Show Off Your Pots and Cups, Part IV

[hop_goblin]

Yeah, i know.. crappy pic.

Nope, composition is nice, I like. And I _Love_ the subject(s)!!! Could you post a close up of the third one form the left?

You mean my wheel pot? Sure thing. ASAP.

[britt]

Thanks. Yup, that red one is my favorite for Gao Shan. It is harder clay, thinner walled, but still keeps the heat on ok. It seems to bring out the body, mouth feel and sweetness yet still preserve a lot of the the aroma. It's also my most highly seasoned pot, I bought it used off of a local tea shop owners desk, she cleared out her leaves and let me test the pour and brew a green oolong in it. The patina on it is quite pleasing and clearly natural ( a lot of patinas are sprayed on... ).

Thanks for the extra info.

Finding an Yixing suitable for the Taiwanese greener oolongs, especially the high mountains, was my biggest tea challenge so far. I finally ended up with a three-footed, fairly compressed, lighter, thinner Hong Ni Shui Pin. Da Yu Ling, being the highest elevation and lightest high mountain I know of, still benefits a bit from brewing in a very thin porcelain gaiwan. It's fine in the Yixing, but not quite as good. All the others work exceptionally well in this pot.

I think the ideal Yixing for the high mountain oolongs would be real Zhuni but similar in shape to the ones you or I already use. I also think the feet lifting the pot off the surface aids the quick release of heat. The other factor which I only recently became aware of, and this seems to be very important, is the term "Bao Ti" which means extremely thin and light. The Yixing I use is thinner and lighter than any of my others, but I don't think it is classified as Bao Ti. The next pot I purchase for the high mountains will have to meet this criteria as well. It won't be cheap, but neither is buying multiple pots for the same tea, hoping to hit the bulls eye.

As far as patina goes, some counterfeit collector Yixings were found to have motor oil rubbed in to make it look like it was well seasoned. I think a buyer would be more suspicous of a 40 year old Yixing that had no patina. This is a pretty dirty trick, but unfortunately it is only one of many.

Thanks again for the info and the link to your earlier post.

[hop_goblin]

[tenuki]

awesome, just awesome!

[hop_goblin]

Thanks Tenuki! Which one is your favorite.. Perhaps I can give you more info?

[Salsero]

pictures

Beautiful, Hop, I've never seen them all this up close and personal.

[hop_goblin]

pictures

Beautiful, Hop, I've never seen them all this up close and personal.

Thanks Sal, appreciate that. I figured hey, why not show the tea stains as well!

[brandon]

Hm, I have one that looks just like this. What a nice pot.

[hop_goblin]

You probably do. I bought it from YS. It is supposed to be a mixture of older clays. I think it may as it has a degree of creaminess.

[heavydoom]

hob

the 8th pot, where did you get that one? and are most of your pots from hou de? do tell where you got the pots from.

[heavydoom]

[Victoria]

My new cup from Hibiki-an:


~click~-

[Geekgirl]

My new cup from Hibiki-an:


~click~-

Oh my, I saw those. Even prettier in your pics. Are you sure you can handle drinking out of something that small?

[Victoria]

Oh my, I saw those. Even prettier in your pics. Are you sure you can handle drinking out of something that small?

It's a change for me - but - the perfect size for my Tokoname.

[tenuki]

All your Pots are belong to ME!