for?

Weight Comparison

2009-01-23T20:05:00.004-05:00

A post that is not tea-related. I'm in the midst of rearranging my house and I'm drinking Lao Cha Tou; something I've ranted and raved over numerous times. Anyhow, my attention is focused on the fact that my new razor...

...weighs just as much as a McDonalds Quarter Pounder. Shaving has never been so awesome!

Discuss.

Overanalyzing Humidity

2009-01-22T22:40:00.005-05:00

So, I found myself fretting over the humidity factor, just like everyone else. I was curious where my cabinet sat, and whether or not my pu was in any kind of danger. I'll tell you, sometimes, I think it's more hassle than it's worth. I have been running a bit of an experiment to see where my stash falls. If I put a bowl of water in the cabinet, it will hover anywhere between 39%-47%. If I take the bowl out, it immediately drops to 30%. I live in an old house. The windows don't seal as well as I'd like them too and the heater is always sucking the moisture out of the air. I think I'm going to run it how it is for a few more days and then pull the bowl out for good. I enjoyed my pu-erh so much more when I didn't think about it like a child to be looked after. Soon spring time will come and that seems to be when my pu-erh makes it's most remarkable changes. Best of all, it does so without any intervention from me. Besides, I'm not out for a quick profit. If I stopped buying tea today, I would have enough to last me for at least ten years. Those two things in consideration, what's the hurry? My cabinet is definitely not dry enough to kill it and at least I won't have to worry about mould.

Oily Seas

2009-01-18T12:53:00.004-05:00

One of the first pu-erh teas I ever fell in love with was the 2006 Six Famous Tea Mountains Yi Wu Millenial Tea Tree. Wild arbor, big leafy facing, thick soup, lots of minty camphor goodness. Above all, oily as can be! I can recollect numerous times after handling the beeng rolling my thumb and fingers around for a couple of minutes, impressed by the amount of oil that sits on a dry leaf. I'm not sure why, but it wasn't until the past six months that I ever paid attention to the amount of oil that sits atop the chahai after pouring an infusion. My only guess is that I don't think I ever really saw it until I started drinking aged and shu, which both generally carry a darker, amber/red shade. Now that it's something I look for whenever I'm drinking tea, I tend to notice it more frequently and last night was no exception. However, I noticed it was actually dancing in the chahai.

Not too shabby for a 3-month old shu. Delicious. One of the small joys this world has to offer.

Picture-time

2009-01-18T01:24:00.004-05:00

Just a couple of quick photos. Not much to update tonight. 1) Quickly destroying my first bing of the Menghai Hong Yun. It's oily as all getout, and even more delicious when I brew it to my normal steeping times. 2) New teapots often smell like the north end of a southbound dog. Hence, a picture of my efforts to remove some of the stank. Goodnight.

Oh Gravity, You Win Again!

2009-01-16T23:58:00.007-05:00

I'm not terribly superstitious, religious, or easily spooked. However, I'm starting to wonder whether there is a little invisible man living in my house who dislikes ornate ceramic, clay, and porcelain tea wares. Tonight, as I was getting ready to sample a 2003 Tai Lian Yi Wu sheng, the lid to this gaiwan decided to mysteriously roll clean off the counter and shatter into three pieces on the floor. Although it was my favourite gaiwan, it was inexpensive and replacable. In fact, I've already got a new one in transit...turns out, it's not travelling alone. Turns out, impulse convinced me to buy another pot to be used for roasted oolongs. Turns out, Scott from Yunnan Sourcing is the man. I had an order placed and paid for within six minutes of hearing the lid shatter. Talk about making a positive out of a negative. Since I only drink raw in the gaiwan, it looks like I'm stuck drinking nothing by this amazingly delicious shu and dancong that's eating holes in my cupboard...

Menghai 2008 "Hong Yun" ...and a few other things

2009-01-15T22:56:00.004-05:00

Since I work throughout the week, and immediately have to pick my daughter up from my parents' house after work, I often miss the mail carrier when he makes his daily rounds through my side of town. Guidelines state that international packages must be signed for, and will not be left on the doorstep. For this very reason, I make several trips to the post office (which I hate oh so dearly...anyone who reads regularly knows exactly why) to pick up my packages. Yesterday, much to my surprise I came home to find a large box on my porch, riddled with tape from Kunming Post! (The regular carrier actually left me a note asking if I could please sign the paperwork and leave it in the mailbox for him to pick up tomorrow. In my eyes, he saved me a trip in this sub-zero temperature) Inside that box was a beeng of the Menghai 0532, a new teapot, and ten (count them) of what you see in the picture above. This was sort of an impulse buy, to be quite honest with you. I'm a big fan of Menghai, so naturally it works. I've also been on a shupu kick lately. I want nothing more than that lovely taste of old cellar, campfire, and wet earth. Actually, the first time I ever tried shu, I was immediately taken back to a morning camping in the Appalachains. Specifically, the morning after drinking around a bonfire all night, having it pour enough to flood my tent, and waking up early in the middle of the woods to clean up all the mess we made the night prior. Somehow, as weird as it may sound, I love that kind of stuff. Reminds me of rock climbing and rafting in the New River Gorge.

Anyhow, that brings me to the tea. It's a 100g ripe ironcake. This bad boy has a beautiful smell in that "I'm a lumberjack" sort of way. Compression is very tight, but gives way without too much difficulty. It's a little slow to wake up, but with a couple of good rinses, gives way to some incredible flavour.

It has a fairly strong Cha'qi, and isn't afraid to show it's presence. It had me feeling somewhat tea-drunk by about the fifth infusion. I assume that is something I'll probably refer to as "damn delicious" after a couple of months, because it was pressed in November of 2008...still VERY young. It didn't have a ton of surprises however; pretty straightforward, which is in no way a bad thing. All in all, I'd say it definitely earns a place as one of the best shu releases I've had in the past year. The only things I've had that I possibly liked more were the Haiwan Lao Cha Tou (which is in a league all on it's own), and the 7572 (both Menghai and 12 Gentlemen were delicious). Even then, it's a tough call. I have brewed up a couple of very bitter cups of 7572, as opposed to the fact that I just can't seem to make this one bitter.

Top Albums of 2008

2009-01-10T18:24:00.007-05:00

Every year, a few friends and myself post our top 10 albums of the year. Last year I destroyed every other piece of social networking I used to use. Myspace, Facebook, Twitter...all gone. So this year, my teablog becomes the new nesting grounds for the albums that have gotten me through this past year. The only rule is that the albums have to be ones that were released within the confines of 2008. So, here they are. Hopefully I might inspire a few others to post their favourites as well. Don't worry, I'll get back to the tea soon...most likely this evening ^__^

10. Lydia - Illuminate
9. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
8. Ours - Mercy
7. Ben Folds - Way to Normal
6. Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
5. Apes & Androids - Blood Moon
4. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - Glistening Pleasure
3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing
2. Islands - Arm's Way
1. Human Highway - Moody Motorcycle

Dancong Madness

2009-01-10T00:26:00.003-05:00

What you are looking at is dry leaf Feng Huang Milan Dancong from Jing Tea Shop. Somehow, I got wrapped up in the mess that is Bryan's Dancong Fever. I recently tasted this style of tea for the very first time and I'm still confused by it. I ordered a 100g bag of this, 100g of an inexpensive oolong, and a couple samples for about $10. Bryan was describing it to me one night while we were drinking some aged Tie Guan Yin (that unfortunately, didn't pan out to be what we had hoped) and when we looked it up a light went off in my head that simply said "Hey, I have $10!" Never before have I tasted a tea where the dry leaf smells like chocolate, the first infusion tasted like a tangy peach, and later infusions mellow down into something that reminds me of lychee candy. Definitely interesting stuff. I plan to order more samples and see if I can't get a good handle on this one. Recommendations and citations are definitely most welcome. What has everyone else been drinking lately?

2008 Hai Lang Hao "Jing Mai" Brick 250g

2009-01-06T14:00:00.004-05:00

Just a quickie as I'm home early from work sick and really should be resting. I received a brick of this as a gift from Bryan at Teajournaling and instantly fell in love with it. First impressions were how sweet the dry leaf smelled. Full of delicious aroma, oily in my hands; everything you never expect from such a young brick. It was thick, soupy, delicious leafy sweet goodness. Nice big full leaves scream out careful hand-processing.

The first night I drank this, I deviated a bit from my normal infusion times. Normally I flash rinse, 15s, 12s, 25s, 35s, 50s, 1:00, 1:15, 1:30, etc...this time, I started short....7s, 12s, 15s, 30s. I rode 30 seconds for another five or six infusions and then went up to 45 seconds. Before, I knew it, it was 3:02am and I was still wide awake. This is a tea that has no idea when to quit and for less than $10 a brick, could easily be a daily drinker. Normally if I drink that late at night, I'll leave some water in the gaiwan and drink the overnight brew first thing in the morning as an eye opener. Never bitter, even then.

That buttery yellow soup you're looking at is after the 15th infusion. Beautiful liquor, beautiful tea. Hands down Hai Lang knows how to make a good tea. Pick some of this up.

Something to Chew On

2009-01-04T05:46:00.006-05:00

First off, Happy New Year! It's been a long while since I've made the time to sit down and write, but this one is important. I was speaking with a friend the other day and we got into a pretty lengthy conversation regarding batch numbers for pu-erh. Take the Menghai 7542; you have the 801, 802, 803, and so on. Sure, everyone knows that it is the number of the production, but does that really indicate the quality of the cake?

Look at it this way. Menghai uses maocha that is between 0-3 years old before being pressed into cakes. If you stop to think about that, the biggest factor would surely be the quality of the maocha and how well it was stored before it was pressed. So, the pu-erh that is the X01 release may not be the best batch of the season. It hardly guarantees that the leaf used to press our superior spring bing is even spring leaf at all. You might find that an X02 or X04 cake actually tastes better.

