Official Pu of the day

[auhckw]

This is kinda what happens in stagnant economies that gets ever more efficient at the extraction labor/expertise and ever more stingy about class mobility, social things like healthcare, parental leave, etc, etc...And politically, everything is covered up with asset bubbles, especially on houses and land, like the homes of old people in California. Right up until all the necessities of life have a great deal of inflation and most of the toys are deflating and things gotta change...

It's interesting to think of tea as being so necessary! Reading the report from Malaysia also drives my thinking that a renewed crash, and harder than 2007, will happen. Not that I actually look forward to it, since it mostly means less selection here in the US.

A lot of tea shop are complaining that tea biz is poor lately...

Today...

2000 Kunming Red Mark 8668
1994 Dayi 7432
2006 Dayi Bulang Peacock
2006 Dayi 666g
2003 Dayi Purple
2000 Dayi Red Mark
2006 v93 Raw

drunk...

Do you drink anything other than Dayi (and the occasional other stuff)?

Not really of lately. Been more on Dayi recently.

There are just too many other brand tea here which I probably need more time to explore...

[MarshalN]

Today...

2000 Kunming Red Mark 8668
1994 Dayi 7432
2006 Dayi Bulang Peacock
2006 Dayi 666g
2003 Dayi Purple
2000 Dayi Red Mark
2006 v93 Raw

drunk...

Do you drink anything other than Dayi (and the occasional other stuff)?

[shah82]

This is kinda what happens in stagnant economies that gets ever more efficient at the extraction labor/expertise and ever more stingy about class mobility, social things like healthcare, parental leave, etc, etc...And politically, everything is covered up with asset bubbles, especially on houses and land, like the homes of old people in California. Right up until all the necessities of life have a great deal of inflation and most of the toys are deflating and things gotta change...

It's interesting to think of tea as being so necessary! Reading the report from Malaysia also drives my thinking that a renewed crash, and harder than 2007, will happen. Not that I actually look forward to it, since it mostly means less selection here in the US.

[auhckw]

Today...

2000 Kunming Red Mark 8668
1994 Dayi 7432
2006 Dayi Bulang Peacock
2006 Dayi 666g
2003 Dayi Purple
2000 Dayi Red Mark
2006 v93 Raw

drunk...

[auhckw]

7532 Menghai Raw (1994)
-Colour aged well
-Starting to have the old taste (lao wei). Sweet
-2 rinse, 1 -> 6 was good, 7th onwards starting to drop
-After drinking, it gives the old taste breath but leaving my mouth & throat feeling thirsty

Edit: While drinking, the tea shop owner was saying that Taiwan puerh market is booming and it is easier to sell his tea there and if preorder for new tea is slow here, he would not bring them in and just send them to Taiwan. He is the 2nd tea shop that told me.

The 1st tea shop actually has a branch in Taiwan and their custom puerh series for 2011 has nearly been sold out upon 1 month of arrival there. Quantity is not a lot but also not little. One of their customer wanted to buy 1 of their series completed, but the tea shop refused, and just sold him few boxes. Amount is worth about USD20k.

Speaking of spending, one of the tea customer I met today has recently went to Macao and spent about USD6400 on slightly old tea. A y97 puerh 500g cost him about USD900. He bought a variety and hand carry them back.

There are so many rich people around who are willing to spend so much on tea...

[nickE]

Drinking Nada's 80s Wang Zi this evening. It's not all that complex, but for the price I cannot complain.

[Drax]

I then did 1 order at yunnan sourcing (2009 Menghai "Da Yi Jia Ji Tuo" Raw, 2009 Yunnan Sourcing "Ai Lao Jue Se" Raw, 2008 * Xiaguan "Golden 8100" Raw, 2007 Xiaguan "T8633" Raw, 2008 Haiwan Tea Factory * 9928 Blended Raw, 2010 Douji "Blue Shang Dou" Raw).
It was my first online shopping for tea! The package was really nice with all the bubble wrap (the gaiwan was intact as for the teas). I even had a few samples (some wild arbor).
So ordering at yunnan sourcing was really great and the communication was good!
I can't review the teas right now because I haven't tried all of them and I'm not an expert yet but I'll try to post reviews soon .

Howdy, and welcome!

It sounds like you're off to a good start. Experiences with ripe teas can really vary! If you have a chance to try a ripe Dayi, you might enjoy it more, but in the meantime, young sheng is always good.

We'll look forward to your thoughts on the ones you picked up! I've always had great experiences ordering from Yunnan Sourcing.

[bubu128]

Hi,

I'm really new to pu-erh (tasted it first about 1 month ago). My first try was a ripe pu-erh from "terre de chine" of 2009... I hated it! Too muchh ground taste. Then I tried a sample of a raw pu-erh 2008 (I have no name for it) from my local tea seller. This was really nice: thick and strong (I infused it too much at first), then really refreshing next. So I knew I liked more the raw ones.

