Dayi House Style - myth or fact?

[chabaka]

Hi there,

I am curious if you agree with Hobbes (author of The Half-Dipper Blog, one of my favourite reads on tea) on the existence of a specific house style found in all (sheng) productions by Dayi.

My personal record of Dayi sheng teas tasted is quite limited: 8582 is my staple (2009 and 2011 vintages), some 7542 (2007 and 2011), Pu zhi Wei (2012), Spring of Menghai (2012), Jiaji Tuocha (2011), 7532 (2012) - teas listed in descending order of familiarity to me.

In most of these teas I found something which I have filed away as "that Dayi tobacco trait". But I have also found it in Fuhai's 7536 (2007 and 2012 versions), while Dayi's "Spring of Menghai" amazed me by lacking that trait completely.

What to make of this? Is there no such thing as a "Dayi House Style" (i.e. the factory's preferences when acquiring maocha) but just a typical Menghai style, explaining why Dayi's neighbour Fuhai shows similar characteristics? Was my sample of "Spring of Menghai" a fake?


Note: I have omitted older samples of 7542 (1998 -2002) from the above considerations as I feel storage influences might override that "house style" - if any such thing exists.

[BW85]

Hobbs was speaking of a Menghai house character, as in Menghai before the Menghai factory became Menghai dayi. I think most people agree the quality of products changed with this transition. Older Menghai teas definitely have a signature taste; I don't know about dayi, I haven't sampled enough of it

[chabaka]

Thanks for the reply. If the Menghai character still rings true after all the years, it must have been quite pronounced when young. Whish I had started tapping into the Pu ocean back in the days before the first bubble!

Well, there are some examples for Hobbes writing about the Dayi (not just Menghai) character:
Dayi house style or "that Dayi character" (both here http://half-dipper.blogspot.co.uk/2012/ ... -dayi.html) and The flavour is a settled Dayi flavour (http://half-dipper.blogspot.de/2009/03/ ... 2-801.html).

But what do you think? Hope there are some Dayi regulars around who would share their views.

[BW85]

Thanks for the reply. If the Menghai character still rings true after all the years, it must have been quite pronounced when young. Whish I had started tapping into the Pu ocean back in the days before the first bubble!

Well, there are some examples for Hobbes writing about the Dayi (not just Menghai) character:
Dayi house style or "that Dayi character" (both here http://half-dipper.blogspot.co.uk/2012/ ... -dayi.html) and The flavour is a settled Dayi flavour (http://half-dipper.blogspot.de/2009/03/ ... 2-801.html).

But what do you think? Hope there are some Dayi regulars around who would share their views.

Ah yep! Sure enough, dayi. I thought maybe you were referring to the more recent reviews of the Menghai teas from teaclassico.

I'm sure anyone could argue that all producers will have a signature style. Whoever selects the moacha and oversees the blending at a factory will have their personal preference and opinion about the way puerh should taste, and most of that factories teas will fall into that range

[drinking_teas]

Thanks for the reply. If the Menghai character still rings true after all the years, it must have been quite pronounced when young. Whish I had started tapping into the Pu ocean back in the days before the first bubble!

Well, there are some examples for Hobbes writing about the Dayi (not just Menghai) character:
Dayi house style or "that Dayi character" (both here http://half-dipper.blogspot.co.uk/2012/ ... -dayi.html) and The flavour is a settled Dayi flavour (http://half-dipper.blogspot.de/2009/03/ ... 2-801.html).

But what do you think? Hope there are some Dayi regulars around who would share their views.

Ah yep! Sure enough, dayi. I thought maybe you were referring to the more recent reviews of the Menghai teas from teaclassico.

I'm sure anyone could argue that all producers will have a signature style. Whoever selects the moacha and oversees the blending at a factory will have their personal preference and opinion about the way puerh should taste, and most of that factories teas will fall into that range

I remember that Jakub kept talking about Wistaria's house style. Not sure though, as Wistaria mainly does single-origin stuff. I have some loose sheng from them coming in, so I'll report back if anyone wants.

[mr mopu]

I know that in shou I can differentiate a Dayi from a Haiean or Cnnp/Kunming, as well as XiaGuan. Given blind test I am pretty good as I have had my better half prepare "mystery" shou and have me guess.
I guess the shengs would probably be the same. I can differentiate some sheng but no where near the accuracy of the shou I drink. Although I am getting better.

[JakubT]

I remember that Jakub kept talking about Wistaria's house style. Not sure though, as Wistaria mainly does single-origin stuff. I have some loose sheng from them coming in, so I'll report back if anyone wants.

I think, however, that the character there is mainly due to storage or production process (2003 batch was produced, if I'm correct, by 6FTM, so that may have imparted certain character as well)...

To the original question - I'd say yes to the "basic" recipes, but no in general - Spring of Menghai is a very different tea than the older recipes (only the 2005 edition, the first one, had some smoke, but the rest is happily smoke-free). Also, their Zodiac series are very varied and only the 2012 version seems broadly similar to Dayi's other production - I surely don't feel that they're very connected in their style.

There may be some style (such as that Dayi is, in general, separable by taste from Xiaguan or, say, Changtai), but I wouldn't say that it's especially tight cluster (Xiaguan being tighter, imho).

[drinking_teas]

I remember that Jakub kept talking about Wistaria's house style. Not sure though, as Wistaria mainly does single-origin stuff. I have some loose sheng from them coming in, so I'll report back if anyone wants.

I think, however, that the character there is mainly due to storage or production process (2003 batch was produced, if I'm correct, by 6FTM, so that may have imparted certain character as well).../quote]

Hm, good observation. Also, Taiwan storage is pretty unique, no?