Floating Leaves Tea

Reading Tea Leaves

Mon, 20 May 2024 06:08:00 -0700

This episode we get deep into 'reading' tea leaves, or watching very carefully to know what the leaves want from us as brewers.

Let Tea Brew Itself

Mon, 06 May 2024 06:00:00 -0700

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!

The Intention Experiment

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:19:47 -0700

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!

Tea Cups : Quality

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 16:22:25 -0700

Shiuwen, John and Noah compare grades of porcelain in gongfu tea cups, and investigate what each cup does to a tea.

Tea Cup Materials

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:28:06 -0700

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!

Drinking Old Tree White Tea from Yunnan

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 06:09:00 -0700

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 one, let us know in the comments if you had similar or different impressions when you tasted it.

What’s Your Intention?

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode we explore how we go about setting our intention and adjusting for the tea in this ever changing moment.

Self Expression Through Gongfu Cha

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we explore ways to build understanding and express our vision of what a tea can be.

Techniques For Brewing Oriental Beauty

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Making Adjustments For Special Teas

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0700

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!

Waking Up Aged Oolong

Tue, 23 May 2023 15:42:04 -0700

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.

Being Present with Your Tea

Mon, 08 May 2023 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Finale

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we just sit back and drink an epic puer tea harvested from 1000 year old tea tree.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | John Brews ANOTHER Pot of Tea

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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!

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Refreshing Stale Tea

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Practicing Connection While The Tea is Brewing

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tasting for Agrochemicals

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 05:10:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Deeper Techniques in Water Flow

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tea Tools : Sharing Pitcher / Gongdao Bei

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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?

Tea Class with Shiuwen | The Hidden Parameter in Tea Brewing : Waterfall

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | ”Jet-Lag” or ”Bound Up” Tea

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with NOAH | PNW Charcoal Roasted Oolong

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Noah shares some of his own charcoal roasted oolongs with John, and they compare the raw version with the finished product.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Getting to Know a New Tea

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:37:23 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | John Brews a Pot of Tea

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Recognizing Cha Qi with Smelling Cups

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Identifying Stale Tea Pt. 2

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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 practice these techniques and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Techniques for Identifying Stale Tea Pt. 1

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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 questions.

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Tracing Tea’s Scent Inside The Body

Mon, 23 May 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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.

The Tea : Nantou Four Seasons, Smooth Water Baozhong

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Brewing Basics : Timing #NoFear #MakeMistakes

Mon, 09 May 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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

(Note : For this episode, any Taiwanese tea from our shop will get the point across.)

The Tea : Ruby 18

Tea Class with Shiuwen | The Breaking Point

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0700

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 teas on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us/cart/update?updates%5B39651320201423%5D=1&updates%5B39651320299727%5D=1

The Teas : Ruby 18, House Black, 2x Tea Bag from Grocery Store

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Brewing Basics : Finding Your ”Golden Ratio”

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0700

This class we will be exploring different leaf-to-water ratios to see if there is really such a thing as proper recipes.

To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink these exact teas and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. Find the tea on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us/cart/update?updates%5B39651321970895%5D=1

The Tea :

Charcoal Dong Ding

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Fundamentals of Tasting : Noticing New Sensations of Roasted Oolong

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0700

In this tea class, Shiuwen guides John to notice the various places in the mouth and body where roasted oolong can produce unique sensations and textures.

To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink these exact teas and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. These teas will be used in the next episode as well. Find the teas on our website here => https://floatingleaves.us/cart/update?updates%5B39651321970895%5D=1&updates%5B40528029647055%5D=1

The Teas :

House Oolong

Charcoal Dong Ding

Tea Class with Shiuwen | Brewing Basics : Get The Most Out Of Premium Oolong With Boiling Water

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 14:54:56 -0700

Shiuwen offers a tea class on the ‘correct' brewing temperature for oolong tea. Is it ok to boil green oolong?

