My great friend Henry just returned from a trip to China. He brought me back three cakes. Two cooked and this raw beauty. It brews to a delicate yellow and it's taste is subtle adding complexity with each brew. I love the leaf pattern and how long and graceful they lie on the cake.
Henry bought it in a small independent tea shop in Beijing. Cost about $100. From 2004. Apparently they started dating in 2005 on the wrapper.
Does anyone know anything about this tea?
I don't know how to post images here so please check out my thread on Badger&Blade:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread ... ost1189620[/img]
Well, it looks like the folks over at B&B have quickly dissected this one.
For reference in this thread, it looks like a Menghai DaYi (from the logo), and apparently Puerhshop is selling a 2003 for 99.00 (which means the China price should be much, much cheaper)...
For reference in this thread, it looks like a Menghai DaYi (from the logo), and apparently Puerhshop is selling a 2003 for 99.00 (which means the China price should be much, much cheaper)...
May 10th, '09, 20:57
Posts: 529
Joined: Jul 23rd, '08, 17:07
Location: The Isle of Malta
Mystery Sheng Mystery
I shared this thread with Gordon of Dragon Teas and he believes this to be a counterfeit. The appearance is considerably different than what he believe the authentic to look like.
Does anyone here have an opinion?
Does anyone here have an opinion?
May 11th, '09, 09:59
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
Location: Trapped inside a bamboo tong!
Contact:
hop_goblin
Re: Mystery Sheng Mystery
In all honesty, I thought the same thing. I have never seen a Dayi product lay leaves on the face of the cake like that. For the most part, Dayi is well blended stuff. Not to mention that the other examples I have seen albeit not in person are blended items. I believe the Puerhshop has one. I am not even sure they made this beeng in '05tacobell wrote:I shared this thread with Gordon of Dragon Teas and he believes this to be a counterfeit. The appearance is considerably different than what he believe the authentic to look like.
Does anyone here have an opinion?
The leaves look very flimsy IMHO to be big leaf of any type. Does it remind you of YiWu?
Mystery revealed ?
I have received two reviews of the tea. The pedigree appears in doubt.
First review from Hobbesoxon at Badger&Blade:
Many thanks - your parcel arrived on Friday, and I've spent a good session
with it over the week-end, and two sessions here in my office. It's always
good fun to encounter mystery teas!
First up: this is a good tea. It is a decent quality. I don't believe
it's anything like Menghai, but we'll get to that. What's important is: I
liked it - so, thanks
The leaves are long and whole, and some long huangpian [yellow flakes /
leaves] remain, along with some branches. This is a good quality maocha,
and looks healthy. The aroma of the dry leaves is a touch damp, and the
colour has darkened a little. It has a bright yellow soup that indicates
lack of prefermentation / late cooking, and it oxidises to orange before my
eyes as I write my notes into my diary - it looks as if it is very *active*.
This activity carries over into the cup: it buzzes on the lips, and
reassures me that this is a solid, pleasant, and healthy tea. Someone has
selected some very pleasant maocha to go into this cake. The first few
infusions have a rich complexity, including tobacco. It has hints of
orthodox Yiwu: cleanliness, clean leather, and a sweet finish.
It doesn't last very long in the cup, and I am soon pushing the infusions
quite hard in order to make the leaves respond. I suspect that it is a very
good plantation tea, because of this. Note that it lacks much of the
roughness around the throat that I would usually associate with plantation
tea, but it does not endure quite as well as one might expect were it qiaomu
[tall tree] shengpu.
"What is this tea", you ask? I think it's a plantation tea from somewhere
around the greater Yiwu area, but it's a nice one. I think someone made a
good tea, then decided to try and get a much higher price than it would
otherwise obtain, by pressing in the Menghai neifei [inner tickets] and then
wrapping it in a Menghai wrapper. I believe I read that a friend paid
around $100 for it in Beijing (Maliandao?). In terms of pure pricing -
that's too much. I don't think this is Menghai (not enough chopping, for
starters), but it does feel like a small-scale production. Estimated value
is always hard - what would I expect to pay for it? Maybe $50. It feels
like a 2007 cake at the earliest, and would be surprised if it was 2003-04,
as was claimed by the vendor.
