Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


User avatar
Jul 28th, '11, 18:41
Posts: 749
Joined: May 2nd, '10, 02:03
Location: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by BioHorn » Jul 28th, '11, 18:41

Without getting into french or the more dubious Puerhshop offerings, these are your choices. Not even sure there's all that great pickings on taobao, now that I think of it...
Thanks Shah! I will look at other years around 2003.

Jul 28th, '11, 19:08
Posts: 1274
Joined: May 9th, '09, 15:59

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by shah82 » Jul 28th, '11, 19:08

You also have the option of heading over to The Half Dipper, ask Hobbes, the proprietor, for help in contacting Keng, who frequents a Singapore shop that has 2003 You Le 6FTM. Work something out there.

User avatar
Jul 28th, '11, 22:27
Posts: 2061
Joined: Mar 15th, '06, 17:43
Contact: MarshalN

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by MarshalN » Jul 28th, '11, 22:27

shah82 wrote:The Six Famous Tea Mountains are a set of mountains in S Yunnan, to the east of the Mekong River that bisects the prefecture of Xishuangbana. They got that fame in times of turmoil as Qing took over from Ming, and people and merchants were moving everywheres. Each of the six mountains were named after a symbolic artifact, like a copper gong, or a leather board. People have been harvesting tea from this area for awhile, but it became famous as Han merchants settled in Yunnan, and the Qing accepted tea from Man Song Village's Prince Hill in Yi Bang (wood clapper) as an imperial tribute item. In time, Yi Bang, You Le, Ge Deng, Mang Zhi, Man Sa, and Man Zhuan had all developed tea plantations run either by merchants or the soldiers pacifying the mountainous area. Today, most of these mountains grow rubber (coffee is a growing crop) rather than tea, and few old plantations remain, growing the ancient, small-leaf version of tea. The main Yiwu growing areas are technically on Man Sa, but those plantations use large-leaf, and has been growing that for about 300 years.

Today, as Ge Deng and Mang Zhi doesn't really grow that much tea anymore, You Le and Yi Bang being a bit more successful, people have tried to move the concept of 6FTM to areas all over Bana, like Nannuo or Banzhang. Nobody takes that bit of marketing seriously, though. 6FTM blends, though, are very popular, and they seem to age quite well.
While six famous tea mountains does indeed refer to the six south of the river, in this instance I believe BioHorn was referring to the factory that pumps out crap tea year after year.

User avatar
Jul 28th, '11, 22:32
Posts: 2061
Joined: Mar 15th, '06, 17:43
Contact: MarshalN

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by MarshalN » Jul 28th, '11, 22:32


User avatar
Jul 29th, '11, 00:41
Posts: 749
Joined: May 2nd, '10, 02:03
Location: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by BioHorn » Jul 29th, '11, 00:41

MarshalN, You are the man. Thank you. Now let's see how the storage lottery goes! More to come!

Jul 29th, '11, 01:01
Posts: 1634
Joined: May 24th, '10, 00:30
Location: Malaysia

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by auhckw » Jul 29th, '11, 01:01

MarshalN wrote:
shah82 wrote:2003 is earlier than Taobao is reliable, frankly. I'd almost just say to get the sheng from '02 that YS has...

I do think some french puerh shop has 6ftm shu, and you *could* try...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Six-Famous-Tea-Moun ... 53d2ab2cf6
Nobody ever fakes 6fTM
According to what I heard from a customer in a teashop here, one production from this factory has exactly the same cover but it is a different batch from the factory that tasted totally different. Price wise is very different too. If I recall correctly is 06 but forgot which product.

The customer witness a small argument between 2 vendor because of this issue. One is priced too cheap where the other much higher. He tasted both and said different.

User avatar
Jun 1st, '12, 15:30
Posts: 1312
Joined: May 27th, '09, 16:55

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by teaisme » Jun 1st, '12, 15:30

Sorry for the late reply, only stumbled upon this because I was looking for other peoples opinions on what was/is in my cup at work right now. Coincidentally I have 3 of those youle linked previously 2003-2004 I am slowly working through.
BioHorn wrote: It was only a 25 gram sample (now last brew in gaiwan.) :cry:
The label on the sample only says:
2003 You Le Mountain Round cake (it is sheng!)
Do you know many cakes were made from Youle Shan that year?
Thanks again.
Actually your tea was not 6ftm youle biohorn.
It is this one, hidden in the depths of yunnan sourcing :)
http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/pro ... oduct=1814

So did you try any of the ones linked? How was the 6ftm one?

