TeaChat

PolyhymnianMuse wrote:
Wow Jim that is lovely information. Seems like pu literally runs in certain families.

Ya, it's kinda interesting, 3 brothers from one Huang family rooted in Yiwu ran Yiwu Guanzizai, Yiwu Yongpin Hao, and yet another unknown brand called 'DianYi' (I was told it's equally wonderful as well) by the junior. They are all very successful.

BTW, four more 'Yuan Nian' cakes, including Yiwu cake mentioned in this thread had been ordered and sent to Kunming. I think I got most prized Yuan Nian teas so far.

puerhshop wrote:

PolyhymnianMuse wrote:
Wow Jim that is lovely information. Seems like pu literally runs in certain families.

BTW, four more 'Yuan Nian' cakes, including Yiwu cake mentioned in this thread had been ordered and sent to Kunming. I think I got most prized Yuan Nian teas so far.

I am looking forward to trying them all as they become available

Salsero wrote:

Goose wrote: 2000 Zhongcha Green Mark- finishing the last few infusions from last nights maiden voyage. Very pleased with this tea.

What exactly does "Zhongcha" mean? Is it a particular brand of CNNP or does it mean any CNNP product or is it the "cha" surrounded by 8 "zhong"? Or what?

Well I certainly have no idea , Babelcarp says-

"Zhongcha = (中茶) China Tea, a brand created by the Chinese government in 1951"

'08 Xiaguan Fei Tai (kosher nostra) Nan Zhao tuo

From what I've read, there have been a lot of upheavals in the world of pu'er over the last few years. I recall when the cigar fad hit around fifteen years ago. Long established factories had to scramble to meet increased demand, occasionally at the expense of their good name, only to be met by an overloaded distribution network catering to a confused public. New brands would crop up almost daily, and sellers soon found themselves stocked to the rafters with junk they couldn't unload when the public jumped to the next fad. Cohibas were faked (still are), empires crumbled, the ubiquitous mall cigar kiosks evaporated, and it was just a mess. When the dust settled, the johhnie-come-latelies were relegated to the dungheap of history, and the classic brands remained.

Pu'er seems to be experiencing similar growing pains in terms of meeting its world market. A lot of folks seem to have jumped on the bandwagon, and you'll hear a lot of discussion regarding "the good old days" or "this factory is a shadow of its former self." I don't know why factories can't produce the best teas ever made these days. The trees are older (which equals better, right?) and the production processes should be better than ever. Then again, I can't explain why we can't build a bridge today when we built them before we had trucks. In any event, there should be a plethora of great teas out there.

Xiaguan seems to have done very well recently. Almost every one I've tried has been good, and everything branded FT has been excellent. The FT Nan Zhou is another lovely tuo, and strikes me as one of their fruitier offerings. It smells of warm toast, and has a lovely, jammy apricot component that is endearing. It's a very good value.

kymidwife wrote:

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

Oh, I am an equal opportunity tea junkie... and very interested in having that "Ah HA!" moment where I finally really "get it" what all the puerh fuss is about. I haven't disliked any I've had, but I haven't been seduced... YET. But I think I sorta want to be, LOL.

I shoulda gotten on the pu box pass... that might have pushed me over the edge!

Sarah

Oh you will be seduced Sarah.....just give it time. It is the red wine of tea in my opinion as it has the most complexity and breadth of flavor. You just have to drink enough to align your taster to its particular nuances.

Goose wrote:

Goose wrote:I had sent Scott at YSLLC an email about this Yuan Nian Yi Wu 2007
tea earlier today-I will report his reply.

Scott did get back to me. He will investigate this company and see about sourcing this tea.I will update ASAP.

Jim

I will be interested to see what Scott says about this company and any tasting notes he may reveal.

tony shlongini wrote:'08 Xiaguan Fei Tai (kosher nostra) Nan Zhao tuo

From what I've read, there have been a lot of upheavals in the world of pu'er over the last few years. I recall when the cigar fad hit around fifteen years ago. Long established factories had to scramble to meet increased demand, occasionally at the expense of their good name, only to be met by an overloaded distribution network catering to a confused public. New brands would crop up almost daily, and sellers soon found themselves stocked to the rafters with junk they couldn't unload when the public jumped to the next fad. Cohibas were faked (still are), empires crumbled, the ubiquitous mall cigar kiosks evaporated, and it was just a mess. When the dust settled, the johhnie-come-latelies were relegated to the dungheap of history, and the classic brands remained.

