Monk's Bliss by Mellow Monk
How do you like my new tea set?
I celebrated my birthday last week and got three new tea brewing devices: a porcelain gaiwan, a yixing teapot and this one, a simple Japanese teapot with a large infuser basket.
It has been fun experimenting with the gaiwan over the past week, while I’ve been considering which type of tea my yixing should be devoted to (anyone have any thoughts?). I decided to use the teapot pictured above to make today’s tea, Monk’s Bliss by Mellow Monk.
Monk’s Bliss is a shiraore, which is a green tea with some leaf stems. The result is a mellow green tea that tastes remarkably like steamed vegetables.
As I drank this tea, I kept drawing comparisons to the shincha I tried earlier this year. That too I described as tasting liked steamed vegetables, though I found this tea a much milder beast. Where the shincha delivered three, sometimes four strong infusions, the shiraore gives just two. But there is a warm depth to it, a richness that reminds me of a forest floor. It’s mellow and calming, a perfect accompaniment to a sunny spring morning.
Monk’s Bliss is available from Mellow Monk.
AndrewM138 wrote:
The colour of the tea itself reminds me of steamed vegetables without even tasting it! Sounds nice, I think I’ll have to try and find myself some…
Re- the yixing, do you have any already? I’ve got a handful and found Ti Kuan Yin Oolong to be an excellent starting point for yixing pots. The leaves open up beautifully; the flavour is easy (for Oolong) and benefits from multiple infusions. Plus, considering Ti Kuan Yin is a medium roast Oolong, the pot should be fine for most kinds of Oolongs, from delicate to strong
Veri-Tea wrote:
Happy birthday for last week
– the new teaset is just gorgeous! I love those simple lines and soft colour. Where did you get it and the gaiwan from?
Eric wrote:
I’m glad you like the new teaset Verity! I’m not sure where it was picked up from, though I know it was secondhand. Quite a good find if you ask me! I found the gaiwan at a small teashop in Box Hill called Serenity Tea House. It’s the first time I’ve seen a gaiwan in Melbourne, so I was quite excited to come across it. Serenity specializes in Taiwanese teas and the lady there (Candy) will sit you down and run you through some free tastings. Definitely a good day out for a tea lover!
Andrew, this is my first yixing. I’ve been considering dedicating it to an oolong, though I’m also tempted to devote it to a yunnan black. I’ve heard that can work quite well, though obviously most people prefer to use oolongs or pu-erhs in yixing clay.
Veri-Tea wrote:
Ooh, will have to check out the Serenity Tea House for sure – gaiwans are VERY hard to find in Melbourne indeed…
Jason Witt wrote:
Yi Xing is thought by the Chinese to be well-suited for either Oolong or Puerh. Personally, I have teaware that’s best for green Puerh, sterling silver. And it really does work well.