Mindful Teas

Gongfu • Tea Reviews • Tea Experiments • Philosophy • Personal Thought • Community Involvement Always brew with passion and effort!

[steepology-blog]

Another hobby of mine that i enjoy deeply is wine - i’m by no means a sommelier as some would call me with tea, but i am able to taste differences in wines depending on age, location, type, duration aerated, etcetera. However, it’s an expensive hobby - really expensive. As such, i just don’t really take part in it much any more. Aside from the occasional dinner party themed to a particular culture’s food, i pretty much purchase cheaper wines - my favorite being a california chardonnay. I’m not typically a fan of red wines, but i can enjoy it with a pasta alla pomodoro. Today, i’m drinking a white zinfinde (which is more of a rosé, really), which sports a rather sweet flavor with a beginning note of cherry that very quickly develops into a strong body of melon, and fades away into a slight yet smooth astringency with mild notes of honey. It’s a decent wine for those who don’t quite like complexity or subtle nuances, for sure. While not my favorite, for $6.99 it’s definitey an amazing wine. For those who follow my typical regimen of tea posts, it’s the Shou Mei of wine, both in the aspect it is made using the rejected grapes and pulp during the processing of normal zinfandel, and the fact it has a soft, fruity taste to it. #wine #zinfandel #whitezinfandel #whitezin #glassware #vintageglassware #artdeco #winetime #5oclocksomewhere #europeanculture (at Salem, New Hampshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtbzYmMlmBr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kg2a73jb61ya

[steepology-blog]

I’ve been practicing a lot of kintsugi over the past week, after having found out about it only two weeks ago! This is my third piece so far - i’ve been using a 5 minute epoxy and gold acrylic paint for practice. I’ve just got my phone back after losing it, so i apologize for a lack of postings! I plan to get back on schedule saturday - i’ve got a busy week ahead of me! #japanesepottery #kintsugi #art #crafts #pottery #repurposed #pottery #goldleaf #acrylics #steepology (at Salem, New Hampshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtPuPf5FCFY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ufrur031t2ee

[steepology-blog]

Dragonwell - perhaps one of the few green teas I genuinely enjoy. Ever since picking up my old Mountain Mist green for a contest a few weeks back, i’ve been on this odd hook, with green teas as the bait. I feel none of them encapsulate the ideal flavors of green tea more than Dragonwell. It can be compared, a small amount, to chinese sencha. With flat steamed leaves, it produces a slight grassy crispness. However, while sencha’s grass tones linger, Dragonwell’s give way to a winderful savoriness reminiscent of Dashi. A surprising hint of mint swirls around with this umami burst, twirling and dancing together in a flavorful rendition of Yin and Yang. There is no beginning, nor no end to these two flavors. They co-exist, one with the other, and are two stark contrasts, yet hold no differences. If you have not had dragonwell, it is a tea I would highly recommend trying. #tea #teatime #teatography #teaporn #greentea #teareview #photography #pottery #teacup #mindfulness #philosophy #meditation #clearthemind #steepology https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs9GApdlFDM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1qufuazyv5saj

[steepology-blog]

A wonderful night-time ceremony of a Mountain Mist green tea!

I rarely ever drink green tea, and this is mainly due to just how finicky they can be to brew “correctly” - to me, this means brewing it in a way that harmoniously combines its different flavors with its texture. Oolongs and dark teas are commonly used for gongfu because the tea itself makes it easier to do, but green tea features a leaf far more delicate than these modified teas. The slightest change in temperature, brewing time, tea-water ratio, etc. will definitely show in the resulting brew.

Mountain mist - while not technically one specific type of tea, but just a mixture of a few cultivars grown in misted mountaintops of china - is no exception. It has an extreme savoriness reminiscent of hay, with little grassiness or bitter aftertaste, when brewed perfectly. I feel this makes green tea the best tea for gongfu - as it truly does embody its etymological source, of brewing tea with great effort.

[steepology-blog]

Hello, everyone! For those who don’t know me, i run a small tea blog off of Instagram under the same name (Steepology), and i’ve decided it is time to expand my reaches and further continue to explore my passions.

As a quick run of what you can expect here, I like to create posts that engage the viewers by sharing a bit of my personal thought in relation to tea, and I encourage you all to join in the conversation.

I also post polls and questionnaires on occasion, because who doesn’t like polls?

I hope to get to know all of you in due time, and I wish you all some happy steeping!