Ethan: OFFER Teas Shipped from Taiwan

[ethan]

I bought > 3 kg. of tea. I cannot fit it all into my luggage! I can post tea from here to Europe or Asia for < than sending from USA. I leave Taiwan Oct. 26th. Please choose some in time for me to post to you from here. Paypal is how I'd like to be paid.

A. From the highest heights of LiShan: Traditionally produced oolong that is oxidized about 70 %, slow-roasted over low heat for a few days w/ leaves being stirred about every 20 minutes &/or moved to cooler or hotter places of the heating area, etc. (harvested & rolled by hand)

Father's Love 2011 & 2014: Organic oolong grown & produced directly by Dr Chen & his family on their organic farm in LiShan:

2011 is very best tea now at its absolute best time to enjoy. Smooth, delicious, complex, giving flavors of dried stone fruit & much much more. In a word, this is "wonderful". Pleasing huigan, sort of a chaqi, caffeine kick (because it is good for so many infusions & one will probably drink so many). Will start to fade in a few years. (Why would you not use it all much before that?) 50 grams in vacuum-packed foil pack only $35;

2014 is very close to 2011. Terrific now & up to 2011 in a couple of years probably. If you are getting 2011, then you might get 2014 also & let it age. 50 grams in vacuum- pack for $30.

High Roller is close to the quality of Father's Love. Leaves may not be quite as great or it may need time for the tiny jump in quality separating the teas. No worries, this is terrific & a 50-gram vacuum-pack is only $25.

Championship Black won a major competition in Taiwan this year when Taiwan is focusing on black tea & excelling in its production. It is delicious & dynamic giving very full flavor w/o astringency. Good for several infusions. 75-gram vacuum pack for $30.

B. From Sun Moon Lake. Ruby Black No. 18. This is the best #18 that I ever tasted including one that I liked that costs twice as much. This unique tea is growing on me. I am going from liking to loving it. Good for 3 infusions. The long (unrolled) leaves are packed loosely in sealed foil pack of 100 grams selling for only $35.

C. This Wenshan Boazhong redefines boazhong. More flavor comes from this green oolong than many think can come from this lower-level oolong. Flavors definitely assert themselves yet the tea is light in feel. Been suffering while trying boazhong since Origin closed. This one surpasses Tony's which was very good. I like this so much I did not buy any green gaoshan. 50-gram vacuum pack for only $15.

D. Pesticide free, this Donfang Meiren (a.k.a. Oriental Beauty or Eastern Beauty) proves to be always good & different by how it is made. I have had 3 sessions w/ this, varying temperature or time. Sweetness, malt, or other charms present themselves in varied strength. Great to grab a tin because Taiwan is decreasing its production of Oreintal Beauty; though it is excellent & sells well. 75-gram double-lidded tin costs $35.

E. Tie Guan Yin from Maokong:

Black: Sweet, smooth, pleasant, flavorful w/o astringency makes this a tea to be drunk in quantity. We sampled in larger than usual cups & had several infusions. Shopowner was pouring a fifth or sixth cup for himself as we were leaving. I have other black tea but this demanded buying. Charming hard cardboard cylinder contains 100 grams & sells for $30;

50% oxidized, roasted TGY is unique. There is much of black tea taste along w/ true green TGY flavor & feel that is smoother than green TGY. It is pleasing & interesting. Very forthright in being flavorful. 150-gram double-lidded tin sells for $54.

F. "Best black" is a sweet, satisfying tea that everyone likes & seems to drink quickly. It is a true black but is liked by people who think they don't like black tea. Very full & strong flavor in first infusion is not equaled in second & third, but they are still enjoyable. Or you can stack. This is lightly astringent. A tall double-lidded tin holding 100 grams of these long leaves sells for $28.

G. Light-roast Tie Guan Yin: The leaves are baked enough to smooth this potent TGY. The flavors are usual but seem to be stronger than usual; yet the drink is smooth enough for me who is not a green TGY type of guy. I cold-brewed this for very good drinking & have added cold water to leftovers a couple of times. I drink this dilution or teawater walking around Taipei & really like it. The rounder than usual flavor holds up for several infusions. 75 grams of these pearls come in a resealable Kraft paper/thick foil pouch for only $18.