These are just my guesses. Who knows? It's a very pleasant tea, and I
enjoyed it. Thanks again for the opportunity!
Next from Hop_Goblin here at Teachat:
Hi Taco,
Just had a session with the Mystery Sheng
Well, here is my analysis so please take it for what it is worth.
The level of depth that the sheng has is decent albeit somewhat on the lighter side. The sensations do tell me that it has been aged for for maybe 3 years or so but not more than 5. The huigan and flavor was also interesting. However, not as pungent as the single estate Yiwu that had I compared it too. You will be happy to read that it does remind me of YiWu shan to a marginal extent. However, I do not think that it's unadulterated. It it does contain Yiwu shan mao cha it's not the majority of the beeng. I believe that it was cut with regular "green tea" since it has a tartness that I am unfamiliar with and a dryness that is not IMHO reminescent of YiWu. Although there are other factors which can contribute to this such as an appropiate shaqing stage although due to its nice clarity I dont believe this is the case. The leaves also appear to be a mixture of different area leaves and cultivars - Definitely not all broad leaf. The broad leaf that it does contain reminds me of fall harvest which is then varified by the taste and weakness of the brew. The cha qi was not great. All in all, its a decent tea but not worth the 100USD.
I hope this helps!
Thanks for the sample
Hop
So it seems not a Menghai, maybe not that old, but also not that bad. Anybody else have teas of questionable pedigree?
David
__________________
First review from Hobbesoxon at Badger&Blade:
Many thanks - your parcel arrived on Friday, and I've spent a good session
with it over the week-end, and two sessions here in my office. It's always
good fun to encounter mystery teas!
First up: this is a good tea. It is a decent quality. I don't believe
it's anything like Menghai, but we'll get to that. What's important is: I
liked it - so, thanks
The leaves are long and whole, and some long huangpian [yellow flakes /
leaves] remain, along with some branches. This is a good quality maocha,
and looks healthy. The aroma of the dry leaves is a touch damp, and the
colour has darkened a little. It has a bright yellow soup that indicates
lack of prefermentation / late cooking, and it oxidises to orange before my
eyes as I write my notes into my diary - it looks as if it is very *active*.
This activity carries over into the cup: it buzzes on the lips, and
reassures me that this is a solid, pleasant, and healthy tea. Someone has
selected some very pleasant maocha to go into this cake. The first few
infusions have a rich complexity, including tobacco. It has hints of
orthodox Yiwu: cleanliness, clean leather, and a sweet finish.
It doesn't last very long in the cup, and I am soon pushing the infusions
quite hard in order to make the leaves respond. I suspect that it is a very
good plantation tea, because of this. Note that it lacks much of the
roughness around the throat that I would usually associate with plantation
tea, but it does not endure quite as well as one might expect were it qiaomu
[tall tree] shengpu.
"What is this tea", you ask? I think it's a plantation tea from somewhere
around the greater Yiwu area, but it's a nice one. I think someone made a
good tea, then decided to try and get a much higher price than it would
otherwise obtain, by pressing in the Menghai neifei [inner tickets] and then
wrapping it in a Menghai wrapper. I believe I read that a friend paid
around $100 for it in Beijing (Maliandao?). In terms of pure pricing -
that's too much. I don't think this is Menghai (not enough chopping, for
starters), but it does feel like a small-scale production. Estimated value
is always hard - what would I expect to pay for it? Maybe $50. It feels
like a 2007 cake at the earliest, and would be surprised if it was 2003-04,
as was claimed by the vendor.
These are just my guesses. Who knows? It's a very pleasant tea, and I
enjoyed it. Thanks again for the opportunity!
