Cakes for aging??

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


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Aug 14th, '08, 12:56
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Cakes for aging??

by shogun89 » Aug 14th, '08, 12:56

Hello everyone, Now That I have my puidor up and running I am looking for some cakes to put into long term storage so I can have some nice stuff some day. One that I am interested in is a couple of 7542 recipes which is supposed to produce a really nice aged cake. Here are a couple of cakes that are cheap that I think could be suitable for long term storage. What are your opinions?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-Menghai-Tea-Fa ... m153.l1262
This one is supposedly a classic and a good cake for aging.


http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-Xiaguan-Te-Zhi ... m153.l1262
This one sounds really interesting, Just read the description.


http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Guoyan-Phoenix ... m153.l1262

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Aug 14th, '08, 13:16
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by hop_goblin » Aug 14th, '08, 13:16

The DaYi Menghai and Guoyan are great. Can never go wrong with Menghai DaYi, especially if you want to age the time and tested recipes. Don't wait your time with XiaGuan stuff. Not worth it. The phoenix in my opinion ranks up there with many beengs that are much higher in price. Go for it!

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Aug 14th, '08, 13:22
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by shogun89 » Aug 14th, '08, 13:22

hop_goblin wrote:The DaYi Menghai and Guoyan are great. Can never go wrong with Menghai DaYi, especially if you want to age the time and tested recipes. Don't wait your time with XiaGuan stuff. Not worth it. The phoenix in my opinion ranks up there with many beengs that are much higher in price. Go for it!
Thanks Hop, I think that I will just get 2-3 bings of the Dayi Menghai.

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Aug 14th, '08, 13:25
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by hop_goblin » Aug 14th, '08, 13:25

shogun89 wrote:
hop_goblin wrote:The DaYi Menghai and Guoyan are great. Can never go wrong with Menghai DaYi, especially if you want to age the time and tested recipes. Don't wait your time with XiaGuan stuff. Not worth it. The phoenix in my opinion ranks up there with many beengs that are much higher in price. Go for it!
Thanks Hop, I think that I will just get 2-3 bings of the Dayi Menghai.
Good choice my man.

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Aug 14th, '08, 13:33
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by Dizzwave » Aug 14th, '08, 13:33

Funny, I just asked Scott the other day for his recommendations on good cakes for aging. He recommended these:
2005 Jing Mai Millenial Stone-Pressed pu-erh tea * 357g
2008 Hai Lang Hao * Jing Mai Mountain Pu-erh tea * 250g
2005 Xiaguan "Cang Er Tuo Cha" Raw Pu-erh tea tuo 250g
2008 Xiaguan FT "Nan Zhao Yu" Raw Pu-erh tea cake 400g
2008 Haiwan Tea Factory * 9928 Blended Ripe Pu-erh tea
2008 Xiaguan FT "Nan Zhao Round Cake" Pu-erh Tea * 454g
2008 Xiaguan FT "Mushroom Tuo" Raw Pu-erh tea tuo 250g
2008 Yong Pin Hao * Stone-Pressed Yi Wu Wild Arbor tea
2008 Yong Pin Hao "Lan Xiang" Wild Arbor tea of Banna
2008 Yong De * Mang Fei Mountain Pu-erh tea tuo * 200g
2004 Hai Lang Hao * Big Snow Mountain Raw Pu-erh tea
2008 Mengku Mu Ye Chun "Old Tree Green Cake" Raw Pu-erh
2008 Mengku "Sage Verse" Premium Raw Pu-erh tea * 400g
2008 Yong De * Big Snow Mountain Wild Arbor tea * 500g
2006 Mengku Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh Tea cake * 400 grams
2006 Mengku * Mu Shu Cha * Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake * 500g

Let us know what you think when you've tried them. :lol: I've only tried a couple of those (the Big Snow Mtn, a nice one.. and the "Old Tree Green Cake" which is delicious).

We also talked about this one:
2008 * Wild Tree Raw Pu-erh tea brick of Dehong * 500g
which Scott himself produced and has a very strong flavor. I have this one and like it, and think it will age well.. There's lots of meaty flavor in there now that will probably mellow nicely.

and this one is crazy strong:
2002 Bu Lang Mountain Raw Pu-erh tea brick * 250 grams (also available in half-brick)
It's already 6 years old and still impossible to pour fast enough on the first few infusions without it being bitter. It easily goes over a dozen infusions. Kind of has a woody flavor. Supposedly the bitterness makes it a prime candidate for long-term aging. I'm going to let mine sit in the pumidor for a few months before trying it again. :) Has anyone else tried this one?
-dave

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Aug 14th, '08, 13:40
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In defense of XG...

