I’ve had the opportunity to participate and host a number of group sessions since I got into tea. The context varies.. Some have been with a couple people unfamiliar with tea, others are with regular tea friends. This article on a couple approaches to choosing what to brew sequentially in a group setting and a few more of my thoughts that I thought I’d share.
(more…)Author: James
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Storing Pu’erh in North America (& The West). Pu’erh Storage Q&A [Inbetweenisode 207]
This episode, I answer a series of questions sent in about pu’erh storage. This is one of the more hot button topics in the west.
Over the course of the episode, I give some context on how pu’erh storage has been stored in east Asia, and talk about what I find to be acceptable parameters. Also talked about are how my teas have been aging in the 5 years I’ve stored them here in Seattle. Many more questions answered as well.
Thank you for those who sent in questions!
Mentioned:
Marco’s Hotbox, https://mgualt.com/tealog/2018/08/04/temp-control-experiment-w2t-bosch/ and https://mgualt.com/tealog/2019/07/20/storage-experiment-2016-w2t-bosch-two-years-in/Washington Progress Report and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9oflRNrCOM
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2019 Everlasting Teas Baozhong Green Oolong [Episode 326]
This episode, Denny and I drink a green, very fresh, and friendly Baozhong from Everlasting Teas. Sammy over at Everlasting has kindly sent us tea for the past few years and the fresh Baozhong (one of their regular teas) is always a favorite.
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2008 Liubao Brick via W2T [Inbetweenisode 206]
This episode, James drinks an old tea of the month club tea from W2T, a 2008 Liubao brick. This tea is nutty, smoothish, and woody. It’s not quite as rich as ripe, but still plenty drinkable and a decent change of pace.
Rating: 5.0
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2010 Yunnan Sourcing Xikong Spring Raw Pu’erh [Episode 325]
This episode, Denny and I drink a 9 year old, US-Stored raw pu’erh sent to us by shah. This tea was at or towards the top of Scott’s 2010 Spring lineup and has been aged around the Atlanta, Georgia area for close to a decade. Xikong is near Yibang and this production also uses the small leaf varietal. The storage is definitely dry, the tea is quite approachable but gets stronger as the session goes on. Overall, a well-above average tea that still tastes great. Thanks shah!
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What I’ve Been Buying Recently (The Past Couple Years)
I get asked now and then what I’ve bought and where to buy from. Despite some past efforts of transparency and publicly shaming, I haven’t talked as directly about teas I’ve bought. If you read between the lines you can probably get some idea of what I go for. Over the last few years, I’ve slowed down an awful lot, first in terms of sampling and now in terms of buying. A few cakes I’ve bought in the last 8 or 9 months.
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1988 Hongtaichang Raw “Pu’erh” via Tea-Side [Episode 324]
This episode, Denny and I drink a purportedly very old tea processed like sheng pu’erh. The tea was kindly provided by Valerii over at Tea-Side and is not pu’erh because it comes from Thai material. While we can’t vouch for this exact age the tea is legitimately old.
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Pu’erh Collection Trajectories & Regrets [Inbetweenisode 205]
This episode Garrett talk and reflect on pu’erh collecting, including different trajectories towards your pu’erh stash. We finish by talking a bit about regrets and things we would’ve liked to know earlier on in our tea journeys. We don’t drink tea in this episode but if you are into spreadsheets and the nerdier aspects of just thinking about collecting pu’erh this is a good episode for you.
Mentioned:
https://www.mrlovenstein.com/images/comics/1092_objectified.png
http://www.marshaln.com/2013/06/hitting-hard-with-a-hammer/ -
WuyiOrigin Baijiguan Wuyi Oolong [Episode 323]
This episode, Denny and I drink one of the four famous bushes of Yancha from Wuyi Origin and is usually processed and made on the greener end. This tea is aromatic, well-balanced and very enjoyable.
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When do Pu’erh Vendor’s Raise their Prices?
The common wisdom around pu’erh prices is that they rise over time. This is of course true if we zoom out far enough. If you were to take snapchats of most pu’erh production every few years, the trend would be quite obvious even with a downturn or two (i.e. 2007/2008). Not everything rises equally though. One interesting point of a consideration as a consumer is when and why vendors tend to adjust price. Thanks to Matt for the idea.
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