Official Pu of the day

[jayinhk]

YS 2015 Bai Ni Shui sample again. After four days of lying open in my pu erh cabinet, it has nice floral and fruit aromas to it which carry over into the brew. This tea is very clean tasting and very easy to drink, even fresh, but the aroma seems to be all in the nose and not on the palate. I don't know how this tea will age, but the leaves look great and it smells good, even if I don't taste much, and it's not very bitter at all. Great energy too. This reminds me of the wild Vietnamese assamica green tea I picked up in Saigon a few months ago; similar aroma and body feel. I probably won't take the gamble on this one, but I wonder what it would taste like five or ten years down the line...

EDIT: The second infusion was all in the cup and tasted like it smelled. Good stuff, and drinkable now! I'm tempted...

[Tead Off]

2004 Zhongcha Iron cake. I bought this in HK about 8 years ago for HK$150=$20. Never had an iron bing before and was amazed at how hard it was. Over the years, I've chipped away at it, observing how it changed in taste and look. Now, 11 years later, the tea liquor has darkened to a shu-like color, with a smooth, satisfying taste. Mellow one might say with still a hint of bitterness if pushed. 5g/75ml zini Yixing, quick pours. At that price, why didn't I buy more?

2004 Zhongcha Iron cake.jpg (95.84 KiB) Viewed 1005 times

[Rui]

2005 Rocket Yiwu from White2Tea.

[debunix]

2004 Zhongcha Iron cake. I bought this in HK about 8 years ago for HK$150=$20. Never had an iron bing before and was amazed at how hard it was. Over the years, I've chipped away at it, observing how it changed in taste and look. Now, 11 years later, the tea liquor has darkened to a shu-like color, with a smooth, satisfying taste. Mellow one might say with still a hint of bitterness if pushed. 5g/75ml zini Yixing, quick pours. At that price, why didn't I buy more?

Maybe because you were frustrated by all the chipping away? I am always worried I'll stab myself.

[gasninja]

I never worry about stabbing myself with an iron cake. It's the mushrooms and tuocha that really make me nervous.
Today Tried White2Teas " Pin " for the first time. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it even more when I looked at his sight and saw that it sells for 49.99. When I received it in his tea of the month club for 29.99. The Savings taste great

[Rdeitz]

Yeah, I noticed that after I posted. Still comes out a little cheaper than the Hui Run! I think I've bought enough pu erh for the year, so I'll hold off on new purchases for now. Got a Chawang order coming in too.

Did you order any bug shit tea? They just got a new batch!

[Tead Off]

2004 Zhongcha Iron cake. I bought this in HK about 8 years ago for HK$150=$20. Never had an iron bing before and was amazed at how hard it was. Over the years, I've chipped away at it, observing how it changed in taste and look. Now, 11 years later, the tea liquor has darkened to a shu-like color, with a smooth, satisfying taste. Mellow one might say with still a hint of bitterness if pushed. 5g/75ml zini Yixing, quick pours. At that price, why didn't I buy more?

Maybe because you were frustrated by all the chipping away? I am always worried I'll stab myself.

True dat.

I think my statement about the tea was more generous than it actually is. I don't consider this tea 'good tea'. The quality of a plantation tea like this is usually pretty awful. When it was young, it was hardly drinkable. I was a bit taken with its 'aging', going from yuck to smooth, but it is certainly no match for a higher quality gushu or single farm production that we are able to buy today. I'm very happy I didn't buy more!

[jayinhk]

Yeah, I noticed that after I posted. Still comes out a little cheaper than the Hui Run! I think I've bought enough pu erh for the year, so I'll hold off on new purchases for now. Got a Chawang order coming in too.

Did you order any bug shit tea? They just got a new batch!

Maybe it's just me, but bug poop is not so much my thing. I have noticed bugs in my cakes in the summer though, so I'm probably getting some bug poop anyway. Lol

[jayinhk]

Chipped off some of a US$5 raw cake I bought from a Chinese snack store here in Hong Kong three years ago. They had these cakes outside, getting some air. Surprisingly good for the money and brews lovely and red. I have one more that I haven't unwrapped yet...I'll let it go the full ten and drink the other cake until then.

[Rui]

Chipped off some of a US$5 raw cake I bought from a Chinese snack store here in Hong Kong three years ago. They had these cakes outside, getting some air. Surprisingly good for the money and brews lovely and red. I have one more that I haven't unwrapped yet...I'll let it go the full ten and drink the other cake until then.

I definitely need to know about all these stores next time I come over to Hong Kong.

[Rui]

This morning I am sipping 2013 Yiwu Snake Blend raw pu'er from Tea Urchin. I particularly like this type of teas from Yiwu.

[jayinhk]

Chipped off some of a US$5 raw cake I bought from a Chinese snack store here in Hong Kong three years ago. They had these cakes outside, getting some air. Surprisingly good for the money and brews lovely and red. I have one more that I haven't unwrapped yet...I'll let it go the full ten and drink the other cake until then.

I definitely need to know about all these stores next time I come over to Hong Kong.

Just a snack store in the dried fish area of Sai Ying Pun...sells traditional Chinese snacks and sweets, like dried prunes, watermelon seeds, etc. I saw the cakes and was curious, and for the price, I was like why the heck not? Not the best raw pu erh in the world, but it was cheap and tastes fine, so I'm not complaining. I may mix it with some shu for easier drinking. I let it brew for a little bit too long today and it was quite bitter, so I diluted it with more hot water, HK restaurant style.

[debunix]

2011 Hui Run of Bulang shu from Yunnan Sourcing: perfect on an afternoon of an office pre-holiday potluck, keeping alert after a rich heavy meal.

[Rui]

Usually I do not drink dark coloured teas but today I decided to make an exception: 2014 Laochatou Ripe Puerh Tea from White2Tea. My goodness but this tea is smooth and yummy.

[Teaism]

An old and generous tea collector shared a brew of early 1910s Song Ping Hao. It is very hard to comprehend such an old iconic tea, perhaps just a fleeting joy of impermanence and beauty.

Cheers!