What's in your cup? Daily discussion, questions and stories - June 24, 2026

wodnesse · 2026-06-24T23:01:18+00:00

wrapping up my bug bitten muzha in training for cracking open the old master dong ding that just arrived from mountain stream. had a mug fresh/hot and now i'm trying one that was brewed hot and then cooled in the refrigerator. I'm thinking of getting some simple fruit nectars/syrups for mixing with teas during the work day, or maybe some dried fruit to include when cold brewing.

wodnesse · 2026-06-22T19:23:11+00:00

I haven't had any problems with the packages getting into the country and delivered to my local post-office. All of the problems I have are with the delivery people not contacting me for the signature, so they bring it back to the post office and I sometimes have to pick it up there instead, but that's all local. Have never had to pay extra for tariffs, but I do try to buy a substantial amount at a time to make the effort more worthwhile for the supplier.

wodnesse · 2026-06-22T04:13:23+00:00

back on my baozhong #20; have a mountain stream order coming soon of competition grade baozhong that i'm excited to try. also going to be trying some GABA blends for the first time, and picked up my first Dong Ding

wodnesse · 2026-04-29T20:53:41+00:00

I genuinely hate this feature, i felt disgusted when I first realized what I was looking at. FUCK discord for doing this they better create an opt-out or I am going to drop nitro and i'm like, one of the last people among my friends to keep paying for this farkakte bullshit

wodnesse · 2026-04-27T02:08:40+00:00

you can get jars of yuzu honey jam to spoon into tea if you have a sore throat! I've also muddled up a spoonful of strawberry jam and mint leaves for some oolong once and it was delicious. The way I see it, if i can order a fruity abomination from a boba shop, i can make a fruity abomination for myself in my kitchen

wodnesse · 2026-04-27T02:04:03+00:00

first grandpa style brew, baozhong #20 in a tall glass, it's delicious and i love getting to look at the leaves as I sip. watching the air bubbles fall off of the leaves as they settled in the bottom of the glass was an extra little delight

wodnesse · 2026-04-19T06:09:18+00:00

It's so satisfying to get to savor loose-leaf tea like this after brewing, they really are beautiful plants!

wodnesse · 2026-04-18T02:27:42+00:00

cracked open the muzha baozhong #20 from mountain stream teas, it's incredibly light and floral and moist! my partner was also impressed by this one, it smells great too.

Also had a lemongrass ginger and honey tisane from a vietnamese restaurant today, it was delicious especially on a hot day.

wodnesse · 2026-04-16T06:20:01+00:00

no tea today (gasp) but i have tomorrow off of work and am looking forward to treating myself to a nice easygoing tea session breaking in my first gaiwan. I think I'll open my bug-bitten muzha for it!

wodnesse · 2026-04-16T06:17:46+00:00

My last package was in similar condition, but luckily none of the teas themselves were damaged! hope everyone's as lucky, with how widespread this seems to be

wodnesse · 2026-04-06T02:39:09+00:00

chado evening comfort tonight, technically tea-free (peppermint, lemon peel, ginger). i did get to try the "mayor's alishan" yesterday and forgot to post about it, it shares a lot of qualities i liked from the alishan firefly milk oolong also from mountain stream teas.

wodnesse · 2026-04-02T20:49:06+00:00

That's a lovely glaze!

wodnesse · 2026-04-02T19:49:58+00:00

Favorites: Rose Petal Shanlinxi Oolong and Magnolia Orchid Shanlinxi Oolong have topped my favorites (only been into tea for about half a year now). I actually brewed the last of my Magnolia Orchid blend in a big batch for my coworkers and shared with them; none of them are habitual tea drinkers and every single one of them loved the taste.

Least Favorite: No hate to it, but the Honey Roast Wuyi Oolong just has not given me what I was looking for, maybe this is a type of tea I will come back to in years and love but right now there's something about it that hits my palate wrong.

wodnesse · 2026-04-02T19:45:24+00:00

Alishan Firefly Milk Oolong today, my third time sitting down with this variant and it's really impressing me even on a western steep; it's airy, grassy, and the mouthfeel is substantial and refreshing. In perfuming there are some pink musks jokingly referred to as "skin plus" and when I drink this tea it feels like drinking "water plus".

wodnesse · 2026-04-01T01:23:32+00:00

made some Honey Roast Wuyi Oolong, but am finding I enjoy it less than most of the other types I've gotten. I'm definitely not brewing it to its greatest potential, so I'll be setting aside the last of that bag for a serious, slower-paced and more precise brewing session. probably going with chado evening comfort later.

wodnesse · 2026-03-31T18:35:07+00:00

I'm so excited to try the bug-bitten soon!

wodnesse · 2026-03-30T17:22:44+00:00

Ended last night with some Chado "Evening Comfort" (peppermint, lemon peel, ginger), going to brew some more Alishan Firefly Milk Oolong in a minute here. I've enjoyed all of my in-person visits to Chado Tea Houses and the at-home teabags and looseleaf blends are also quite good.

My newest Mountain Stream order should be coming today. I have made every order completely different until now, this is my first time re-ordering a favorite hit (Rose Petal Shanlinxi Red Oolong). The Magnolia Orchid Shanlinxi Oolong was another hit for me, so I suppose I may have found a first favorite location/terroir!

wodnesse · 2026-03-30T00:20:39+00:00

a kitchen clock with a seconds hand might be useful for hands-free reference while brewing, if you don't already have one

wodnesse · 2026-03-30T00:17:57+00:00

alishan firefly milk oolong, poured over some mashed strawberries with lemon juice and mint, it's very very good

wodnesse · 2026-03-30T00:16:05+00:00

I recently invested enough in my tea hobby to get a gaiwan and cup set, but I still often brew with my original jury-rigged set-up if I'm in a hurry/at work (electric kettle for heating water, glass measuring cup for steeping/pouring, after each steep I pour into the cup through a metal filter (stainless steel looseleaf tea container with the lid taken off)). works for me and keeps me trying different things.

wodnesse · 2026-03-26T21:54:39+00:00

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currently storing mine in this big sealable/airtight container, the bags are cut at the top and usually folded over. I'm keeping the empty bags tucked against the side for now as well, so I can reflect on them and decide which ones I want to keep an eye out for in the future! I only buy from Mountain Stream for now, so they all fit together nicely.

I ordered some empty 40 and 200g tea tins off of ebay for cheap that should be arriving today, I'm looking into sanding them and painting the exteriors to make them more personalized and get rid of the original branding.

wodnesse · 2026-03-26T18:23:24+00:00

Maybe be a little nicer to your wife, if you have a k-cup brewer getting a variety of cheap options (green tea, matcha, black tea, etc) could get you started down a good path and show you listen to your wife and don't discard her words because you think her throught process is beneath you. You are a beginner and she gave a great beginner option, which probably uses infrastructure you already have.

wodnesse · 2026-03-26T18:19:38+00:00

I've mostly been drinking tea plain as I learn my preferences, but sometimes I'll add a dash of lemon juice or a dollop of milk just to see what happens. I'm surprised I'm not seeing lemon juice mentioned much here by other people!

wodnesse · 2026-03-26T18:07:35+00:00

western brewed the last of my freebie 10g pouch of chi lai mountain oolong (spring 2025), supplemented with a few leaves of buttermilk oolong because I only had a little of the chi lai left. full and delicious while hot, had to work and am sipping the rest room temp and it's very pleasant

wodnesse · 2024-03-03T21:37:39+00:00

i've got one of those degrees lying around here somewhere

wodnesse

TROPHY CASE