TeaChat

Hou De was nominated and confirmed for our TeaVendor Guide under the Oolong and Pu-erh categories. If you would like to nominate them to other categories, you may do this, otherwise limit discussion to their Oolong and Pu-erh Tea offerings. Thank you!

NEW! Official Oolong and Pu-erh Tea Vendor Guide for Hou De.com Consider this a perennial topic for Oolong and Pu-erh teas from Hou De to discuss and review.

Oolong: http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... e91786b444
Pu-erh: http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... 74e846c250

Official Oolong and Pu-erh Tea Vendor Guide. Let's see what happens with this wild and crazy idea. You can view the main Oolong TeaVendor Guide here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 02#p141802 Pu-erh TeaVendor Guide here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=11929 and the main TeaVendor Guide here: http://www.teachat.com/viewforum.php?f=60

I have been thrilled with just about anything I have ever ordered from Hou De.

Their aged oolongs are a treat, my favorite was the Siji, while the wuyi I had from them was not bad either.

Also a thing it seems people might not have realized, but you can go into "Tea sampler" and browse through some of their puerh selection occasionally getting cakes in the 90's for 10g-1oz samples for a reasonable price, and low shipping if you are within the United States.

I just got my first order from HouDe, quick shipment and good service, and have been drinking the Rou Gui. I got the cinnamon notes I had been reading about, lightly, delicately, wonderfully. Happy camper here.

Congrats!! Yeah, love the fast service and USA shipping and great customer service. Their oolongs are top quality and they have some nice wares too.

Ordered some cups and a sampler of Dan Congs from them a while back and got a very quick, well-packed shipment. My only concern with Hou De is the cost, but I think, in general, it's warranted. Unfortunately, I can't always afford it.

Ordered the 2010 Spring Tai Tung "Hao Xian" black tea (oolong) and the 1996 Chung-Cha MengHai Factory "Orange-in-Orange', Uncooked pu'erh last Wed.

Shipping: Fast; got here today (four days after ordering). Order was extremely well packed; tea is in vacuum sealed mylar (?) inside yet another sealed bag with a zip close top.

Tea:
Tai Tung Hao Xian: I ordered this based on recommendations and descriptions on the Hou De website. They wrote: "The aroma has a gorgeous profile composed of ripe fruit (apricot, berries), floral scents and a honey-like sweetness. "
Well. The aroma is what I would describe as very malty...it smells a LOT like the brewpot when I'm making beer with the more malty/honey beers over the holiday. So I can see the malt/honey. But I'm completely missing the berries.

"At a cooler temperature, the sweetness becomes more caramelized and concentrated." This is true. The maltiness isn't smacking me in the face as much as this cools to room temp, and there is a slight sweetness lingering on the palate. Maltiness decreases with subsequent infusions, being the most obvious in the footwater and first infusion.

"The taste is medium-bodied, silky-textured, and enlightened by a slight fruity acid feeling." It rolls very nicely on the tongue, without the mouth-drying sensation of a lot of black teas or even some pu'erhs.

Tea texture: Whole leaves, not fragments. Gorgeous deep amber color bordering on red.

Has anyone ordered from Hou De lately? I placed an order 3 days ago but still haven't gotten any updates about shipping. I sent Irene an email but still no response. Is it usually like this?

Interesting, someone mentioned somewhere that they had not has a response as well.

Welcome to the forum!

Well that's comforting...
Was it just recently?

jaderabbit wrote:Well that's comforting...
Was it just recently?

Yes, within the last few days. Unfortunately I do not recall the particulars.

jaderabbit wrote:Has anyone ordered from Hou De lately? I placed an order 3 days ago but still haven't gotten any updates about shipping. I sent Irene an email but still no response. Is it usually like this?

Did you pay via paypal? If so, make sure the payment went to the correct person...

Bearsbea... wrote:

jaderabbit wrote:Has anyone ordered from Hou De lately? I placed an order 3 days ago but still haven't gotten any updates about shipping. I sent Irene an email but still no response. Is it usually like this?

Did you pay via paypal? If so, make sure the payment went to the correct person...

I paid through the website. There's even a record of the purchase under "my account" and it's also been billed to my credit card. Still haven't heard anything from them! I don't want to give the shop a bad a rap, but I'd much just rather receive my tea in a timely matter.

jaderabbit wrote:Has anyone ordered from Hou De lately? I placed an order 3 days ago but still haven't gotten any updates about shipping. I sent Irene an email but still no response. Is it usually like this?

Sometimes it takes them a couple of days to send the order out. Three days is a bit unusual. Usually Irene or Guang will respond to email in a day or so. Maybe they're away? or just a bit busy?
Overall their orders usually come pretty quickly.

The lunar new year is most likely the cause of any delay.
My best guess is they took a few weeks off to visit with family.
Most everything wraps up by the full moon.