What price would you pay for recent Menghai classic recipes?

[Exempt]

While inputting all of my tea into a new inventory system I found a surprising lack of any classic menghai recipes such as 7542, 8582, 7532. I am interested in purchasing some from around 2007 onward, but having little experience with classic menghai dayi I am unsure whether the current prices are worth it. So basically my question is, is the current $25-45 price tag worth it for the newer classics or should I stick to other house brand cakes?

[shah82]

When it comes to Menghai Dayi, you basically want '99-'03 tea. There are a few '90s teas worth having, and there are a few post-03 teas worth having. At this point, virtually all Dayi that isn't more or less mediocre is sky high, and remember, the vast majority of truly good tea pressed in recent times is from '99-'03, and the best are all above $500 and some approach a thousand.

I think, right now, about $50 is good for your basic '06-'08 tea, and $30 for later than that. Good luck finding such a deal. The fifty dollars is estimated by what tea that's better than Dayi costs, which is roughly about $70+ for 2012 or so tea. Best bet is to scrounge around for forgotten tea, like that Liming tuo that Hobbes likes.

[Exempt]

When it comes to Menghai Dayi, you basically want '99-'03 tea. There are a few '90s teas worth having, and there are a few post-03 teas worth having. At this point, virtually all Dayi that isn't more or less mediocre is sky high, and remember, the vast majority of truly good tea pressed in recent times is from '99-'03, and the best are all above $500 and some approach a thousand.

I think, right now, about $50 is good for your basic '06-'08 tea, and $30 for later than that. Good luck finding such a deal. The fifty dollars is estimated by what tea that's better than Dayi costs, which is roughly about $70+ for 2012 or so tea. Best bet is to scrounge around for forgotten tea, like that Liming tuo that Hobbes likes.

I've been looking around and seen some 2009/2010 8582 and 7542 for $30ish dollars. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger before prices rise even higher

[shah82]

Actually, as a sheer practical matter...

http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... cts_id=699

is your best cost/quality bet for factory blended tea.

I know it's $84 per cake, but these are 500g cakes, and the price Houde is asking for is very old. Grab yourself a set of samples here: http://www.sampletea.com/product/2006-d ... -601-green and see if it's worth it.

[Shambles]

As with every value question, the answer really is – “Yes, if it’s worth it to you.”

Or perhaps, how much tea could that $25-$45 buy you elsewhere?

I was recently in the exact same position – a relatively newcomer to puerh jotting down my teas to work out what I had, what I liked, and the areas of my experience that were completely lacking.

Following this, I bought a 2008 Menghai 7542 for $29.50 shipped (to Canada). By the way, I highly recommend the vendor, tuochatea.com – fast, secure shipping despite my taking the slowest option. Clearly, it never was going to be an 801 batch at that price, let alone a vintage.

For my $30 I got a good-but-not-great tea. It’s somewhere on the mushroom-straw axis. I’d say my modern 7542 is a subtle tea rather than a bland tea, but it’s not particularly challenging. It’s what you would make for a tea drinking friend who had never sampled puerh before. So it’s social rather than meditative, if that makes sense.

Personally, I prefer the forest floor taste of a Ban Zhang; I’m also quite partial to the Xiaguan leather and tobacco. . . the 7542 delivers none of these elements. But I like my teas to be different, to give me more variety. Also, I'm sometimes drinking teas in a noisy house or when I have to work, when I just want a sippin' tea.

My own take on all this – I’m happy with what I got for $30, but glad I didn’t pay more. I do intend sampling an ‘80s 7542, which, incidentally, is on sale two blocks from where I work. (By comparison, I’d get 10 grams of this for my $30.)

My take on it all: someone who already owned a lot of tea, or who would rather infrequently drink a more challenging tea, could overlook the newer Menghais; I don’t really see the point of owning all of them, but neither do I see them as bad teas.

[mr mopu]

Ah another tea shop to visit. Thanks for your recommendation on them. I think they will get an order from me soon!