I spoke to Scott from YSLLC about this yesterday, and he asked me what my thoughts were on why people were so attracted to the first run of a particular recipe. My thought process, as a westerner, was this:

What do we see when we think of tea? Usually, if you live in the States, you think of bags filled with dust and fannings, stapled shut with a string and a paper ticket that reads Lipton, or Red Rose. Those bags are nestled into boxes on grocery store shelves. You might think of green tea from the local sushi joint. You may have had sencha, or gyokuro...perhaps even a hot cup of houjicha. If you stopped in to a fancy chinese restaurant you may have been served a small pot of some sort of oolong. The fact is, until I was made aware of pu-erh tea, I had no idea what it was. I think that many who first look at tea start with what they're familiar with and then branch out. Naturally, one might seek out some nice loose leaf japanese green tea, maybe a decent oolong, even stumble upon tieguanyin, but I've never been to a restaurant that served any variety of authentic pu-erh tea. Anyhow, from the stance of Japanese teas, people always rant and rave over the spring flush. "Spring release must be best!" Is that really the case with pu-erh?

I don't think so at all. Sure, china domestic market pushes prices up on the X01 release, and even in China a little more buzz surrounding the first run, but it definitely doesn't mean it's any better. Scott from YSLLC and Hai Lang recently did a side by side comparison between the 2004 and 2008 Menghai 7542 to test this out. With the 2008 they used the 801, 802, and 805 batches. Both of them could not tell much difference. As for Hai Lang, I'm told that he can taste a tea and tell you not just which mountain it came from, but where on the mountain it came from. Then they tried the 2004 batches 401, 402, and 404. Scott preferred the 404 batch, and Hai Lang actually preferred the 402 batch. Still, all of them were very similar once brewed.

My thought on this is that it really depends on how well the maocha is stored. Since I'm using Menghai as an example, I'll go ahead and note that Menghai has a subtropical climate. Warm, humid; great for storing tea, so long as it is well ventilated. Those factors really contradict the hype around an X01 batch being the best. Sure, a cake pressed nine months ago may taste better than one that was just pressed because it's had some time to mellow out a bit, but given a few years, I think that taste is going to be less discernable. As for shu, the differences are even less noticable.

Point of the rant is that just because it says 801, it doesn't mean it will be better than an 802, or an 803. I'm pretty convinced that the sequence of numbers settles in some people's heads as the end all be all for pu-erh, but if that were the case, why would people waste their time with recipes that use a lower grade of leaf? I can think of numerous situations where I've gotten a consistently better cup with a tea made from a lower grade leaf.

Just something to chew on when you're placing your next order for 901 cakes.

Reciprocity

2008-12-03T23:56:00.004-05:00

Well, this is the aftermath of my teapot tragedy the other night. One important lesson is to never handle teaware before you've had enough time to wake up. I've glued it back together, but it will only sit on a shelf now. I won't be drinking from it anymore. This means I'm teapot shopping. Hibiki-an, Tokoname, Ebay... there's also a nice little Asian grocer not too far from where I live. This will be an urgent purchase, because I need something to brew greens in. Anyhow, with the bad always comes the good.

In this case, I've had a few more days to play with my utiliTEA. I was impressed by how slick it looks right out of the box. Being my first electric kettle, I really don't have anything to compare it to other than a traditional teapot, or my Sunbeam Hot Shot. First, I must say that it heats water to a rolling boil in less than four minutes. There's a window where you can watch the water boil...and who says a watched pot never boils? ^__^

The pot has a variable temperature dial on it, and quite honestly, I've only had it ramped up to the highest setting. The other settings don't have the temp listed, so it's best to use a thermometer to find the sweet spot for whatever tea you're brewing and just remember that position. For what I drink, that's occasionally 157F, 178F, and 212F. Easy!

As for the design, it balances really well in the hand. Nothing about it feels awkward. It retains heat very well too! I was mostly concerned with the pour, but that was quickly squashed too. Thankfully, it pours just as clean as I would expect from something with a much longer spout.

It cleans up pretty well, although the opening in the top is impossible to get your hand into. Whenever I'm done with it, I stuff a flour sack towel inside of it and turn it upside down. It balances really well on the edge of my sink and somehow my cat hasn't made it her new toy yet. My only concern about it is the mild discolouration on the bottom of the inside of the pot. I believe it's made of nickel, but I'm not completely sure. Anyhow, it has a few little spots where the bottom has changed colour due to the heat and water. A very small gripe, and I highly doubt it affects the flavour in any way, so I'm not going to concern myself with that detail.

Regardless, for $50, I don't think there is a better electric kettle out there. I highly recommend this.

OTG

2008-11-28T01:49:00.003-05:00

You've likely seen it a hundred times in movies; a NAVY ship is headed out to sea and someone smashes a bottle against the hull for good luck. Well, I can only hope the woes of working Black Friday in the world of retail are the same. This morning, while packing it up to go to work, my Kyusu cracked. I watched in slow motion as the lid came crashing down onto the rim of the pot. Initially, my hand picked up the shattered piece and put it back where it went hoping it would somehow fuse itself back to the rest of the pot. In my head, a small choir would show up in my living room to sing Hallelujah, and I'd go to work like intended.

A minute or two later, after realizing such was not the case, I carefully tucked it away into it's box and placed it in the back of my cupboard. It was bound to happen sooner or later; it's just a bummer because it's the first pot I ever brewed pu-erh in.

Operation Teapot Graveyard: Commence.

Adagio utiliTEA

2008-11-26T14:02:00.002-05:00

My Adagio utiliTEA just arrived today, and has replaced the Sunbeam Hot Shot I used to use for brewing teas. I am not making any solid statements on it yet, but first impressions are very positive. Give me a few days to feel it out and I'll have a full review on it.

"I love you Daddy" (Revisiting the '8100')

2008-11-23T12:34:00.007-05:00

Several months back, I had a bad run-in with the Xiaguan '8100' and casually made a promise to myself that I wouldn't try this again until after my daughter had said "I love you Daddy" for the first time, which happened yesterday. Over the past seven months, I'd like to think that the aging process may have smoothed this out a bit, and that perhaps the passing of time smoothed me out a bit too, as my brewing is a bit more consistent now. I figure this is a good time to revisit something that everyone else but me seemed to love.

I used 8g of leaf in a 100ml gaiwan for this. I used spring water and brewed this around 180F (since my water boiler freaked on me last time I throttled down on it). I used my usual (aggressive) steeping times: 15s rinse, 15s, 12s, 25s, 35s, 50s, 1:15, 1:25, 1:35, 1:45, 2:00. This was perfect for the first couple of infusions, as they had a sweet, almost syrupy presence, but I quickly realized that this is still a little more finicky of a tea than I've been drinking lately. By the fifth bitter infusion, I thought I was headed down a dead-end and decided to throttle the time back to 15 seconds again and started receiving much better results. The leaf expands quite a bit more than usual, so perhaps 8g is a little more than is necessary to enjoy this. I guess this may be the case because the leaf has filled the gaiwan up to the brim. I'll try it again next time with a little less leaf and see if my usual steeping times once again bring me to another untimely tragedy. However, as it stands, a little shorter times are yielding a much better cup.

Starts sweet, with a little bit of dry bitterness. Normally I'm not a fan of that in such young pu, but for some reason, it works now. It lingers on the roof of my mouth with a slight tingling and cleans up to a very smooth and refreshing aftertaste.

I'm still not 100% convinced I really like this one, but it's definitely been a much better conversation this time around. I feel I was actually able to get somewhere with this, instead of the pure frustration I ran into last time. The bitterness I kept getting last time was likely due to lower grade water, steeping too long, and too much leaf. This time, it's significantly better and will likely just be a matter of tweaking the leaf quantity and steep times.

So, it's better this time around, but still not where I'd like to see it. I'll try again soon.

Well...

2008-11-23T00:22:00.003-05:00

I don't have a whole lot to write about tonight. I did fall in love with the 2008 Yong De Zi Yu Sheng toinght, and as promised in a prior post, I would revisit the Xiaguan '8100' as soon as my daughter said "I love you Daddy" for the first time. Quite a fantastic night for tea, but since my brain is all washed up until morning, I'll leave you with this instead:

Another year older

2008-11-16T11:31:00.004-05:00

Pop your corks boys and girls becuase today I find myself another year closer to my demise. Each year seems to have this feeling of going by faster and faster. Hopefully I can surround myself with good friends, many cups of good tea, and whatever else I can find to slow down the process of aging.

I'm just pleased to know that next year at this time, everything I have will be one year better. Perhaps that's an attitude more people should have a wider scope attached to.

The Rhythm Method

2008-11-13T10:07:00.003-05:00

Alex recently emailed me inquiring as to how I steep my teas.

As far as my parameters for testing out a new pu-erh, this is my process:

Water: I use spring water. Not always particular on brand, so long as it's spring and not just 'purified drinking water.' The mineral content seems to enhance the taste of every tea I drink that way.

Temperature: Right now, I have a Sunbeam Hot Shot that I use for heating my water. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that although it heats the water quickly, the water comes nowhere near boiling, which is ideal for many pu-erh teas. I had been using a thermometer and ramping on the button until the water hits 200F. At that point, it will coast up a few more degrees and come close to the boiling pot without ever actually bubbling. I can't do this anymore though because it's killing my Hot Shot. I've looked at the UtiliTEA on Adagio's website. $50 well spent, in my humble opinion.

Teaware: I always test out new pu-erh in my koi gaiwan. I like to taste the leaf without the aid of a weathered pot. By doing this, the brew hides nothing.

