TeaChat

I saw over at Badger and Blade they have a sheng of the day thread. I thought it might be nice to start something like that here. I know we have a whats in your cup forum but personally I would just like to see puerh notes. The person could just mention what they are having.....say a few things......or give a full review. I also thought we could have a standard set of qualities like these:

Astringency - (strong, some, none)
Smoke - (strong, some, none)
Dryness-(mouth) - (strong, some, none)
Mouthfeel - (heavy, medium, thin)
Hui gan - (strong, some, none)
Flavor - (excellent, good, fair)
Overall value - (excellent, good, fair)
Purchase again - (absolutley, maybe, never)

These are just some initial ideas but it could be copied and pasted and thereby made easy. This would encourage more people to give info about the tea they drink. Other ideas are welcome. What do you all think?

This seems like a really nice idea. It would give everyone a look at a different tea and open up some chances to see what certains teas are all about.

/me thinks about what teachat will become in a couple years. I can just picture wonderful sections of information and reviews of many teas available for purchase. One can only hope

Nice Idea, here is my Sheng of the day-

2008 Mengku * Bing Dao Spring Cake.

Hai Lang Hao, 2008 "Star of Bulang," sheng
Source: YSLLC

• Astringency quite low for a new pu
  Smoke some
  Dryness just a bit
  Mouthfeel medium +
  Hui gan some +
  Flavor excellent
  Overall value good
  Purchase again yes

Well, I haven't even finished one session with this tea yet, so it's really premature to say anything, but...

Listed at $24 a cake, Scott says it was made in 2008 with 3-year-old mao cha.

Yesterday I had the 2008 Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E cake, so my impression today is probably unduly influence by drinking that great sheng previously. I really like the taste profile of this tea. In fact it is not too far off from the Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E, though definitely sweeter and a bit acid at the same time. It does have aftertaste, mouthfeel, huigan. I don't notice any qi. I am a bit at a loss to describe the taste, so I will use words that I have seen others use, but I am not sure what they are referring to: new leather, smoke, camphor, wood, maybe even a bit of mint when I inhale after drinking some. A very masculine profile, it would go well on the shaving forum! These tastes are right up my alley, but I am disappointed that it isn't stronger. I brewed 5 gr to 120 ml, which I normally consider on the strong side, but I think I will increase it to 6 grams next time. The further through the infusions I go, the more I like it.

Salsero wrote:Hai Lang Hao, 2008 "Star of Bulang," sheng
Source: YSLLC

• Astringency quite low for a new pu
  Smoke some
  Dryness just a bit
  Mouthfeel medium +
  Hui gan some +
  Flavor excellent
  Overall value good
  Purchase again yes

Well, I haven't even finished one session with this tea yet, so it's really premature to say anything, but...

Listed at $24 a cake, Scott says it was made in 2008 with 3-year-old mao cha.

Yesterday I had the 2008 Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E cake, so my impression today is probably unduly influence by drinking that great sheng previously. I really like the taste profile of this tea. In fact it is not too far off from the Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E, though definitely sweeter and a bit acid at the same time. It does have aftertaste, mouthfeel, huigan. I don't notice any qi. I am a bit at a loss to describe the taste, so I will use words that I have seen others use, but I am not sure what they are referring to: new leather, smoke, camphor, wood, maybe even a bit of mint when I inhale after drinking some. A very masculine profile, it would go well on the shaving forum! These tastes are right up my alley, but I am disappointed that it isn't stronger. I brewed 5 gr to 120 ml, which I normally consider on the strong side, but I think I will increase it to 6 grams next time. The further through the infusions I go, the more I like it.

Glad you enjoyed it! I think it's a fantastic value with a head start on aging.