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. Find the teas on our website here https://floatingleaves.us/products/secret-garden-alishan-high-mountain

The Tea : Secret Garden Alishan High Mountain Oolong

Season 2 : Tea Class with Shiuwen PREMIER | Fundamentals of Tasting : BASIC vs PREMIUM Green Oolong

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0700

Shiuwen of Floating Leaves offers a tea class on the defining characteristics that make green oolong more basic or more premium. Focus is on experiential learning.

To join the class and learn from these episodes, you can drink these exact teas and answer Shiuwen's guiding questions from your own experience. Find the teas on our website here =>

https://floatingleaves.us/cart/39651321807055:1,41098440343759:1

The Teas :

Jin Xuan

Secret Garden Alishan High Mountain Oolong

The Next Generation of Tea Tasters

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 20:03:09 -0700

Shiuwen invites special guests, some "random middle school boys", for a holiday special episode! T his is also the last episode of our retroactively named Season 1. We will be taking a short break, and will see you again in 2022! Find our teas : https://floatingleaves.com

Oolongs with the Oolong Owl | Tea Blogger

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Tea blogger Oolong Owl visits the shop for some strong pots of epic oolong.

Check Out Oolong Owl's Blog : https://oolongowl.com/

Tea Teas :

Eight Roast Dong Ding

Lala Shan Hong Shui

Taman Shan 'Empress Dowager'

Drinking Teas the Surprised Me with Steve | Tea Friend

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Long time tea friend of Floating Leaves, the infamous Steve, joins Shiuwen and Noah to drink some teas that struck us by surprise!

The Teas :

Sun Solstice Oolong

Charcoal Roast Ruby 18 Lalashan Hong Shui Find our teas at https://floatingleaves.com

Tea Class with Young Johnny | Student of Tea

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Shiuwen sits down to answer some of John's questions about tea tasting: What it means for a tea to be 'open' or, conversely, 'bound up'. The Tea 1998 Iron Cask Aged Dong Ding (brewed 3X's) Find our teas at https://floatingleaves.com

Warrior Teas with Kim Ivy | Taichi Instructor

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Founder of Embrace the Moon School for Taichi and Qigong, Kim Ivy, joins Shiuwen for some potent teas.

Learn more about Kim's Taichi and Qigong dojo at https://embracethemoon.com/

Choosing Teas That Represent My Friends Timothy and Lewis | Artist, Painter

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Shiuwen chooses and shares two teas that represent her two friends Timothy and Lewis, Floating Leafers from the early days.

Find Timothy's work at https://timothysiciliano.com/

The Teas

Wild Pinglin Baozhong

Laughing Buddha (Yunnan High Mountain Oolong)

Roasted Oolong and Puer with Chris and Caitlin | Host of Tea Talks Podcast

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Fellow tea podcasters of Tea Talks join us for their first dive into Dong Ding plus other roasted oolong.

Check out Chris' podcast on Instagram @ckylum and find Caitlin @dishwench

The Teas :

House Oolong

Charcoal Dong Ding

1998 Ripe Tuocha

Baozhong and Dong Ding with Matt | Tea Newbie

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Shiuwen invites our friend and budding tea connoisseur Matt for an oolong introduction.

Link to full video episode : https://youtu.be/3QabhFyAPsY

The Teas

Competition Style Baozhong
Dong Ding Traditional A

Yunnan Oolong

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0700

A great tea! This is an upcoming release, an oolong tea grown in the high mountain region of Wuliang Shan in Yunnan province (home of puer tea). We had a great session capped off with a brief conversation about tea brewing.

Return to the Land of Milk & Honey

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Excellent session with Milk and Honey oolong. Plus a conversation on water temperature and tea brewing.

Loofah!

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Welcome to Floating Leaves, your local loofah emporium! Buy a loofah for your teapot, for your friends' teapots and even for your enemy's teapot. It's good for you!!

*Also, Shiuwen wanted to make sure we made this correction : She did not give a liter of blood, but rather a PINT of blood.

16th Anniversary of Floating Leaves!

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0700

We drank a delicious Eight Roast Dong Ding for the 16th anniversary of Floating Leaves which occurred on 8/8.