Leaf Quantity: I usually fill the gaiwan to about 1/3 full. The leaf will expand and fill out a lot more of the gaiwan, and this has, in my own experience, given me great results in terms of flavour. Further, doing this, I rarely have to remove leaf because I've added too much. It still happens, but it's much more rare these days, which is a far cry from the surplus of leaf I used to waste and have to feed to my garbage disposal. I'm sure those blades have a healthy coating of tea-oil on them by now! ^__^

Rinse: This one varies a bit depending on whether or not it's shu or sheng and how tight the compression is. Sheng is always one rinse at 15 seconds. Shu is also at 15 seconds, but I just rinse it twice. If it's really loose, I'll cut the rinse time in half.

Steeping times: This one is something I think everyone needs to experiment with as a personal discovery, as we all have varying palates. At present, I think my steeping times have already changed three or four times, but after the rinse, this is how i do mine:

15s, 12s, 25s, 35s, 50s, 1:15, 1:25, 1:35, 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 5:00

I don't normally go past 15 or 16 steepings unless it's something with longevity, like the LCT. At that point, if it's still hitting, it's no longer a matter of science but a sort of 'conversation' with the tea as Teddy put it. By that point, I try to feel out what the leaf is trying to say and brew longer or shorter times depending on that.

2007 Haiwan Lao Cha Tou

2008-11-12T22:14:00.004-05:00

When I arrived home from work today, I was pleasantly surprised to find a package from Norbu sitting on my porch. As always, the green rug pulled over top to ensure nobody knows there was a box 8 inches tall hiding underneath it. Inside of this box lies a sample of the Haiwan 2007 Lao Cha Tou Ripe pu-erh. I already know I love the Menghai equivalent, but considering it's the same price and you get 500g instead of 250g, I wanted to compare them myself.

The first thing I notice about it is the aroma. It's oozing with this incredible scent that rips right through the bag. If anyone has ordered from Norbu yet, the first thing you'll notice is the quality of the bags he ships in. They're thick, durable, and have a solid, reinforced feel about them. One close-up look at the bags and you'll immediately understand why I'm impressed the aroma carries as strongly as it does.

It really starts to wake up around the fifth infusion, much like Menghai. The nuggets are slightly larger and appear to have a bit less compression. It doesn't really seem to be a factor in the taste or the longevity of the tea. As for the soup, a rich amber liquor that quickly shifts to a much darker shade of red. I'm talking about the sort of colour you'd expect from a mature cake. In my experience, this seems to be a pretty standard characteristic of most shupu.

The Haiwan is, as expected, full of flavour. It's complex, warming, leaves my mouth tingling, and dries out the back of my throat. The menghai may have a little more kick to it, but they're so close that I can't immediately justify a reason not to purchase the Haiwan brick. It's my understanding that Menghai pioneered the Lao Cha Tou, and because they don't release annually, their bricks fetch a higher ticket price. Either way, both of these factories have created something special. Is it really any wonder, considering both factories have felt and been rewarded by the brilliance of Mr. Zhou Bing Liang?

Time Flies

2008-11-12T16:44:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure about everyone else, but five hours with a good friend and good tea always feels like this.

Thanks to Norbu for the incredible Lao Cha Tou and to Alex for the TGY. Those were some impressive leaves! We gave them a light roasting before we drank them! The night wouldn't have been nearly as grand without such generosity! ^__^

2007 Menghai Lao Cha Tou

2008-11-10T22:29:00.006-05:00

Anyone who follows the pu-erh live journal community may remember a post I made several months back in which I received a gift in my shipment from Scott at YSLLC. It was the Yongde Qing Beeng, and I hadn't been able to find it anywhere, until recently. I discovered a seller out of Texas who carried it. Norbu Teas, headed by a fellow named Gregory. I sent this guy an email, and much to my joy, he's likely one of the coolest Texans around. He is enthusiastic about his teas, he has fantastic customer service, and he doesn't mind getting to know his customers a bit. I recently placed an order for some samples; one of which was the Menghai 2007 Lao Cha Tou, which translates to something along the lines of "Old Tea Nugget." From what I'm told, this tea is formed during the fermentation process. During sorting, some of the leaves, under heat and pressure will clump together at the bottom of the pile and form nuggets. They are then pressed into bricks and sold to fine folks like you and I. The interesting thing about this tea is the longevity and the taste. I ran 25+ infusions with this the other night, and at no point did I think to myself that it was getting weak.

Both rinses had a medium amber liquor, and by the time I got to the first actual infusion, the soup was a dark cherry red. Thick, smooth, loaded with a very strong aroma somewhere between smoke and mint. After about five infusions, a slight dryness in the back of my throat reminiscent of a night with a bottle of wine. Between steeping, my mouth carries that same tingle and desensitized feeling that I get whenever I've just done a fluoride treatment at the dentist office. There is hui gan in later infusions (around 8-10), but it retains a complex flavour.

I'm always a bit leery of sweet teas. It always reminds me of my ex-girlfriend from years back. All her family drank was Lipton, and their recipe was to take a dozen or so teabags, place them in a pitcher, and add a crap ton of sugar...to which I always said "What's the point?" The hui gan that comes around must not be mistaken with such treachery.

I had some questions regarding the LCT from Menghai and Haiwan. They both fetch the same price, but Haiwan sells in 500g bricks, where Menghai is only 250g. From what I've been able to extract, most people like the Haiwan just as much, if not more. I have a sample of the Haiwan on it's way right now, so once I try it, I'll be able to let you know what my thoughts were. I've always been pleased with Menghai, and although less versed with them, I've had great success with Haiwan as well. Since the manager for Haiwan used to trot around with the Menghai flag, it's no wonder it shows a similar attention to consistency.

One way or another, a few bricks of Lao Cha Tou (whether Menghai or Haiwan have yet to be determined) will be finding themselves a most welcome place in my tea collection very soon. Good stuff!

Crouching Gaiwan, Hidden Pu-erh

2008-11-09T23:09:00.007-05:00

Some teas, like the shape above, are impossible to destroy. It seems that some of them cannot be overbrewed. They are quick to deliver and maintain consistency throughout. This is fine and dandy, but what of teas that require a little bit more of a skilled hand? Tonight I was talking with Scott from YSLLC and the topic came up because I was doing an experiment. I was trying to recreate whatever scenario it was one night that made the 2005 Dehong Golden Tuo taste so wonderful. It's usually a 'meh' tea to me, but on occasion, it's got a lot of character. The differing flavours all get in line to go a round with my tastebuds. It left me with a tingling feeling in my mouth, a bit of astringency, and a thick soup that carried in the back of my throat for several minutes. It made me wonder just what I had done that one night.

I must say, as soon as I picked up the pu-erh knife, Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get it On' randomly came on my Zune. I knew this would be a special night. This made me smile, because the compression on this tuo is so tight, I've been known to have marks on the palms of my hands from trying to work the knife through it. So, after breaking off some of this demon-tuo, I prepared it the exact same way I've been preparing all of my pu-erh lately. It didn't wake up until the fifth infusion, but when it did, it suddenly had that tingling mouth-feel to it. It had just the right amount of bitterness that made it more than just 'decent.'

That in place, I've been ordering a lot of samples lately. This particular tuo had been an impulse buy. I bought it back when I knew absolutely nothing about pu-erh. What happens if you go through a 25g sample without having a solid steeping process in place? You may get lucky and find something you enjoy, but more often than not, you'll end up with a cup that delivers far less than it would in careful hands. Even then, there may be other variables that aren't working in your favour....water temperature, mineral content in the water you're steeping with, your mood...everything plays it's part.

I've written about it before, but once again, just another example of how it pays to stay faithful to the fundamentals. The control you get with a consistent practice is remarkable. Plus, if something tastes 'off,' you've already minimized the variables, so compensating is often easier.

Hiding Place FAIL and Tea Swaps

2008-10-25T20:30:00.004-04:00

I was killing time on Failblog the other day when I stumbled upon this image, which made me chuckle. When humor is applicable to real life situations, it's always funnier to me. The reason I found this humorous is because every time I order a package of tea, my UPS driver or USPS Carrier do the exact same thing. I assume they believe my large green doormat provides the same level camoflauge you'd expect from an elite military covert operation. Truthfully, it just lets me (and everyone else) know as I'm driving past my house to pull into my driveway that my tea is here. It's a good thing that people in my city only drink Starbucks. ^__^

Hobbes, your package is on the way. I spent the afternoon today sampling some of these teas as I was packaging them up for you. Remarkable to see how just a few months can affect the flavour of this stuff. One of the teas I'm sending out came from China, made it's way to the UK, spent a few months with me in the states, and is now making it's way back to Oxford. I would be interested to see how the same teas would age in different parts of the world under similar storage conditions. If anyone else is interested in doing a swap, please let me know.

Also, if anyone has any good shou recommendations, I'm all ears.

Shou?

2008-10-19T00:26:00.003-04:00

I'm starting to find that all of my young sheng have many similarities in taste. This may be in part due to the fact that my tastebuds have been craving something completely different. I went out for sushi the other day and had a cup of Houji'cha and my eyes shot up immediately because it was a taste I hadn't experienced in so long. When I first started drinking pu-erh, I was amazed by the smoke, the camphor, the melon, the nutty, and all the other subtle flavours that are present in so many of the teas I have. After a while, it all started blending together and I wanted to try something else. Made it difficult to pull enough inspiration out of each cup to merit sharing my thoughts.

Initially, I had this notion that sheng was superior to shou. In many respects, I believe that to be true but only in the proper context. Even asking friends, they've all said they'd prefer aged raw tea. This made me wonder, if it's superior, then why the hell is there a market for shou? This was quickly dismissed when I thought further about those poor excuses for tea that come in cute little bags filled with nothing but dust and fannings. I just chalked it up to "people probably just don't know any better." I made my purchases and never bought shou. I just stuck to my young shengs and I was perfectly content until that moment when I realized that drinking only young pu-erh is like asking a six year child old to build a theremin and understand exactly how it works; then asking him to play Barrios' Las Abejas on it.