I then did 1 order at yunnan sourcing (2009 Menghai "Da Yi Jia Ji Tuo" Raw, 2009 Yunnan Sourcing "Ai Lao Jue Se" Raw, 2008 * Xiaguan "Golden 8100" Raw, 2007 Xiaguan "T8633" Raw, 2008 Haiwan Tea Factory * 9928 Blended Raw, 2010 Douji "Blue Shang Dou" Raw).
It was my first online shopping for tea! The package was really nice with all the bubble wrap (the gaiwan was intact as for the teas). I even had a few samples (some wild arbor).
So ordering at yunnan sourcing was really great and the communication was good!
I can't review the teas right now because I haven't tried all of them and I'm not an expert yet but I'll try to post reviews soon .

Bye,

Bubu128

[auhckw]

Today found a shop selling slightly older Dayi. The owner is a teapot/tea collector and is also a Dayi fan before he opens his shop. He has many Dayi at home but has recently started to sell off some of his collection at his shop. He said he has a lot more type and dhe will bring out slowly. What a good find...

Tried 3...

1) Dayi 2006 0662 Raw (602)
2) Dayi 2006 High Mountain Elephant Raw
3) Dayi 2005 7742 Yue Chen Yue Xiang Raw

All 3 are strong, but were to rate, Strongest to Weakest 1, 2, 3

Uniqueness would go to 3.

Winner for today goes to 0662 (602). For 601, there are 3 versions of it, small medium large size. The medium size 400g (601) won silver award. The shop has all the version, but gave 602 to try. It started strong and goes even stronger from 3rd brew to 6th brew. It then starts to drop on 7th brew but kept its taste and sweetness till about 10th brew.

Today's Dayi made my yesterday's premium tea tasting feels so girlish/weak. Dayi has so strong kick...

[apache]

... The biggest tipoff in my mind is a swirling kind of cooling (and filling) mouthfeel with citrus and cherry hints, along with a very long finish. It's kind of like listing to a pop song with a good beat with your mouth, and your body (and its qi) responds to that and that's what makes LBZ "fun". Of course, I'm 6'0 and 230lbs, my body is quite able to take a harsh mistress. Stating things this why reminds me of why I find my XZH Pu Zhen '07 so compelling--it has a moving mouthfeel, but focused on the tongue rather than the whole mouth.

I never come across anyone can give such a sensual description of drinking pu. So does this mean Lao Men'E is the S and M equivalent of LBZ? Pain followed by pleasure.

[shah82]

LBZ generally is kinda light...

Heh,

A hobbyist generation ago, the first western pu maniacs were talking about how the 2005 and 2006 XiZiHao LBZ don't taste like straight LBZ and how it was quite "subtle".

I do have to say, if you've gotten a pretty light tasting tea that gives mostly qi and not caffiene highs, it's pretty darn likely you mostly have the real thing. The biggest tipoff in my mind is a swirling kind of cooling (and filling) mouthfeel with citrus and cherry hints, along with a very long finish. It's kind of like listing to a pop song with a good beat with your mouth, and your body (and its qi) responds to that and that's what makes LBZ "fun". Of course, I'm 6'0 and 230lbs, my body is quite able to take a harsh mistress. Stating things this why reminds me of why I find my XZH Pu Zhen '07 so compelling--it has a moving mouthfeel, but focused on the tongue rather than the whole mouth.

[auhckw]

auhckw, how did the '08 and '11 LBZ compare to the one you bought so early on?

Few of us were drinking and we concluded that, Tacha 08 and 11 are quite similar in taste and flavor, but 08 is much better cause it has already aged a little. Can feel the warm and smoothness. 11 gives more of the fresh feeling. Both are quite good. Just not strong tea but with sweet aftertaste. The astringency is minimum/light even with soaking. No bitterness.

The one I bought earlier (Hojo's LBZ). Taste totally different. Also good just different from Tacha's LBZ. I have let 2 other friends (who have more experience than me) try it before, and both said Hojo's LBZ is suspicious.

Both vendor claimed theirs are pure and non mix. Price category is within same category, but taste is totally different. If I were to bet, I think Tacha's version should be correct as many people are buying it preorder and it is sold out every year during preorder cause very little quantity.

Anyway, I don't know how both vendor's LBZ can last in another 10 years. It is so light kind of tea. Not sure by then will it still have any more taste....

Edit: I wonder is it possible that both can be pure LBZ but since the location of the tree of harvest / age can be different, and therefore the taste is different? I'm speculating...

[shah82]

auhckw, how did the '08 and '11 LBZ compare to the one you bought so early on?

[apache]

Thanks to let me know about this.

[nada]

Not quite, in the beginning around 5 families didn't sign. Now more and more have backed out of the contract and are selling individually. From memory, this year just over half are still in contract with Chen Shen.