Pu'er seems to be experiencing similar growing pains in terms of meeting its world market. A lot of folks seem to have jumped on the bandwagon, and you'll hear a lot of discussion regarding "the good old days" or "this factory is a shadow of its former self." I don't know why factories can't produce the best teas ever made these days. The trees are older (which equals better, right?) and the production processes should be better than ever. Then again, I can't explain why we can't build a bridge today when we built them before we had trucks. In any event, there should be a plethora of great teas out there.

Xiaguan seems to have done very well recently. Almost every one I've tried has been good, and everything branded FT has been excellent. The FT Nan Zhou is another lovely tuo, and strikes me as one of their fruitier offerings. It smells of warm toast, and has a lovely, jammy apricot component that is endearing. It's a very good value.

What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

hop_goblin wrote:What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

True. Better to be at the mercy of mother nature than the whim of your competitors.

tony shlongini wrote:

hop_goblin wrote:What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

True. Better to be at the mercy of mother nature than the whim of your competitors.

Indeed~

Today I tried the 97 Hong Kong commemoration cake I posted in the "show your pu" thread.

Astringency - none
Smoke - some
Dryness - none
Mouthfeel - I'm not clear on what this is yet
Hui gan - little
Flavor - nice
Overall value - good, I guess!
Purchase again - possibly

This basically tasted like young sheng that has mellowed out a little. I lost track of how many infusions I got out of it, but it was a lot, just like any other pu. Overall, the tea was very enjoyable and not at all bitter like it turned out when brewed at the shop. It was also a little less harsh on my stomach than younger shengs.

I will have to try some other shengs at this age level to have something to compare it against.

Liquor (5th infusion):


Spent leaves:

[quote="taitea"]Today I tried the 97 Hong Kong commemoration cake I posted in the "show your pu" thread.

Astringency - none
Smoke - some
Dryness - none
Mouthfeel - I'm not clear on what this is yet
Hui gan - little
Flavor - nice
Overall value - good, I guess!
Purchase again - possibly

This basically tasted like young sheng that has mellowed out a little. I lost track of how many infusions I got out of it, but it was a lot, just like any other pu. Overall, the tea was very enjoyable and not at all bitter like it turned out when brewed at the shop. It was also a little less harsh on my stomach than younger shengs.

I will have to try some other shengs at this age level to have something to compare it against.

Liquor (5th infusion):


Spent leaves:
[
/quote]



Good god man! Looks like it had been stored in a Tupperware container

Do you mean that it looks a lot younger than it should? Are you basing that on the liquid or the leaves, or both? Explain your detective skills!

taitea wrote:Do you mean that it looks a lot younger than it should? Are you basing that on the liquid or the leaves, or both? Explain your detective skills!

97 usually produces a darker brew and darker leaves.

Just to give you an idea, this is what a lot of people champion as the benchmark for dry storage (not me, but a lot of people), and it's a 99. http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2008/03 ... green.html

2008 Menghai "Springtime Water" sheng 500g
Source: YSLLC

Astringency not too bad
Smoke none
Dryness very little, unless bullied
Mouthfeel above average
Hui gan some +
Flavor good, vibrant!
Overall value fantastic
Purchase again yes, of course.

Oily, vibrant, young, energetic. These are pretty good ways of describing the Springtime Water cake from Menghai. A fantastic bang for buck weighing at roughly a pound for a mere $13.70! Be mindful of it's age and tenacity, use slightly less leaf than you normally would and this tea shows you an evolving flavor over infusions, pushing it tends to provide excellent results that differ from the last infusion, while only gaining slightly in a good bitterness and astringency. This is quite simply a surprise tea, a sleeper hit Dayi release for 08. I've not heard anyone even mention this cake this year, and it's really quite a shame. If you're looking for that cake to round out your next order from YSSLC, think twice and take a gamble. I'm sure if you don't agree with me now you might in a few years. Good tea for the money.