Official Pu of the day

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


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Dec 11th, '13, 07:50
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Teaism » Dec 11th, '13, 07:50

Tead Off wrote:Ruirong made some good cakes. The one Teaism shared with me was a slightly wet stored tea. If you can find their Guangdong taobao listing, many interesting cakes are offered.
Hi Teadoff

Most tea should be judged by the actual tea quality. Different producers have their price and quality range. It is important for consumer to learn how to taste to pick the value for money ones. There is no such thing as cheap and good ones as the Chinese domestic connosiere are really sharp at filtering them before they are available to the general market.

Anyway, the chunk of 2002 is the same as the one I sent to you. That piece was the remaining few grammes of a dry sealed tea. I was drinking it over a period of more than 1 years. Even with that care and sealed condition, the wet flavour still came in. That piece was sent to you for you to experience the adverse effect of humidity. It is really humid here. I really cannot imagine those tea which are aired here. :cry:

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Dec 11th, '13, 08:51
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Tead Off » Dec 11th, '13, 08:51

Teaism, how were the ones from Ruirong that you got recently?

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Dec 11th, '13, 10:48
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Teaism » Dec 11th, '13, 10:48

Hi Teadoff.

Not much of buying these days. I sense the 2007 tide is coming, quality going south and prices going north. It is in the air..I can smell it. :lol:

Also a lot of homework to do, boxes of potential tea to explore .....I really need to spend a lot of time on the tea before arriving at any impression.

But frankly, don't buy tea base on words, brand and review. As consumer we must must must put in a lot of effort to learn how to taste and understand tea. When you see a piece of tea, think of what those dozens of middle man, from farm owner, the ones who process the tea, wholesaler, vendors, speculators, bluffers, etc etc etc...what would they think or do commercially. Always think from these point of view then you will understand why...e.g like in wine, we cannot find a bottle of Chateau Latour below $50. There is no such thing in tea too. The more you think of these processes and path, the more you will understand tea. Then we can probably able to approach the tea from physical and taste point of view.

I have really seen too many people wasting their fortune on tea just because they believe in one party but cannot figure out what happen upstream.

Hmmm... Let say a vendor send a top grade LBZ to a famous tea reviewer and told the reviewer that it is another piece of tea. Then the reviewer gave it a galaxy of stars rating ...then everyone grab the other tea based on the review...

Well, this one of the many thousand scenarios...I shouldn't say more, but just be cautious when we approach tea. Frankly, I made a lot of mistakes and waste a lot of money too but the chances are getting better.

Ooops way too OT

Cheers!

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Dec 11th, '13, 13:03
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by William » Dec 11th, '13, 13:03

Teaism wrote:Hi Teadoff.

Not much of buying these days. I sense the 2007 tide is coming, quality going south and prices going north. It is in the air..I can smell it. :lol:

Also a lot of homework to do, boxes of potential tea to explore .....I really need to spend a lot of time on the tea before arriving at any impression.

But frankly, don't buy tea base on words, brand and review. As consumer we must must must put in a lot of effort to learn how to taste and understand tea. When you see a piece of tea, think of what those dozens of middle man, from farm owner, the ones who process the tea, wholesaler, vendors, speculators, bluffers, etc etc etc...what would they think or do commercially. Always think from these point of view then you will understand why...e.g like in wine, we cannot find a bottle of Chateau Latour below $50. There is no such thing in tea too. The more you think of these processes and path, the more you will understand tea. Then we can probably able to approach the tea from physical and taste point of view.

I have really seen too many people wasting their fortune on tea just because they believe in one party but cannot figure out what happen upstream.

Hmmm... Let say a vendor send a top grade LBZ to a famous tea reviewer and told the reviewer that it is another piece of tea. Then the reviewer gave it a galaxy of stars rating ...then everyone grab the other tea based on the review...

Well, this one of the many thousand scenarios...I shouldn't say more, but just be cautious when we approach tea. Frankly, I made a lot of mistakes and waste a lot of money too but the chances are getting better.

Ooops way too OT

Cheers!
As you have rightly said once, a person should always evaluate one tea with the sense of taste and smell, not with the ears! :D

Dec 11th, '13, 14:48
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by shah82 » Dec 11th, '13, 14:48

I disagree. I did best by buying from people who understood leaves (Sanhetang), and from people who stocked their shelves with mostly good teas (Houde). I have had some lucky buys (buying An Xiang sheng at Jase-teas and buying Tai Lian (and a couple of others) at YS), but they have been blind buys. Working off of my own taste buds did not necessarily lead me to higher performing agers. For example, when I was tasting the XiShangMeiShao from a sample, that lead me to believe that it was a better tea than the comparably priced XZH '07 Yiwu. If the qi of the tea wasn't so much of a high performer, that would have wound up to be a huge mistake. In terms of the products at EoT, especially in 2010 , I ranked the 2010 EoT offerings differently than I would now, and I completely misjudged the huge opportunity costs vis á vis Sanhetang, then. Hey, I knew them, loved them, but I thought it was proper to diversify, but I diversified into inferior, but still good teas like the 2006 YQH Gushu Chawang, or EoT 2010. Lastly, when it comes to super green tea, it's basically impossible to get a consistently good judgment of how good it truly is, especially given that so few elite teas ever make it to plebian tonguetips now.

