Just the other weekend we were spending a few days in Gothenburg, catching up with some old friends.

During a walkabout one rainy afternoon we made a pit stop at teahouse Tekultur.

After a bit of browsing I decided to invest in some Hojicha, a dozen Bai Mu Dan Dragon Balls, and a nice new 300 ml clay pot that’s destined to be my go to pot for casual Western style brewing of shou pu-erh.

I’ve only had 1 session so far with these 5 gram Bai Mu Dan Dragon Balls, but early results are encouraging. I used 90°C water in a 150 ml porcelain gaiwan, and after a couple of flash rinses I let the ball steam under the gaiwan lid for a few minutes to loosen it up a bit.

The liquor was sweet but not overly so, with a pleasant colour, a nice floral aroma, and a great sticky lips body. This initial session gave an 8 infusion yield, but to be honest I don’t think I was concentrating fully on the task at hand, and with a bit more due care and attention I reckon I can take these leaves well into double figures.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I bought some hojicha, with its reputation as a good winter warmer, after wandering into a teahouse somewhat wet and bedraggled on a damp and miserable afternoon.

In the couple of sessions I’ve had with it, I’ve steeped 3 grams of this tea in a 200 ml kyusu using water at about 90°C, performing 2 infusions of 30 seconds and 1 minute’s duration. The liquor was a nice combination of vegetal sweetness, a hint of umami, and that signature Japanese green tea marine thing.

Nothing earth shattering here, just a good, solid dependable daily drinker.

I was after a cheapish 300/400 ml unglazed clay pot for casual-as-can-be shou pu-erh sessions, and this one came along at just the right time.

I inaugurated it with 6 grams of 2005 Wild Shou brewed up Western style. Good smooth pour, decent heat retention – can’t ask for much more than that, non?

On a final note, regular readers of this blog will no doubt be amused to hear that the kettle in our hotel room performed exactly as expected, boiling water for the duration of our stay without drama, fuss, electrocution, or fire. The electrical socket remained connected to the wall at all times.

Happy days.