Hope you order soon. cheers, Ethan

[TokyoB]

Ethan,
Who is Dr. Chen?
Thanks

I bought > 3 kg. of tea. I cannot fit it all into my luggage! I can post tea from here to Europe or Asia for < than sending from USA. I leave Taiwan Oct. 26th. Please choose some in time for me to post to you from here. Paypal is how I'd like to be paid.

A. From the highest heights of LiShan: Traditionally produced oolong that is oxidized about 70 %, slow-roasted over low heat for a few days w/ leaves being stirred about every 20 minutes &/or moved to cooler or hotter places of the heating area, etc. (harvested & rolled by hand)

Father's Love 2011 & 2014: Organic oolong grown & produced directly by Dr Chen & his family on their organic farm in LiShan:

2011 is very best tea now at its absolute best time to enjoy. Smooth, delicious, complex, giving flavors of dried stone fruit & much much more. In a word, this is "wonderful". Pleasing huigan, sort of a chaqi, caffeine kick (because it is good for so many infusions & one will probably drink so many). Will start to fade in a few years. (Why would you not use it all much before that?) 50 grams in vacuum-packed foil pack only $35;

2014 is very close to 2011. Terrific now & up to 2011 in a couple of years probably. If you are getting 2011, then you might get 2014 also & let it age. 50 grams in vacuum- pack for $30.

High Roller is close to the quality of Father's Love. Leaves may not be quite as great or it may need time for the tiny jump in quality separating the teas. No worries, this is terrific & a 50-gram vacuum-pack is only $25.

Championship Black won a major competition in Taiwan this year when Taiwan is focusing on black tea & excelling in its production. It is delicious & dynamic giving very full flavor w/o astringency. Good for several infusions. 75-gram vacuum pack for $30.

B. From Sun Moon Lake. Ruby Black No. 18. This is the best #18 that I ever tasted including one that I liked that costs twice as much. This unique tea is growing on me. I am going from liking to loving it. Good for 3 infusions. The long (unrolled) leaves are packed loosely in sealed foil pack of 100 grams selling for only $35.

C. This Wenshan Boazhong redefines boazhong. More flavor comes from this green oolong than many think can come from this lower-level oolong. Flavors definitely assert themselves yet the tea is light in feel. Been suffering while trying boazhong since Origin closed. This one surpasses Tony's which was very good. I like this so much I did not buy any green gaoshan. 50-gram vacuum pack for only $15.

D. Pesticide free, this Donfang Meiren (a.k.a. Oriental Beauty or Eastern Beauty) proves to be always good & different by how it is made. I have had 3 sessions w/ this, varying temperature or time. Sweetness, malt, or other charms present themselves in varied strength. Great to grab a tin because Taiwan is decreasing its production of Oreintal Beauty; though it is excellent & sells well. 75-gram double-lidded tin costs $35.

E. Tie Guan Yin from Maokong:

Black: Sweet, smooth, pleasant, flavorful w/o astringency makes this a tea to be drunk in quantity. We sampled in larger than usual cups & had several infusions. Shopowner was pouring a fifth or sixth cup for himself as we were leaving. I have other black tea but this demanded buying. Charming hard cardboard cylinder contains 100 grams & sells for $30;

50% oxidized, roasted TGY is unique. There is much of black tea taste along w/ true green TGY flavor & feel that is smoother than green TGY. It is pleasing & interesting. Very forthright in being flavorful. 150-gram double-lidded tin sells for $54.

F. "Best black" is a sweet, satisfying tea that everyone likes & seems to drink quickly. It is a true black but is liked by people who think they don't like black tea. Very full & strong flavor in first infusion is not equaled in second & third, but they are still enjoyable. Or you can stack. This is lightly astringent. A tall double-lidded tin holding 100 grams of these long leaves sells for $28.

