In episode 333, Denny and I drink a high-quality ripe from Scott’s 2017 line. The Huirun has been a blend Scott’s made since 2011. The tea is nuanced, flavorful, and complex with a fuller range of notes than you’d expect from an average ripe.
Author: James
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Boutique Pu’erh. How Much of a Story Does the Top End of the Western Boutique Pu’erh Market Tell?
If you follow what gets said about prices each year, you would end up with the impression that the average price of tea has gone up. But more specifically the price at the most sought after regions (say Lao Banzhang, Bingdao) have gone completely through the roof. A lot of this narrative is anecdotal. Tales of rich Chinese buying up all the top-end product from X area. Part of it can also be seen when someone in the Sinosphere posts the maocha prices per location. These lists come with all sorts of contextual caveats, but the trend seems real. I don’t see any red flags to really doubt this storyline, but I was curious if it’d show up by looking at some of the data of prices on production by western facing vendors.
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Aging White Teas & Aged Whites w/Char (Oolong Owl) [Inbetweenisode 211]
In this episode, I have a conversation with Char, best known for her popular blog Oolong Owl. This is a longer video and we cover quite a range of material. We begin by talking about the the different types of white tea and their aging trajectories, where the aged white tea has been aged thus far, and finishing by discussing a few of the different school of thoughts on aging white tea and how a hobbyist might decide to do it.
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2018 WuyiOrigin Boutique Rougui (Wuyuan Jian) [Episode 332]
This episode, Denny and I have what I think is one of the best teas I’ve tried from Wuyi Origin. The tea is their boutique Rougui and has a lot of what I enjoy from Wuyi oolongs. The Yanyun, rock taste is prominent, but there’s also a lot of complexity and dynamism that place it well above average. The 2018 version is unfortunately sold out, but keep your eyes out for the 2019 version. The tea was grown in Wuyuan Jian (悟源涧).
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2018 Menghai Tea Factory 7572 Ripe Pu’erh via YS [Inbetweenisode 210]
This episode I review one of the classic and frequently produced Dayi recipes, their 7572. The tea is the definition of reliable and solid. It is essentially what I want in a regular session of ripe tea, when I am typically looking more for a consistent product than something that wows me into submission.
A solid, well-blended tea from a factory known to make good-quality ripe.
Rating: 6.1
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2009 Haoxin Hongcha Red (Black) Tea [Episode 331]
This episode, Denny and I drink a decade old black tea sent by shah. Thank you! We weren’t really sure how to approach this tea, but it was pretty impressive. Strong aromatics, complex taste, highly enjoyable! Tea was originally purchased from Houde Asian Art.
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Five Things I Like & Dislike. China as a Monolith, Tea Instagram, Small Vendors Selling Semi-Aged Pu’erh
Five more things I like & dislike.
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2017 Yunnan Sourcing Yiwu Rooster Ripe Pu’erh [Episode 330]
This episode, Denny and I drink a really nice ripe pu’erh from Yunnan Sourcing. This tea is well-above average and is along the more refined, elegant end. Thanks Scott!
https://yunnansourcing.com/products/2017-yunnan-sourcing-yi-wu-rooster-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake
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2018 Yunnan Sourcing Lucy Ripe Pu’erh [Inbetweenisode 209]
This episode, I drink a tea named after the most famous dog in the western pu’erh scene, Lucy. The tea itself is a blend of Menghai and Lincang which gives it a pretty varied and interesting character. It’s clean, woody, with hints of fruit, and a nice rich character. Good tea, great canine.
Another solid product by YS.
Rating: 6.1
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Mud & Leaves Golden Prize Technique Roasted Oolong [Episode 329]
This episode, Denny and I drink a Taiwanese oolong from a vendor, predominantly known for their pottery/teaware. This tea is grown in Nantou county in Taiwan and is made by the Hsieh Jiang Lin Tea Company.