http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ Seven Cups Tea Forum Topic: Iced Tea en Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:54:05 +0000 http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-88 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:08:05 +0000 johnemiba 88@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>I just iced some Home Store Puer 2004. I'm ashamed to say that I like it! </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-86 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:43:45 +0000 johnemiba 86@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Soapy is a good descriptor for some iced green oolongs. When I make it, sometimes it comes out soapy, sometimes it tastes awesome. I think it has mostly to do with the temperature. </p> <p>I have actually iced Da Hong Pao! It's pretty awesome. It's still very robust. I mean, it's worth it once (for science!), but it's not worth it for the price. Save the Da Hong Pao for the tall glass or the gaiwan. Ice some less expensive Wuyi oolongs and you'll get roughly the same experience. :D</p> <p>That being said, for the one or two times I've iced Da Hong Pao, I enjoyed it, but as I drank it, I felt some kind of vague guilt. Like maybe something wasn't karmically right. I don't know what I'm saying. </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-85 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:43:36 +0000 andrew 85@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Its clear that a lot of thought is going into the brewing method as well as what leaves to use. No doubt this is the dilemma familiar to all tea brewing, hot or iced.</p> <p>johnemiba has an interesting idea in drinking it fresh to save the aromatic quality of the tea. This makes sense since a cold brew will naturally mute the aroma of a tea and retaining those aromatics seems to be the real trick in iced tea.</p> <p>When I first noticed the dimmed aroma, I opted to ice teas with their flavor focused in the body and finish. Black teas certainly fit the bill, and the more robust Chinese green and white teas do too. Theoretically the darker oolongs could work out pretty well too, although I've never tried it. Has anyone iced Da Hong Pao in the bold name of science?</p> <p>By contrast, scented teas seem to come up lacking when iced. In trying to retain the scented quality and light flavor on ice its easy to over brew. I'd also agree with johnemiba in that the greener An Xi and Taiwan oolongs are better hot when their aromas can really shimmer. In my experience, a strong brew of green oolong tastes soapy when iced. Is there a remedy to this, lucas or lake? </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-82 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:46:35 +0000 johnemiba 82@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>I'm ashamed to say it, but I drink tons of iced tea - most of which are from Seven cups. Iced white tea is divine! I just ran out of Shou Mei from icing it. For iced Oolong, I love medium to dark ones like Tieguanyin or MeiZhan. Light oolongs are good iced too, but I prefer those warm. Skillfully brewed iced green tea can also be a transcendental experience, especially HuangShan Mao Feng, and (hate to say it) Dragon well. </p> <p>I make iced tea by the quarts, which usually lasts me a few hours. I start with a 32oz mason jar. To save on ice costs, I now put a few cubes in the jar, fill it to just under the halfway mark and stick it in the freezer. </p> <p>Then, you start the water brewing. I use that cordless electric spouted kettle, which is awesome for bubble-watching. For whites and greens, I pull the kettle for crab eyes, but no hotter than minnow eyes. For oolongs, I wait for the chain of pearls. </p> <p>While that's heating, I prep the press. I use that gravity press for iced tea. Not a pretty process, but it does the trick. Use whatever measurement works for you for 32oz of liquid end-product - I know everybody does it differently. </p> <p>I let the water swirl in and fill the press halfway up. Steep to time.</p> <p>By now, your jar is nice and frosted and with a thin layer of ice over the water. Pour the tea in there. That evens out the solution and brings the tea to room temperature or a tad warmer. </p> <p>I don't put that in the fridge, I leave it on the counter and return to it over the period of a few hours. You can put a little mason jar lid on it, if you want. It's the perfect quantity for me. I don't make more because I don't keep it over night. I've found that high quality tea goes way flat if left in the fridge even overnight! While returning to my jar of tea, I usually have the second steeping brewing the whole time. The second steeping is always awesome like this. Then, after a half of gallon of tea in you, you'll feel awesome! </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-79 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:14:00 +0000 admin 79@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>I think most tea is good as iced tea. When I was in Taiwan earlier this year and visiting various mountain areas, the tea maker that I was traveling with each morning put some oolong into bottles of water that we were taking along. It was very refreshing. </p> <p>Caffiene is dissolves in water easily. Happy housecleaning. </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-77 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:00:26 +0000 lakewaves222 77@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>I put my Oolongs and some sweeter greens in room temperature water and immediatley put it in the refridgerator and leave it infuse for 4 to 8 hours , then pour through a stainer.. Turns out perfect... They say this method does'nt bring out as much of the caffiene , but I beg to differ with some of the Oolongs that I do this way, as I usually go on a cleaning frenzy after drinking about a liter...LOL ...Lake </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-35 Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:52:25 +0000 lucas 35@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>In the summer I brew lots of iced tea. I find that a quality tea will lend itself well to being served cold. The trick is not to put it on ice -- this will dilute it. Brew it strong and just put it in the fridge overnight. I usually brew it the same way I would to drink it hot -- several infusions of one set of leaves, brewed in small batches and poured into one pitcher. You get better flavor if you let it warm up a bit before drinking ("cool" tea instead of "iced"). certainly avoid sugar.</p> <p>I like using teas with a slight flowery note, like many of the oolongs - Tie Guan Yin, for example. I also use camellia flower pu-erh. I won't brew my most expensive teas to drink cool, since it kind of wastes the experience of really savoring each cup, but it is nice to have some refreshing cool tea when its hot out. </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/13#post-32 Wed, 28 Feb 2007 05:04:41 +0000 andrew 32@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Some may shudder to consider it, but many of us in the west really enjoy our tea iced. For those of us who insist on a cold brew, are there any Chinese teas that are complement ice cubes particularly well? </p>