Crabby Mama

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Last week we went back to visit an 'old friend', a tea that we've tasted many times and are just finding out new things about it. This time we visited a 'new friend', also a Furry Crab, and from the same farmer. This one is also fantastic! And we're looking forward to many more sessions with this tea. It is only available on the dot com site.

Visiting an Old Friend

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This session we tasted Furry Crab, an oolong we've been drinking for a while now, but one that is showing a new face in the last month or so.

Playing With Pots

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we tried out some of our new Yixing and Taiwanese Wood Fired teapots. We use Dong Ding Traditional A as a base and branch out depending on how the Dong Ding tastes.

Overnight Roasted Oolong

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This session we drank a new batch of Charcoal Dong Ding that I brought back from Taiwan. It was roasted in a special way to produce a very unique feel for Dong Ding tea. WE LOVE IT! We're going to be keeping aside some for ourselves to age. And after this session Shiuwen wants to keep even more!!

A Thick Cup of Tea

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0700

When I got back to the states Shiuwen told me I was brewing tea really strong! During my time in Taiwan I really changed up my brewing, and I think it tastes great. Today we drank the King of Teas, Charcoal Dong Ding, and it was strong enough to stand a spoon up in it.

Cheers To Your Health, Mr Chen!

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Drinking Mr Chen's Baozhong, one of our long time standards on the menu. It was an excellent season for Baozhong, and we had a great time drinking it and reminiscing about farmer Chen and his family this session.

Homestyle Red Oolong

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This was a laid back session. Shiuwen got a chance to brew the new Homestyle Red Oolong for the first time. We are both really excited about this tea! As the name indicates, it's not a fancy tea per se, but it's a satisfying whole body experience. Now available on the dot com site only!

The Land of Milk & Honey

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Yes, we're talking about Dong Ding again; the region that gave us Milk & Honey Oolong. Which we are drinking in the episode today. We went back to talk more about Mrs. Su and living up on the mountain.

Also, we'll be drinking high mountain oolongs live on YouTube (Tuesday June 8th, 5pm PT). Hope you can join us! Link Here

Taste of the Place

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 01:45:37 -0700

This episode was basically my first impressions after spending a week up on Dong Ding mountain. The taste of the place is still fresh in my mind! I had such an amazing time, learned a lot and worked hard.

Lala Shan - The Spa Tea

Mon, 24 May 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Shiuwen received her Lala Shan in the mail, so this session we decided to drink that tea! New crop of Lala Shan Hong Shui.

Three High Mountains

Mon, 17 May 2021 06:31:41 -0700

We took some time to explore three of the four high mountain oolongs I've chosen for the website, since Shiuwen's Big Box of Goodies arrived in Seattle recently. We drank Alishan, Shan Lin Xi and the Traditional High Mountain, a tea that I was able to see be processed start to finish. We are both really happy with this season's high mountains! All very fragrant, balanced and comfortable in the body. Looking forward to the Lishan arriving in Seattle so we can drink that one together, too!

The Path of Learning

Mon, 10 May 2021 07:42:19 -0700

The night before we recorded this episode, I went to go visit our teacher for the first time since arriving in Taiwan. That's the real fuel for why I'm here, to study tea roasting. It's the guiding principle that has kept us on track through lots of craziness. It was a great session, and I got a chance to unpack it a bit with Shiuwen on this podcast. Enjoy!

Traditional Oolong Processing

Mon, 03 May 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This episode was recorded shortly after I came down from the mountain, where I saw my first full oolong processing, start to finish! It was amazing, and during the recording I was still full of all that good energy. The style of the episode was more of an interview style. I got a chance to relay lots of information I learned up in the mountains! We will be selling this tea on our website in the next few days. Shipping direct from Taiwan!! If I wasn't here I never would have found something like this!

Nearing The End of Quarantine

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Hello again! This marks our first episode recorded remotely in both Seattle and Taipei! We toasted the near end of my quarantine period with a pot of Charcoal Dong Ding.