I say the best technique in buying tea is to develop relationships. Find good shopkeeps. Find brands that generally delivers the sort of teas you want. Drink with friends often, so that they can help you out of yourself (and your water, and your teaware, and your methods). Keep in mind that samples are not cakes, and practically, the best judgments are made from drinking tea flaked from cakes how you would normally do so. You understand the tea well, and you can generally predict the course of aging. Of course, this doesn't work when said tea is hot and gets sold out quick. However, at this point, the quality simply isn't there anymore, unless you seriously put out cash, and the prices are so high, the cakes will generally sit for awhile, leaving you with time, if you can afford multiple expensive cakes.

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Dec 11th, '13, 19:43
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Teaism » Dec 11th, '13, 19:43

shah82 wrote:I disagree. I did best by buying from people who understood leaves (Sanhetang), and from people who stocked their shelves with mostly good teas (Houde). I have had some lucky buys (buying An Xiang sheng at Jase-teas and buying Tai Lian (and a couple of others) at YS), but they have been blind buys. Working off of my own taste buds did not necessarily lead me to higher performing agers. For example, when I was tasting the XiShangMeiShao from a sample, that lead me to believe that it was a better tea than the comparably priced XZH '07 Yiwu. If the qi of the tea wasn't so much of a high performer, that would have wound up to be a huge mistake. In terms of the products at EoT, especially in 2010 , I ranked the 2010 EoT offerings differently than I would now, and I completely misjudged the huge opportunity costs vis á vis Sanhetang, then. Hey, I knew them, loved them, but I thought it was proper to diversify, but I diversified into inferior, but still good teas like the 2006 YQH Gushu Chawang, or EoT 2010. Lastly, when it comes to super green tea, it's basically impossible to get a consistently good judgment of how good it truly is, especially given that so few elite teas ever make it to plebian tonguetips now.

I say the best technique in buying tea is to develop relationships. Find good shopkeeps. Find brands that generally delivers the sort of teas you want. Drink with friends often, so that they can help you out of yourself (and your water, and your teaware, and your methods). Keep in mind that samples are not cakes, and practically, the best judgments are made from drinking tea flaked from cakes how you would normally do so. You understand the tea well, and you can generally predict the course of aging. Of course, this doesn't work when said tea is hot and gets sold out quick. However, at this point, the quality simply isn't there anymore, unless you seriously put out cash, and the prices are so high, the cakes will generally sit for awhile, leaving you with time, if you can afford multiple expensive cakes.
I think we are on the same track. I say it more generally and you are more specific. Both of us look at the processes of the businesses and eventually narrow down to taste and final evaluation of the tea. I am too like you develop relationship with those really good vendors to improve our chances.

It is good that we always watch our back. A lot of good vendors do it too but we have to be aware, collectively, of what is happening upstream. It is a perpetual cat and mouse game when come to finding good tea.

Cheers and have a great day! :D

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Dec 12th, '13, 08:58
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by William » Dec 12th, '13, 08:58

shah82 wrote:I disagree. I did best by buying from people who understood leaves (Sanhetang), and from people who stocked their shelves with mostly good teas (Houde). I have had some lucky buys (buying An Xiang sheng at Jase-teas and buying Tai Lian (and a couple of others) at YS), but they have been blind buys. Working off of my own taste buds did not necessarily lead me to higher performing agers. For example, when I was tasting the XiShangMeiShao from a sample, that lead me to believe that it was a better tea than the comparably priced XZH '07 Yiwu. If the qi of the tea wasn't so much of a high performer, that would have wound up to be a huge mistake. In terms of the products at EoT, especially in 2010 , I ranked the 2010 EoT offerings differently than I would now, and I completely misjudged the huge opportunity costs vis á vis Sanhetang, then. Hey, I knew them, loved them, but I thought it was proper to diversify, but I diversified into inferior, but still good teas like the 2006 YQH Gushu Chawang, or EoT 2010. Lastly, when it comes to super green tea, it's basically impossible to get a consistently good judgment of how good it truly is, especially given that so few elite teas ever make it to plebian tonguetips now.

