Reading Tea Leaves
This episode we get deep into 'reading' tea leaves, or watching very carefully to know what the leaves want from us as brewers.
May 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 161
Floating Leaves Tea
Shiuwen, the owner of Floating Leaves, invites guests to her tea table for good discussion and a pot of gongfu cha.
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Episodes
Let Tea Brew Itself
This episode we carry on from the previous stopping point : As we experiment with brewing new teas, how do we know if a flaw in the tea is coming from the tea or the brewing technique? So we took out some bowls to just soak the tea and let it brew itself!
May 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 160
The Intention Experiment
In this episode we carry out an experiment comparing two brews that are exactly the same in all parameters except for the focus of our intention. We were absolutely floored by the results!
Apr 25, 2024•23 min•Ep. 159
Tea Cups : Quality
Shiuwen, John and Noah compare grades of porcelain in gongfu tea cups, and investigate what each cup does to a tea.
Apr 11, 2024•39 min•Ep. 158
Tea Cup Materials
We're back! First episode in the new Tea Studio! We're starting with an easy experiment, but also a very useful one : tasting tea out of different materials like glass, mass produced ceramic mugs and porcelain etc. Join us and give it a try at home!
Mar 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 157
Drinking Old Tree White Tea from Yunnan
This is a little interim episode with no video component while John is away. We've been wanting to record a session with this tea for about a year now, and although we're very close to sold out of it now, we thought it would be fun to share our experience for those that have the tea already. It's the Nightshade White Tea. Harvested in 2020 it's already mellowed nicely with age. If we get another chance to buy a tea like this we'll jump on it, because this was an awesome session. If you got this ...
Aug 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 156
What’s Your Intention?
In this episode we explore how we go about setting our intention and adjusting for the tea in this ever changing moment.
Jul 24, 2023•47 min•Ep. 155
Self Expression Through Gongfu Cha
This episode we explore ways to build understanding and express our vision of what a tea can be.
Jul 10, 2023•47 min•Ep. 154
Techniques For Brewing Oriental Beauty
There's finally a tea in our lineup that we're using lower than boiling temperature water! Special Reserve Oriental Beauty. In this episode we talk about how we approach this tea and tell stories about our first encounters with it.
Jun 26, 2023•53 min•Ep. 153
Making Adjustments For Special Teas
This episode was inspired by (1) John's question about how to make adjustments for different teas and (2) our experience of how to get the most out of our batch of Charcoal Dong Ding that was roasted in December of 2022. Also, Noah is very excited to be back on the podcast again!
Jun 12, 2023•42 min•Ep. 152
Waking Up Aged Oolong
We find aged tea is one of the more difficult styles to brew well. In this episode we explore some techniques that help to show the best side of an aged tea.
May 23, 2023•50 min•Ep. 151
Being Present with Your Tea
We're back!! In the first episode of season three, Johnny and Shiuwen will be experimenting with the harnessing of intention to brew a better (or worse) pot of tea.
May 08, 2023•24 min•Ep. 150
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Finale
This episode we just sit back and drink an epic puer tea harvested from 1000 year old tea tree.
Dec 12, 2022•46 min•Ep. 149
Tea Class with Shiuwen | John Brews ANOTHER Pot of Tea
John's second time to switch places with Shiuwen and show off all his tea brewing techniques that we've been working on this whole season!
Nov 28, 2022•47 min•Ep. 148
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Refreshing Stale Tea
The long awaited follow up to 'Techniques for Identifying Stale Tea', this episode is all about the tools and techniques we use to push staleness out of an older tea.
Nov 14, 2022•37 min•Ep. 147
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Practicing Connection While The Tea is Brewing
Recently we've been talking a lot about the 'opening movement' of tea brewing: Pouring water into the pot and the many details contained therein that effect the final brew. This episode we delve into the less obvious 'middle movement', or waiting for the tea to be brewed. This may seem straightforward, and is easily overlooked because the brewer is not doing any active process to the tea. BUT, as our tea classes keep repeating ad nauseum, there are infinite details in every aspect of tea brewing...
Oct 31, 2022•38 min•Ep. 146
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tasting for Agrochemicals
This episode we compare two high mountain oolongs, one grown with agrochemicals and one from an organic tea garden. Shiuwen teaches John, and the listeners, the tricks for picking up on agrochemicals in your cup.
Oct 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 145
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Deeper Techniques in Water Flow
More on water flow. We learned last time on the Waterfall vs Whirlpool episode that the way you choose to pour water into a pot of tea changes the outcome. This time we are exploring more fine details on how to improve the quality of your water flow.