End result: A lot of dreaming with no real delivery.

Once this thought hit me, I again revisited my "why the hell is there even a market for shou" thought and this time I rode it out a little more. I've got a pretty healthy collection of pu-erh that I know will serve me well throughout the remaining years of my life. The idea behind shou is that it is supposed to get a tea closer to what it will taste like when it is mature by cooking it. This sounds great, but a big part of me still said "but isn't that why I'm aging my teas?" Absolutely, that's why I'm aging my teas, but I'm also starting to see the limitations of what young sheng can do for me. I had the pleasure of tasting a Xiaguan tea from the early 1980's and it blew me away. The soup was a colour unlike anything I had seen. The complexity of each cup, and a texture I had not experienced before. The way it danced with my taste buds. It reminded me that aging my collection will truly be a rewarding experience and give me some amazing teas to accompany whatever it is old-man Jamus will enjoy doing. But what about now? What am I supposed to do when I'm starting to taste so many similarities between all these young teas, topping it off with the fact that young sheng is harsh on your stomach: Easy, try something else for a while.

I bought a couple of cooked cakes recently; one of them being a 12 Gentlemen Chun Ya Shen Yun. I have had it around a month and a half now, but hadn't cracked it open until tonight. First thing I noticed was the aroma. Very different than the rest of the teas I've had lately. Very nutty, reminded me of a roasted oolong. Sweet aftertaste and much darker leaves. A crimson red soup. All new things. That roasted flavour carried through in each cup and it suddenly made itself new again. Definitely wasn't as good as a truly aged pu-erh like the 80's Xiaguan I had, but I now understand that there is a market for it for a very good reason. I really enjoyed it.

To this point, I must admit that I am ignorant when it comes to shou. This is one humble man's attempt at asking for help. Where do I begin? What do you like? I've got the notion to walk forward and discover this side of pu-erh; I just need to know which direction to face.

Little Buddhas

2008-10-18T12:54:00.006-04:00

My eldest sister lost her pet of over ten years yesterday; a cat named Morris. I stopped by her place last night to talk with her for a little bit and give her my sympathy. She told me that it was a very quick thing; he was fine when she got home, and then he started to cough and laid down on the floor. By the time she made her way over to him, he was already beginning to check out. She watched the life disappear from his eyes while she held him in her arms, but knew he didn't appear to be in any sort of discomfort. It made me wonder if he knew it was coming and decided to wait for her so he could say goodbye. The depth of cats is amazing to me. They always seem to know what you're feeling and respond to it accordingly. They're extremely social without being needy. Nor do they ask for much from us aside from our love (and food). It's almost like they're little buddhas in disguise.

Back in Business

2008-10-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

I finally bought a new camera so I can finally catch up on all the pictures I've been meaning to take for the past couple months. A lot of new additions to my collection and many stories to share. For now, I've got a couple of things to tend to. Hopefully a real update this evening.

Late nights and Old Shoes (06 Twelve Gentlemen Yi Wu)

2008-10-05T00:12:00.005-04:00

There's just something about a quiet evening alone in the early fall when I feel content, no matter what is going on in my life. That favourite old pair of shoes come out of the closet on nights when you don't remember just how many cigarettes you've smoked. Walking home with a friend and forgetting to turn down your own street because it didn't really matter. It's that time of year when I just don't worry. Tonight I am drinking a 2006 Twelve Gentlemen Yi Wu that I ordered from Nada a little while back. I've been drinking a lot more tea now that the weather is starting to cool down a bit. I'm taking the extra five minutes to brew a cup for the drive to work, even if it means I'll be a minute or two late. Last winter, I had a really good hand for timing and water temperature. This year, I'm consistent with water temperature, but not so much with time. For that reason, I've decided to use a tea timer to help me get back on track. I figure that by staying consistent, I'll even gain some insight on what has happened to my teas this summer while I was drinking water (or beer) instead. Here's the times I'm starting with. I'll adjust if I need to.

Rinse - 15 sec
2nd Rinse - 15 sec (only for cooked)
1st - 15 sec
2nd - 12 sec
3rd - 25 sec
4th - 35 sec
5th - 50 sec
6th - 1 min 15 sec
7th - 1 min 25 sec
8th - 1 min 35 sec
9th - 1 min 45 sec
10th - 2 min

Also, brewing in yixing clay with water filtered through a charcoal filter.

This was a fairly enjoyable tea, and I'm glad I have a chance to taste it. It's smooth, clean, and leaves my teeth feeling like I just had a flouride treatment. The soup is thick enough to make up for the fact that it doesn't really have any mysteries. Small choppy leaves which have made quite a pile in my mesh strainer. Kind of a caramel/maple aroma to it. I honestly thought it was just going to be a straight shooter, because the first five infusions were all pretty bland. Not bad, just not terribly exciting.

At the sixth infusion, it did it's first trick for me. It started to tease the tip of my tongue a little bit. I'm not feeling any kind of lift from it, like I do with some of my other teas, but the added bit of ku along with that tingle isn't bad. It seems to go on forever, and the flavour really hasn't weakened at all after seven infusions. If anything, it's become more prominent. It definitely has a sweetness to it. All in all, a pretty good tea. I must say I'm far more impressed with it's later delivery than what it did early on. I went eight sessions with it, although I'm totally convinced I could go more. I'll leave it overnight and try it again in the morning with breakfast. Final thoughts: This was a consistent tea with good texture. I enjoyed the taste; even moreso at the end of the run. I still don't think I'd pay $76USD for it, but a sample is definitely worth investing in.

Calm

2008-09-19T22:56:00.002-04:00

Often times I wonder what it is that makes some of us capable of keeping our wits in the most frightful of scenarios. To what do I owe my capacity for calmness? I see it in most facets of my life. I prefer to drink tea because of the taste; this much is obvious. However, there is also the joy of preparing it. Opening the cupboard and smelling all of the teas I have in my collection. Choosing the right teapot, not only for the tea I'm drinking, but also to fit my mood. Heating the water, cutting off a sizable chunk of pu-erh. It all takes time, and at no point do I ever wish there were an easier way about it. Calming patience: I have been told people flock towards me because of that quality.

I need to remind myself that others don't posses such tranquility all of the time and last night I had a first hand lesson at that. I have been meaning to make it out to the UofM Go Club in Ann Arbor for quite some time. I've been looking for a group of individuals to play and grow with. Yesterday, I finally had a night off of work and of daddy duties, so I decided to head out. I walked in, bought a hot Chai, and made my way to the back of the coffeehouse. Within three minutes, a guy walked up to me and having never met me before, asked if I wanted to play him. Turns out he's a 1-dan player; leaps and bounds ahead of my 11-kyu rank. To sit across from someone with a much firmer grasp of this game was amazing. The fact that he wanted to play and help me out was even more incredible. Soon into our first game, I found my hands fumbling; trembling even. A feeling that is quite unfamiliar to me. At one point, I almost dropped my stones, and had to pull a table over because I couldn't hold the bowl in my lap and focus on the game. Yet throughout, he remained very calm. It was quite an inspiring magneticism, and I often wonder if any of the worriers of the world view me in that same fashion as I saw him. The firmness of stone to help others grow, yet light enough to never find itself getting dragged down by unnecessary worries and turbulence. One can only hope. It's time for another cup of tea. Thank you Nada for your wonderful teas, and to anyone who hasn't had it yet, pick up a few of these before they're all gone. This tea is carrying me tonight.

Tornado

2008-09-17T20:02:00.002-04:00

At approximately 9:22pm this past Saturday night, a tornado travelling at 130mph came ripping down my street. It knocked out the power, and immediately I ran to pick up Grace. We watched five or six transformers blow, each lighting the sky with this ridiculous shade of bright blue. We watched a couple of trees fall over and debris fly everywhere. This picture is of the sidewalk in front of my house. It's frightening to see such disorder in what was once a very calming patch of sidewalk. Fortunately, Grace and I are both safe, as well as all of my neighbours. A couple blocks over, an apartment complex had it's roof completely ripped off and there were cars on their side and stacked on top of eachother. Truly a frightening experience. Walking around the next morning felt very dreamlike. There are more pictures on my Flickr page if anyone cares to take a peek.

Impossible?

2008-08-31T15:47:00.002-04:00

I'm standing in my kitchen right now with a very puzzled look on my face, and I'll tell you why.

Some months ago, I was cleaning out my kyusu. I boiled it in water with tealeaves and the boil got little out of control. Anyhow, I came in just in time to hear the boiling water smash the kyusu into the pot it was sitting in, making a very distinctive cracking sound. I cooled the water, pulled out my kyusu, only to find a nice giant crack along the inside of the pot. I was terribly disappointed that day, and have since only brewed whites in it because I was afraid to expose it to higher temperatures. I showed this crack to several of my friends, and they all shared in my dismay, which is why I'm standing here with a very puzzled look on my face.

The crack is gone.

I spent fifteen minutes looking over the surface of the pot and now there is nothing. Impossible, I know, but it's a hand made pot. Markings would be impossible to duplicate. It's definitely the same teapot. Not sure how, but I'll chalk it up to a little bit of magic.

Today is a very fine day indeed.

We're still kickin it

2008-08-29T15:30:00.001-04:00

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by spatialentropy

Been busy getting used to life. This little lady takes up all of my free time, and she's walking now too! She has personality, laughs at everything, and has me wrapped around every finger of her. Fall time is coming. I'll be drinking more tea once it starts to cool down a bit more outside. Hope everyone is well.

