Bird Pick Tea & Herb's Supreme Ginseng Oolong

On the advice of Eric at Bird Pick Tea & Herb's Culver City store a couple of weeks ago, I purchased their Oolong Tea Sampler, among other things.  I had never been to their store and was very much looking forward to having a look around, having seen the store awhile back during a visit to the mall with my mom.

I am happy to say that Eric was very helpful and easy to work with, allowing me to meander around in between him assisting others and me asking my usual 100 questions in the interim.  It was nice not to feel rushed!  It was also a joy to be assisted by someone who was obviously a lover of drinking tea himself as well as enjoyed educating and discussing tea with others.  (Thanks, Eric!) 

Anyhow, on to the tea :)

Today, for the second time, I enjoyed two steepings of Bird Pick's Supreme Ginseng Oolong Tea (brewing info at bottom).

Although I have limited experience with oolongs to date, I have loved the flavor of this tea and the way the taste lingers on the tongue for awhile after drinking it.  Truly delicious.

This experience was outside of my work, which is on a boulevard a mile from LAX, across from a Chevron plant, and in between a mid-rise and a high rise building.  Not exactly somewhere one would expect to find serenity and peace, but it is possible, when you open yourself up to it.

Such as, instead of seeing just the traffic and the people milling about, I had the pleasure of watching the city farmers (the gardeners) tend to our complex's grass, in their systematic way, which I love to watch - especially as American Crows caw back and forth at each other.  Also, I heard a cooper's hawk "kik"-ing and then saw it flying overhead, just as it passed over the top of the mid-rise.  


Pictures from today:

From Bana Tea Company's booth at the L.A. International Tea Festival (they shared a booth with 1001 Plateaus so I hope I didn't get this wrong - I bought stuff from both of them.  They were wonderful ladies with very cool stuff!  I hope they are at the next festival!)

Bird Pick's Supreme Ginseng Oolong

The local palms :)  My picture does not do them justice. They looked amazing today!

Pictures from my first experience with this oolong:

"Blue Flowers Gaiwan" purchased from Chado - Los Angeles

Looking East on Sherman Canal.

Looking West on Sherman Canal.

As if the above wasn't enough reason to get out to enjoy tea, I would not have seen this if I had stayed inside (I am seriously in love with Chevy Novas from the 60's).

I'm sure it will be a long time before I see a car that looks this good!

BREWING:
For today's brewing, I obtained hot water from the nearby Peets, so I do not have the temperature info.  I do know that I steeped a very heaped teaspoon for three minutes for both infusions.

For the first brewing at the canals, I put 212F water into a travel beverage container.  I used the same amount of tea as today's brewing. 

P.S.:  I'm so happy to have discovered the idea of taking tea outside and brewing it myself, wherever I end up.  I know this is not something new to many, but it is relatively new to me.  I first read about it on teanamu.com, and it forever changed the way I view where I can enjoy tea.