I say the best technique in buying tea is to develop relationships. Find good shopkeeps. Find brands that generally delivers the sort of teas you want. Drink with friends often, so that they can help you out of yourself (and your water, and your teaware, and your methods). Keep in mind that samples are not cakes, and practically, the best judgments are made from drinking tea flaked from cakes how you would normally do so. You understand the tea well, and you can generally predict the course of aging. Of course, this doesn't work when said tea is hot and gets sold out quick. However, at this point, the quality simply isn't there anymore, unless you seriously put out cash, and the prices are so high, the cakes will generally sit for awhile, leaving you with time, if you can afford multiple expensive cakes.
Well, I have to say that I agree with you :).
My phrase was rather directed to that sellers with whom we have not a close relationship of trust.

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Dec 13th, '13, 04:33
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by kyarazen » Dec 13th, '13, 04:33

William wrote: As you have rightly said once, a person should always evaluate one tea with the sense of taste and smell, not with the ears! :D
nothing but the truth.

i have 2 pieces of 1980s guangdong beeng bought from a renown guangdong beeng merchant in singapore in 2003. pftuii! crap. the cakes are authentic, but the storage was poor at the mechant's shop, ruining the tea.

so much for wanting to pair the GDB with cantonese timsum (GDB is a little drying in the mouth, timsum with glutamate doping and savoury tastes is salivating so i thought it could be a nice match) but the tea turned out "undrinkable" by my standards as the taste/smell was totally off.

school fees.

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Dec 15th, '13, 10:20
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Teaism » Dec 15th, '13, 10:20

Had a round of 2013 wild spring LBZ today.... A crazy priced tea now. Still formulating my perception on it, perhaps a few more round will tell. I collected LBZ since 2007 when everyone said it was a crazy unknown tea, now it is a crazy priced famed tea. Hmmmm....can taste the effect of its fame on the brew.... :?: :?:

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Dec 15th, '13, 20:25
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by TIM » Dec 15th, '13, 20:25

Teaism wrote:Had a round of 2013 wild spring LBZ today.... A crazy priced tea now. Still formulating my perception on it, perhaps a few more round will tell. I collected LBZ since 2007 when everyone said it was a crazy unknown tea, now it is a crazy priced famed tea. Hmmmm....can taste the effect of its fame on the brew.... :?: :?:
What are their characteristic for LBZ, just curious. Cheers~ Toki

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Dec 15th, '13, 21:01
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by Teaism » Dec 15th, '13, 21:01

Hi Tim

LBZ is a very well balanced tea that excel in all the good attributes. I love this tea from day 1 I drank it in 2007 when I discovered it. It is sweet, very rounded bitterness, even savory, thick, aromatic ( I really love the hint of Kombu seaweed aroma in this tea), great chi and all the goodies that you wish in tea. Personally I think it is the greatest tea and its' potential is always very promising every time I sampled it. I am always very very excited when I brew this tea. It is like one of the tea that will definitely make your day.

But beware, I have tasted LBZ from many producers and the quality varies greatly. I have tasted the "famous factory" one and the quality still have many room for improvement....

But the recent supply of LBZ quality is taking its toll from its fame, I can taste it from the 2013 piece. But the current price of US$1500 to 2500 per kilo depending on producer, it is insane to pursue it.

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Dec 15th, '13, 21:48
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by chrl42 » Dec 15th, '13, 21:48

There have been debates on genuine LBZ and its bitterness (some refered to as astringency)..

Some say LBZ are bitter, some say not. Some say LBZ is not bitter if brewed at lower temp, some say LBZ is best taste under boiling temp.

Too many rumours on this tea..another points I'm hearing is LBZ is very hairy and age fast....can anyone on Teachat affirm this? :mrgreen:

Dec 15th, '13, 22:12
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by shah82 » Dec 15th, '13, 22:12

Broadly speaking, northern bulang is *astringent*. Southern bulang is bitter.

While there is a lot of diversity in what each tree is like, a proper LBZ is not going to be very bitter.

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Dec 15th, '13, 23:04
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by chrl42 » Dec 15th, '13, 23:04

shah82 wrote:Broadly speaking, northern bulang is *astringent*. Southern bulang is bitter.

While there is a lot of diversity in what each tree is like, a proper LBZ is not going to be very bitter.
I think you right.

But I don't think many people could discern bitter/astringent on LBZ or when they talked about it. Me neither, I sense astringency sometimes on Yiwu or cultivated types but not much on Bulang stuffs so far. But that's my case, on a general belief you are right.

At least astringent on LBZ could be affirmed...that's clearer than 'LBZ not bitter' :P thanks buddy.

Dec 15th, '13, 23:17
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Re: Official Pu of the day

by shah82 » Dec 15th, '13, 23:17

When you have that dry mouth, saliva washing it should release further flavors. That's part of the Banzhang mystique just as much as pungent huigans. If you have pucker mouth and it's not doing anything, probably not banzhang (or good banzhang), if it's young.

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