Feeling the Love

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Thank you all so much for your support! We love you :) We're getting ready for Noah to head out in a couple of days, and we're so excited!!

The next episode will be recorded long distance, with Shiuwen in Seattle and Noah in Taiwan. We've got to figure out how to do that, so expect some glitches. But it will happen.

Big Announcement

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we drank a 30 year old tea for the grounding energy, and announced a big upcoming change for Floating Leaves!

Out Of Focus

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Good session today, but no direct focus. It's the show about nothing! So Shiuwen wanted to name this episode Out of Focus. We decided to drink Four Roast Dong Ding again, for three reasons. You'll have to listen to find out why!!!

Old Teas New Tricks

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Revisiting an oolong that we got three or more years ago in this session. It's not been an easy tea to brew, but Shiuwen was ready for the challenge! Yunnan grown high mountain oolong, harvested from Tie Guanyin cultivar bushes, and charcoal roasted by a master in Taiwan.

Attention

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we compared the current batch of Loshan Hongshui (which is running low) with the batch that's coming up next. Very fun session, and got us into some good conversations about focus, attention and joy!

Just Drinking Tea

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This was a powerful session. After listening, we want to invite you to check out this video from the Plum Village Zen Community https://youtu.be/AxsCainXGMQ

After watching, if you want to try Shiuwen's challenge from the end of the episode, please feel free to reach out to let us know how it goes for you. We always love to hear from you! Enjoy!

Finding the Rhythm of Tea

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we are drinking Dong Ding A again! A new batch is always a great excuse to drink this tea. This time it lead us in all kinds of directions, and we ended up having a great conversation about structure, connection and rhythm.

It's a New Ox Year!

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Year of the Ox is upon us! (And Valentine's Day, and it's snowing in Seattle. Pretty cool.) We decided to start the first podcast of the Lunar New Year with an aged Alishan from 1985. First time we ever brewed it!

Nourishing Ourselves

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Lunar New Year is coming up, the Year of the Ox, and we're taking some time to nourish ourselves with a joyful tea. This episode we spent some time talking about what it really means to nourish ourselves, with tea or otherwise, in order to go deeper in the practice. Wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous Spring!

Revisiting High Mountain Blind Tasting

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0700

This was more of a 'slightly veiled' tasting that a blind tasting, but we came back to taste Alishan and Lishan side by side without knowing which one came first. Really REALLY good session. Both of these teas are fantastic. After the blind tasting in early January we were intrigued by the fact that we couldn't choose a clear MVP of these two.

Two More Mysterious Teas

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Once more! we are working with two unknown oolongs for a little blind tasting challenge to see if we can get out of our own preconceptions. This time Shiuwen picked the teas, and it was a blind session for me! (Noah) This was a really fun session to see what we know and what we don't know.

Two Roasted Teas

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0700

Just two roasted teas! This session we tasted two roasted oolongs which I chose and placed on the table without telling Shiuwen what they are. We wanted to have a grounded session focused on the sensations of these teas in our mouths and noses. Flavor, texture and aroma. Also, I'm a little obsessed with chili at the moment ;)

Softer, Gentler with Alishan

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0700

We dedicated this episode to brewing Special Reserve Alishan again since the first time we recorded it there were two other teas involved. It deserves it's own session! This pot of tea really guided Shiuwen to explore more deeply her intentions for tea and other things in 2021. The idea : Be softer to generate more energy.

Tea Practice Goals for 2021

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0700

For the first session of 2021 we are revisiting a Yunnan grown high mountain oolong that we've been working on for the past week or two. In the spirit of the practice process, and because 2021 is an Ox year, we drank this Furry Crab while discussing our goals, struggles and successes we've had while trying to fine tune the way we brew this oolong. May 2021 be full of good practice and hard work!

