birthday present

[Gunnsa]

Hello.

My fiancé is a tea fanatic and has a birthday coming soon. I now little as nothing about teas. So I need help
I've been thinking of getting him a ripe pu-erh cake. He has never had pu-erh and I'd like to get him some 'beginners' tea
I'm thinking of getting it at this ebaystore: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Yunnan-Sour ... ec0Q2em322

If you have any suggestions I'd love the help.

[Ti]

May I suggest this:

http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=326

[tony shlongini]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

[shogun89]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

agreed.

[tenuki]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

+1

[Ti]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

I have that one also, but I like the other one better.

[tony shlongini]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

I have that one also, but I like the other one better.

I knew this would be taken the wrong way, so let me explain in depth.

Even if the tea you recommended is better, I don't think it's a very good idea at all to recommend "no name" factories to newbies, especially ones whose names are so obviously designed to suggest a relationship to a famed producer that simply does not exist. Should the buyer fall in love with it, he'll be saddened to learn that he is in possession of their complete portfolio.

Newbies have enough to deal with in terms of familiarizing themselves with the seemingly indecipherable language of this field that the first criterion that a suggestion must satisfy is that it not add to the confusion. Menghai is a town in Yunnan, and I'm sure that there are roads, schools, and probably even pizzerias that bear the name. But when we talk about the tea producer Menghai, we mean one thing and one thing only: the Menghai Tea Factory. Period. Not Menghai Binchung Tea Factory, Menghai Pencheng Tea Factory, Menghai Banzhang Old Tree Tea, Menghai Yunhai Tea Factory, Menghai Xianming Tea Factory, Menghai Dayeh Tea Factory, nor any other factory so named. The practice is deceptive, and should not be encouraged. If any of the aforementioned producers sell items that are truly good, the newbie will have plenty of time to discover them. They are not, however, good starting points.

Menghai Tea Factory is, along with Kunming, the creator of the "cooked pu'er" process, has been around for decades, has a huge portfolio, and most importantly, will be available next year and in years to come, unlike many of the fly by night factories. That is what I meant by the real thing.

[tony shlongini]

of course the REAL thing is *7262*


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0128728320

Tru dat.

I was recommending an alternative that would be available from Puerh Shop, but I'd go with your selection in a flash.

[Dizzwave]

Menghai is a town in Yunnan, and I'm sure that there are roads, schools, and probably even pizzerias that bear the name.

YES! Menghai pizza anyone? If you find it, please let us know. But only if it's East Coast style.

[tony shlongini]

YES! Menghai pizza anyone? If you find it, please let us know. But only if it's East Coast style.

Why not? The last pizza my wife cooked looked like a bing of shu (and her meatloaf looks like a Baoyan brick).

[shogun89]

YES! Menghai pizza anyone? If you find it, please let us know. But only if it's East Coast style.

Why not? The last pizza my wife cooked looked like a bing of shu (and her meatloaf looks like a Baoyan brick).

LOL, hope she dosent read this thread or you and your pu are out on the street my friend!

[Ti]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

I have that one also, but I like the other one better.

I knew this would be taken the wrong way, so let me explain in depth.

Even if the tea you recommended is better, I don't think it's a very good idea at all to recommend "no name" factories to newbies, especially ones whose names are so obviously designed to suggest a relationship to a famed producer that simply does not exist. Should the buyer fall in love with it, he'll be saddened to learn that he is in possession of their complete portfolio.

Newbies have enough to deal with in terms of familiarizing themselves with the seemingly indecipherable language of this field that the first criterion that a suggestion must satisfy is that it not add to the confusion. Menghai is a town in Yunnan, and I'm sure that there are roads, schools, and probably even pizzerias that bear the name. But when we talk about the tea producer Menghai, we mean one thing and one thing only: the Menghai Tea Factory. Period. Not Menghai Binchung Tea Factory, Menghai Pencheng Tea Factory, Menghai Banzhang Old Tree Tea, Menghai Yunhai Tea Factory, Menghai Xianming Tea Factory, Menghai Dayeh Tea Factory, nor any other factory so named. The practice is deceptive, and should not be encouraged. If any of the aforementioned producers sell items that are truly good, the newbie will have plenty of time to discover them. They are not, however, good starting points.

Menghai Tea Factory is, along with Kunming, the creator of the "cooked pu'er" process, has been around for decades, has a huge portfolio, and most importantly, will be available next year and in years to come, unlike many of the fly by night factories. That is what I meant by the real thing.

That's not a bad line of reasoning.

But it's not the only line of thought. That's like saying that you shouldn't try micro brewery lagers because you might get attached to one you think is good and risk not being able to have again because they went out of business. Therefore it's best to stick with Budweiser and Coors.

But I want to try that red label
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...0128728320

[PolyhymnianMuse]

With all due respect, if you're going to get that one, you may as well get the real thing.
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=573

I have that one also, but I like the other one better.

I knew this would be taken the wrong way, so let me explain in depth.

Even if the tea you recommended is better, I don't think it's a very good idea at all to recommend "no name" factories to newbies, especially ones whose names are so obviously designed to suggest a relationship to a famed producer that simply does not exist. Should the buyer fall in love with it, he'll be saddened to learn that he is in possession of their complete portfolio.

Newbies have enough to deal with in terms of familiarizing themselves with the seemingly indecipherable language of this field that the first criterion that a suggestion must satisfy is that it not add to the confusion. Menghai is a town in Yunnan, and I'm sure that there are roads, schools, and probably even pizzerias that bear the name. But when we talk about the tea producer Menghai, we mean one thing and one thing only: the Menghai Tea Factory. Period. Not Menghai Binchung Tea Factory, Menghai Pencheng Tea Factory, Menghai Banzhang Old Tree Tea, Menghai Yunhai Tea Factory, Menghai Xianming Tea Factory, Menghai Dayeh Tea Factory, nor any other factory so named. The practice is deceptive, and should not be encouraged. If any of the aforementioned producers sell items that are truly good, the newbie will have plenty of time to discover them. They are not, however, good starting points.

Menghai Tea Factory is, along with Kunming, the creator of the "cooked pu'er" process, has been around for decades, has a huge portfolio, and most importantly, will be available next year and in years to come, unlike many of the fly by night factories. That is what I meant by the real thing.

That's not a bad line of reasoning.

But it's not the only line of thought. That's like saying that you shouldn't try micro brewery lagers because you might get attached to one you think is good and risk not being able to have again because they went out of business. Therefore it's best to stick with Budweiser and Coors.

But I want to try that red label
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...0128728320

I have to agree, with all due respect to those hardcore aficionados (and some of you are very passionate about it), I would take the whole "buy from big and well known producers" idea with a big grain of salt.

I am a firm believer that if I find a pu'erh that I completly enjoy, I couldn't give a damn where it came from, who produced it, or any of that stuff. Of course I understand the whole idea behind buying from the big companies such as Menghai and the general consistancy of good product, but I would submit to you that that is quite a closed minded view on drinking tea.

This isn't to say that you should just go buy random tea from random producers either, but my point is really to not play them off just because they are not the holy Menghai.