G. Light-roast Tie Guan Yin: The leaves are baked enough to smooth this potent TGY. The flavors are usual but seem to be stronger than usual; yet the drink is smooth enough for me who is not a green TGY type of guy. I cold-brewed this for very good drinking & have added cold water to leftovers a couple of times. I drink this dilution or teawater walking around Taipei & really like it. The rounder than usual flavor holds up for several infusions. 75 grams of these pearls come in a resealable Kraft paper/thick foil pouch for only $18.

Hope you order soon. cheers, Ethan

[ethan]

He's my hero. Well, not really, no one is my hero.

Dr. Chen's parents grow tea, fruit, & vegetables on Mount Li (Li Shan). They started out as organic farmers not because of principles but because they did not understand chemical fertilization. I don't know if they are 100% organic farmers now, but at least some of their farms are.I've tasted their organic oranges & bananas & they are great. One son, now known as Dr. Chen worked on their farm & had seen his parents make little profit from selling tea leaves.

So, he apprenticed w/ the best producers of tea he could find & learned that end of the business. He taught his siblings what he had learned & the family stopped selling their leaves to use them to produce their own tea & excelled at it. Thus, he was asked to judge at tea competitions & because his judgment was highly respected got nicknamed Dr. Chen (short for Professor Chen).

Although I & the teachatter who recommended Dr. Chen's shop to me, think his own teas & inventory of others' teas are special, the excellent reputation may not be national (& perhaps no one's is). In Tainan city his shop is known & respected. Staff at the information booth at the train station in Tainan tell tourists looking to buy tea to go there. (Not for commission, this is Taiwan, not....) I've sat in his shop 6 x for spells of 1 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours & have seen people coming to buy from all over Taiwan & also from mainland China. Clay pots are mailed to the shop to be filled w/ tea & sealed for aging tea & sent out. Lots of orders are filled for people who don't sample first. This happens all over, but I usually see people buying low-end tea on trust. That's the people who make tea in the morning & re-use the same leaves all day for teawater. These customers are buying highest end expensive tea in quantity on trust.

That's really no matter. (I have time to go nuts, I walked too much around Maokong & am staying in today w/ a sore back.) Teas listed in Tea Swap for sale are at the least very good value for $ &/or the best I could find of that type tea; Dr.. Chen's teas are both. Yet, one does not need to buy the family's teas to do well.

High Roller is really excellent tea & if I had never tasted Father's Love, I'd never think I was missing a level of quality for a highest mountain tea of well-oxidized & very slowly & carefully roasted quality leaves.

Oh, the leaves were harvested at lunch time for Father's Love. This seems to be significant & I forgot to mention it.

Anyway the higher price of Father's Love does not mean it is not a best value-- it is that good; yet, if you get High Roller, you will probably forget that you read about the other tea & just enjoy it.

[Tead Off]

Ethan,

I don't mean to sound like the Teachat police, but it seems like you are a vendor of teas and should be in the Teamerchandiser area of Teachat like your friend jayink did with his tea business. I don't know why, but Teachat is not monitored efficiently anymore. Chip is not as active as he once was in creating and monitoring this site. I think we are kind of on our own most of the time to follow the charter laid out somewhere on the site. Think about it.

[ethan]

Teadoff, Chip & I discussed it via PMs about a year ago. I can do it, if it is appropriate. Chip, did not see a problem w/ my not listing as a vendor then. The situation remains the same: There are months every year when I am not selling. (The last 7 weeks, I did not have a telephone w/ me & don't now.) I do not travel w/ inventory nor have anyone to fill an order while I am away. E.g., I still have Himalayan Orange to sell & will remind people of that in November,but until then I am not much of an HOR vendor. Nor am I typical in that I don't have a website nor take payment directly from credit cards. (Of course people can use credit cards for paypal payments)

If there is an ethical line being wrongly crossed, I am happy to become a vendor. Not always, but often I charge more for tea than I what I directly paid a farmer or vendor; nonetheless, I do not come close to netting profit selling tea. Buying more than I can use makes buying more fun. Spending 9 or 10 hours over a few days at a vendor's teashop to buy only a few hundred grams, would not seem very polite. Availability of quality also seems tied to doing a decent amount of business & even getting the full story on a tea. (Sometimes price comes down a lot; often a little.)