Next from Hop_Goblin here at Teachat:
Hi Taco,
Just had a session with the Mystery Sheng
Well, here is my analysis so please take it for what it is worth.
The level of depth that the sheng has is decent albeit somewhat on the lighter side. The sensations do tell me that it has been aged for for maybe 3 years or so but not more than 5. The huigan and flavor was also interesting. However, not as pungent as the single estate Yiwu that had I compared it too. You will be happy to read that it does remind me of YiWu shan to a marginal extent. However, I do not think that it's unadulterated. It it does contain Yiwu shan mao cha it's not the majority of the beeng. I believe that it was cut with regular "green tea" since it has a tartness that I am unfamiliar with and a dryness that is not IMHO reminescent of YiWu. Although there are other factors which can contribute to this such as an appropiate shaqing stage although due to its nice clarity I dont believe this is the case. The leaves also appear to be a mixture of different area leaves and cultivars - Definitely not all broad leaf. The broad leaf that it does contain reminds me of fall harvest which is then varified by the taste and weakness of the brew. The cha qi was not great. All in all, its a decent tea but not worth the 100USD.
I hope this helps!
Thanks for the sample
Hop
So it seems not a Menghai, maybe not that old, but also not that bad. Anybody else have teas of questionable pedigree?
David
__________________
Jun 3rd, '09, 14:20
Posts: 152
Joined: Sep 11th, '08, 17:15
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: PA, USA
Re: Mystery revealed ?
Fascinating. It sounds like decent tea, and in any case, it's made for a great thread (between here and b&b).tacobell wrote:I have received two reviews of the tea. The pedigree appears in doubt.
First review from Hobbesoxon at Badger&Blade:
[...]
Next from Hop_Goblin here at Teachat:
[...]
So it seems not a Menghai, maybe not that old, but also not that bad. Anybody else have teas of questionable pedigree?
I own no interesting fakes. Just some garbage shu cakes purchased in street markets that were cheap but probably overpriced.
Jun 3rd, '09, 22:56
Posts: 529
Joined: Jul 23rd, '08, 17:07
Location: The Isle of Malta
Sorry for the delay in posting this, as I was also a recipient of tacobell's largesse.
In a tasting at a prestigious wine merchant, I once correctly identified a rosé as the work of Daniel Johnnes, sommelier of Montrachet (now working with Daniel Boulud), under his Deux Chapeaux label, employing the Saignée method. So if you think I'm just the guy to identify this sheng blind......... guess again. I'm normally closer to the Michael Broadbent "When did I last mistake a Burgundy for a Bordeaux? Today!" school of thought. I hate tasting things blind- the pressure tends to offset the very real advantage of sampling things blind, ie: no preconceived notions to sway your opinion.
I haven't been at this game nearly long enough to identify the myriad growing areas. Ascertaining the age is harder still. Guessing the age of an item, whether it's a dinosaur bone or the shroud of Turin, is always a dicey proposition. I recently had an '05 Cang 'Er tuo that tasted as if it were pressed today, and an '08 7582 that seemed at least five years old. There are telltale clues, though. The mystery sheng was a distinctly bright yellow, something I applaud. I can't see this being more than a few years old. The first infusions were very dry, but opened up nicely, and left my tongue tingling a bit. It settled into a nice handful of brews, but was no powerhouse. The wet leaf seemed a mishmosh of various types, as if it was culled from the four corners of the world. The big leaf I pictured was atypical. Overall, I thought it was a very nice tea, but not what I would have expected, given the price.
The big surprise is that Mrs. Shlongini absolutely loved this one. She (yes, the selfsame grand poobah of pooh poohing pu'er; think Mikey from the old Life commercials) said is was well worth $100. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I want to treat myself to something, as she normally throws nickels around as if they were manhole covers.