Cadence

2008-07-12T21:33:00.004-04:00

I know there have been a lot of hardships going on around the tea community lately. Cancer, separations, and divorce being the three that stick out in my head at the moment. It floors me to see such good people enduring these kinds of events, and although the base of people who will likely read this is still very limited, my heart goes out deeply to everyone who is going through some kind of hardship. It's summertime; we're supposed to be with our families and our children. We're supposed to be teaching those around us all the things that make our fragile little lives worthwhile.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the day to day that we cannot begin to truly enjoy these moments that are here before us now. We miss the subtle points entirely. I think sometimes this carries over into our enjoyment of good food and drink. Much of an experience is a person's mental state while it's happening. My mother said

"Did you ever notice how when you have a good day, Grace seems to have a good day too? I think children can sense a person's level of anxiety and they respond to it."

Earlier today, I stopped by my parents' house to help my father with his computer. Both of my parents are cancer survivors. When it comes down to it, they both could have very easily not made it. I consider myself fortunate to have them here. Without them, I have no idea how I would raise my daughter. Yet, I so seldom remind myself of the importance of remembering just how lucky I am to have them. I get out of rhythm with my thoughts and always end up scatterbrained.

To that end, I will close every tea session the same way; remembering how lucky I am to have my time before me. Remembering those who have helped me, and those who have cared for me. Those who have stopped to say hello, and those who have their hearts nestled so deeply within this community. It is for all of these people that I can be here at this moment. It's to all of them that I will honour my last cup.

You see puppies, but trust me, this is about tea

2008-06-28T23:12:00.007-04:00

Since I work at an electronics retailer, and everyone knows that the only way to increase customer traffic is with gimmicks, we get a ton of promotional crap for new release DVD's. When a couple months go by, and we still have them left over, we usually junk them out and give them to our customers. Since I'm a customer when I'm not on the clock, I got these little guys at work for Grace. The other day while she was in the car having a meltdown, I handed her one of them and she started squealing really loud in a fit of frenzied joy.

That's the best way for me to describe how it feels to receive a package in the mail with tea in it. I always wonder what kinds of flavours await me. Whether it be smokey, minty, acidic, smooth, bitter, even skunky occasionally (for those "holy crap you need to taste this!" moments). I am finding that I am beginning to get better control over my brews. We all know how intimidating it can be making a cup for guests when you haven't figured out your style yet. Did I use too much leaf? Do I need to take some out? What kind of water? How warm should the water be?

I could go on for hours, but the point is this: I'm reaching a point where I don't really need to measure how much leaf I put in to the gaiwan. I don't actively think about the temperature of water anymore, and as soon as the water covers the leaves, my hands have started going into autopilot and pouring delicious cups. The whole process is finally finding it's way into muscle memory. I'm starting to find a bit more consistency in my pours. Looking back only three or four months ago, I clearly remember brewing the same tea a few nights in a row and getting startling differences in the colour of the liquor, the thickness of the syrup, the smoothness, right down to the cha'qi.

I'm starting to take hold of the belief that in able hands, most tea has some potential. It's just how a skilled musician can still make good sounding music on any instrument, even some that are slightly damaged. On the other end of the spectrum, you put a $3,000-$4,000 Taylor in the hands of a player who knows only the first three chords to Inna Gadda Davita, or the first bar of Classical Gas, it's still going to sound like a novice player, and you're sure to repel a crowd.

The last package I bought (the aforementioned tea fiasco I've been writing about in previous posts) contained a few samples and one of them was the 2006 Organic Pasha Mountain from Haiwan tea factory. I was talking to Teddy the other night, and we were laughing over some really skunky pu-erh he brought over. He mentioned that he tried the Pasha and liked it, but that it was very consistent start to finish. Bland was a word he used. I put that aside, like I always try to do when I have never sampled a tea before. Tonight, I pulled it out and brewed it up in my new yixing clay pot (which still needs a bit more weathering) and immediately found that it was smooth, clean, and definitely lacked bitterness. It didn't really have a whole ton of character from the first infusion, but was by no means bad. It's a delicious tea. One I would definitely share with guests, but not a tea for my more adventuresome taste buds of late. Each infusion packed plently of the same flavour, which I can admire. I chalked it up to this excerpt from string of text messages that went back and forth between Teddy and myself a few minutes ago:

Pasha mt. is the Snickers Bar of pu-erh. Not flashy, no surprises. Consistent delivery each infusion. I like it.

My next post is going to be about some of that skunky pu-erh that I've come to love on an occasional night of brewing here and there. Hopefully, anyone who reads this will be moved to speak up and share some of their tales of woe with me at that time. ^__^

I fought the Post and the...oh wait, I won!

2008-06-26T03:34:00.002-04:00

The USPS thought they were gonna extract an extra $60 out of me...
Originally uploaded by spatialentropy

In early May, I decided that I was going to place a large order from Scott at Yunnan Sourcing. Two bricks of the 2008 Dehong Purple Varietal, a tong of the 2008 Menghai 7542(801), a yixing teapot, a mesh strainer...all things that should never have been an issue. I paid for my order, it was shipped to me. Everything was going just as planned until the USPS got their hands on my package. Somehow down the line, some brainiac decided to remove the waybill from my package. It made it out of China through customs, over a rather large ocean, into US customs, in the hands of the US Post Office, and eventually to my local hub. A little after five weeks had gone by, I receive a letter explaining that the package arrived without a customs declaration, no postage, and that I owed them $59.25 if I wanted to pick up my package. Because I thought it was a complete outrage, I called the post office immediately.

The next day, I spoke to Dennis, the postmaster at my local post office. He informed me that if I could provide a copy of the waybill then he would let me have my package. I immediately contacted Scott, who faxed it over, although the post office claims to have never gotten it. I asked Scott to scan and email it to me directly, which he was kind enough to do.

Upon receipt of the waybill, I thought I had this one in the bag. I went to Kinko's to print up a nice colour copy, and took it to the post office, only to be called a scam artist. The lady told me I should just refuse the package. I immediately spoke up saying "lady, this is a tong of spring harvest.....nevermind. You have no idea what I'm talking about." I asked to speak to the postmaster, and was refused; told he was in three interviews. She advised me to then just pay the $59.25 and get my package. I left, much less than satisfied, and more than determined to be a pain in their ass until I was able to recover my package.

I called and spoke to six different people on Saturday, and left multiple messages for the post master to call me back. He finally got back to me on Monday morning, and informed me that he wasn't even in the office on Friday when I went to talk to him. I emailed him the waybill, and a description of the contents of the box. I informed him that I would not be paying $59.25 for a package that shipping was already paid for, and showed him exactly how to read the way bill. I also informed him that if he was unable to help me, I wanted the name and phone number of his superior, as well as the postal investigator involved (since I was told the postal investigators had their hands on my box as well).

The very next day, I found an email the moment I arrived at work saying that he would be willing to turn over my package under a few conditions. He said he would be out of town and to speak the other supervisor that would be there. I would need to provide a copy of the bill (so I brought the one they called me a scammer over), a valid Drivers License or State ID (which they ended up never checking), and be willing to open the box at the post office for inspection; all of which I agreed to. the shipping was 216.3 RMB, and the weight was 4452 grams. After showing that to the supervisor, he simply said "How the hell am I supposed to convert this?"

I replied, "You're the post office...don't you have tools for that?" When he looked at me and said no, I busted out my cell phone and pulled up Google in order to do the conversions for him. Once everything matched up, he grabbed a pair of scissors, and I proceeded to cut my box open.

He was careful with the contents, thankfully. Scott was also careful in his wrapping of my pu-erh, so everything came through in tip top shape. Out came the tong. Out came the two bricks of Dehong. Out came my yixing clay pot and my strainer. Then, then unthinkable happened. Scott was kind enough to include some samples with my order. I watched as the man at the post office (who already hoped he was on the precipice of catching a terrorist) pulled out three bags of tea and began to sniff them with a very suspicious look on his face. He then asked me what they were, and I explained that many sellers will include samples of things they think you may enjoy. I then gave him a thorough background on pu-erh, explaining the way it is made and the way it ages, to which his reply was "You're too good for Lipton, huh?" I said "yes sir, I prefer not to drink dust and fannings." After a minute, he grabbed a roll of tape, closed my package back up, and said "Okay, you can take your package home," I breathed a deep sigh of relief, but inside felt like I had just been rode hard and nobody even offered me so much as a towel. I honestly have never felt more violated, or more like a criminal in my life.

Through this ordeal, I'm very grateful to Scott for coming through with the waybill. He even offered to go above and beyond that if necessary, but being as persistent as I am, I wanted to keep pushing and pushing to avoid either of us having to spend unnecessary money. It's just the right blend of manner, pestering, determination, and conviction.

Tea Fiasco Update

2008-06-20T19:09:00.001-04:00

Well, here's the latest on my shipment from YSLLC that is in limbo. My post office basically called me a scam artist today. The way bill was separated from the shipment somewhere along the line. The postmaster told me that if I could provide a copy of the way bill then he would allow me to pick up the product. I contacted Scott, who provided me a copy of the way bill. After showing them the copy of the way bill, I was told that this was most likely made on a computer and that they see scams like this all the time. My post office sucks. Oh well, at least my sheng is in a moderately dry atmosphere and is always aging slowly. I hope I can get this resolved.

Snap

2008-06-17T21:53:00.004-04:00

To anyone who has never experienced it, there is nothing sweeter than the snap of a well-placed Go stone on a nice wooden board. I used to enjoy sipping a cup of tea and playing through professional games with the window open when I lived at the old place. I started playing again last year on a real board, but have played off and on over the past 4 years. To me, such a simple yet complex mindset is required to really enjoy the game. That's what I've always loved about it, but it wasn't until last year that I decided I wanted to stick with it for good. Since last year, I have moved forward 12 ranks, settling at the moment around 11kyu. I'm hoping that by this time next year I'll be closing in on shodan.