In a calendar year I sell only a few hundred dollars of tea on teachat a year. If people think I am doing something wrong, I'll list. No problem. Hope they buy something from me. Think they'll like it.

Drinking what's listed as High Roller right now. Delicious. Keeps fresh gaoshan character w/o any of the nasty taste that got discussed on another thread & was being attributed to fertilizer use but which I doubt we know where it comes from. Anyway, not any of that w/ this & lots of other flavors. All good, Teadoff, cheers, Ethan

[Tead Off]

Teadoff, Chip & I discussed it via PMs about a year ago. I can do it, if it is appropriate. Chip, did not see a problem w/ my not listing as a vendor then. The situation remains the same: There are months every year when I am not selling. (The last 7 weeks, I did not have a telephone w/ me & don't now.) I do not travel w/ inventory nor have anyone to fill an order while I am away. E.g., I still have Himalayan Orange to sell & will remind people of that in November,but until then I am not much of an HOR vendor. Nor am I typical in that I don't have a website nor take payment directly from credit cards. (Of course people can use credit cards for paypal payments)

If there is an ethical line being wrongly crossed, I am happy to become a vendor. Not always, but often I charge more for tea than I what I directly paid a farmer or vendor; nonetheless, I do not come close to netting profit selling tea. Buying more than I can use makes buying more fun. Spending 9 or 10 hours over a few days at a vendor's teashop to buy only a few hundred grams, would not seem very polite. Availability of quality also seems tied to doing a decent amount of business & even getting the full story on a tea. (Sometimes price comes down a lot; often a little.)

In a calendar year I sell only a few hundred dollars of tea on teachat a year. If people think I am doing something wrong, I'll list. No problem. Hope they buy something from me. Think they'll like it.

TBH, in my mind, you are a vendor. You're buying tea to re-sell. You're not a collector of something and then selling things in order to buy more or refine one's collection. Even a vendor like Yell, who sells Japanese tea, and takes long breaks in his online business is still a vendor. Perhaps you didn't intend to become a vendor when you bought the HOR, nevertheless, you have become one.

I don't have a website, either. And, I don't take credit cards.

Kyarazen is a vendor, not for tea or Yixing pots. He posts Yixing pots from his own collection that he no longer wants for whatever reason. He didn't buy them with the idea of re-selling them. Once sold, you can't buy the same thing again. Buying tea in bulk like he did, was a joint venture with those who wanted to participate. Perhaps if you posted a call to join you in buying certain teas together to make it easier for you to buy teas as a sort of club, but you are buying the tea and then repeatedly selling specific amounts of it. This is what a vendor does.

In my mind, Chip or whoever is monitoring the site, has failed in this regard. For the past year, the Teamerchant area has not been maintained well, cluttered by off topic postings and not cleaned up so it is easy for readers to navigate through it. He still has IPT and Fun Alliance as active vendors even though they've been inoperative for years, plus Fun Alliance is a vendor who has been listed under problematic vendors.

So, there you have my view. You can do with it as you choose. Personally, I would love to promote the tea ware I sell through the board's different topics. I bet there are plenty of readers that have never even looked at my thread in Teamerchants and I would be able to increase my sales. But, this is prohibited on TeaChat. I don't really see that what you are doing is anything different. And, you will probably continue this if you have any success selling the teas and possibly expand the setup.

[ethan]

Teadoff, As the French say, "Vous avez raisin; but, I can't imagine going to a big set-up. I know regular on-line business is not for me, who barely manages to e-mail & does not take photograhs etc. I am a dinosaur & will soon go extinct as a businessman. I started a thread asking whether photos mattered; the answer was; I did not take photos.

Never mind that. I see what you say & agree. I have never read teamerchant rules & yes I & others don't go to teamerchant thread. (I do hit your links whenever you post any of the lovely teaware by your Korean friends.)

I like to take part in discussion & like tea being sold. I sell to avoid boredom & would sell to avoid poverty but can't sell enough to do that. On March 23, 2017 I become eligible to apply for SSI which is Social Security for those who did work enough quarters & have no serious income or assets > $2000. Believe me, I do not want any complications due to selling a couple of hundred dollars of tea as a listed merchant (or unlisted one). I won't be selling past December 20, 2016 as a listed vendor or whatever.

