2009 Menghai "Ba Da Gao Shan Organic" - tasted it?

[bongoman]

Hi there

Anyone tried the 2009 Menghai "Ba Da Gao Shan Organic"? I've seen it on Yunnan Sourcing here.

As has been discussed here in the forums, I realise that anything labelled organic from China is not beyond doubt, but maybe Menghai do indeed have "an organic tea garden on Ba Da mountain".

My preference in buying tea is to do my best to avoid pesticides - it doesn't have to be certified organic. At the same time, I don't want to miss out on cakes that are good because I'm being overly-cautious.

For instance, I have no idea about whether or not the classic Menghai cakes (7542, 7532, and 8582 etc) would be carrying pesticide residues and if so, to what extent and of what type of chemical.

But when something like this Ba Da Gao Shan cake is labelled organic, then I'm instantly curious.

[shirley_chaile]

I was told that there is no pesticide used in Yunan Pu Erh tea plants, especially dayi, because of the high altitude and seasons. It is quite clean and unpolluted and only a bit of small worms during psring, which can be easily picked out at leave collecting. Then comes rain season. The rain will wash out all worms. Another interesting story. Most tea trees are mingled with Zhangshu, a tree especially famous for it scent and anti worm effect. There is a kind of spider living on zhangshu tree, coming done to eat worms on the tea leaves.
Another reason that i believe in nonpesticide is that fresh tea leaves are sold at low prices. Pesticide chemicals costs.
I have never been to Yunan to see with my own eyes to prove the theory. but right now, those seems reasonable to me. Will definitely travel to Yunan tea gardons in the future.
Ba Da Gao Shan is recommendable. Ba Da is one of the six famous mountains.
Another one to recommend, Yiwu Zhenshan 2009, though rare and quite expensive in the market.

[nicolas]

I was told that there is no pesticide used in Yunan Pu Erh tea plants, especially dayi, because of the high altitude and seasons.

If you can read Chinese, please see this 2009 Xishuangbanna article about the varieties of pesticides in Yunnan puerh.

Another one to recommend, Yiwu Zhenshan 2009, though rare and quite expensive in the market.

I understand from a Shenzhen speculator that the 2009 Dayi Yiwu Zhengshan has become rare and expensive due to the actions of certain speculators acting in concert.

I also heard from a Changtai dealer that another tea which has recently been driven to extinction by a particular Hong Kong speculator is the 2009 Changtai Banzhang. He spent about US$100,000 to buy up all existing stock in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

The 2009 Chenshenghao Laobanzhang has also doubled in price due to PRC speculators.

All of these tea are currently being ramped up through naughty behavior - doesn't necessarily mean it's good tea.

For instance, I have no idea about whether or not the classic Menghai cakes (7542, 7532, and 8582 etc) would be carrying pesticide residues...

They do, hence if your budget permits, I'd suggest you go for wild tea instead, which IMHO is tastier and more nutritious (more polyphenols, theanine and GABA) than organic tea.

[bongoman]

Thanks for the replies.

After trawling through Yunnan Sourcing's offerings, I'm putting an order together that so far includes the following, some of which are certified:

2005 Fu Cha Ju * Wu Liang Mountain

2009 Menghai "Ba Da Gao Shan Organic"

2007 Yuan Nian * Yi Wu Mountain

2005 * Wild Tree Raw Pu-erh tea brick of Dehong

2006 * Nan Nuo Mountain * Certified Organic

2006 Haiwan Tea Factory * Certified Organic * Pasha Mountain

[zencha]

Organic , wild tree pu-erh
http://www.zhizhengtea.com/