According tea(s) to tobacco(s)

[noseflute]

@jamnban : I do. I brew my tea the "gonfu method", lots of tea in a small japanese Hohin, and very short repeated infusions.
Here is my office "tea corner", and where you can see my Hohins :

 

[noseflute]

@troyniss : I even have Gyokuro that are best brewed even lower : 50°C /122°F
And as you may know, some gyokuro(s) are very good brewed with cold water, and even just covered with ice cubes during all the time it takes them to melt. The Japanese call that method "Shinobi-cha"

(https://www.freshcup.com/ice-brewed-shinobi-cha/)

 

[irishearl]

I would also echo the comment in this thread about how many tobacco blends can overwhelm the taste of tea. All the blends I smoke have perique and/or latakia in them. The only teas that can keep pace with those blends are black teas.

 

[noseflute]

@irishearl, certainly, but you also could choose teas that "play" on another ground... like acidity, floral tastes, ... certainly weaker, but aside, not in competition.

 

[thomasw]

Compared to my wife and the tea drinkers in this thread, I am a very simple tea man. I love English Breakfast from Murchies and, when I can find it, I love Jasmine tea. I will drink tea in the evenings, and in the mornings I drink bold, dark roasted coffees. Though I like both with a pipe, I find black coffee fits best with my tobacco preferences, i.e., burley and VA-Bur blends.

 

[troyniss]

Now that you mention it, I remember my trip to Japan back in February 2016.

I went to a tea house where they did the multiple infusions.
The tea-master was pouring the water from what it seemed like from the ceiling into the pot or Hohin, not sure exactly what he was using at the time.
He gave us a very concentrated shot glass of green tea. Next was a bit larger. And then finally was the last 2-3 infusions.

Damn it was smooth and expensive!
noseflute, I've never heard of the Shinobi-cha method. Just goes to show you that I'm still new to tea drinking even after 5+ years.

I can predict that ice method makes for a nice buttery texture.
I hope to have a nice dedicated corner of a dwelling one day for tea (and tobacco). My collection isn't as extensive as yours or as pretty, but I think I manage pretty well.

 

[noseflute]

@Troyniss : "shinobi-cha" is worth trying, particularly in Summer, or even cold water infusion. I certainly wouldn't say it's my prefered brewing method, but it gives a great change of pace.
Cheers!

 

[jamban]

Nice looking tea corner you have there. Do you use ceramic or porcelain containers for your tea? If not, i would encourage you to try one for a tea you are already familiar with. It is very interesting how the container affects the tea.
I am curious if anyone here uses ceramic or porcelain containers for aging their tobacco and whether any differences are noticed compared to storing them in glass.

 

[irishearl]

All I've ever used is the same thing the tea seller from whom I buy my teas from uses, glass jars with screw-top lids. Keeps it fresh enough for upwards of a year. If you're wanting to keep tobacco fresh for an extended period of time, though, you're better off with glass Ball canning jars.

 

[paulfg]

this is an interesting thread,I didnt drink any tea for about 12 years but have recently taken to Early Grey with lemon when smoking GH Brown Bogie scented or Dark Flake scented.I like the combination of Bergamont in both the tea and pipe.

I will have to try to source some of the others mentioned
thanks

 

[noseflute]

@jamban : Thank you! I use some clay (Yixing) jars too (as I also have many Yixing tea pots), just not in my office (in my flat). In fact, in my office, the rotation is rather quick... I drink 2-3 liters of tea each day, that is 3 to 4 different teas

 

[jamban]

Ah... I also have some yixing jars, those are good for keeping younger teas. But for the aged teas, i prefer porcelain. Experiment and see. I did, and my findings led to my preferences.
I would love to see your collection of yixing pots.
If you have never tried any Wu Yi rock tea, i would be happy to send you a few samples. I see that you are already quite familiar with the wide universe of tea.

 

[noseflute]

Jamban, I'll try procelain jars... and I'll make pics of my Yixing teapots.
Wu Yi, I love that and currently have one in my rotation (thank you a lot anyway)

 

[jamban]

Cool... Do try other Wu Yi teas when you have the opportunity. Or if you are ever in Malaysia, drop by and i'll brew some tea for you. Looking forward to your Yi Xing tea pots!

 

[noseflute]

Thank you Jamban!

 

[fetidbog]

Ok, I'm a real tea novice(other than the iced sweet tea I grew up drinking) but I do love a good cup of Earl Grey now and then. But mostly I'm a dark roast coffee drinker and this question popped into my head. What teas steep best between 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit(the operating temp of most coffee makers)? And by this I mean putting the tea in the pot(not filter basket) and running just water through the machine to heat it. And how long should they steep?

Also, Vauen Oxford blend tobacco is supposed to contain bergamot giving it an Earl Grey quality.

 

[noseflute]

Fetibog : Almost any black tea (Darjeeling, Assam, Pu Erh, Hunnan...) and Oolongs are brewed best at 90°-95°C, that is more or less 200°F.
But 'down' to 180°F, you have almost all the other ones (including most of green teas)
There's only fine Senchas and Gyokuros, some white teas too, that you need to brew at very low temp.
The steeping time is another matter... amount of leaves too. And there is no real general standard for that. It depends on each tea. And steeping time depends on leaf quantity. And on drinker taste. And on the way you prepare your tea.
I don't think that a coffee machine would work the way you think of, since you would have to remove the leaves when the brewing time is over (or would you brew just a small quantity?). One good point though : the leaves prefer to be free in the water than to be jailed in a metal ball...
As for tobaccos, teas are neither a 'rocket science', nor a 'systematic' science. They better lay on the art shelf, and needs experience, experiments, ... One day you reach the Olympos mount, and the next day, in the same conditions, it looks all flat. Why ? Maybe "you" are not the same...
So : you just have to try and see.
I'm not sure it will help you... sorry
All the best
Antoine

 

[crashthegrey]

I have recently been sampling tons of sheng puerh teas. As you know, the beauty of gong fu brewing allows for experimentation. So I will smoke a pipe and taste multiple puerh teas until one fits. While I could provide lists of other tea and tobacco combinations, I like playing by no rules and seeing what teas bring something out in the tobacco, and vice versa. I will echo that a smoked tea and latakia tend to just compete, I look for opposites as well. I don't do too many "aro" teas or tobaccos, but some of the wu dong oolongs that have been "flavored" are fun to pair with different virginia tobaccos, like duck shit tea.

 

[irishearl]

Never done the gong fu thing. I simply put the loose black tea in the basket of my drip 4 cup Mr. Coffee dedicated just to teas and brew it that way. Always results in good tea flavor.

 

[troyniss]

@noseflute,
Where do you purchase your gyokuro tea from?