Official Pu of the day

[thanks]

Today I'm drinking a 2008 Hai Lang Hao "Star of Bu Lang", sheng pu made from 3-year-old maocha.
It's quite full-flavored and tasty, brews fairly dark for a young tea, without much bitterness at all. At $24/357g, I'm on the fence. I still have 20g left in my sample baggie, so I should have a better idea whether or not to buy a cake or two by the time I've depleted that.
I gong-fu'd it up for me and a coworker, in our post-clam-chowder food coma, and it perked both of us up enough to get back to work (read: TeaChat for me, work for him!). lol.
ok, now back to real work. anyone else tried this tea?
-dave

I own a cake and love it. Plan on getting more.

[Dizzwave]

Today I'm drinking a 2008 Hai Lang Hao "Star of Bu Lang", sheng pu made from 3-year-old maocha.
It's quite full-flavored and tasty, brews fairly dark for a young tea, without much bitterness at all. At $24/357g, I'm on the fence. I still have 20g left in my sample baggie, so I should have a better idea whether or not to buy a cake or two by the time I've depleted that.
I gong-fu'd it up for me and a coworker, in our post-clam-chowder food coma, and it perked both of us up enough to get back to work (read: TeaChat for me, work for him!). lol.
ok, now back to real work. anyone else tried this tea?
-dave

[thanks]

Today in my cup I am leisurely enjoying an 05 7562 which appears to have been part of a zhuan. It's smooth, more savory than sweet with an okay mouthfeel. The tea appears to be a medium fermentation, and I'd imagine in another few years this could be something special, but right now it's okay. Then again I'm not very experienced with shu, so take this with a grain of salt.

[thanks]

2000 Fu Hai 7536 Green Mark

How do you like it? Looks awfully light for a 2000. 7532 is my favorite recipe so I was very interested in this.

[puerhking]

Another testament to the undesirability of border tea!

I don't think that's border tea, is it?

Border tea generally refers to tea grown *outside* Yunnan, like in neighboring areas in Vietnam, not to tea grown in Yunnan near border areas.

Also, I imagine plenty of us have had border tea without knowing it.

It is my understanding, which may prove false, that most melon tea is border tea. And given that De Hong is a border county it would be easily procured. But like I said... I could be wrong.

You might find it interesting to what Gordon of DTH states about Melon shape puerhs. Interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/6e488j

Two things about that one........Bai Cha Tang.......and look at those leaves. That is one beautiful melon! Night and day compared to http://cgi.ebay.com/2005-Dehong-Golden- ... m153.l1262

I want the whole 3K melon!

[hop_goblin]

Another testament to the undesirability of border tea!

I don't think that's border tea, is it?

Border tea generally refers to tea grown *outside* Yunnan, like in neighboring areas in Vietnam, not to tea grown in Yunnan near border areas.

Also, I imagine plenty of us have had border tea without knowing it.

It is my understanding, which may prove false, that most melon tea is border tea. And given that De Hong is a border county it would be easily procured. But like I said... I could be wrong.

You might find it interesting to what Gordon of DTH states about Melon shape puerhs. Interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/6e488j

[puerhking]

Another testament to the undesirability of border tea!

I don't think that's border tea, is it?

Border tea generally refers to tea grown *outside* Yunnan, like in neighboring areas in Vietnam, not to tea grown in Yunnan near border areas.

Also, I imagine plenty of us have had border tea without knowing it.

It is my understanding, which may prove false, that most melon tea is border tea. And given that De Hong is a border county it would be easily procured. But like I said... I could be wrong.

[shogun89]

Please add this to the PS review section Sal.


2007 Xiaguan Tibetan Flame

Astringency- some
Smoke- light
Dryness- little, on tip of tongue
Mouthfeel- Light
Hui gan- some
Flavor- pretty good
Overall value- good/great
Purchase again- yes

While this tea is certainly not fantastic it does the job of giving you a tasty hot beverage. The brick itself is absolutely ugly. The wet leaves are ugly. The liquor is a very dark caramel color which is strange for 2007. The bottom line is, it is a very good tea for the price. I find nothing about it offensive. It can be drunk now but would benefit greatly with aging. I have 2 bricks and will probably get another 1-2. I defiantly recommend this because it is so cheap. $5 for 250 grams is nearly nothing. So on your next order throw a few bricks in, I dont think you will be disappointed.

Thanks Jim!

-Shogun

[Goose]

2000 Fu Hai 7536 Green Mark

[wyardley]

Another testament to the undesirability of border tea!

I don't think that's border tea, is it?

Border tea generally refers to tea grown *outside* Yunnan, like in neighboring areas in Vietnam, not to tea grown in Yunnan near border areas.

Also, I imagine plenty of us have had border tea without knowing it.

[puerhking]

Drinking European style (3 gr, 7 oz, 3 min) a 2005 De Hong "Golden Melon" sheng made by the Luxi Wantong Tea Factory and purveyed by YSLLC. This melon, shaped like an enormous 500 gr tuo, is not especially good, but was cheap. It sort of reminds me of flat ginger ale.

Another testament to the undesirability of border tea!

[Salsero]

Drinking European style (3 gr, 7 oz, 3 min) a 2005 De Hong "Golden Melon" sheng made by the Luxi Wantong Tea Factory and purveyed by YSLLC. This melon, shaped like an enormous 500 gr tuo, is not especially good, but was cheap. It sort of reminds me of flat ginger ale.

[tony shlongini]

'08 Menghai 8582 (801)

Racy, vibrant, and almost head spinning at first, it settles down (a bit) by the fourth or fifth infusion. Definately one to lay down, but fun to drink, chock full of bright high notes.

[shogun89]

I appreciate all of your opinions. I am still trying to decide on it. I did ask Scott what he thought about it compared to the 8582 and he said like the 8582 it has a strong balanced flavor but it contains better leaves and he thinks it will age better. So I guess one reason I am following this cake so much is the fact that it has the potential of beating out one of my favorite cakes, and for the price that is amazing, so I guess thats why I am willing to take the risk. Also I was thinking if I dont like it myself I could always sell it off to others here in the us for like $15 which gives me a profit but is cheaper than someone buying one cake. I just dread the thought of getting a sample cake to try and find myself loving it and going back to order a tong to find it all gone.

[PolyhymnianMuse]

Just contacted Scott and he says he'll ship a tong for $60. Sounds like a great deal but maybe a little too good. Its a very tough decision. Taking a gable on this could result in a great deal or a bunch of sucky tea. I dont know what to do!

I'd go with less tea that you know for sure you'll like. Buy $60 with shipping of the '08 8582. If you don't have much of a tea budget it's always best to go with what you know. Resist the urge to buy "budget" tea. You can always include a sample cake in your order.

Though you may not like to hear it, I'd really avoid buying a tong of anything at this point. Get a few cakes that you like for now, pick up a summer job, and then go nuts! If you're not buying to age, getting large quantities of any one cake is a bad call. Always keep in mind that a cake is 3/4 of a pound of tea and you'll be drinking it for a while. A tong is a year's drinking for me.

Cameron

I have to agree. If you were buying blindly the only thing I would really go for bulk with would be your more famous recipes. Of course the cake we were talking about is very good and I personally will be buying a tong of it (for ageing, I'd say I'd give it a try after 2-3 years storage), you may not enjoy it at all and thats just the nature of pu, and much of everything else. I would say pick up a cake, its cheap and if you like it you are that much more sure of it

You could also go this route...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Yuan-Nian-Tea-Compa ... m153.l1262

I'm sure if you emailed scott direct he could give it to you a bit cheaper, but you get a sample of each cake