What puzzles me about this tea is why the seller felt the need to push it as such a premium item (Oh yeah- money. Never mind.) I would normally think that a complete piece of crap would get that treatment. This one can stand on its own, and I'd think that there would be more to be made selling it at a reasonable price over the long term. Who knows? Perhaps the producer operates an honest, small factory, and has no idea what happens to his product once it leaves his hands.
Thanks again for the sample.
In a tasting at a prestigious wine merchant, I once correctly identified a rosé as the work of Daniel Johnnes, sommelier of Montrachet (now working with Daniel Boulud), under his Deux Chapeaux label, employing the Saignée method. So if you think I'm just the guy to identify this sheng blind......... guess again. I'm normally closer to the Michael Broadbent "When did I last mistake a Burgundy for a Bordeaux? Today!" school of thought. I hate tasting things blind- the pressure tends to offset the very real advantage of sampling things blind, ie: no preconceived notions to sway your opinion.
I haven't been at this game nearly long enough to identify the myriad growing areas. Ascertaining the age is harder still. Guessing the age of an item, whether it's a dinosaur bone or the shroud of Turin, is always a dicey proposition. I recently had an '05 Cang 'Er tuo that tasted as if it were pressed today, and an '08 7582 that seemed at least five years old. There are telltale clues, though. The mystery sheng was a distinctly bright yellow, something I applaud. I can't see this being more than a few years old. The first infusions were very dry, but opened up nicely, and left my tongue tingling a bit. It settled into a nice handful of brews, but was no powerhouse. The wet leaf seemed a mishmosh of various types, as if it was culled from the four corners of the world. The big leaf I pictured was atypical. Overall, I thought it was a very nice tea, but not what I would have expected, given the price.
The big surprise is that Mrs. Shlongini absolutely loved this one. She (yes, the selfsame grand poobah of pooh poohing pu'er; think Mikey from the old Life commercials) said is was well worth $100. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I want to treat myself to something, as she normally throws nickels around as if they were manhole covers.
What puzzles me about this tea is why the seller felt the need to push it as such a premium item (Oh yeah- money. Never mind.) I would normally think that a complete piece of crap would get that treatment. This one can stand on its own, and I'd think that there would be more to be made selling it at a reasonable price over the long term. Who knows? Perhaps the producer operates an honest, small factory, and has no idea what happens to his product once it leaves his hands.
Thanks again for the sample.
Jun 3rd, '09, 23:44
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Well, Tea Soho recently pointed out this cake at Yunnan Sourcing saying that she has visited the family workshop that made it and that it is truly 100% Yiwu. Of course, she also pointed out that it is very expensive.
I don't know why there are cakes out there with such high prices. It's hard to imagine that they can be proportionally that much better than something at a more modest price. Still, Scott is carrying it and we know that he is no flim flam man.
"Nickels like manhole covers." Tony, you have left me rolling on the floor, gasping for air, nearly choking to death on laughter more than once. If you are not a comedian by profession, you may want to consider becoming one.
I don't know why there are cakes out there with such high prices. It's hard to imagine that they can be proportionally that much better than something at a more modest price. Still, Scott is carrying it and we know that he is no flim flam man.
"Nickels like manhole covers." Tony, you have left me rolling on the floor, gasping for air, nearly choking to death on laughter more than once. If you are not a comedian by profession, you may want to consider becoming one.
perhaps for the western market?Salsero wrote:Well, Tea Soho recently pointed out this cake at Yunnan Sourcing saying that she has visited the family workshop that made it and that it is truly 100% Yiwu. Of course, she also pointed out that it is very expensive.
I don't know why there are cakes out there with such high prices. It's hard to imagine that they can be proportionally that much better than something at a more modest price. Still, Scott is carrying it and we know that he is no flim flam man.
"Nickels like manhole covers." Tony, you have left me rolling on the floor, gasping for air, nearly choking to death on laughter more than once. If you are not a comedian by profession, you may want to consider becoming one.
