Tea grade confusion.

[futurebird]

So...

The number of a tea such as 7542 means:

A recipe first made in 1975.
Grade 4 tea.
From factory 2. (Menghai Tea Factory)

So, what is the best tea? Grade 1? or grade...8? as I have seen some of the time?

Also, what were the other factories? What are some good numbers for 2014 and looking to 2015?

(Sheng!)

Thanks!

[shah82]

Grade here means the size of the leaves.

Also all blends have all sorts of leaf shapes, but the number is what leaf size is predominant. Cakes also have different leaves on different areas of the bing. Tips are sprinkled on the front sometimes, and the big leaves and stems are on the back.

The recipes are used because leaves of different sizes aged differently. A buddy tea will age differently old, big leaves. So people get tea that suits their tastes after aging. Factory blends are standardized exactly so that they will age in a predictable way, more so than gushu teas, for example.

[TomVerlain]

Newly developed teas (meaning 2014 and 2015) most likely will not use similar recipe numbers. Newer teas might use names like Dragon Pillar or Golden Needle White Lotus. The recipe numbers are "Classic". So you can buy a 2014 7542, or a new tea recipe developed in 2014 that has a fancy name.

[kyarazen]

So...

The number of a tea such as 7542 means:

A recipe first made in 1975.
Grade 4 tea.
From factory 2. (Menghai Tea Factory)

So, what is the best tea? Grade 1? or grade...8? as I have seen some of the time?

Also, what were the other factories? What are some good numbers for 2014 and looking to 2015?

(Sheng!)

Thanks!

the grade "4" in 7542 here simply refers to an average.

its probably a blend of grade 6-7 leaves in the interior and grade 2-3 leaves on the surface front and back.

[Puerlife]

This is from a recent Yunnan Sourcing mailer. He's talking about ripe but I assume the same applies to sheng:

Ripe Pu-erh grading explained!
Have you ever wondered what Grade 3 ripe pu-erh tea is? or Palace (Gong Ting) grade? Ripe Pu-erh grade is based on the size of the leaf. After the fermentation process is completed, ripe pu-erh is separated into different grades. Each different leaf grade will impart a slightly different taste. When ripe tea cakes, bricks and tuos are pressed they are usually a blend of different leaf grades. Blending is used to bring more complexity to the overall taste of the finished product. Leaf grades from smallest to largest: Gong Ting, Te Ji, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9 Other by-products of ripe fermentation might include: Zao Xiang Ye (or Cu Ye, large coarse leaf), Cha Tou (tea nugget), and "small broken" (gao sui) grade leaf, which is often sold as a cheaper form of Gong Ting.

Regardless of grade, the quality of a ripe pu-erh tea lies more with the overall quality of the tea leaves, the quality and control of the fermentation process, and the blend/recipe of the finished product. In most cases a blend of several different leaf grades will impart a more textured and complex tea with better long-term aging prospects.

[futurebird]

This is very helpful. I guess the quality will still be a matter of tasting. I have seen some teas numbered with 0642 or something like that so I guess the system is not totally dead. I think it is very friendly to those of us who do not speak Chinese.

Though I have been learning to read a some numbers and a few words.

[Puerlife]

Pleco is a great free smart phone app for delving into Chinese, especially if your phone has a stylus for writing. You can also use it offline to photograph a character or compound and learn the meaning and pronunciation.

[glenbo]

It's really interesting to do side by side tasting comparisons with the different grades of leaf. Especially if you can get different grades from the same source.

[bellmont]

here are some helpful references to address your questions further:

descriptions leaf size as it relates to ripe pu-erh:
http://teadb.org/ripe-puerh-concepts/

discussion of major tea factories:
http://teadb.org/big-puerh-factories-menghai-xiaguan/

[mr mopu]

It's really interesting to do side by side tasting comparisons with the different grades of leaf. Especially if you can get different grades from the same source.

On that note, Crimson Lotus tea recently came out with some tea tasting sets, which allow someone to compare and mix the different leaf grades:

http://crimsonlotustea.com/collections/ ... leaf-grade

http://crimsonlotustea.com/collections/ ... leaf-grade

These seem like really helpful sets because understanding leaf grade will help you figure out your personal preferences when it comes to different blends of pu-erh. Crimson Lotus tea is also generally well-reviewed and they are domestic ...so shipping may not take as long as a distributor from China.

In addition, here are some helpful references to address your questions further:

descriptions leaf size as it relates to ripe pu-erh:
http://teadb.org/ripe-puerh-concepts/

discussion of major tea factories:
http://teadb.org/big-puerh-factories-menghai-xiaguan/

I will vouch for Crimson lotus. ine seller with good product. On the plus side even more a US based seller with fast shipping.