Playing Go has been especially helpful in relieving tension from every facet of my life, but my board has sat idle for a couple of weeks now. Nobody has come by to play until 3:00am. I honestly think it's because it's just been so humid lately. Most of me knows there are several other reasons as well. Tonight, it's very cool outside. There's a slight breeze coming up to my feet from beneath the floor boards of my porch. Everything outside of my body feels almost frozen in time. It makes me crave another warm cup of tea with a dear friend over the board.

The Marvels of Modern Mail

2008-06-16T12:09:00.002-04:00

So about 5 weeks ago I placed a pretty large order for some tea to be shipped here from Kunming China. I was worried that something had happened to it. Today, I find out that it's here in Plymouth. However, instead of the package, I got a letter from the postmaster. It reads:

Dear Mr. Sumner,

Please see the attached photocopy of the top of a parcel we received in our office. The parcel has no postage or customs forms and the country of origin is unknown. Due to FAA regulations and heightened security this package is not deliverable as is.

Please contact me at the Plymouth Post Office at xxx-xxx-xxxx to let me know if you were expecting this package or not. If I do not hear from you in ten days I will assume you do not want the item and we will dispose of it via Postal regulations.

Thank you for your cooperation,
Dennis F. Wieczorek
Postmaster

Somehow, this package made it all the way from Kunming to little old Plymouth...and they want me to pay $59.25 if I want to pick it up. I already paid for shipping. How in the bloody hell does a package make it through the post, overseas, through customs twice, and to my rinky dink post office without a single form attached to it?!?!?!?!

How very frustrating.

You Are Not My Rose

2008-06-04T19:04:00.004-04:00

In St. Exupery's The Little Prince, we learn the tale of a man whose life is changed when he is convinced by grownups to give up a career as an artist to become an master of the skies. The story is the recount of a man whose plane crashes in the desert, only to meet a strange little man who never answers questions, yet never lets go of a question once he has asked it. As we come to find out, The Little Prince lives all alone on a very tiny planet, where he cares for a few things...one of them being an exquisite rose that is one of a kind. To quote, he says:

"If someone loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that's enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars."

That said, I think the interactions we have with people can share that same quality. We can meet someone, and to us, they are the only one in all of the world. We can appreciate them, cherish them for touching our world, and we can know that no matter what happens, we have met up with someone and shared in an experience the likes of which no other human being will ever know. However, if we forget who we've become, or how to tell those people that they are special to us, it is possible to find that they are just like every other rose in the world. I've met a rose or two throughout my time. Each of them was lovely. Whether it be their beauty, their confidence, or their thorns (which are in fact more ferocious than a tiger's claws), they had something that forever made them special in my eyes. When you have to leave a part of your life behind, I think the most important thing is that we don't forget how to tell our rose from the rest of them. If we can do that, we'll always have a reason to smile.

This one is for me...

2008-05-30T19:15:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the non-tea related post. I'm sure that with time and counseling, the few individuals who read this will come to forgive me.

There aren't too many things that can spin a person about the way love can. In the mix of the past four years, I've seen a lot of changes come about my life. However, not one of those changes has made a larger lasting impression than becoming a father for the very first time. This is my daughter Grace at ten and a half months. She's small, but she's strong. She's starting to figure out how the physical world works, but still has no grasp on the social world. She knows that when she needs a shoulder, she can cry. She knows that she can say "car" or "ball" to tell us she wants a toy to play with. She says "Momma" and "Dadda" and a whole slew of other things. However, she can't possibly understand how much the course of her life is going to change because of love. There are many different types of love a person experiences; love of food, love of music, love of your parents and siblings, love of your children. However, sometimes that just isn't enough to keep a family together. Recently, her mother and I decided that the best thing for her interest was to separate.

I grew up in a household where we picked on one another. We were rude and dug deep into each other. It was how we expressed our love. We always said that if the world stops laughing at you, the world stops caring about you...and we actually believed it. It took some time, but I am starting to realize that every family grows up a little different. Grace's mother grew up in a family that was much the opposite of mine. Her mother was divorced while she was still young. She went back and forth from both parents, and everyone had a moral code of manners. I don't want to get into too many details that aren't my own, but my point is that we all have our own little nuances that make us a family. Some times it works and holds a group together, but when we can't find a way to make those gears mesh, it's time to take a look back at our own roots and determine whether or not to steer the course we've grown accustomed to, or whether we should make a departure from our normal way of thinking. Why did we end up the way that we are? Where do we get off thinking our way is always the correct way? Why don't more people question this?

It all goes around and around until you get to a point where you ask two vital questions:

Is this what I want for my life?

Is this what I want for my child's life?

A Cautionary Tale

2008-05-24T22:43:00.002-04:00

Dehong 05 Purple Varietal
Originally uploaded by spatialentropy

Lately I've been reading so many horror stories about people chipping yixing clay pots, finding a crack in my kyusu, hearing about someone's friend wash their yixing with Palmolive, and chipping nice sipping cups that I want to just puke. Which is why I've set up a few guidelines for myself to avoid similar disaster in the future.

* No tea ware ever gets washed with anything other than hot water. No Grandma, not even the ceramics.

* Tea ware does not get left out overnight, no matter what the circumstances.

* If tea ware has a chic and stylish (or functional and not very stylish) carrying case, for the love of all things holy, put it away whenever it's not in use.

* Friends and family members are kept abreast on proper care for teaware...in other words, DO NOT TOUCH!

* Nothing but pu-erh is to be brewed in yixing pots. Can't let any of my boss' sissy mango-peach teabags tarnish the flavour of a well-aged yixing pot.

* All persons drinking tea in my company have heard the F*ck Yeah Cranes! story at least a half-dozen times.

Okay, I'm stretching now...anyhow, what are your care tips for tea ware? I'm all ears.

Invasion

2008-05-21T19:50:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I moved all of my teas into a larger cupboard, but it looked really barren until just a few days ago. Today I received a shipment from a seller I had never made a purchase from based out of Hong Kong. His selection isn't as large as some of the other sellers, but he has some pretty good prices, and his customer service was fantastic. I'm still waiting on my tong of Menghai 7542(801) and my two bricks of Dehong Purple 08. I can't wait to add them to the rest of the collection. ^__^

Unfortunately, due to some personal events in my life, I'm going to have to slow down my purchases for a little while. My humblest of apologies to the kind souls who have let me purchase their wares; namely Scott and Gordon. I'll still be buying, just not as much. In the meantime, I will be taking time to prepare myself with an event that will forever alter the outcome of the rest of my life. It isn't going to be an easy transition, but there are too many great things in this world to not give it my all and presently, I am in a position where I am unable to give everything I have.

I am also on a path to figure out who I've become over the past five years. There are moments in the day when the dust settles just enough to where the steps I took to get here become obscured. I have glimpses, but this all has felt like one very long dream. Unfortunately, this is a path in which I will be without companionship. I hope to bring a few friends along from time to time, and I still intend to share my notes and occasionally stories that mean something to me. Aside from that, I make no promises on where I will end up. I do welcome you to come along and hopefully learn something along the way.

Change

2008-05-19T00:28:00.004-04:00

When it comes to pu-erh, it's no secret that the 06' 6FTM Yi Wu Millenial Tea Tree is by far my favourite. It's an old and loyal friend, albeit maybe a tad expensive. It's the only pu-erh that I generally keep on hand, broken off and ready for brewing at any time. Tonight of all nights is a night for old friends. My brain has been so frazzled for the past few months. Trouble in paradise, as it were. Tonight I learned the most valuable lesson I've ever learned regarding patience and respect; one that will forever impact the rest of my life.

It takes a patient person to truly enjoy this stuff. To look after so many cakes; ensuring they are in a position to age well. Relationships are the same way.

This is a picture of my daughter and myself from last fall. We went to the orchard to pick out pumpkins. She's almost walking now, and will be in school before I know it. Patience patience patience. Need I say more? I'm drinking to her health, but I'll drink to yours as well. Raise your cups this night friends, we've many great stories to share and in due time, we'll all find ourselves sitting around a table laughing at how we never expected to end up where we did.

2007 Xiaguan Holy Flame Tuocha

2008-05-17T23:53:00.001-04:00

Tonight I decided I was going to have a little fun with one of the Tuos (a very inexpensive tuo, might I add) that I recently purchased. I was in the market for different things; not because of rave reviews, or recommendations, but because I heard this was a very smokey pu-erh. My friend said "This blows the 05 Dehong Golden Melon out of the water!" That was enough for me to buy two of these.

Upon removing the tuo from it's handsome box, I was overwhelmed with the aroma of smoke. My notes literally say "Very smokey! Rinse REEKED of smoke." It's a thick tea, full of body. From the first couple of sips, I already felt this one coursing it's way through my body. I started drinking this well over an hour ago and I've still got a tinge in my stomach. The qi hit very early with this one. I also wrote down "lumberjack tea" in my notes. Nothing clever to add to that.

After the first infusion, I took a moment to take in the leaves and they smell like the bastard child of firewood, a little bit of camphor, and oregano. I was smelling it over and over and over until it reminded me of the last time I cooked with oregano (or parsley...same family). Honestly, the camphor was so mild that I almost want to group that minty scent in with the oregano because it also has it's own minty touch.

By the second infusion, there was a strong smoke smell still and the minty flavour seems to not be present. I am in awe as my lips, the tip of my tongue, and the hard upper pallet of my mouth are all tingling! Wow, I didn't expect to find that sensation from a six-month old pu. I was just going to comment that the camphor was replaced by a very mild bitterness...not bad at all, but I think it's more from overbrewing the second round a few too many seconds.

At this moment, the leaves smell faintly of cigarettes; non menthol...Parliament lights, to be more specific. I'm glad this doesn't carry over in to the flavour. This third infusion is going down smooth. Definitely the right balance now. If I take a very deep breath, I can ever so slightly smell that oregano again. I'd love to know exactly what is causing that scent.

