Differences in gongfu tea brewing

When practicing gongfu tea making, I have realized that making tea using different implements, at a different place, or different time of day, can sometimes make a huge difference in how the tea turns out during the session. Case in point: I had a really good session of Phoenix Dancong last week, using my very small gaiwan, boiling water, and short steeps. The tea had very fruity notes of lychees, and I was really impressed by its sweetness, so much so that I wanted to recommend it to my other tea-drinking friends.

Today, I had the rest of the Phoenix Dancong at the office, with my Kamjove portable gongfu tea brewing mug, and the results were completely different. I don't know if it's the humidity (it is extra humid today), my mood, or the tea mug, but I felt that I just couldn't bring out the full potential of the tea today. In some of the later steeps, it even became quite bitter, but with a little persistence, I think I managed to wrangle some sweetness from the leaves in the end.

I think the lesson here is that sometimes, one may have to sacrifice flavour for convenience, and while I hope that this is a one time fluke, I have a feeling that I will have to bring out my gaiwan to brew the rest of the Phoenix Dancong that I have right now. I've heard that Phoenix Dancong are really difficult to brew correctly at the best of times, so I'll just have to pay more attention to it next time.