What is everyone buying?

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Apr 9th, '08, 22:58

OK, I'm suggesting guidelines here, let me know what who thinks. My thought is that we each order one of the cheapest bings of sheng puerh at the cheapest domestic (or anywhere, as far as I can see) vendor. We could either

1) taste our bing and post a buy or don't buy recommendation (with optional elaboration at the reviewer's discretion) OR
2) break up our bing and mail a sample to the others so they can judge for themselves OR
3) both OR
4) leave it up to each person what they want to do with their bing.

I have a personal interest in the 2005 Menghai DaYi 7542 at Puershop (at $24) so I plan to order that one. I went through Puerhshop's cheapest offerings of whole sheng puerh cakes (under "Puerh Tea Cake ---> Green Special") ranked them by price from lowest to highest. Wesli already has the second cheapest on order, but excluding that one, these are the cheapest suspects. To me they look no more or less promising than any other anonymous tea cake:

2007 Seven Color Featured @ $4.20
2007 Old Tree @ $10.00
2007 Banzhang Old Tree @ $10.50
2007 Old Banzhang Arbor @ 11.20
2007 Yunnan Bulang Spring Tips @ 12.60
2007 Mengsa Arbor @ 12.60
2006 Jingmai Spring @ 13.93
2007 Jingmai Mountain Spring @ $13.93

All of course subject to availability and plus shipping. As you may have guessed, I am convinced that more puerh dollars do not necessarily guarantee better purerh. I left out the 2007 Purple Leaf @ $11.20 because I already have it and rate it a good buy - by no means the best sheng I have ever tasted, but one of the best value/quality equations I have run across. I also liked the 2005 Tongqing Cake shu @ $14.44 for similar reasons. Wes and I also both have the more pricey 2003 Keyixing that BBB recommended ($35.89) and we both like it a lot. I believe Wes may have other recommendations since he has tasted more stock at this vendor.

I am suggesting that the players each pick a bing from the list. If someone wants to try something else, that would also be just great, but I personally am looking for CHEAP TEA that is good and has the chance to get better over the years. The thing I want to avoid is duplication of effort, so everyone needs to sign up for ONE UNIQUE bing and I will post who is getting what in this forum.

The game can remain open indefinitely: if more players sign up, I can assign A LOT more bings for purchase, although the longer they wait the higher the prices will get! There are some for hundreds of dollars at puerhshop (these are not the teas I am looking for!) Everyone interested in Pu could benefit if we get enough data assembled here. Of course, what one person hates another may love and vice versa, but hey we know NOTHING now!

As I hope you all realize, there is a substantial chance that these will all be duds. Bon Courage, mes copains!

Comments? Suggestions? Agreement? Changes?

[trent]

by trent » Apr 10th, '08, 00:18

OK, I'm suggesting guidelines here, let me know what who thinks. My thought is that we each order one of the cheapest bings of sheng puerh at the cheapest domestic (or anywhere, as far as I can see) vendor. We could either

1) taste our bing and post a buy or don't buy recommendation (with optional elaboration at the reviewer's discretion) OR
2) break up our bing and mail a sample to the others so they can judge for themselves OR
3) both OR
4) leave it up to each person what they want to do with their bing.

Sal, I'm up for participating if we each buy a bing and send out samples to everyone in the group (i.e. option 2). This way, we would:

1. get multiple reviews/perspectives of each bing, thus a better feel for whether or not the tea is "worth buying."
2. we would all get to sample a wide range of pu-erh for a low introductory price.

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Apr 10th, '08, 00:31

Sal, I'm up for participating if we each buy a bing and send out samples to everyone in the group (i.e. option 2).

This is my preferred option also, but I don't want anyone to feel they must mail or share their address if they are reluctant to do so. An opinion alone has value.

[Wesli]

by Wesli » Apr 10th, '08, 00:34

What could be a very good option is soliciting the help of (puerhshop owner) to put together a package deal of samples for us (of our own choosing, perhaps), that we could each then order from Puerhshop directly........ yay?

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Apr 10th, '08, 00:37

soliciting the help of (puerhshop owner) to put together a package deal of samples

This is why they pay him the big bucks!

[Wesli]

by Wesli » Apr 10th, '08, 01:04

Let's hope for the best!

I made a thread here for the topic:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?p=35603#35603

Pu-4-life

[GeoffK]

by GeoffK » Apr 10th, '08, 01:28

What could be a very good option is soliciting the help of (puerhshop owner) to put together a package deal of samples for us (of our own choosing, perhaps), that we could each then order from Puerhshop directly........ yay?

Really great idea!!!