TeaDB

Author: James

  • Deep Dive: An Exploration of Pour & Steep Time [Inbetweenisode 194]

    This is a non-tea drinking show where I test and explore the topic of pour time. Over the course of this episode I test the pour times of eight different vessels I use regularly to brew tea, ranging from small gaiwans to a large blue pot I use to do casual sessions of ripe in the morning. It is a nerdy episode, but in my opinion is quite informative for anyone that wants to think a little deeper about how they are brewing tea.

    During these very basic tests I also explore how things with controllable pours like gaiwans and shiboridashi’s brew a little differently with tea than teapots. I conclude by examining the pre-pour steep time that occurs after you poured from your kettle. I specifically test how this time differs if you pour with the kettle from your left or right hand. The spreadsheet is a little complicated for this part, my apologies.

  • 5th Annual r/tea Seattle Meetup [Episode 308]

    Super special TeaDB episode! The can’t miss event this spring is the r/tea Seattle Meetup. Don’t miss out on the only event of the year where you can see all of your favorite tea-related personalities.

    Featuring Garrett, Meet, Denny and James.

  • Old Ways Tea Laocong Shuixian [Episode 307]

    This episode, Denny and I drink a tea from what has become a popular source for Wuyi Oolongs, Old Ways Tea. This is our first (and blind) try at Old Ways Tea and we started with one of the classics in the Yancha genre, Laocong Shuixian (Old Bush Shui Xian).

  • A Look at Prices From 2011-2018 Through Nine Yunnan Sourcing Productions

    In 2012, Yunnan Sourcing released a spring Wuliang tea that sold for $23/400g. Since then, Scott has pressed five more spring Wuliangs, most recently in 2018. This time it was priced at $43/400g, an effective price raise of 87%. This post is an investigation on how the release price of nine different tea productions by Yunnan Sourcing have shifted over the years. It is another data-centric way to look at price change over the years. It’s more simplistic than previous investigations but is intuitive and easy to understand. (more…)

  • AMA Q&A [Episode 306]

    This episode, Denny and I do an AMA (Ask Me Anything) covering a wide array of topics. Thank you for all who sent in questions. Enjoy!

  • Tasting From Deep in My Storage. Pu’erh Progress Report 2019 [Inbetweenisode 193]

    This episode I talk about a series of tastings I’ve done with teas deeper in my stash that I purchased in 2014-2015. Most of the teas have been stored in my storage but I also drank a couple from fellow Washington state residents, Garrett (guest collaborator) and Geraldo. I discuss how the teas have been progressing and a few thoughts on storage in my climate.

  • 2001 Menghai Tea Factory 7432 Raw Pu’erh, Traditionally Stored via TWL [Episode 305]

    This episode, Denny and I drink a traditionally stored tea from Menghai Tea Factory, the 7432. No that is not a typo. This is a recipe that isn’t frequently produced, but the tea is quite legit. It is traditionally stored but overall quite clean. Would make a great introduction for anyone curious about this sort of storage. Sample provided by Marco at Teas We Like. Thank you Marco!

    https://teaswelike.com/product/2001-m…

    https://teaswelike.com/

  • Tea Progress Report – Washington State Stored Tea 2019

    This is an extremely overdue tea drinking report. It was conceived for two reasons. (1) I recently reconfigured my storage into a larger setup. (2) I have a yearly tradition of picking some teas out of deep storage to retry and note their progression (or lack thereof). The latter allows me to get a better feel for my storage and pick out anything going wrong with the teas. This year I picked eight teas from my own storage as well as a couple extras from tea friends, all of which have been stored for a significant chunk of their lifespan in Washington state. (more…)

  • 2012 YS Purple Spring Yiwu Raw Pu’erh [Inbetweenisode 192]

    This episode as a part of the larger 2019 progress report I drink a tea that has been in my stash for five years, the 2012 Yunnan Sourcing Purple Yiwu Raw Pu’erh. This tea is just turning the corner as a slightly aged raw pu’erh and is much more focused than when I had it now.

    Rating: 6.0.

  • 2007 WuyiOrigin Smoky Lapsang Souchong [Episode 304]

    This episode Denny and I drink an aged and smoky Lapsang Souchong from WuyiOrigin. This is an interesting tea (still smoky!) that feels familiar but also different from much of what we’ve tried.