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Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Nov 25th, '12, 13:19
by ImmortaliTEA
brandon wrote:Might not be perfect, hard to pinpoint exactly because the liberalization was gradual and applied unevenly. For example, three private investors were allowed to purchase and reopen the then defunct Kunming before Menghai and XG went private. And a lot of things kept coming in zhongcha wrappers until much later.
Ok that makes a lot of sense considering I've had multiple 7542's that were claimed to span from 1996-2002 and all in between (all with Zhongcha wrappers) so I'm sure it's something we can't pinpoint. B, do you agree with the decline in quality of either of these recipes concurrent with the "approximate" dates of the liberalization based on your experience?

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Nov 26th, '12, 03:05
by brandon
Haha, no. The decline in quality is traceable to what people call the boom/bubble. 2003-2004 for a rough start, 2007 peak and decline. The funny thing about this bubble is, the same time marginal producers and 'investors' were exiting, real demand and prices for gushu were exploding. Pre-2004 Dayi prices are still going up, too. So there is no going back for us little guys.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Nov 26th, '12, 13:42
by wyardley
One tea seller told me there was a big decline in the quality of raw material after the mid 80s or so (with the shift to more plantation tea).

Also, even within a specific recipe, there are better batches, special versions etc.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 7th, '12, 12:51
by TIM
The Mighty General is back after a long retirement....
Image
With a cooked and raw from 2012 July harvest.
Image
Power House! :lol:

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 00:02
by Exempt
TIM wrote:The Mighty General is back after a long retirement....
Image
With a cooked and raw from 2012 July harvest.
Image
Power House! :lol:
Where is this from?

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 00:09
by TIM
You mean the maocha?

Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 00:25
by Exempt
TIM wrote:You mean the maocha?
The cakes

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 00:50
by TIM
They are from Kumning

Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 00:53
by Exempt
TIM wrote:They are from Kumning
What factory makes them? I haven't seen a label quite like that before.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 01:37
by MarshalN
It's Yunnan chamasi.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9177 ... 1709405344

Not the exact same thing - this cake from Taobao is slightly earlier, I think.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 01:51
by shah82
I don't know about 2012, but the wrappers that TIM showed were definitely used by Tai Lian brand in 2004 and 2005, and as with many Tai Lian products, no region were ever really specified. The design I think commemorates the Tea Horse Caravan (if not, then an ethnic minority group). The wrappers aren't exactly alike, the early ones had a solid color bar with characters on it underneath the face.

edit to add, well, add 2006!

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 21:21
by TwoDog2
Ok that makes a lot of sense considering I've had multiple 7542's that were claimed to span from 1996-2002 and all in between (all with Zhongcha wrappers) so I'm sure it's something we can't pinpoint. B, do you agree with the decline in quality of either of these recipes concurrent with the "approximate" dates of the liberalization based on your experience?
One thing you can pinpoint with certainty is the boom in the Zhongcha Wrapper Printing Industry in the last decade

I think the recipe has declined, but more than that, there is so much fake riff-raff in the "1996-2002 zhongcha wrapped 7542" genre that it takes a bit of doing to even make comparisons.

Marshaln's ('03?) 7542 that I tried recently was good, and an argument against big decline. But, I have had many terrible zhongcha wrapped 7542 teas from that era for every one winner, some fake and some real but poorly stored.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 21:22
by TwoDog2
shah82 wrote:The wrappers aren't exactly alike, the early ones had a solid color bar with characters on it underneath the face.
Whoops double post.

Just wanted to echo what Shah said. I have seen wrappers that cop this face logo, with different fonts/factory's floating around markets here

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 11th, '12, 22:18
by TIM
TwoDog2 wrote:
shah82 wrote:The wrappers aren't exactly alike, the early ones had a solid color bar with characters on it underneath the face.
Whoops double post.

Just wanted to echo what Shah said. I have seen wrappers that cop this face logo, with different fonts/factory's floating around markets here
http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/200 ... g.html?m=0

2005 first production I believe.

Re: Puerh with High Energy

Posted: Dec 12th, '12, 22:50
by TIM
1970's Liu An Bone. 3rd night for the Mrs. Calming qi and full mouthful, with cooked beets, sandelwood and maple. Zoning out :wink: