Teafarm: Canadian Tea Garden, Sochi Russian Tea Plants

Before leaving Vancouver Island there had to be a visit to Canada's only tea garden, Teafarm. This tea farm is one of the Northern most in the world and one of the first in Canada (wonder what ever happened to this one?). Located in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley it is at the center of the Cittaslow movement in Canada. Cowichan Valley is a location that combines the slow pace of island life and the Islanders value of food and tea culture- it feels like the perfect place for a tea shop and garden.

Tea Farm's owners, Margrit and Victor, decided in 2010 to devote their time entirely to tea. They primarily offer herbal teas and blends many of which contain ingredients from their farm. One first met them at the 2011 Victoria Tea Festival. It was there where the first spoke of their challenges to find a tea plant hardy enough to withstand the Winter conditions. After much research they decided on a variety of Camellia sinensis found around Sochi Russia. This variety famously known in Russia for the Krasnodar Tea which is produced from its leaves has proven to be the right balance of taste and hardiness. It turned out that deer (that are a daily sight even in Victoria) turned out to be more dangerous than the elements. This year they nearly wiped out the small, unprotected tea garden in one night.

Even though Teafarm is most famous for these Camellia sinensis tea plants, the garden is more of just a marketing gimmick or research project right now. All of the Camellia sinensis tea you see in the store for sale is actually imported. The amount of tea plants are so few that the plants would only produce about 300g of tea in total for the year. Even this, the tea plants have not even been used to make tea yet because they had not had their 3-5 years of initial growth. The whole topic is an interesting topic of conversation anyways.

People come for the laid back tea drinking atmosphere, Margrit's unique tea pottery, and Victors charm. It was a very enjoyable and scenic morning that day. Being engulfed with good friends surrounded in nature is what sharing tea is all about. This is most definitely a place for that.

Peace

The Most Famous Tea House in Canada Right Now

On August 17 there was an opening of an extraordinary Chinese tea house in Toronto.  It is most definitely not your normal everyday tea house.  Some call it a puerh tea house.  It quite literally is!

It's the world's most influential contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei's art installation Teahouse (2009) showing at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

See here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB_6mvy-rZ4

The piece consists of a house constructed of four hundred 20cm cubes of puerh tea!  Then it is all surrounded by loose leaf tea (mao cha?).  A friend who experienced the exhibition said the smell was maybe the best part.

Interesting.

Peace

Yunnan Sourcing Event: Theta (2012 Yunnan Sourcing Xiang Ming)

For the month of July one fell off the tea blogging world and into the world of moving a life to a different region of the country. During this time no tea blogs were read. This happens to work out quite nicely because the blind tea tastings called "the Yunnan Sourcing Event" put on by Hobbes of The Half-Dipper was not spoiled. Over the next month expect an onslaught of blind puerh tastings from this event.


The dry leaves smell of very deep rich forest. There are creamy-sweet and salty odours that emit from the leaves they are piercing enough to leave a pleasant tickle in the nose. The smells are deep, fresh, and very foresty.

The first infusion is light with a very soft frosty-sugary initial taste and a light nutty-grain forest base resting underneath. The aftertaste drifts into sweeter, white sugar with delicate very light florals. The mouthfeel is thin and is felt mainly on the tongue.

The second is a much more balanced affair with surgry-creamy sweet notes mixing with deeper forest notes in the initial taste. The flavour is light and ends is a candy sweetness that tastes like rock candy but is teathered down by deeper but still light forest tastes. These tastes fill the tongue and mouth only touching a bit in the upper throat but leaving a light sweetness there. The qi is also fine and light. It pools in the stomach slightly making it somewhat heavy and distended.

The third infusion delivers a grainy slightly flat tasting initial taste. It finishes with a soapy-foresty, slightly rubbery sweetness. It is actually like a light edge of sweetness surrounded by these deeper tastes. The feeling is still mainly residing in the mouth. The mind explodes with jittery energy now and the distended stomach feeling disappears- the qi feels nice here.

In the fourth infusion is a thicker, soupier, slightly grassy-grainy, more bound together taste. Most of its sweetness is gone and just shows very light edges in the aftertaste. Its taste is simple, somewhat bland, deeper, gainy-grassy. There is a soapy-deep flowery notes that passes quickly between the initial- and aftertastes. A slight grainy-soapy-flat floral taste lingers a minute later.