The feeling I have right now is amazing. My head feels very clear, my body limber. I've got a tingling throughout. Also, I've got the last song of the Spirited Away soundtrack on repeat because Grace (my ten month old, teething daughter) loves to listen to it. Ithink it's called 'Always With Me.' She was humming along to it earlier this afternoon. Candy to my soul right now, I tell you.

The fourth and fifth infusions are still just as strong, even considering the fact that I removed some leaf (I'm a horrible judge with tight compression...sue me) and am using shorter infusion times...3 to 5 seconds tops. It definitely has some edge to it, but opens slowly. I am absolutely okay with this.

This one makes me want to take the night off and sip this until it's nothing more than golden water. I am amazed by how potent this stuff is. It's bursting with flavour, it changes each brewing, and it's got a ridiculously strong qi about it, the minty touch followed by the slightest bitter close. It's interesting, especially for such a young tea. Plus, for the price, you can't go wrong. It isn't for everyone, but if a pu-erh wants to sneak up and make my mouth tingle by the second infusion and still hit hard at the tenth infusion, and be only six months old....who am I to get in the way?

I had a lot of fun with this one. Maybe only us grizzly fellows can appreciate this. I'm going to serve a cup to one of my clean-shaven, well-dressed friends and get back to you with the findings. Till then, try to keep the leaves out of your beard. ^__^

Lumberjack tea indeed!

2008 Menghai 7542(801)

2008-05-17T00:38:00.000-04:00

The 7542(801) comes next, but first, I've got something I need to get off of my chest. It's been both an exciting and frustrating time for me lately in regards to pu-erh. First, it is exciting because I just moved all of my tea to a larger cabinet with more room to grow. I've got some really good stuff coming in from Yunnan Sourcing, Tuochatea.com, Dragon Tea House, and a couple other sellers. I love waiting for packages to come. I love opening the tea cabinet to take a punch in the face of wonderful smells. That aside, I have been filled with some frustrations. Topping the list is the fact that some of the pu-erh I have been drinking lately leaves me craving something more. Ku is a great part of any pu-erh, but not when it overpowers the soup. Five infusions & none of the buzz, light chaqi if any at all. This was very discouraging until I read that both Hobbes and Marshal have been running into snags as well. Hobbes learned a valuable lesson about the importance of being careful with the puer'dao. Marshal recently said that he felt that he had outgrown one of the teas he used to drink on a fairly regular basis. It makes me feel more human, and overall more accepting of some of my recent experiences with pu-erh that left a sour taste. It also forces me to pose two important questions:

1) Is my heart poured into every cup of tea that I brew?
2) Am I being consistent with prep when it comes to logging my tasting notes?

Now, onto some pu!

2008 Menghai 7542(801)

I had this once before and loved it. This cake is sweet & smells of melon. Right out of the cupboard it makes me careful to get things right this time & every time moving forward. Knowing the best way to cut open any cake, knowing the correct amount of leaf and water to add, as well as how long to steep for and in what kind of vessel.

I love that Menghai has added a seal that must be broken before it can be brewed. It looks like a fantastic feat to find a crafty way to maintain integrity. I did manage to peel the seal off without any real difficulty. Even so, this helps to minimize counterfeiting as much as possible.

The cake is a very rich green colour and I am seeing a lot of light coloured leaves on the face of it. This doesn't outwardly appear that it is going to be a difficult tea to cut into.

As I suspected, the cut was fairly easy although the cake is very narrow at the edges. The rinse smells clean and the liquor is a light golden colour.
The first infusion is smooth and goes down very quickly. The leaves have only begun to wake up. I assume there will be more flavour as I brew my next cup.

The second infusion is where things start to become more complex. The tea coats my teeth and makes them feel smooth. The ku rides out and shows it's face as the last bit of drink makes it's way down my throat. I feel very calm and alert, yet relaxed. A few months back, Hobbes was explaining Chaqi to me, but ultimately said "it's just a feeling." He said "Chaqi is just as you say, the vital energy in tea. It's a subtle effect, which leads some to discount it. Trying some older teas really makes it obvious, I believe. Suspend your skepticism for just a while - I remember being skeptical myself when I first started drinking pu-erh."

Now, the 7542(801) is delicious. I need to make it abundantly clear that this is in no way the best tea I have ever had. However, for an 08, I can say it tastes better than many of the 05 and 06 bings. It's thick, it brews for a long time, and it's complex once the leaves have woken up. This tea is definitely thicker and it takes forever for it to lose it's sweet start and slightly bitter finish. If I had things my way, everyone would have a tong of this. Since I can't have my way, I'll just take comfort in the tong +2 bings I have of this and take pleasure sharing this with dear friends in the hope that our bonds will mature as well as I know this tea is going to.

The "8100"

2008-05-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

I picked up Xiaguan's 2008 '8100' bing a month or so back from YSLLC because I really want to try as many of the '08 cakes as possible. I want to find my niche and be able to say for sure what I like, what I don't like, and be able to say why. This is one of those cakes that helps me make that clarification.

This has small leaves that don't really smell that fantastic yet. Maybe someday they will, but for now...it just isn't doing it for me. I've tasted this a couple of times, but haven't had much success with this thus far. The flavour didn't seem to carry, chaqi was weak, and it didn't last more than four, maybe five infusions. Maybe tonight I'll prove myself wrong.
The rinse smelled like wet earth after a drunken night around a bonfire cut short by rain. The first infusion is kind of bitter. Quite bitter, in fact. Not the good kind of bitter. I choke it down and hope that maybe it just needed a second rinse. Much to my dismay, the liquor is a little darker on the second infusion and the taste is actually more bitter. We'll go another round. Third time a charm? Not in this case. It's darker still and that kind of scares me a little bit. Three second infusions for all three of them and this one, albeit a bit less, is still quite bitter.

Either one of two things is happening:

1) My tastebuds are finally starting to become particular when it comes to pu-erh. I'm finding things that I really enjoy as well as things that I simply detest.

2) This pu-erh is flat out way too young for me to be drinking.

Actually, if I had to put money on it, there'd be a third option:

Obviously, I cannot rule out that it could be both, and very likely is. There is absolutely nothing exciting about this tea in it's larva stage. I may as well ice it down, add some sugar, and drink it through a straw while I'm at it. There's no telling what my thoughts will be the next time I sample this, but I can say for sure it won't be before my daughter says "I love you Daddy" for the first time.
If infusion #4 isn't any better, I'm going to brew up some jasmine white peony and call it a night.

#4... I quit.

I even tried removing some of the leaves. It helped, but not enough to merit retracting my former statement. Right now, my cups sit like this:

Revisiting the 2005 Dehong Golden Tuocha

2008-05-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

I bought this more as a curiosity than anything else, and I posted my notes on it a few entries back. Now that I've had it in my possession for a few months, I've only broken it out a couple of times. Main reason I don't try it more often is because of the fact that I'm sure I could cut diamonds with it. I broke it out one night when Teddy and I were sampling a bunch of different Pu-erh. We always have these nights where we'll try something really amazing, and just for fun, follow it up immediately with the skankiest pu-erh we can find. Twigs? Pine needles? No problem! That's just how we roll sometimes.

Last time, I remember my biggest takeaway being the bitter to smokey to smooth to minty effect...all one at a time. This time, the bitter has already started to go away. It had a little bitterness, but nothing that I would consider bad at all. The smoke flavour has definitely lessened. I'm not sure if it really has, or if it's because I've tasted something even smokier; the Xiaguan FT Flame tuocha I just received the other day made this seem like candy. In any event, the liquor still brews up dark, the rinse still smells of smoke, but the flavour is much much smoother now. Not so sweet as some of the others I've had; in fact, not sweet at all. The minty flavour has also subsided. It's still very interesting to me how much this tea changes in such a very little amount of time. Makes me wonder if these subtle discoveries, however big they may seem now, will be miniscule as they really start to age.

Is it just me, or do you want to replace every bing you open with a fresh one? That feeling when you cut into it for the first time and you know there is no going back. It's an $11 cake and I feel this way...Imagine how I felt cutting into the 2005 Dehong Purple. I need to see if I can't find more of those. Glad I was able to get a couple of the 2008.

I need to learn more about Dehong. It seems like Xiaguan has taken over my collection. At least, until my tong of the Menghai 7542 shows up...

On a side note, since I'm thinking about it, my tong of the 2006 Xiaguan Tibetan Baoyan arrived this afternoon. Yakbutter, anyone?

2008 Xiaguan FT Nan Zhao Tuocha

2008-05-13T00:29:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been turning to tried and true Pu-erh. I've been going back to the ones that make me happy, so I was a little surprised to taste something that was not like anything else I've been drinking lately. I recently bought one of the 454g cakes for Teddy for his birthday, but come to find out, the tuo and the cake are NOT the same thing. The blend is a bit different in them. Also, it's of note that Xiaguan uses 2006 and 2007 leaves for this tuo. That said, I was pleasantly surprised to open the package and find my nose taking in something that smelled of melon. This tiny little tuo easily became the choice for me to sample this evening.

First off, I've got this horrible curse of getting ahold of nothing but ironcake tuos. I was happy to see that my pu-erh knife slid right in and I was able to break off a decent amount of leaf. The tuo itself had a lot of lighter coloured leaf on it, which looked very young. I could see fuzz on some of the leaves. Once I broke it off, there were pieces just begging to come along with it. This tuo is as loose as some of the bings I've cut into. After breaking off enough leaf, I did my initial rinse for about 15 seconds and found...well, not much. No strong aroma, nothing I couldn't smell just by holding the dry leaves up to my nose and inhaling. That seemed a little odd to me. I must be honest when I say I thought I had struck a dud after my first infusion.