If the miracle comes, & serious sales occur, I'll immediately list as vendor. Or before if it really matters. This current round of listing is what I say it is. I bought too much & there are the other reasons. Anyone who thinks there are good "business" reasons for what I do, should follow me to the used clothing store where I bought the 4EEEE New Balance shoes that require me to wear 2 - 3 pairs of socks to get close to a good fit. (I am not crying about my life but explaining.)

By the way, old friend, I heard the King is near the end. Remember it will be a crazy time when he dies: People crying, getting drunk, crazy, dangerous etc. Stay safe. Stay home.

[ethan]

I read my original post & realized it is poorly written & missing a few details: Here is info to make it easier for you:

Father's Love 2011 & 2014, High Roller, & Championship Black are organic.

Father's Love 2011 & 2014 are 70% oxidized & traditionally slow-roasted.

High Roller is traditionally slow-roasted but nearly as oxidized.

Best Black is made of the same leaves as Oriental Beauty & likewise is bug-bitten, & pesticide-free.

Please order within the next 5 days. Thursday afternoon I am posting a box of tea to myself containing most of the tea: so it will be coming to the USA about the same time I do.

Cheers, Ethan

[ethan]

I am in USA again & able to fill orders now of teas from Taiwan posted & of Jun Chiyabari's Himalayan Orange organic black tea (HOR) from Nepal for $6 an ounce in any amount wanted packed in resealable Kraft paper/foil pouches.

No longer available from Taiwan: G. Lt. Roast TGY & F. Best Black.

This section of Teachat is called TeaSwap & I like offers to swap. I want a "real" yixing pot; & I want a porcelain pot glazed on outside, unglazed on inside. I will enjoy receiving offers of other items or teas.

Cheers

[ethan]

Holiday update: Persoanl thank you note w/ each order telling you the truth, I am desperate for $ & so thankfrul for it!

Paypal is how I'd like to be paid from Friends & Family button so there are no fees (you can access linked checking accounts or Paypal balances) UPDATE Shipping from Boston, MA, USA only until December 19, 2016; CHANGES in what is FOR SALE

A. From the highest heights of LiShan: Leaves harvested & rolled by hand. Traditionally produced oolong: tea is oxidized about 70%, slow-roasted over low heat for a few days being stirred every 10 - 20 minutes & moved to cooler or hotter places of the heating area, etc. All of the LiShan tea is good for lots of infusions.

1. Father's Love: Organic oolong grown & produced directly by Dr Chen & his family on their organic farm in LiShan:

a. 2011 is now at its absolute best time to enjoy. Smooth, delicious, & complex underlying flavors dominated by taste of the roasting. In a word, this is "wonderful". Pleasing huigan, sort of a chaqi. 50 grams in vacuum-packed foil pack only $35;

b. 2014 is very close to 2011. Terrific & perhaps better value for $ than 2011. Interesting to compare them & to look for 2014 to change a bit (perhaps) w/ age: 50 grams in vacuum- pack for $30.

2. High Roller is not as oxidized as Father's Love. Quick steeping at 85 -88C produces excellent green gaoshan flavor w/ light taste of roasting; using higher temperature &/or more time accentuates the taste of roast. Very good: 50-gram vacuum-pack is only $25.

3. Championship Black won a major competition in Taiwan this year when Taiwan is making more black tea & excelling in its production. It is delicious & dynamic giving very full flavor w/o astringency. Very good & produces more infusions than any black I've ever encountered. 75-gram vacuum pack for $30.

B. From Sun Moon Lake: Ruby Black No. 18 teabags: Organic $1.25 each; not organic $0.65 each. 2 good infusions from a bag.

C. Wenshan Boazhong: Very good green oolong that produces flavors that vary a lot depending on how prepared. (I've settled on quick, high temp. steeping for 3 infusions) 50-gram vacuum pack for only $15.

