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This was a prime example of the real power of teachat, now we all order from Rich Barbarian, and we will make him even richer if his tea is really better than other on the market.

Oni wrote:This was a prime example of the real power of teachat, now we all order from Rich Barbarian, and we will make him even richer if his tea is really better than other on the market.

Well i was convinced and decided to help make him even richer by ordering supreme and supreme+

Herb_Master wrote: This may punch hole in my intentions to try side by side tastings of Spring, Summer and Fall picks from the same source.

I like their name too

Did they or will they have spring or fall TGY? Currently they only have summer TGY listed.

Oni wrote:This was a prime example of the real power of teachat, now we all order from Rich Barbarian, and we will make him even richer if his tea is really better than other on the market.

I was only comparing it 2 other unsung Ti Kuan Yins that I have tried.
I have never bought Supreme, let alone Supreme+ from anywhere else.
I have never had a (Tie) Guan Yin Wang or King.

I hope noone is disappointed - it as after all (as pointed out elsewhere on the thread) "only a Summer Pick.

But at that price for 8 good 10 gm bags I was very pleased.

Herb_Master wrote: I hope noone is disappointed - it as after all (as pointed out elsewhere on the thread) "only a Summer Pick.

Don't worry, Herb, you didn't make it sound like the best tea in all the world, and those leaves do not look like the highest quality, but I'm sure everyone will have a few good cups of tea from it. I think most of these names -- King, Wang, Supreme, etc -- are marketing hype and only tell you about the relative quality within a vendor's lineup, something the price tag also tells you.

It's just fun to participate in the thread and the site does have a cool name. I assume that from some perspectives at least all non-Chinese are Barbarians, especially the Gwai-low.

As for season, the Supreme + that I ordered is labeled Autumn. My understanding is that the Autumn or Winter picking (I think they are the same) is often thought of as the best, just as the Spring is considered best in some other tea types.

Thats correct, the current stock is Autumn tea, not Summer tea.

Rich just wanted me to clear this up.

Yeah! I checked out the store again and they do have autumn harvest now. Then I think I will get some too

gingko wrote:Yeah! I checked out the store again and they do have autumn harvest now. Then I think I will get some too

mmmmmmn!

Maybe mine WAS summer - maybe I should check with him [though I thought I was talking to a her!] and see - I may need to order seeing as Spring and Autumn are both supposed to be better than Summer in their own way - with Autumn having more fans.

Herb_Master wrote: ... maybe I should check with him [though I thought I was talking to a her!] ...

The picture on the site is of a female. Now, I am wondering if the Autumn maybe just came out ... it seems a little late, but maybe.

Salsero wrote:
Herb_Master wrote: ... maybe I should check with him [though I thought I was talking to a her!] ...
The picture on the site is of a female. Now, I am wondering if the Autumn maybe just came out ... it seems a little late, but maybe.

The Tin for the Supreme+ looks the same - I have not scrutinised the Chinese Characters yet

But the tin for the Supreme is very different to mine.

I placed my order in late december

Herb_Master wrote: I placed my order in late december

Yes, December may have been an earlier harvest. Contact the Barbarian to find out. The suspense is killing me!

If you did get the old one, I would be happy send you a couple bags of mine when it comes. The comparison could be interesting!

Salsero wrote:
Herb_Master wrote: I placed my order in late december
Yes, December may have been an earlier harvest. Contact the Barbarian to find out. The suspense is killing me!

If you did get the old one, I would be happy send you a couple bags of mine when it comes. The comparison could be interesting!

I checked the invoice - it has Summer 2008 writ large on both teas - I feel I am going to have to order the Autumn versions - I can still send you some Summer if you want to try them!

Herb_Master wrote: - I feel I am going to have to order the Autumn versions -

Of course this scuppers my intended next purchase from Wan Ling

http://www.wanlingteahouse.co.uk/uk_tea ... -yin.shtml

and they have many Autumn versions in stock

Can Sai Jin Pin Guan Yin Wang - Autumn 2008

Hong Xin Te Chun Guan Yin Wang - Autumn 2008

Jiu Jiu Jiu - Autumn 2008

Te Ji Guan Yin - Autumn 2008

Bai Mu Guan Yin - Autumn 2008

Li Li Xiang Guan Yin - **Spring 2008**

And James is readily available with English as his first language to ask all sorts of detailed info about the products.

He just sent out an interesting News alert about L-theanine and Umami that is appearing on the Rishi site.

Wan Ling met with Joshua from Ri Shi tea today. Taking a look at there website there may be some interesting info for you. The Japanese travelogue was an eye opener for me.

Happy tea drinking,

James and Wan Ling

SMC, I think the passage below may be of special interest to yourself;
The Japanese word Kabuse means ‘wrapped.’ It is common to see Kabuse or wrapped tea bushes throughout Japan. Wrapping the tea bush facilitates a slower growing leaf that has deeper color concentration, less astringency and more L-Theanine amino acid. This amino acid is vital in providing the “umami,” or delicious, savory flavor found in high end Japanese tea. The bushes are typically wrapped for 4-5 days just before harvest. This photo shows a tea bush that was half wrapped to demonstrate the impact wrapping has on leaf color. The deeper green portion of the tea bush represents the part that was wrapped and the lighter yellowish green portion represents the part of the bush that was not wrapped.

Facebook: wanlingteahouse
Facts and Information: www.wanlingteahouse.com
Online European teashop: www.wanlingteahouse.co.uk

The deed is done - I have ordered

Rich-Barbarian
Autumn Supreme
&
Autumn Supreme+

Wan Ling
Autumn Hong Xin Te Chun Guan Yin Wang
&
Autumn Jiu Jiu Jiu

Herb_Master wrote:The deed is done - I have ordered

Alea iacta est.

I suppose now we will all be ordering from Wan Ling in a couple weeks!

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