Huan Shan Bug Bitten High Mountain

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0700

The last podcast of 2020! We drank an excellent high mountain oolong to celebrate, and pretty much all we could say was how excellent it is. I hope you enjoy the episode anyway, because it was a lot of fun to record. We're lucky, as it seems like teas show up particularly well when we're recording.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your support throughout 2020. This tea will be up on the site fairly soon, and that's not something I would have thought possible even a year ago. We're so grateful to be able to share teas like this, and have such a wonderful support system throughout the US! Cheers to you all, and cheers to tea!

Special Reserve High Mountain Oolongs

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This episode was so much fun to record! It's the debut of a new line-up of high mountain oolongs that we're SUPER excited to share. Enjoy :)

Also, it's Shiuwen's birthday on the day this comes out. Happy Birthday Shiuwen!!

Tea Party!

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0700

There are so many new teas in the shop that we can barely walk around!! So we decided to drink THREE teas on the podcast this week. Two Charcoal Dong Ding Oolongs (comparing the last batch with this new batch) and one Hehuan Shan High Mountain Oolong harvested in November.

Sitting with Big Sister

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We're back after a brief hiatus to pack tea. Last week's sale went really well! Thank you to everyone who bought tea!!

This week we are full of both gratitude and the desire to take a long nap. So we decided to have a laid back session with this comforting puer for the podcast this week. We call this cake of 2011 Menghai puer the "Big Sister Cake". It is a cake from our teacher Mr Zhan. Very grateful to have teas like this :)

Smooth Waters Ahead

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0700

The first fresh picked oolong from this year's Winter harvest at Floating Leaves IS... Smooth Water Baozhong! The weather was not especially favorable to tea production in Taiwan this year, but this farmer from Nangang pulled it off to produce something really special! We both loved it! After I pressed stop recording, our hands simultaneously raised in a 'thumbs up' motion and we gave each other a stern nod, to say "That's a solid tea!"

What Is This New Hong Shui?

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0700

It's time for new Hong Shui! But this time we don't know if it's from Lala Shan or Lo-Shan (yet). For this episode we drank the new crop of Hong Shui and tried to figure out where it's from, and really focused on looking at the tea based on our objective experience. Really awesome tea! We'll have it up on the site sometime next week, and by that time we will be able to say definitely where it's from ;)

GABA Monsters Rejoice!

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0700

There's a new GABA oolong in the shop, and it's awesome! High elevation tea from Shan Lin Xi, and processed by the GABA master that taught the Lalashan farmer to make GABA tea.

This episode we compared this new Shan Lin Xi GABA Oolong with the previous crop, AKA Nantou GABA Oolong. It was a fun, light session with two really solid teas!

Dao of Dong Ding

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0700

Another Dong Ding session! We said a couple of weeks ago that we would come back to this new batch of Charcoal Dong Ding, and we did!

Also, this is our faux Halloween episode! Happy (belated) Halloween!!!

Aged Oolong in Autumn

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0700

I've been wanting to do this session for a few weeks now, and the weather was perfect for it today! Aged oolong is great for gently warming up the body as the seasons are changing. This time we drank an especially clean aged Baozhong from the 1970's, and talked a bit about how to spot potential in a tea for aging.

Who Says You Can't Travel?

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we drank from two batches of Charcoal Dong Ding. And within the session, Shiuwen noticed the tea was taking us somewhere. The name of the episode is an homage to Red Pine, local author and translator of the Pacific Northwest, who asked Shiuwen the same question. This episode felt like we were sharing tea with him. Which prompts me to ask again... Who says you can't travel?

Wild Charcoal Oolong

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0700

A new tea from Charcoal Master Lai arrived recently. Every time we've tasted it since it arrived, there's been more and more layers showing up. In the same fashion, the session that became this week's episode brought up some new things for us to chew on. This is a BIG TEA!

Return of Lo-Shan Hongshui

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This episode was full of GABA in epic proportions. We drank TWO Lo-Shan Hongshui oolongs, the last of the previous crop and the first of this new crop. Both are excellent for different reasons, and by the end Shiuwen was giggling like a crazy tea lady! So much fun!

