*I couldn't resist making this the title...I am still a seven year old boy on the inside*
What are people's recommendations of aged loose-leaf pu-erh? I've seen the stuff pretty often in various HK/Vancouver storefronts, but does anyone have any suggestions? Related to that, how the heck do you order tea from Cloud's Tea House? Do you need to email them or something?
Dec 1st, '09, 16:27
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Maitre_Tea
Re: Loose Pu
I do not know about ordering from Clouds Teahouse.
But as for Loose Puerh,
At least in terms of sheng, it seems though my limited experience that the fact that it is loose it looses something which compression holds onto. As in I have never had a stellar loose leaf puerh, but I have had some decent ones. I also think thats why they are usually priced well below on a gram by gram basis for an equivalently aged cake/brick/tuo etc.
But as for Loose Puerh,
At least in terms of sheng, it seems though my limited experience that the fact that it is loose it looses something which compression holds onto. As in I have never had a stellar loose leaf puerh, but I have had some decent ones. I also think thats why they are usually priced well below on a gram by gram basis for an equivalently aged cake/brick/tuo etc.
Dec 1st, '09, 17:07
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Re: Loose Pu
The Cloud selections aren't loose maocha: they're made up of cakes that have been broken up.AdamMY wrote:it is loose it looses something which compression holds onto
Ditto for the HK offerings, with obvious exceptions. Any pu-erh that hasn't been pressed (loose maocha) should be obvious from the images and/or descriptions.
Re: Loose Pu
Wow, odd timing! For the last few days, I've been drinking some 1980s loose leaf sheng (the timing is even odder considering that I've been drinking mostly oolongs this last month).
Anyway, I got these from NadaCha. One is a "big leaf' (da ye) and the other was a Wang Zi.
I'll echo what AdamMY said -- they were good, but not spectacular. In fact, I think I like the slightly cheaper Da Ye better, because the Wang Zi had an almost fertilizer quality to it (not terrible, but... eh).
Nada also has some other loose leaf sheng available, I believe.
Anyway, I got these from NadaCha. One is a "big leaf' (da ye) and the other was a Wang Zi.
I'll echo what AdamMY said -- they were good, but not spectacular. In fact, I think I like the slightly cheaper Da Ye better, because the Wang Zi had an almost fertilizer quality to it (not terrible, but... eh).
Nada also has some other loose leaf sheng available, I believe.
Re: Loose Pu
You can try contacting odarwin or sp1key. They will be able to point you to the right direction.Maitre_Tea wrote:*I couldn't resist making this the title...I am still a seven year old boy on the inside*
What are people's recommendations of aged loose-leaf pu-erh? I've seen the stuff pretty often in various HK/Vancouver storefronts, but does anyone have any suggestions? Related to that, how the heck do you order tea from Cloud's Tea House? Do you need to email them or something?
Cheers!
Re: Loose Pu
That's right, send them an email.Maitre_Tea wrote:Related to that, how the heck do you order tea from Cloud's Tea House? Do you need to email them or something?
http://www.cloudsgrouphk.com/
Re: Loose Pu
just give them an email thats posted in their site...
they are actually setting up their shop at the moment and ive always been told that it will be opening soon.
-darwin
they are actually setting up their shop at the moment and ive always been told that it will be opening soon.
-darwin
Dec 2nd, '09, 15:10
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Maitre_Tea
Re: Loose Pu
I've tried the 80s Wang Zi from Nada, and I found it to be pretty good considering how old it (supposedly) is. You're obviously going to lose something once a cake is broken up, but that's probably why these things are cheaper per gram compared to cakes. I think it also gives the person who makes the loose leaf to "cheat" a bit, mixing in some shu or cakes from various ages, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you're not paying too much for it.
I'm contemplating ordering the 80s Wang Zi in bulk, but I don't have any experience with any other loose-leaf so I don't know how the Wang Zi stacks up to others. The fact that loose-leaf isn't sold in samples in these HK shops I might be making a risk buying it versus buying something I've tasted before (the Wang Zi)
I'm contemplating ordering the 80s Wang Zi in bulk, but I don't have any experience with any other loose-leaf so I don't know how the Wang Zi stacks up to others. The fact that loose-leaf isn't sold in samples in these HK shops I might be making a risk buying it versus buying something I've tasted before (the Wang Zi)
Re: Loose Pu
Your taste wont cheat you so if the tea suits you and you really enjoy it, you wont go wrong buying a bit more and you're right that it's a risk buying in bulk something which you couldn't sample.
I havent tried the Wang zi from nada but I do have some other 60s loose raw and generally I feel that they are somewhat monotonous, lacking in complexity but still makes a very warm, enjoyable drink.
I havent tried the Wang zi from nada but I do have some other 60s loose raw and generally I feel that they are somewhat monotonous, lacking in complexity but still makes a very warm, enjoyable drink.
Re: Loose Pu
+1, to each his own cup reallysp1key wrote:Your taste wont cheat you so if the tea suits you and you really enjoy it, you wont go wrong buying a bit more and you're right that it's a risk buying in bulk something which you couldn't sample.
I havent tried the Wang zi from nada but I do have some other 60s loose raw and generally I feel that they are somewhat monotonous, lacking in complexity but still makes a very warm, enjoyable drink.
-darwin
Re: Loose Pu
I'll second the recommendation for the 80's Da Ye from Nada. Is it on the same level as a phenomenal aged cake? Not really, but for the price, it's very hard to beat as an everyday aged pu. I think it's more complex and better than their 90's Tuo in any case.