A really nice, somewhat unusual lighter-roasted Wuyi tea, JK Tea Shop’s Baijiguan. Like last episode, this is another of James’ picks from his tea of the month tastings.
Author: James
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Zhang Jinghong’s Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic
This is a review of Zhang Jinghong’s Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic. Please also check out TwoDog’s review. More people need to read this book. Seriously!
What is authentic pu’erh? This question is constantly asked in Zhang Jinghong’s challenging and informative Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic. Similar to other buzzwords like artisan or specialty, authenticity is frequently used as a term to push a product (tea or otherwise). The pu’erh world is very guilty of this. It’s no secret that the pu’erh world is full of lots of bullshit and misinformation that are just there to sell tea (read an ebay description). It’s a marketplace built on flat-out lies (ummm..) and numerous softer, difficult to verify lies (i..e why are all the trees ancient and wild?). Zhang’s book attempts to do the impossible and unpack the endless maze of perspectives and opinions in the pu’erh world. (more…)
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Bannacha’s 2014 Jingmai Special Gushu — TeaDB James InBetweenIsode Episode #25
A brief break from Yancha to review Bannacha’s Jingmai Special Gushu. One of several of Bannacha’s 2014 Jingmai offerings. Thanks to William from Bannacha for sending this tea.
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Tea Yuan’s Rou Gui [Episode 101]
A very nice higher-roasted Yancha from a new vendor, Tea Yuan. The Rou Gui reviewed in this episode is a new tea company exhibits alot of the traits of higher-end Wuyi.
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![Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs) [March 2015 Tea Drinking Report]](https://teadb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/other-wuyi-lineup-940x198.jpg)
Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs) [March 2015 Tea Drinking Report]
Big shoutouts to Brian, Carolyn, and Richard (+vendors) for providing several of the teas for this month and allowing the content to be what it is! I hope you like long-form content, because this tea of the month report is truly massive.
In the month of March 2015, the tea of the month was Yancha. During this month, I had Yancha at least once a day (unless totally unfeasible). I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This is the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties. (more…)
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JKTeashop’s Tieluohan — TeaDB James InBetweenIsode Episode #24
In inbetweenisode #24, James and Meet continue their series on Wuyi Oolongs. A really nice, well-balanced Wuyi from 2014, this Tieluohan makes an interesting comparison with Yunnan Sourcing’s Tieluohan consumed in inbetweenisode #23.
http://www.jkteashop.com/zhengyan-imperial-tie-luo-han-wuyi-rock-tea-p-253.html
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TeaDB Special! [Episode 100]
For episode 100, we’ve done an extra long (42 minute), free-flowing session. Throughout the session we drink a few different tea concoctions and engage in an extended Q&A.
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Raw Pu’erh Oddities. Feat: Small Leaf, Purple Leaf, Purple Bud, etc.
Pu’erh is a very elusive term, that carries many definitions and radically different taste profiles depending on who you ask. While for the most part, pu’erh is produced with Camellia Sinensis v. Assamica, the big leaf varietal; the term itself is attached with the geography (Yunnan) and the processing, not necessarily the leaf varietal. As pu’erh has picked up steam and demand has spiked, there’s been a few interesting oddities that are cultivated and marketed. Many of these are naturally growing and some haven’t been produced as pu’erh until recently (causing heavy scrutiny into the aging potential). (more…)