I bought 2012 , RAW Pu-erh, Ya Bao, Yunnan, Spring Pu erh Tea. This is how the seller described it :
"RAW Pu-erh Ya Bao tea - this very special and rare tea is made using tea buds picked from aged wild tea trees. The tea leaves can only be picked once a year during the early spring season.
Taste is very special and unique. The aroma of this tea is full of flowery sweetness with a subtle hint of vanilla. It is unlike any other Pu-erh teas that we have tasted before. The taste is flowery and has a pleasant rose-like sweetness."
I have tested it and it's like nothing I've had before. Unfortunately I can't upload pictures so I'll try and describe. It's a moderately compressed cake greenish /light brown and white in colour. Is made up of whole wild tea Buds. And the tea is a light golden colour. It currently needs quite a long step to get a nice taste otherwise it tastes like slightly musty green tea. I think it may be that the tea has aged long enough to lose its light freshness but not long enough to have got the benefits of the ageing. I plan to age it but I wondered if any one had experience aging tea like this?
Thanks, Andy
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
I had some relatively fresh Chinese tea buds purchased in Australia in Vietnam a few months ago--pretty interesting stuff and tasted very different from tea alone. I can't imagine what they'd be like with aging. Might be interesting.
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Well here are some aged spring buds if anybody wants to give 'em a go: http://www.finepuer.com/product/1993-me ... 10g-sample
Nov 20th, '15, 14:33
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Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Yabao isn't puerh, even though some people call it sheng puerh. Though it does come from the same tea tree varietal that puerh comes from. The processing is basically just drying the buds in the sun. It would be closer to a white tea. It will mature with age, but it's not going to develop the way sheng puerh will. I don't know what the aged yabao flavor profile will be though, I've not had any.
Nov 20th, '15, 14:35
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Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
That's not yabao. Yabao looks like this: https://www.teatrekker.com/sites/defaul ... uds-cu.jpgbellmont wrote:Well here are some aged spring buds if anybody wants to give 'em a go: http://www.finepuer.com/product/1993-me ... 10g-sample
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Yes glenbo that's exactly it! What do you know about it? Have tried an aged Ya Bao?
Nov 20th, '15, 15:01
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Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
It's an interesting and rare tea for sure. I've only had it a few times and it was always newly processed. I've not had it aged. There's some discussion online that claims that isn't from tea trees at all, but I've seen it growing on certain tea tree varietals in early Spring. The same trees we harvested a few weeks later for puerh.Damage_c wrote:Yes glenbo that's exactly it! What do you know about it? Have tried an aged Ya Bao?
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
That same description also says
"Unlike other Pu'er teas, Ya Bao tea leaves do not benefit much from aging and the age peaks at around 2-3 years old."
On the other hand, people have been aging some white tea with success...
"Unlike other Pu'er teas, Ya Bao tea leaves do not benefit much from aging and the age peaks at around 2-3 years old."
On the other hand, people have been aging some white tea with success...
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
I tried some 5ish year old yabao, if I remember correctly, and it was very rough and sour. Very interesting flavor when it's fresh though. In general, I'd say buds aren't particularly good for aging as they seem to lose the delicate, floral flavors that make them so tasty initially
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Oh... Well It's already 3 years old. Is it not the case that whilst initially losing its freshness given a long enough ageing period it will gain what it lost in freshness in depth. Worth the experiment? Or should I be drinking it like there's no tomorrow?
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
In SOME cases this is true but certainly not with the majority of teas.Damage_c wrote:Is it not the case that whilst initially losing its freshness given a long enough ageing period it will gain what it lost in freshness in depth.
Depends what the tea is worth to you. If it's worth possibly wasting the tea to experiment with aging go for it! If you'd be upset with not drinking it all, drink it now.Worth the experiment? Or should I be drinking it like there's no tomorrow?
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Thanks, I'll bare that in mind. I have a Chinese friend who's family is in the tea trade age she owns a Chinese tea room, I'll taste it with her and make a decision. Thanks for all your advise.
Re: Raw pu erh tea cake from wild spring Buds, will it age well?
Good luck, and no matter what you decide to do enjoy it!Damage_c wrote:Thanks, I'll bare that in mind. I have a Chinese friend who's family is in the tea trade age she owns a Chinese tea room, I'll taste it with her and make a decision. Thanks for all your advise.
