2011 Victoria Tea Festival Overview

Making it through the quick moving line up and through the front doors, one was greeted by the tasteful bonsais of the Silk Road booth. Although the design was much more natural in feel, it was apparent from just the first glance that there were less exhibitors than last year (about 10-15 fewer?).

One navigated past the crowded exhibition hall without spotting any surprises upon first walk through. There were some great conversations had with the different exhibitors though. This year one spent most of the time chatting with the local Victoria dealers that one hadn't got to spend time with before, that was nice.

Expect some posts in the next month or two covering Victor of Tea Farm and his interesting tea growing operation and Libby of Tula Teas and her oolongs. One had a great conversation with the almost 90 year old Yunnan native and exhibitor about her 200 year old puerh tea brick at the May Ip Lam Gallery exhibit. Even met up with another puerh tea lover in Victoria, who would have thought?

Out of the presentations, the Japanese Tea Ceremony by local tea group the Urasenke Nagomi Tea Circle was well done and even included a sampling of specially ordered matcha that Silk Road brought in exclusively for the event which contained flecks of gold. It was served a touch too watered down, a little too flashy, but none the less was enjoyable.

All in all, when around such great tea loving people, you can't help but enjoy yourself.

Peace

2010 Jagasilk Organic Dragonfly Matcha (Produced By Harimaen)

This matcha was purchased at the local stop, Jagasilk. It is the highest organic grade they carry, a step higher then the Organic Butterfly matcha consumed last month. Their webpage claims that Harimaen Estate, the garden they source their tea from, is the oldest and highest quality organic production in Uji. Certainly it is fresh- the label says it was stone ground on Dec 20th. Let's cut open the bag, boil the water, and prepare this tea in ceremony...

And so the bag is cut open and small particles react with air- one's nose takes in the scent of the powder. There are deep blackberry fruit notes with a savoury sweetness. Nutty notes are also picked up but are faint. The depth of the odour is noted. There are roasted bread smells as well as the scent of sesame seeds. There is a lot going on.


The mind is quieted. Movement upon movement, the tea is whisked up and thanks is given.

Taking the matcha in three sips first reveals an initial sweet burst that is followed by nutty, slightly roasted, sesame tastes which evolve in the mouth. The mouthfeel and throatfeel creep across mouth and throat respectively but with a smooth stickiness and slight grittiness that makes for somewhat of a layered sensation in the mouth.

The aftertaste that emerges is a creamy smooth marijuana taste with a somewhat soft 'green' taste. It develops into a malty- yeasty taste that is reminiscent of a good ale. Mellow but alerting qi.

Starts off sweet, finishes sultry. What a evening for a matcha like this.

Peace

Section 15. Tea That Has Deteriorated Must Not Be Used

"If one drinks deteriorated tea, the stomach becomes cold, so much so that one's energy is depleted and bad effects accumulate."

from Cha Sin Jeon- A Chronicle of the Spirit of Tea, a copy of Zhang Poyuan Chalu recorded by Cho Ui, translated in Korea Tea Classics

Those who do not have a copy of Korean Tea Classics do please follow along and participate by referencing a different English translation available here from The Leaf.

This tea classic will be covered one section a week which will go on for 24 weeks. Feel free to jump in with your commentary at anytime.

Peace

Sam Do Style Tea Bowl by Korean Master Chon Han Bong: A Look at the Rae Bin Sam Do Subtype

The Sam Do Style, or Three Island Style of tea bowl has a long history in Korea. The Rae Bin Sam Do style can be traced all the way back to the early 1400s and is one of Koreas classical styles. Like the Hwa Sam Do style and Ju Sam Do Style it has a very distinct look, or cannon, that is followed. Essentially they are trying to replicate the essence of a traditional bowl with only subtleties of each potter coming out in the final product. The idea is that the harmony of the elements, of nature, of the earth & fire is what is admired in the final product. The potter is below or under his product- the bowl his hands helped create. Of course, we cannot talk of this bowl without mention of Master Chon Han Bong- he is a brilliant potter and one of Korea's true masters.

This beautiful white slipped Rae Bin Sam Do style bowl is winter in feel while hinting at spring. So today, as winter rains fall and spring around the corner, it seems like the perfect day to examine such a wonderful piece.

The focal point of Rae Bin Sam Do style bowls is most definitely the calligraphy in the bowl's pool. The whole bowl seems to emanate around this centering feature like the island that this style of bowl was thought to come from. Here in the center we can also see the colour undernieth. It is the earth, the earth of the island. Its boundary is well defined by a white circle. From this calligraphy, from this white circle, the energy of the bowl is transmitted.

Squiggly lines emit from the center covered in a thin white that is blotchy, not completely covering the colours beneath. These squiggly lines represent the water, the waves that surround the island, the waves of peace that undulate in rhythmic motion that put us at ease when drinking tea from its innards.

The squiggles reach outward to the rim that is marked by notches, often a defining feature of the Sam Do Style. These notches are to thought to fill space with that which is beautiful but not pretentious. The notches that collar the inside rim on this bowl remind us to fill our lives with that which is beautiful but not to be braggarts, flamboyant, or pretentious but rather modest- happy with the simple things we fill our life with.

Of note on the inside rip is a finger print, a blotch, a human touch. Often blotches connect us to the human element of a tea bowl besides adding a measure of asymmetrical beauty. This blotch is especially beautiful and done quite tastefully.