by Dizzwave » Aug 14th, '08, 13:40

p.s. I am a fan of Xiaguan's sheng. I really like (and have a few of) the 2007 Jinsi (gold ribbon) tuocha, and just tried the 2008 Happy tuocha and will be getting more. My only complaint about their stuff is how tightly compressed it is, but I can get over that. $5 for one of these little bowls seems like a good price, and they're cute and fun. :)
Hop is more experienced than I am, but just my 2c! In fact...... Sorry Hop..... I don't like any of the recent Menghai sheng offerings that I've tried. :?
-dave

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Aug 14th, '08, 14:34
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by heavydoom » Aug 14th, '08, 14:34

this is a sick tea and is going to be sicker when aged to death :

2006 Mengku Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh Tea cake * 400 grams

my bet is on this mama :

2007 Mengku * Wild Arbor King * Raw Pu-erh tea 500 gram
i can only drool at the sight of this cake when it has aged for another half a century. this baby is a heavy 500 grams. thick and lush.

i had samples of the 2006 brick and it was bananas!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Mengku-Wild-Ar ... m153.l1262

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by Dizzwave » Aug 14th, '08, 14:40

heavydoom wrote:this is a sick tea and is going to be sicker when aged to death :
2006 Mengku Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh Tea cake * 400 grams
Dang straight.. If it's anything like the 100g brick of the same name (and which I've just received 10 of, and which just completely changed and sweetened the aroma of my pumidor.... drool!...), then yes!
I'll have to try that Wild Arbor King....
-dave

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Aug 14th, '08, 14:45
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by Dizzwave » Aug 14th, '08, 14:45

heavydoom wrote:this is a sick tea and is going to be sicker when aged to death
Btw, let me know when you want a 10g sample in 20 years. I'll only charge you half of Hou De's price. <wink>
Changing your mind about the pumidor yet? :)

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by shogun89 » Aug 14th, '08, 14:50

I'm sure that cake is excellent but is more than I want to spend on one cake. The smaller brick has defiantly made a position on my to get list for Christmas. The arbor king also may need to be a future buy as well, Its the same material as that 1 kilo brick you have right, heavydoom? These Mengku products are really getting allot of attention lately, I haven't had one yet.

Oh and you got ten of those bricks!! I hate being a teenager! I have no money!!!!!!
I need my tea!!!!!!

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Aug 14th, '08, 15:00
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by heavydoom » Aug 14th, '08, 15:00

shogun89 wrote:I'm sure that cake is excellent but is more than I want to spend on one cake. The smaller brick has defiantly made a position on my to get list for Christmas. The arbor king also may need to be a future buy as well, Its the same material as that 1 kilo brick you have right, heavydoom? These Mengku products are really getting allot of attention lately, I haven't had one yet.

Oh and you got ten of those bricks!! I hate being a teenager! I have no money!!!!!!
I need my tea!!!!!!
yeah, i got that 2006 1kg brick. a thing to behold i am telling you. the aftertase i got from that 2006 brick was of cinnamon but that is just me. right at the back of the throat.

there is just something about mengku shuangjiang. i have always trusted and supported the underdogs. heads always buy the big boys, cnnp/mengha, i think that other factories deserve my money instead of the bigger ones.

check into HAIWAN too. great teas there.

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Aug 14th, '08, 15:14
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by shogun89 » Aug 14th, '08, 15:14

The quanity of Mengku tea from YS is truely mind boggling. They all look like there well made and good stuff, but it is really had to believe as they are so inexpensive. If they really are any good then, man I see one big tea Christmas coming up!

Oh and Dizzwave if you get the time I would love to see what your pumidor looks like!

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Aug 14th, '08, 15:46
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by Dizzwave » Aug 14th, '08, 15:46

shogun89 wrote:Oh and Dizzwave if you get the time I would love to see what your pumidor looks like!
Definitely, if my daughter (see avatar) goes to bed before 11pm one of these nights.. :P .. I'll have time to take a couple of pictures.

I agree with Heavy. Mengku Shuangjiang, Haiwan, .. they are some great factories. Yong De is also high on my list.

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Aug 14th, '08, 16:20
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by heavydoom » Aug 14th, '08, 16:20

Dizzwave wrote:
shogun89 wrote:Oh and Dizzwave if you get the time I would love to see what your pumidor looks like!
Definitely, if my daughter (see avatar) goes to bed before 11pm one of these nights.. :P .. I'll have time to take a couple of pictures.

I agree with Heavy. Mengku Shuangjiang, Haiwan, .. they are some great factories. Yong De is also high on my list.
yong de for real yo!

i try to buy pu tea from all kinds of different regions of yunnan, even different mountains etc.....preferably single estate, no blends for me.

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Aug 14th, '08, 16:42
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by shogun89 » Aug 14th, '08, 16:42


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