User avatar
Jun 1st, '12, 20:50
Posts: 749
Joined: May 2nd, '10, 02:03
Location: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by BioHorn » Jun 1st, '12, 20:50

teaisme wrote:Sorry for the late reply, only stumbled upon this because I was looking for other peoples opinions on what was/is in my cup at work right now. Coincidentally I have 3 of those youle linked previously 2003-2004 I am slowly working through.
BioHorn wrote: It was only a 25 gram sample (now last brew in gaiwan.) :cry:
The label on the sample only says:
2003 You Le Mountain Round cake (it is sheng!)
Do you know many cakes were made from Youle Shan that year?
Thanks again.
Actually your tea was not 6ftm youle biohorn.
It is this one, hidden in the depths of yunnan sourcing :)
http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/pro ... oduct=1814



So did you try any of the ones linked? How was the 6ftm one?
Hi teaisme,
I wound up getting 6FTM through TaoBao with great luck. It came out pretty cheap and fortunately was a nice selection. The storage seemed okay.

I revisited these teas about a month ago. It is always interesting to come back to tea you acquisition because you thought it was worth buying.

Meant to get to it today, but time has run out! Maybe tomorrow.

User avatar
Jun 4th, '12, 13:22
Posts: 1312
Joined: May 27th, '09, 16:55

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by teaisme » Jun 4th, '12, 13:22

how much did you pay for it after shipping from taobao? (6ftm one).

Thanks

User avatar
Jun 4th, '12, 22:07
Vendor Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Mar 19th, '12, 02:49
Location: Frequently Moving Around
Contact: TwoDog2

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by TwoDog2 » Jun 4th, '12, 22:07

MarshalN wrote: I believe BioHorn was referring to the factory that pumps out crap tea year after year.

Haha...so true. However, some of the early 2000's 6FTM sheng is not bad at all. But recently, churning out crap tea is their game. Not sure why they decided to switch game plans.

User avatar
Jun 5th, '12, 00:51
Posts: 749
Joined: May 2nd, '10, 02:03
Location: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by BioHorn » Jun 5th, '12, 00:51

I did retaste this tea a couple of days ago. It is decent. The leaf is quite small. Maybe plantation tea? The flavor and aroma is a nice mix of moderate smoke and tobacco. It folds in to the bitter side in a nice way. The tea has decent rhythm and ends up still drinking well at the end. Granted this is not anything amazing, but I am glad to have bought a couple of cakes. Sometimes these sorts of teas get too much attention from a review here and there.

Someone earlier asked about recommendations for a cheapish bing. I would put this in that category. Maybe I paid something like 27-30 USD per cake with shipping factored.

User avatar
Jun 5th, '12, 04:38
Posts: 4536
Joined: Apr 1st, '09, 00:48
Location: Bangkok

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by Tead Off » Jun 5th, '12, 04:38

The 2002 You Le Gu Cha from 6FTM is quite good. Very drinkable now.

User avatar
Jun 6th, '12, 23:19
Vendor Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Mar 19th, '12, 02:49
Location: Frequently Moving Around
Contact: TwoDog2

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by TwoDog2 » Jun 6th, '12, 23:19

BioHorn wrote:I did retaste this tea a couple of days ago. It is decent. The leaf is quite small. Maybe plantation tea?

Maybe someone can shed some light here, but I thought most of 6FTM was plantation (tai di) tea. I am not much of a 6FTM aficionado

User avatar
Jun 7th, '12, 00:14
Posts: 2061
Joined: Mar 15th, '06, 17:43
Contact: MarshalN

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by MarshalN » Jun 7th, '12, 00:14

6FTM is indeed mostly, if not solely, taidi. I've never had one that I thought I should pay good money for.

User avatar
Jun 7th, '12, 13:55
Posts: 1312
Joined: May 27th, '09, 16:55

Re: Looking for a cake of 2003 You Le 6FTM

by teaisme » Jun 7th, '12, 13:55

Marshaln have you tried the 2003 you le?

Tead does it seem plantation to you?

I did enjoy my first go with it recently.

+ Post Reply