The fifth infusion is a slightly heavy, slightly flat bitter sweetness. It has a woody-forest base which is strong, a slight bitter as well. Lighter notes drowned under the heavy taste and only share a small, unnoticeable edge in the aftertaste.

The sixth infusion delivers a mix of muted-sugary-bitter sweetness over a bland wood-forest base. The mainly bitter and barely sweet edge stays in the mouth minutes later.

The seventh is much of the same but carries a subtle smooth pear fruit taste in there as well. It is predominantly this bitter, foresty, barely sweet taste though.

Guess: 2013 Yunnan Sourcing Ai Lao- because of its lack of bitterness, slight floral nose and mainly Si Mao/ Jinggu base taste.
Actual: 2013 Yunnan Sourcing Xiang Ming

Peace

2013 Kim Jong Yeol (Butea) Saejak Hwagae Valley Green Tea‏

This tea comes from good ol' Pedro from O5tea this Kim Jung Yeol (Butea) saejak has become a seasonal favorite throughout the years.  The dark and pale mix of green leaves smell of evergreen and minty sweet freshness. The leaves have a frosty sweet smell to them.

The first infusion delivers a creamy-smooth foresty evergreen taste. The mouthfeel and throat feel are expansive and spread a cool slightly menthol-mint taste across a light foresty-green base. A sugary taste is hung up in the teeth.

The second is a touch more foresty but brisk and fresh tasting. More of a greeny edge appears now, the slight cool aftertaste remains. It has a subtle forest depth with some frosty sweet notes pinned between. The mouthfeel is full and paints the mouth in a soft fuzzy coating.

The third has a rich, deep, velvety-forest-green taste. It is crisp and frosty sweet taste which coats the mouth. It has a deep long, forest taste.

The fourth contains deep foresty tastes with a slight woody edge now. The depth of the forest is noticeable the frosty sweetness is pushed to the edges of the taste profile. The mouthfeel remains full.

This tea leaves the mind alert and vibrant. Certainly enough vigor for this late in the afternoon. So the session ends there although it could easily go a few more infusions.

Peace

Changes in Tea Drinking & China Chadao Event: Zeta (2011 Douji "Pashi") and Eta (2010 Douji Pure Series "You Le")

Most definitely my style of drinking tea has changed with the move to Saskatchewan. I wake early and drink simple tea from a beautiful buncheong five person tea set by Korean ceramic master Kim Jong Pil, then at the office I drink tea from a ceramic one cup pu-gak style tea maker by ceramic master Huh Sang Wok while enjoying the view from the window, then a few times a week I travel two blocks down the road to Life with Tea & Art Ltd. to drink from a full Chinese Tea set up on a wood table with yi xing pots and porcelain cups. These last two samples from the China Chadao Event were sampled with tea shop owner Bill Hanbiao Ye. They were done over conversation and very informally. The following notes reflect both my and Bills opinions of the samples...

The Zeta was the only sample that I didn't get to try before reading Hobbes posting. In the posting Hobbes explained that it is a 2011 Douji "Pashi" Special Maocha.


The very long dry leaves contain lots of vibrant sweet smells in the mix of many light hairy mao cha. They smell of deep perfumery sweetness balanced with a slight light sugary pungent edge.

The first infusion delivers very light, sweet taste, very pure tastes. There is lots of odour in the cup with florals and full sweetness taking charge.

The second infusion was left for a good minute (oops) over lively conversation. The result is full of deep tastes of malty depth as well as sugar cane and wild flower high notes. A cool sensation is left in the mid-throat as it opens gentley. A malty-sweet sugar cane taste is left in the mouth. This long infusion delivers a nice balance of depth and sweetness.

The third infusion is another long steeping (double oops) once again caught up in good conversation! Again this pot displays a nice balance of deep bitter-sweetness and mainly sugar cane high notes. The qi of this tea is very calming on the mind- it has a profound impact on ones perspective.

The fourth infusion is much the same as the third but deeper notes are now exploited even more. The throatfeel reaches a deeper level in this infusion. The mouthfeel is fine but full.

The fifth infusion shows fatigue from the longer steeps at the beginning of the session. It stars loosing its kick but still has a very nice throat feel. There is a barely melon sweetness linger in the mouth.

The sixth and seventh infusion are much the same, watery now. The qi from this session is very mellowing.

The next tea sampled the following day was coded "Eta". This tea was also steeped up in the teahouse.

