Looking for mid aged puerh with specific profile

[Zacherywolf7]

Hello. Typically I buy from the usual suspects of western vendors (Houde, White2Tea, Essence, Yunnan Sourcing, etc.) but I am fairly new and have mainly young teas. I was looking to probably skip out on buying new 2016 spring tea this year and focus on having a few nice cakes of mid aged (2000-2008 depending on storage, more defined on lack of greenness). Another criteria for the puerh I hope to buy is something that comes from a region, taste and feeling wise, between yiwu and bulang. Yiwu is a little too soft (and expensive) and bulang a little too bitter and strong (and not many aged examples it seem). Generally, too, I would love to hear peoples thoughts on specific regions (even within bulang and yiwu) that in your opinion are in the middle of the soft and strong typical characteristics of teas from yiwu and bulang. So if anyone has ideas based on these criteria it would be greatly appreciated.

[mr mopu]

Any budget you have in mind? They are doing a YQH group buy on another site. You can message me if you need details.

[BW85]

Emmett posts the YQH buys in the tea swap forum here, also

Zachary wolf, have you not found any mid aged examples you like from the vendors you mention?

[Zacherywolf7]

Any budget you have in mind? They are doing a YQH group buy on another site. You can message me if you need details.

I'll pay a decent price. 200 for 357gram is about how comfortable I am with money. Not looking for XZH Black Wrapper recommendations I have followed james on TeaDB about these and I know he is adamant that they are some of the best mid aged teas available to the west i have one concern: they sound very soft, which I am not totally against it just isnt my favorite for a whole 400 gram.

[Zacherywolf7]

Emmett posts the YQH buys in the tea swap forum here, also

Zachary wolf, have you not found any mid aged examples you like from the vendors you mention?

The 2008 Bulang from EoT was near perfect. A lot of honey and a bit more complex flavors than a lot of aged tea with outstanding longevity. It sold at as I was about to buy it though. I have the 2006 Wild Peacock right now, on the soft side of things hence my wanting something more in the middle right now. Other than that, I have very little experience with other puerh vendors mid aged puerhs. I have looked at Yunnan Sourcing, Houde and Chawangshop but without much info making a dive for a whole cake is a little scary. I am looking for that sweet spot region so I am not 100% sure where I want to go. As a new drinker I am both over buying just samples and wary of cakes

[Bef]

Any budget you have in mind? They are doing a YQH group buy on another site. You can message me if you need details.

I'll pay a decent price. 200 for 357gram is about how comfortable I am with money. Not looking for XZH Black Wrapper recommendations I have followed james on TeaDB about these and I know he is adamant that they are some of the best mid aged teas available to the west i have one concern: they sound very soft, which I am not totally against it just isnt my favorite for a whole 400 gram.

Soft? Try the Qizhong or the mushroom.

[BW85]

Emmett posts the YQH buys in the tea swap forum here, also

Zachary wolf, have you not found any mid aged examples you like from the vendors you mention?

The 2008 Bulang from EoT was near perfect. A lot of honey and a bit more complex flavors than a lot of aged tea with outstanding longevity. It sold at as I was about to buy it though. I have the 2006 Wild Peacock right now, on the soft side of things hence my wanting something more in the middle right now. Other than that, I have very little experience with other puerh vendors mid aged puerhs. I have looked at Yunnan Sourcing, Houde and Chawangshop but without much info making a dive for a whole cake is a little scary. I am looking for that sweet spot region so I am not 100% sure where I want to go. As a new drinker I am both over buying just samples and wary of cakes

Agree the 08 bulang is excellent. Happy I managed to grab a few.
I'm very interested in this tea

https://www.essenceoftea.com/tea/puerh- ... -tree.html

Also the bingdao peacock has got a very pleasant strength to it... Not a soft yiwu character by any means

[shah82]

https://www.essenceoftea.com/tea/puerh- ... -2013.html

http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... ts_id=1263

You may also want to try Wisteria teas, even though they aren't overwhelming teas. I liked the 2006 Youle, and I was fine with the Ziyin Nannuo. Actually, go for the 2007 Hongyin. That's probably as close to the sweet spot as you can manage.

Okay, went through my list of teashops, and frankly, I don't see how you have much of a choice. Yangqinghao is your best bet for a tea you'll be satisfied with. Go for the $200 2007 teas. They are all deeper in taste than YQH from other years. Your main issue is that nobody really has anything decent in the way your want it and in that price range.

As far as areas--

You want Jingmai, Nannuo, Manzhuan, Hekai, Youle. And not the cheap stuff. Some Shuangjiang Mengku teas from 2004 and older will also work. 2005 for the best of their teas.

[mr mopu]

Emmett posts the YQH buys in the tea swap forum here, also

Zachary wolf, have you not found any mid aged examples you like from the vendors you mention?

The 2008 Bulang from EoT was near perfect. A lot of honey and a bit more complex flavors than a lot of aged tea with outstanding longevity. It sold at as I was about to buy it though. I have the 2006 Wild Peacock right now, on the soft side of things hence my wanting something more in the middle right now. Other than that, I have very little experience with other puerh vendors mid aged puerhs. I have looked at Yunnan Sourcing, Houde and Chawangshop but without much info making a dive for a whole cake is a little scary. I am looking for that sweet spot region so I am not 100% sure where I want to go. As a new drinker I am both over buying just samples and wary of cakes

Are you in the US? If so we could swap a few things. YS's Chen Yun Yuan Cha seems to be coming along nicely. The Qing Me Shan is another. White2Tea has the 2002 Little Yellow Mark if you want something older than the other two. There are older stuff out there. Some dry some humid. It would depend on your preference in that area. Chawang has the 2005/2015 Bulang with material from those years blended in as well.

[BW85]

The 06 DXS shah linked is also very good, still has a touch of green-ness though; not as dark as the wild peacock which you said you own

[Zacherywolf7]

Thanks a lot everyone. Legitimately helpful.

Mr. Mopu: Not at the current time but I might want to in the future. Thanks

[mr mopu]

Thanks a lot everyone. Legitimately helpful.

Mr. Mopu: Not at the current time but I might want to in the future. Thanks

Yah, let me know always open to trades.