The first infusion brewed up a light golden colour, and hid everything like a bashful child. WWMKD? Anyhow, a really weak brew, and upon further inspection, the leaves still hadn't woken up. I suppose we're all a little tired in the morning, but it wasn't until the second infusion when I started to notice some stuff going on. Second infusion gave way to some darker liquor and a slightly stronger flavour. It had a touch of bitterness at this point which I guessed would get stronger the third time around. By the third infusion, I was correct; the bitterness had gotten stronger and then when I said to myself "not something you give to a friend who has never experienced Pu-erh" something interesting happened. I found a patch of sweetness at the very center of the back of my tongue. That sweet melon aroma from earlier had found it's way out of the gaiwan. Not sure why it took so long, but I have a feeling this will just get sweeter over the years. It'll likely only take a couple of years and it should be a consistently smooth, yet hopefully bold tea. I'm starting to feel a little buzzed from this. I feel warm inside. I'm very interested to try the 454g cake now as I'm curious about the differences. It's still very bitter though. The bitterness reminds me of the Menghai 7542(801), but I don't think it works as well. Perhaps I like it so much because it's outside of the norm for my regular drinking? Perhaps there is more to this?

By the fourth and fifth infusion, the colour seems to have settled into this medium golden liquor and the flavour has mellowed a bit too. The bitterness isn't so prominent now, and what is left over is a sweet, yet somewhat bland taste. I really don't need to spend too much time with this to know how I feel about it right now. Don't get me wrong; I do enjoy this, but not because of what it is now. It isn't bad by any means. I enjoy this more because I have a feeling it's going to turn into something really great over the next 3-5 years. It reminds me of a younger cousin you know will be cool someday. Just sitting there asking me to come out and play. Every now and then I'm sure I'll give in, but only because I know I'll want to still play when they become a little more mature.

More goodness

2008-05-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

Scott just got in 460 bricks of the 2008 Dehong Purple Varietal. He's already down to around a hundred. When I talked to him the other day, he mentioned that he had just received them a couple of days prior. I remember how much of a pain it was to get ahold of the 2005 that I have, so I bought two. On top of that, I bought a tong of the 2008 Menghai 7542(801) as well. One of these days I'll get my notes on paper. But for now, I'm very excited just taking in the smells and making room in my cupboard. I think I'm going to move all of my stuff to the pantry soon. I've got an empty cabinet that is nice and far away from any strong odors and humidity appears ideal for aging.

The thing that really occupies my time is my daughter. She's crawling, and she just learned to stand. Plus, she's teething, so she's up a hundred times a night. As soon as the rhythm gets a little more routine, I'll have time to write more; for now, well, it's business as usual.

No time for Notes

2008-05-04T02:22:00.000-04:00

I've still been drinking it, I just haven't made any time for notes. I've got a few orders in transit to my house right now.

Yixing Clay Serving Pitcher from Dragon Tea House
2x Xiaguan FT Flame Tuo Cha Raw 2007 125g from Dragon Tea House
Chinese Zisha Clay Sipping Cups from Dragon Tea House
Strainer from Dragon Tea House

2007 Guoyan Youle Mountain Wild Arbor from YSLLC
2006 Haiwan Tea Factory Lao Tong Zhi Aromatic from YSLLC
2x 2008 Xiaguan FT Nan Zhao Tuo 100g from YSLLC
2006 SFTM Yi Wu Millenial Tea Tree 357g from YSLLC
2x Menghai 7542 from YSLLC
2007 Menghai * Silver Dayi * Premium Raw Pu-erh * 357g from YSLLC
2x 2006 Haiwan Certified Organic Pasha Mountain Mini Cake from YSLLC
2008 Xiaguan FT "Nan Zhao Round Cake" Pu-erh Tea * 454g from YSLLC

2006 6FTM Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Tuocha from Tuochatea.com
2005 6FTM Jia Ji Raw Pu-erh Tuocha from Tuochatea.com
2006 Xiaguan Tibetan Baoyan Raw Pu-erh Brick (5-bricks) from Tuochatea.com

That said, I can't wait to steal more space in the cupboards...and to make Tibetan Yakbutter...just like this guy!

2005 Dehong Wild Tree Raw Purple Varietal

2008-03-19T20:35:00.001-04:00

Tasting notes coming very soon!

2005 Dehong "Golden" Raw Pu-erh

2008-03-16T08:59:00.001-04:00

I picked this up for three reasons:

1) I was curious as to the taste of the Dehong Pu.

2) Yunnan Sourcing was selling a purple varietal brick for $44 on eBay, and with almost 40 left stopped selling it. My guess is that someone else bought them up. I wasn't able to get ahold of it at the time, so sloppy seconds it was. (Fortunately I was able to get my hands on one from another seller, so I'll have some thoughts on that later on.)

3) It was only $11, so I figured, 'eh what the hell?'

So initially when I received this, I took a long while smelling it, and all I could smell was an earthy smoke flavour. I smelled absolutely no camphor whatsoever, which is interesting to me now that I've tasted it. After a few hours, I opened it up and started smelling it, and this time I smelled a little bit of mintiness. This piqued my interest, so I decided to open it up and attempt to cut a piece of it off.

For starters, I cut this off last night, and I'll just say I still have red marks on the palms of my hands from the knife pressing into my hands. THIS CAKE WAS ROCK HARD! I was sure I was going to find a diamond in there.

After getting enough of it off to brew, I rinsed it twice with near boiling water. The smell was more minty than before, but that didn't carry over into the flavour yet. The first thing I noticed was a bitterness, but not a terrible bitter flavour. It had a bit of edge to it, that quickly turned into a smokey flavour. Not like cigarettes, but more like pine. The smokey flavour then settled down and there was a minty aftertaste. However, it wasn't a bunch of flavours that came at me all at the same time; they actually got in line and came at me one at a time.

It's clearly something you love or you hate. I'm curious to see what happens as this ages a little bit more.

2006 SFTM Yi Wu Millenial Tea Tree

2008-02-24T02:39:00.001-05:00

This has quickly grown on me. Teddy brought me a bing of this and we tore into it in the kitchen at my old place a few weeks ago. It was the first cake I've ever seen cut open, and fittingly the first cake I've spent my own money on. I'm not sure really how to begin to discuss this, but the biggest thing I enjoy about this particular pu-erh is the almost minty flavour that hides in it. From the initial rinse, I was almost positive that this was going to taste like beef jerky and campfire, but regardless, one rinse and it was delicious. I've got this cake on it's way right now, so I will definitely write more about it. From what I've read so far, that minty menthol flavour is referred to as camphor. From what I've been told, it's a telltale sign that the tree was old, and close to camphor trees, which causes the minty flavour to seep into the leaves a bit.

Here's my tasting notes from the last time I drank this:

The kettle is screaming at me and I pour the near-boiling water over the dry leaves of Pu-erh to do a rinse and my nose is overtaken by that familiar earthy minty campfire day after aroma. I haven't heated the water back up and I refill my clay tea thinger and steep my first infusion for only 15 seconds. A very clear, golden liquor awaits. The minty aspect is stronger, while the earthy scent, although present, feels more like a passenger in the back seat. I can't get over this new aroma and how much it reminds me of so many things that I love. It also smells ever so slightly of a miso soup I was once so fond of. Waiting for my tea to reach an enjoyable temperature, I took a look and even though I've seen it many times before, I'm blown away by how large the leaves remain in tact.

First thoughts for a second go at this tea; I like it more than I did last night. It's smooth and leaves a small tingle at the front of my tongue. I've been told this cake seems overpriced, but it's still fair to say that it tastes as good as many more expensive teas and pu-erhs. I still can't say it's better than many of the lesser expensive pu-erhs I've had. I finished my first infusion and I have that happy heart and warmth I was missing the first time I tried this.

Second infusion, about 25 seconds with the same water that had been cooling down while I drank the first cup. The liquor has a slightly more amber hue to it, although I can still very clearly see the bottom of my cup. The minty vibe has died down and what remains is a mild flavour with a fairly brisk afterbite. It sits in my mouth long after the tea is gone, and although not as exciting as the first infusion, there are new flavours that are too faint to put words to. Maybe the third infusion will shed more light. I'm starting to get the tingle back.

I want to try some new teapots. I read today that some collectors trade house & needed possessions for rare kettles made by master crafters. I hope I never lose my mind to the point where I'm responsible for another life when I sell my house for the sake of the perfect cup of tea.

As I end this second infusion, the last sips are bitter, but have enough flavour to keep me interested. At this point I'll coast. Eric just invited me to play him in a game of Advance Wars.

Afterthoughts: The above was all written a few weeks back. I'm eager to give this one another go, and hope that I'll be able to keep writing my thoughts here and sharing them with other people.

Mug Pu-erh

2008-02-24T02:29:00.000-05:00

I guess I'll start with a little about myself. I'm a lover of teas; mostly green and white. I'm a father. I play Go whenever time permits. I'm a very laid back individual, and I've recently fallen in love with Pu-erh. This is my place to learn and grow with something that is such a simple pleasure and hopefully make a few friends in the process.

I'll start by saying that at the moment, I know very little about the world of Pu-erh. I know it mostly comes from the Yunnan province in China, and that there are raw/shu and ripe/shang pu-erh cakes, or bings. I know that a bunch of bings wrapped up in a bamboo case are called a tong. Tongs usually consist of 7-10 bings. I'm stretching here, because I really don't know much yet. But here's what I do know.

Making tea of any kind, especially pu-erh is a very relaxing process and I'll without a doubt be doing it for years to come. That said, I need a place to keep track of my thoughts. A place to put everything down and share it with the rest of the world. That is my goal.

Generally I've enjoyed all of my teas in vintage coffeemugs. Big stocky mugs with a single handle that welcome you to walk about while you're sipping. That's how I drink it for now. I'm on the fence about ordering and authentic tea set. I like the coffee mugs, but despise the flavour of coffee. Go figure.