Discussion by Example -- Green-Oolong-Styled Puerh

[Luva]

This post made me laugh. Perhaps I sent a bag of oolong out wrongly labelled. It wasn't rolled into little balls by any chance

I'll assume for the moment that I didn't send the wrong tea & reassure you Luva that this isn't a green-oolong-style puerh. It's a pure single origin sheng puerh from ancient trees, completely hand processed in the traditional manner.

That the leaves were still on the trees a few months ago and care was taken in the processing not to taint the natural flavour of the leaves, should hopefully have produced a flavour that is more fresh and pure than many puerhs you may have tried before.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your green-oolong-style puerh

Hey, the maker of the tea is here. Nice to meet you!
I will review some of your other 2010 puerhs. I will have questions about them, which hopefully wouldn't upset you.

[Luva]

So far I have received some comments. Out of them some are useful and helpful while others not so. Nonethless, no one tried the Manmai and make comments yet.

I think some base would need to be set up before comparing Manmai to green-oolong:
1. know what the characterictics of a green oolong is. Having tasted it is a must.
2. Have tried the Manmai.

I think there are many steps of processing involved in making green oolong or oolong. Da Hong Pao is something like 20 steps of oolong processing before the finished product? Green oolong maybe 10 steps of green oolong processing? A green oolong puerh might use even fewer steps? Now let say ignoring what Nada's quarantee of the traditional puerh processing, is it possible we could tell by tasting and comparing, whether it's just the extra care to ensure the natural flavors, or a few steps of the green oolong processing was used? Would these few steps change the puerh maturing in a totally different way, be it good or bad?

[Luva]

Has anyone experienced a green-oolong puerh? If so, please tip me off so I could use it to compare to the Manmai, which hopefully gives a better comparing result due to the same tea leaves from Yunnan, instead comparing to green oolong from other tea regions. Thanks.

[nada]

Hey, the maker of the tea is here. Nice to meet you!
I will review some of your other 2010 puerhs. I will have questions about them, which hopefully wouldn't upset you.

Nice to meet you too Luva. Don't worry, I won't be upset by your questions - the process comparing and contrasting teas is an essential part the appreciation of different teas for all of us.

Since you're curious, I'll outline what I mean by 'processed in the traditional manner'.

1) Leaves are picked - use small baskets or bags to prevent bruising of leaves at bottom.
2) Left to wither (~4-6 hours) prevents them breaking in ShaQing stage, but not long enough to oxidise too much.
3) ShaQing - dry fried in a large wok over a wood fire. The fire inside a sealed firebox with good chimney, so smoke doesn't flavour the leaves. Leaves turned relatively quickly and evenly to prevent burning the edges of the leaves. Skill to ensure that all of the leaf and stem is heated enough to halt oxidation, but not heated so much as to burn the edges of the leaf.
4) RouNian - (hand rolling the leaves) strong enough to well roll the leaf without breaking it. Thoroughly roll the leaf. Rolling quite tightly will bring out the tea oils well and allow the tea to release the flavour over more infusions. Rolling loosely makes more pretty, larger looking leaves on the cake. I tend to favour more tightly rolling at this stage.
5) Cooling the leaves - The leaves should be evenly separated and shaked out to cool as soon as possible after the rolling. This helps ensure clarity of the tea liquid and prevent cloudiness.
6) Sun Drying - (usually the next day) - Place leaves out in sun on large bamboo mats to dry.

The maocha is now stable & should be stored away from smells (smoke, animals etc.) until ready to press. Ideally it should be transported in large cardboard boxes to prevent breaking the leaves.

7) Steam and press the leaves into cakes.
8 ) Thoroughly dry to ensure no moisture remains in the cakes
9) Leave to rest - there is a bit of transition in the flavours of the tea in the first month or two after pressing. Good to let this settle before drinking.
10) Drink and enjoy
11) Age it
12) Drink and enjoy

I hope that helps

[TIM]

High grade wild ancient puerh sharing a kiss of the same aroma as a Wuyi light water fairy is just one of the 4 main characters of good puerh.

Thanks for the cmments.

It sounds like you have some idea. Have you tried Nada's 2010 Manmai?
If yes, please kindly refer to 1 or 2 other present-day puerhs which have this kind of characterictics. I am interested in getting and tasting them. I do need to learn about this kind of puerh. Any older puerhs you have experienced the same? I am interested in getting and tasting them too.
If no, please kindly share what the 4 main characters of good puerh you meant. Mentioning a puerh or 2 which go with the theory is even better, so I could see it hands-on.

