TeaDB

Category: Aged Pu’erh

  • TeaDB Q&A #2 – Pu’erh Questions

    A question & answer session featuring a number of pu’erh related questions asked in this video.

    Thank you for your questions!

  • 1998 Guangyungong via The Jade Leaf — TeaDB James InBetweenIsode Episode #90

    This episode features a bit of an oddball production. Made in a pu’erh-like style, this is a soft, pleasant, clean drink.. Due to being grown outside of Yunnan this is not technically a pu’erh and is usually known as border tea (Bianjingcha).

  • Shopping for Tea in Taiwan FAQ

    Since my first trip to Taiwan, I’ve been frequently asked about what to do and where to go for tea in Taiwan. This is an attempt to answer some of these questions.. I should also preface this with a warning. I’m by no means an experienced sourcer and have had my share of purchasing errors and regrets, so please take this all with the proper context with appropriate reservations.. These are more or less the answers I’d typically give venturing off to the island of tea. (more…)

  • Pu’erh as RTS Resource Management

    Pu’erh as RTS Resource Management

    According to Youtube’s analytics, TeaDB’s video audience is 87% male, nearly half falling into the 25-34 demographic. Denny and I also fall squarely into the middle of both of these categories. From this data we could theoretically cross market things that “normal people” like.. Movies, cars, fantasy football, etc. However, given our status as nerds, I’m more likely to draw a different conclusion.. That many of you grew up playing a Blizzard RTS.. Starcraft or Warcraft 3. (more…)

  • 1990s Paperless Cake [Taiwan Tapes] — TeaDB James InBetweenIsode Episode #81

    Episode 81 features tea friend, Garrett, and an aged paperless HK-style cake purchased in Taiwan.

  • Loose vs. Compressed Tea & A Riff on Aged Loose Pu’erh

    There’s lots of tea that doesn’t strictly fit the definition of pu’erh. Border tea grown from the neighboring Laos or Burma does not technically fit the definition for pu’erh, likely excluding things like 1990s Tongqing Hao. Some definitions of pu’erh also restrict the plant to being the large leaf varietal which would make some of the traditional growing places technically not pu’erh (i.e. Yibang, Jingmai, etc.). However.. There’s no such exclusion for loose tea that’s grown in Yunnan and processed as pu’erh but left in its loose form. Pu’erh was originally compressed principally for ease of transport and not necessarily for shape. The issue of transport is a lot simpler in present day than the six famous mountains days and it’s a lot easier to ship loose leaf tea around the globe inexpensively and quickly. Still loose leaf pu’erh is not fashionable and often excluded from western vendor’s catalog as well as most meaningful discussion. Why is that? (more…)

  • Budgetary Committee: What My Tea Budget Actually Looked Like

    I spent too much money in 2015. Emmett’s group orders and the Asia trip being the large culprits of pushing me from a little over to wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy over.. I’ve compiled some data from purchases from 2015 and without divulging exact teas and $ amounts, here’s some data that is ambiguous enough to save me embarrassment.. This includes all cakes purchased that weren’t intended as sample cakes. 30 different cakes (all raw) in total with 67 different cakes.. (more…)

  • Pu’erh Blogs & Resources

    It’s a lonely world out there for those discussing pu’erh. We don’t have the same accessibility to in-person tea or pu’erh communities like urban centers in the east. This is a straightforward post detailing a few different resources and blogs that you might find valuable or useful. (more…)

  • 2001 Yiwu Spring Buds [Teas I Own] — TeaDB James InBetweenIsode Episode #73

    Another loot from Hong Kong and one I wish I picked up more of. This tea is traditionally stored Yiwu Spring Buds.

  • 2003/04 Changtai Brown [Episode 145]

    A sample kindly provided by Toby. A HK-stored 2003 Changtai tea.. Nice matured, clean drinker.