The dry leaves contain only a weak, distant odour. The faint smell is almost mushroom with a faint ambiguous sweetness that is hard to grasp in this mix of a few longish hairy leaves mixed with dark browny-greens.

The first infusion is very rich, velvety, and buttery. This creamy initial taste is somewhat expansive in the mouth and throat- finishing cool in the throat. There is a butterscotch aftertaste on the breath. This first infusion has only a bit of depth- mainly just smooth tastes.

The second infusion gives us a strong bitter-creamy initial taste with a slight rough mouthfeel. The creamier, malty tastes are drowned out by the bitter heavy edge.

The third infusion is much the same with bitter tastes becoming even stronger now. A single malty sweet taste underneath emerges more in the aftertaste.

We steep this tea for a few more infusions and conclude that this tea is likely of single mountain origin because of its monotone taste. We surmise it is likely around 2010.

Guess: Either 2010 Douji Pure Series "You Le" or "Yiwu"
Actual: Pure Series "You Le"

Peace

China Chadao Event: Epsilon (2013 Douji "Phoenix Tour")

This was the fifth cake from the China Chadao Event. Okay, so we know right away that this is a shu puerh right?

Its brown-black medium large leaves are contrasted by smaller rusty coloured furry leaves. It smells of a fishy-gamey-meaty stench.... Mmmmm... shu puerh.

The first infusion delivers a flat-smooth taste with very light mineral aftertaste. There is still a bit of very light meaty-gamey tastes in the background. The mouthfeel is very slight and mineral on the tongue. A soft coolness enters the throat.

The second infusion is still quite smooth with slight mineral taste but much more of a strong cool sensation in the throat. The gamey tastes have disappeared leaving a very vibrant cool menthol in the throat to be enjoyed.

The third infusion delivers with a slippery, mineral mouthfeel that is mainly on the tongue. It has a deep clean-meaty taste with a lingering cool throat feel. The qi of this tea is strong and induces palpitations, and darting rushing thoughts. The mind feels free, if not a bit edgy from this tea. Wanting to sleep tonight, this tea is left until tomorrow morning.

The fourth infusion prepared the next morning has a smooth mineral, barely fruity edge to in now. There is a slight barely noticeble creaminess then a very cool finish in the throat.

The fifth infusion is fairly flat and washed out now. It tastes of faint-flat dirt-mineral. Much of the cooling sensation in the mouth has left.

The sixth is flat and tastes of bland metallic earth.

Guess: 2012 "world peace" or "phoenix tour" shu?
Actual: 2012 Phoenix Tour

Peace

China Chadao Event: Delta (2008 Douji "Hong Da Dou" Brick)

This is the fourth mystery sample from The Half-Dipper's China Chadao Event. The dry leaves smell of distinct bitter-sweet cherries.

The first pot delivers a mellow grainy taste initially then slight creamy-fruits move under this base grain taste. It has almost malty-aged edge to its sweetness and more of a golden-browish colour. Its mouthfeel is thin and only coats the front of the mouth.

The second pot is much the same with malty-sweet notes mixing with a subtle grainy taste. The mouthfeel is a touch more full now and coats the tongue and roof with a light sticky-dry sensation. There is a chalky-bland berry taste that shows itself just for a flash then disappears. The aftertaste is mainly a bland taste in the mouth.

The third pot gives off a mainly malty-sweetness initially then makes its way to a blandish and very subtle fruitiness in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel stays mainly in the front mouth or tongue. Its qi is very mellow, almost unnoticeable. This is not a complex tea but simple and easy to drink, a very mellow tea.

Fourth pot has more of a creamy edge but is much the same simple, sweet-malty aged flavour. It is starting to become more consistent across the taste profile as it slowly fades into a bland taste in the mouth. The qi is barely noticeable, very simple, and very soft on the stomach.

Fifth infusion is much the same as the others- a simple malty taste now a bit watery and even more simple. There is a slight menthol edge and fades quickly found in this infusion.

Sixth infusion is the same but with no menthol taste and a slight melon fruit taste. Seventh is mainly a bland taste with the faint fruity melon taste becoming more distinct but still very muted. The mouthfeel has weakened now. There is a faint bland grainy aftertaste minutes later.

Eighth & ninth infusion are much the same.

Guess: 2008 or 2009 Hong Da Dou
Actual: 2008 Hong Da Dou

Peace