D. From Pinglin: Pesticide free: Donfang Meiren (a.k.a. Oriental Beauty or Eastern Beauty): 50 - 70 % oxidation combined w/ unique effects of leaves being bitten by bugs makes this tea excellent & different. This tea is forgiving for sloppy preparation & provides a few excellent infusions. NOW offering 150-gram double-lidded tin for $50.

E. Tie Guan Yin from Maokong:

1. Black: Sweet, smooth, pleasant, flavorful w/o astringency makes this a tea to be drunk in quantity & good for sharing w/ people not really into tea. Several excellent infusions. Charming hard cardboard/metal cylinder contains 100 grams & sells for $30;

2. 50% oxidized, roasted TGY is unique. Sweet black tea taste w/ parallel true green-oolong TGY flavor & feel make a smooth, tasty, & interesting drink. Excellent forthright flavor while so smooth for 3 infusions. 150-gram double-lidded tin sells for $55.

F. Dong ding teabags: $0.25 each; 2 good infusions from a bag.

No orders taken after Dec. 19th. (I leave for Taiwan Dec. 21st) cheers, Ethan

[ethan]

Update: 26 November 2016: Change in teas for sale from Taiwan:

A. From the highest heights of LiShan: Leaves harvested & rolled by hand. Traditionally produced oolong: tea is oxidized 50 - 70%, slow-roasted over low heat for a few days being stirred every 10 - 20 minutes & moved to cooler or hotter places of the heating area.. All of the LiShan tea is good for lots of infusions.

1. Father's Love 2014: Grown, produced, & aged directly by Dr Chen & his family on their organic farm in LiShan. Smooth, delicious, & complex underlying flavors dominated by taste of the roasting. In a word, this is "wonderful". 50 grams in vacuum- pack for $30.

2. High Roller is not as oxidized as Father's Love. Quick steeping at 85 -88C produces excellent green gaoshan flavor w/ light taste of roasting; using higher temperature &/or more time accentuates the taste of roast. Very good: 50-gram vacuum-pack is only $25.

B. From Sun Moon Lake: Ruby Black No. 18 teabags: Organic $1.25 each; not organic $0.65 each. 2 good infusions from a bag.

C. Wenshan Boazhong: Very good green oolong that produces flavors that vary a lot depending on how prepared. (Quick, high temp. steeping is liked by everyone, some may prefer longer steeping for more roast-flavor. Good for 3 infusions) 50-gram vacuum pack for only $15.

D. From Pinglin: Pesticide free: Donfang Meiren (a.k.a. Oriental Beauty or Eastern Beauty): 50 - 70 % oxidation & roasting of bug-bitten leaves makes this tea excellent & different. This tea is forgiving for sloppy preparation & provides several excellent infusions. Everyone likes this tea. NOW offering 150-gram double-lidded tin for $50.

E. Tie Guan Yin from Maokong:

1. Black: Sweet, smooth, pleasant, flavorful w/o astringency makes this a tea to be drunk in quantity & good for sharing w/ people not really into tea. Several excellent infusions. Charming hard cardboard/metal cylinder contains 100 grams & sells for $30;

2. 50% oxidized, roasted TGY: Unique, sweet black tea taste w/ parallel true green-oolong TGY flavor for a smooth, tasty, & interesting drink. Excellent for 3 infusions. 150-gram double-lidded tin sells for $55.

F. Dong ding teabags: $0.25 each; 2 good infusions from a bag.

G. "Taiwan pu-erh". I was given a different name for this, not pu-erh. Before listing this, I tried to recover the name but could not. Now that I have drunk this a few times along w/ pu, or shortly before or after drinking pu, I say for all intents & purposes, it is pu-erh. I was told this pu-erh is > 50 years old & organic. What I know for sure is that it is smooth & tasty & a tea drinkable in quantity. After long mid-day sessions, I usually take a satisfying short nap. 50 gr. for $50

H. Green tea. Harvested just before I left Taiwan a few weeks ago, this is good & good value. 40 gr. for $6.

No orders taken after Dec. 19th. cheers, Ethan

[ethan]

Correction: Item G. Taiwan pu-erh is 50 grams for $15. 2 weeks left before I close this. Thanks

[ethan]

Chip, please lock this up. Finished. Thank you.