Compare & Contrast High Mountain Oolongs

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We've got two new high mountain oolongs in the shop: Alishan and Lishan. This episode we did a side-by-side tasting of the previous batch of each tea with the current batch of each tea. So that's TWO side-by-sides in ONE podcast. Wow! We got pretty lifted off of so many high mountain oolongs!

Dong Ding A1 Sauce

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0700

Dong Ding! AGAIN!!! This week we are comparing a fresh, new batch of Dong Ding A with the previous batch that we described as Dong Ding A Deluxe. We brewed them bowl style and drank with a ceramic soup spoon. The teas both showed up really clearly, which helped us easily pinpoint their differences and enjoy them! It's a really fun practice to get to know teas as they change over the seasons.

Babbling Brook

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we revisited an excellent batch of Charcoal Dong Ding just before it's sold out. The combination of roasting and aging over time have produced a wonderfully complex Dong Ding tea!

House Oolong!

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This episode we compared three different batches of our only tea we roast ourselves, House Oolong!

We got into the topic of roasting a lot more than I thought we would. There's some good information in here if you want to try your hand at tea roasting at home, which I highly encourage you to try!

O.B. One and Honey Beauty

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We had a light session with two easygoing tea, Oriental Beauty (or OB One) and Honey Beauty. The comparison was really fun, and we ended up getting onto the topic of cold brew... just, by chance ;) Both of these teas are new arrivals, and we wanted to feature them because they are sweet, yummy and refreshing!

Relaxin with Taiji Hongshui

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0700

This session we drank Taiji Hongshui (AKA Gongfu Hongshui) from Shi Ding. This is a really fun tea, and we enjoyed its relaxing effect. Especially after a long couple of weeks!

We dug into some of the 'fundamental structures' as they show up in this tea. We'll keep revisiting these over and over because they build the foundation for clear observation of a good tea. Check out those original 'fundamental structures of tea' episodes from earlier this year if you haven't yet!

Grandpa Style Flow

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We're back!! We've been so busy packing tea, that we've mostly been drinking grandpa style in the shop. So to honor that, we recorded a light session of us drinking grandpa style tea. Enjoy! And if you're really busy, drink some grandpa style yourself. It's a great way to let the tea brew itself.

Drinking Sun Tea for Our 15 Year Anniversary!

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0700

It's Floating Leaves 15 year anniversary! We're celebrating with a noon picked, charcoal roasted oolong from Taiwan. If you haven't had a chance yet, please consider entering our photo contest by August 5th to help us celebrate. We're giving away teapots! And the annual Anniversary Sale will start on August 7th.

Into the Unknown

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0700

A week ago, we did a session that ended in me (Noah) drinking two mystery teas in order to get out of my own head while drinking the tea. This week, I chose a tea for Shiuwen to brew, but she was not privy to the name of the tea. It was really fun! So mind opening to taste tea like this. It helps us get closer to the tea and see what it is objectively doing!

Drink What You Can Taste, Know What You Know

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0700

In this episode we started off with a delightful Baozhong, but halfway through I realized I was 'drinking' what wasn't actually there in the tea. Drinking with my mind. So we did a little experiment and it was really fun! The message was this : Know what you know, and know what you don't know.

Practicing Observation

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0700

After last week's episode, we have been doing a lot of thinking. This episode we drank a special batch of Charcoal Dong Ding, and Shiuwen reflected on some of the ideas that have been going through her head.

Drinking Tea With My Heart

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We had a very illuminating session the day before recording this episode, and this episode became very emotional very quickly. We drank Lala Shan for its calming and comforting properties, and ended up having some deep discussions.

Revisiting Anxi Old Growth Tie Guan Yin

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We really felt like having another session with this beautiful tea. And by the end of the session we were both grateful we drank this tea, because it had a lot to say!

Blind Tasting Dong Ding

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 06:00:00 -0700

We have been enjoying and learning a lot from blind tasting high mountains, so we took a thwack at Dong Ding with the same method. This episode we 'cereal bowl' brewed three Dong Ding oolongs that are currently in the shop : Traditional A, Traditional B and Charcoal. It was illuminating, and we're looking forward to more sessions like this!