Teapots by Lin Guo Xian

[tieguanyin]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone heard of teapots made by the subject potter? I hear he is from Taiwan and specializes in teapots for Dan Cong Oolong (thin walls to bring out the fragrance). The folks in the French speaking tea blogosphere seem to swear by his teapots. Has anyone here tested his teapots? Where can one buy one of these teapots (short of trecking all the way to Europe) ? Thoughts and feedback would be appreciated !!

Links with pics are available here :

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SvNCVuEJx-Y/R ... G_3731.JPG

http://enformedepoire.blogspot.com/2008 ... -xian.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SvNCVuEJx-Y/S ... 020391.JPG

Apologies for it appears the [url] function is turned off...

[debunix]

Not directly relevant to the OP's questions, but wondering why thin walls are considered conducive to preservation of aroma?

[wyardley]

I think the porousness of the clay and the shape of the pot would be more likely to affect the fragrance than the thickness of the walls. But thin walls will hold less heat, so I think you'd be less likely to "cook" the tea. I don't claim to have done exhaustive tests... just a guess here.

I think you should be able to find thin-walled Chaozhou or Yixing pots which would offer the same benefits, and which would be as appropriate, or more appropriate, for that type of tea. Tea Habitat, Jing, Tea Gallery, or other vendors that specialize in that kind of tea should be able to find something appropriate for less than the price I imagine M3T would charge.

All that said, if you're interested in maximizing fragrance, an eggshell porcelain gaiwan may give as good or better results than any pot.

[alan logan]

Has anyone here tested his teapots? Where can one buy one of these teapots (short of trecking all the way to Europe) ? Thoughts and feedback would be appreciated !!

hi,
I own one actually.
My appreciation is : apart from an old zhuni teapot, a fantastic result on Dan Cong wulongs, whether on the "fruity" or on the "floral" side. Is that due to thin walls ? not sure this is so simple, walls being made thin or not may depend on the plasticity of the clay the potter is working with ; it might also be an esthetic choice and a demonstration of skill. Thin walls is, in my opinion, not the criterion for quality of a clay.

does that mean there are no ideal pots for dan cong other than a Lin Guo Xian or a zhuni one (meaning, not the "modern zhuni") ?
As mentioned, certainly not.
It is actually a bit more tricky to find a teapot that will "interpret" dan cong. Even a fine one may not well render their tones or structure.
I think Imen (Teahabitat) is a reliable provider (I do not own any of her teapots). You can read about chao zhou clay on her blog. If I were to buy one from her, I would go for the higher range.

If you are not ready to invest, keep in mind that a porcelain zhong (gaiwan) is a very good tool for dan cong. a suitable pot will enhance your liquor (structure, texture), but brewing in a zhong with good technique will give you as good as a result, on a distinct register.

long story short:
> whatever the tea, a quality pot will enhance vs zhong, but the differences are always nuances.
> we tea addicts do not need pots as much as we absolutely need to work with gaiwan.
> for dan cong, a pot is a "luxury", a "plus", and gaiwan is more than sufficient.

[Tead Off]

When it comes to dancong teas, the quality of the tea will be more important than what kind of vessel you use to brew it, IMO. Just finding good dancong is the 1st step. For me, the nuances of using Chao Zhou zhuni pots far outreach gaiwan. While one may get good aroma from thin gaiwan, dancongs are also about flavor, and, I find the difference between porcelain and zhuni significant.

[alan logan]

When it comes to dancong teas, the quality of the tea will be more important than what kind of vessel you use to brew it, IMO.

I fully agree. true of all teas too, also, with a tea that is not great, using a high end teapot is of no use, even a bad idea for it may reveal and put in light all the defects.

For me, the nuances of using Chao Zhou zhuni pots far outreach gaiwan. While one may get good aroma from thin gaiwan, dancongs are also about flavor, and, I find the difference between porcelain and zhuni significant.

with gaiwan, it is interesting to give enough time to the tea to release its flavors to some point where a "totum" is reached. not very long, 30s/45s is a good "short brew" ; a teapot seems to extract a bit more powerfully, so with same brewing time flavor may appear more present.
Yet, right, there will be a difference between a brew in a pot and a brew in a gaiwan -not necessarily a "better/less good" type of difference, but one of interpretation, and a pot will always enhance / work on something on the way (after all, it is its job isn't it ?).