2008 Menghai Peacock of Bada sheng
Source: YSLLC

• Astringency not too bad
  Smoke none
  Dryness some
  Mouthfeel medium
  Hui gan some +
  Flavor good, but straightforward
  Overall value okay
  Purchase again no

Pretty straightforward tea. Being a single-estate big M release, this provides a fairly simple range of flavors. The smell of the wet leaves, however, is absolutely breathtaking. It's like an intensely sweet tobacco-melon. Otherwise, it tastes and looks like a plantation Menghai affair. That's not a bad thing, obviously, as I am a huge fan of Menghai. The thing about it though is that it provides some very familiar Menghai flavors, but in an almost boring fashion. I bet this tea will age into something special, but for my money, I'd rather have the Big Classic at this price range. Tomorrow I'll try the Peacock of Nannuo.

I hope you are catching all this, Trioxin!

Ooo, I have a sample of the Peacock of Nannuo. I'll put it out ... though tomorrow might be a tough day to get time for it.

'07 Xiauguan Bao Yan (Tibetan Flame) brick
$4.99 per 250g brick, PuerhShop

Astringency - enough to provide backbone, but not excessive
Smoke - none to barely perceptible
Dryness-(mouth) - none
Mouthfeel - medium to heavy
Hui gan - solid
Flavor - simple and solid
Overall value - beyond excellent
Purchase again - absolutley, perfect cellaring material

Simple folks need wine with their meals every bit as much as the high rollers dining at Taillevent, and they are fortunate that there are areas in Italy, Spain, and the Languedoc-Roussillon in France producing a sea of quaffable, inexpensive wine for daily consumption. Similarly, the poor need a cup of tea as much as anyone, and they shouldn't be denied their pleasure for lack of funds. The Xiaguan brick has been around for a long time serving the needs of tea drinkers in remote areas. There's a reason that this is a staple of the poor. It's not bad.

thanks wrote: 2008 Menghai Peacock of Bada sheng

The official name of that sheng is the Bada Bing

Love this thread... very good idea.

I just wanted to say thanks for adding your purchase source and price... very helpful for newbies like me in planning purchases. Maybe we could add that to the posting template?

A pu-head's idea of good value is quite relative to their budget, palate and experience... I think it's a great idea to give some specifics, even though availability and price are suject to change without notice in the future.

Thanks!

Sarah

tony shlongini wrote:

thanks wrote: 2008 Menghai Peacock of Bada sheng

The official name of that sheng is the Bada Bing

Ba doom tish!

kymidwife wrote:pu-head's idea of good value is quite relative to their budget, palate and experience... I think it's a great idea to give some specifics, even though availability and price are suject to change without notice in the future.

Thanks!

Sarah

+1

It's a good idea to include the price and size.

kymidwife wrote:Love this thread... very good idea.

I just wanted to say thanks for adding your purchase source and price... very helpful for newbies like me in planning purchases. Maybe we could add that to the posting template?

A pu-head's idea of good value is quite relative to their budget, palate and experience... I think it's a great idea to give some specifics, even though availability and price are suject to change without notice in the future.

Thanks!

Sarah

(in a southern drawl) I do declare....Sarah.......do we detect a movement away from your beloved oolongs?

Yuan Nian Yi Wu 2007
Ebay vendor vins_n_teas $13

Astringency - none
Smoke - some
Dryness - none
Mouthfeel - medium +
Hui gan - some
Flavor - okay
Overall value - so so
Purchase again - probably not





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2008 Xiaguan FT "Happy Tuo" YSLLC $5.00

my pu for the day. obtained via mr. wilson of yns. not advertised on the ebay site. this cake is a favourite of mine. it has a very special taste, the cake is very loose already, the leaves look kinda white, not brown at all. i think it's from 2003 but it still taste young and has a bite to it. not for newbs, could be astringent if you don't know how to brew it.



Astringency - it's there but still pleasant.
Smoke - none.
Dryness-(mouth) - nope.
Mouthfeel - heavydoom.
Hui gan - don't have a clue what the hell this is.
Flavor - great.
Overall value - brilliant.
Purchase again - one is enough.