You are Welcome Luva. Since you are new here and a Noob in tea, it will be very kind of you to tell us a bit more of your tea drinking background.
Perhaps a reply to this link in the 'Introductions to Teachat':
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=12989

We are looking forward to further help you on your tea journey

[Luva]

You are Welcome Luva. Since you are new here and a Noob in tea, it will be very kind of you to tell us a bit more of your tea drinking background.
Perhaps a reply to this link in the 'Introductions to Teachat':
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=12989

We are looking forward to further help you on your tea journey

It sounds like you have a lot of experience. It's good there is someone we could all look up to when we have questions. Let's focus on the case in hand, please share anything you could. Thanks.

[Luva]

Nice to meet you too Luva....

Thanks for the details, Nada. It would for sure help anyone, who doesn't know the processing details yet, understand better what's involved in the making of the finished product.

Question: For #8, how did it get dry thoroughly?

Thanks.

[nada]

Question: For #8, how did it get dry thoroughly?

Thanks.

In a heated room (~30oC) in the factory where the cakes were pressed, for around 4 days.

[Luva]

Question: For #8, how did it get dry thoroughly?

Thanks.

In a heated room (~30oC) in the factory where the cakes were pressed, for around 4 days.

Thanks, Nada. It's good to hear from someone who has first-hand information. Transparency is always good.

I asked because whenever the "traditional processing" is mentioned, it could mean differently by anyone's definition. Do we really know how they did it 100 years old? Any documentary? I doubt even those off-springs from the famous "Hao" brands would know. There seems a lost generation in the puerh-making.

[shah82]

There isn't a concrete knowledge of traditional processing. There is a period of 40 years from 1950s to mid 1990s where much traditional craft puerh knowledge was lost.

[TIM]

From what I've been told and saw. The traditional regular raw puerh making method has not change much. Still most of them are pure hand process(the higher grade). Minorities whom own the trees and the lands have been making these normal 100-400 yrs old trees passed down from many generations. Until the Hong Kong & Tawianese vendors got into the picture in the 60s to the 80s. Hence the tea processing industrial machines were brought in and refined. If the culture revolution did destroy tea tradition, we will not be enjoying our Wuyi yancha, Anxi TGY or Lion's peak longing. The machine and new technology only refine and speed up the process, but old tradition still are the back bone of it all. Also Chinese are very good at documenting details, every main tea production areas do have doc. dated back half a century ago, easily.

Bt

[Luva]

I think the devil is in the details. We might have some idea of the tradition processing for puerh but a lot of details might just got lost. For example, the nefei(?) of a famous 'Hao' brand (TongHing?) mentioning "red and thick tea broth" as one of the characteristics of their fresh-made flagship tea. How many red-brothed, fresh-made puerh have anyone seen in the last 50 years? Aged puerhs, maybe. Fresh-made? I haven't heard it yet.

-- Luva

[Luva]

If the culture revolution did destroy tea tradition, we will not be enjoying our Wuyi yancha, Anxi TGY or Lion's peak longing

Have no idea about other tea regions, but it seems the tradtional puerh tea making is lost. What we have right now is what we gather a piece here and a piece there kind of infomation and call it the "tradtional puerh processing". It could very well be that tradtional green-oolong processing, traditional oolong processing, etc. are brought into the puerh world and are used.

[brandon]

I think the devil is in the details... How many red-brothed, fresh-made puerh have anyone seen in the last 50 years? Aged puerhs, maybe. Fresh-made? I haven't heard it yet.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=7418

But let's focus on the case at hand - Nada is not producing "green oolong puerh," whatever that is. You should visit his blog (and Tim's) for lots of good photos of the tea trees, village folk who work the farms and factories, and stages of production.

[AdamMY]

Have no idea about other tea regions, but it seems the tradtional puerh tea making is lost. What we have right now is what we gather a piece here and a piece there kind of infomation and call it the "tradtional puerh porocessing". It could very well be that tradtional green-oolong processing, trational oolong processing, etc. are brought into the puerh world and are used.

I still have no idea why you really think the processing today is different than traditional processing of the tea. Granted that in China's past they have gone to great lengths to remove certain cultural practices. But in my understanding that did not completely permeate into rural area's, and Yunnan China is quite rural from my understanding.

Basically in my opinion if tea culture could have survived in Korea, even when it was reduced to preservation through hermits living in secluded areas.

Surely, it is not hard to believe that traditional puerh processing has survived in some way shape or form over the past one-hundred or more years.

You quoted about a nei-fei stating that the fresh tea supplied a red broth. Well if you steep young puerh long enough, even on initial infusions, and then let it sit in a cup it can take on a slightly reddish color even a brand new cake.

Though I am not questioning the fact that some parts of processing may have changed, and it is talked about how certain Factories are partially oxidizing a few of the leaves to make them easier to drink young. And there are more and more unique and interesting cakes coming out such as Purple Bud puerh, White Puerh, and puerh including some weeds that grow on the puerh trees mixed in with the leaves.

But I reiterate, I am not sure why you are so convinced that the main way to process puerh now is so incredibly different than what it was many years ago.