The outside of the bowl is coated in a thicker application of white. Only when you flip the bowl over to admire its foot can you get a real feel for the contrast the white slip gives to the bowl. You also notice the ghostly layers white with thinner application in some areas and thicker in others where it coagulated then drizzled down the side. As the white nears the foot it thins into natural patterns with blotches of the base, green/blue brown colouring, showing through. These blotches add a relaxing element to the piece like watching a slow moving cloud in the sky.

The chop to is tactfully balanced with a small uncovered patch, revealing the clay below. It suggests modesty of the potter. The balance it creates with the chop is quite breathtaking especially with a such a thick layer of white defining its perimeter.

The division and contrast created by the distinct white boarder that cuts the foot in half is stark and is the focal point of the bowls bottom. Staring at its division reminds us of the division between Heaven and Earth. The sky, water, and island. The yin and the yang. The Dao.

Peace

2011 Victoria Tea Festival

Next weekend is Victoria's Annual Tea Festival held at Crystal Gardens. So far things look similar to last year. The usual quality local suspects will be there selling Japanese tea such as Jared and Miyu from Jagasilk and Peter and Fumi from Chado Tea House. There will also be the very influential tea shops Silk Road and Murchie's taking up large swaths of the main floor. This year a new player entered the scene here in Victoria, Teaopia, bringing with it a large chain style tea shop in the downtown core. They will be here this year sponsoring the presenter stage which is always good for at least a few interesting tea related presentations.

What perhaps will be most interesting about the 2011 tea festival is the last minute exhibitors that don't appear on the program. Last year some of these exhibitors were some of the better places to stop at such as Pedro at Dao Tea, and a few Chinese tea booths that one should have probably spent more time with. There are sure to be some surprises this year as well, like DoMatcha which shocked one with their gimmicky but high quality matcha.

The event is first and foremost a charity event, its primary goal it to raise money for a decent local cause. It must be taken for what it is, not a major tea festival in Asia, not even a tea exclusive festival, but never the less a fine tea festival. It is the tea that brings people together for a common good.

Isn't that what drinking tea is about anyways?

Peace

Section 14. Losing Tea's True Nature By Contamination

"Tea of itself has true fragrance, colour, and taste."

from Cha Sin Jeon- A Chronicle of the Spirit of Tea, a copy of Zhang Poyuan Chalu recorded by Cho Ui, translated in Korea Tea Classics

Those who do not have a copy of Korean Tea Classics do please follow along and participate by referencing a different English translation available here from The Leaf.

This tea classic will be covered one section a week which will go on for 24 weeks. Feel free to jump in with your commentary at anytime.

Peace

1980s Menghai "7572" Puerh

One usually doesn't consume much shu puerh, indulging only occasionally during the hot summer or once in a while for meditation. Today one has a craving for some old shu.

This sample was gifted by Daniel at The Chinese Tea Shop in Vancouver, who stocks a nice variety of cakes. It is of the classic 7572 recipe. This recipe was one of the first to be pressed into a cake by Menghai in the 70s. Let's boil the water, take in the moisture kicked up by the kettle, and enjoy some classic shu...

The smell of the dry leaf is pretty generic- the dusty, stale, must of a long storage. Faint dry wood notes predominate. The tea is placed in yixing and a rinse pushes out more of the smell of storage.

The first infusion reveals an initial burst of sweetness under the strong heavy characters of this tea. A velvety mouthfeel is full of creamy but sharp coco notes. The aftertaste is slightly fruity with a nice grain character to it. Minutes afterward creamy chocolate is carried with the breath. The mouthfeel further evolves into a mild comforting dryness which coats the mouth.

With creamy chocolate echoing in ones mouth the second infusion is prepared. It starts off with a slight sour-sweet burst lying in the thick oily soup of coco and decomposing wood. There are very medicinal notes that hide under other flavours then fade away. The mouthfeel is malty, thick, oily, and finishes slightly dry. The chaqi moves downward warming the lower cavity and comforting the stomach.

The third and fourth infusion start once again with a sour-sweet kick. There are raisin-like and medicinal notes here but they are smooth and meld into creamy coco on the breath. The mouthfeel remains viscous with a slight dry finish. It really gloops over the mouth and paints it in a thick coat all the way to the throat. The chaqi is quite heavy and burrows deep and downward. Ones hands and arms feel almost cool in juxtaposed with the light, soft warming feeling down below.

The fifth and sixth infusions have much more woody notes up front along with thick creamy coco notes that dominate the creamy taste of this tea. Thin dry wood stretches into chocolate in the aftertaste as well. The mouthfeel is very full but slightly less oily. The chaqi is compounding and bringing elevated alertness. One quiets here in the present.

The seventh, eighth, and ninth infusions maintain the core creamy, smooth coco, velvety taste with a progression to more dry wood notes in the aftertaste. The woody flavour is a creamy, velvety wood much more than it is drying. One takes a break from this tea and goes for an evening walk before returning to the table.

The tenth infusion comes once again with more woody, dry notes within the creamy coco base which is becoming more and more ghostly as the session progresses. Slight plum now accompanies wood notes.

The eleventh and twelfth infusions are long and slightly dry. Milky wood notes and many sweet, fruity hints are in there as well. The mouthfeel has lost its oily core but applies a thin fuzzy coating over the mouth and throat.

This tea is taken for a few more long infusions late in to the night before being put to rest with an overnight steeping. In the morning, one is greeted with cinnamon, mainly musty storage, and deep medicinal tastes.
Peace