Oct 03, 2022•56 min•Ep. 144
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tea Tools : Sharing Pitcher / Gongdao Bei
Today we talk about a tea tool that goes by many names : sharing pitcher, fairness cup, gongdao bei, cha hai. It is used with the best intentions, to make sure everyone is drinking the same taste at the same time. But is it necessary to brew a good pot of tea?
Sep 19, 2022•32 min•Ep. 143
Tea Class with Shiuwen | The Hidden Parameter in Tea Brewing : Waterfall
When we talk about the parameters of tea brewing, it's not uncommon to think of water temperature, amount of tea and timing. But there is a hidden parameter that we all must execute to pull out a good cup of tea from the leaves, and that's the way we pour water into the pot.
Sep 05, 2022•42 min•Ep. 142
Tea Class with Shiuwen | ”Jet-Lag” or ”Bound Up” Tea
Most teas undergo an acclimation period after shipping, especially long distances (like when we get new products in from farmers and roasters in Taiwan). This quick episode John and Shiuwen taste a roasted oolong that is in jet lag mode.
Aug 22, 2022•11 min•Ep. 141
Tea Class with NOAH | PNW Charcoal Roasted Oolong
In this episode, Noah shares some of his own charcoal roasted oolongs with John, and they compare the raw version with the finished product.
Aug 08, 2022•40 min•Ep. 140
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Getting to Know a New Tea
Shiuwen tells the story of how a new tea took some getting used to, and how she approaches unknown variables in tea brewing. We don’t have any sample available for this episode, but we hope you’ll practice these ideas when you next run into a new tea that doesn’t make sense at first brew.
Jul 25, 2022•34 min•Ep. 139
Tea Class with Shiuwen | John Brews a Pot of Tea
This episode John brewed a pot of tea for us! This is the first in a series of John brewing, on the other side of the table. To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can brew this tea ( Dong Ding Traditional A , available on our website) and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience.
Jul 11, 2022•33 min•Ep. 138
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Recognizing Cha Qi with Smelling Cups
This episode is all about using smelling cups to explore more deeply into the scent. We also identify the meaning of Cha Qi, and how Cha Qi manifests in the scent. To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink this exact tea and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. Find the teas on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us/cart/update?updates%5B39731915817167%5D=1&updates%5B39651322429647%5D=1
Jun 27, 2022•40 min•Ep. 137
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Identifying Stale Tea Pt. 2
Oolong tea does not go bad, but it does go stale if stored improperly, or for a very long time. In this episode, we taste the same Tie Guanyin oolong tea, one stored properly and one improperly. John and Shiuwen identify the staleness of tea through drinking. To join the class and learn from these episodes, please place an order and leave a comment to let us know you'd like some stale tea to practice with. Otherwise, if you have a bag of tea you've left open for quite some time you can also prac...
Jun 13, 2022•31 min•Ep. 136
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Identifying Stale Tea Pt. 1
Oolong tea does not go bad, but it does go stale if stored improperly or for a very long time. In this episode, Shiuwen offers John a few techniques to smell from the dry leaf if a tea is stale. To join the class and learn from these episodes, please place an order and leave a comment to let us know you'd like some stale tea to practice with. Otherwise, if you have a bag of tea you've left open for quite some time you can us that to practice these techniques and answer Shiuwen's guiding question...
Jun 06, 2022•12 min•Ep. 135
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tracing Tea’s Scent Inside The Body
With higher grade teas, we are looking for more complexity in the scent. Not only how flavorful or how many notes it has, but also where the scent is felt in the body. This episode Shiuwen and John compare two oolongs to isolate the sensation of scent reaching deeper inside of the nostrils. To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink this exact tea and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. Find the teas on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us...
May 23, 2022•39 min•Ep. 134
Tea Class with Shiuwen | Brewing Basics : Timing #NoFear #MakeMistakes
This episode Shiuwen and John explore the third main parameter of tea brewing : timing. How long does the water need to sit on the leaves? #NoFear #MakeMistakes To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink this exact tea and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. Find the teas on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us/cart/update?updates%5B39651320299727%5D=1 (Note : For this episode, any Taiwanese tea from our shop will get the point across.) Th...
May 09, 2022•40 min•Ep. 133
Tea Class with Shiuwen | The Breaking Point
This episode we soak four black teas to see if they 'break' or not. A good tea will still show a sense of structure and movement, even if it's brewed to the point of unpleasantness. We are using two of our own black teas and two tea bag teas. To join the class and learn from these videos, you can drink these exact teas and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. If you buy these two teas, leave us a message in your order notes and we'll send the teabags for free ;) Find the ...
Apr 25, 2022•25 min•Ep. 132
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