Pu’erh brands play an important role in the marketing and selling of samples, cakes and tongs of pu’erh tea. This is far more pronounced in the Yunnan-based pu’erh when compared with their Fujian-based Yancha selling counterparts or Taiwanese oolong selling merchants. This has resulted in some fascinating convolutions within the pu’erh scene… CNNP sold their name and wrappers to anyone willing to pay, seemingly every operations specialist at Menghai formed their own factory (1,2,3), and forgery continues to be a major issue. This is true for not only highly-priced gushu and expensive aged tea but Menghai plantation tea! The pu’erh market also has a tendency to attach itself to brands and certain recipes (see 7542 speculation) and even a brand that has been protective over their reputation like Menghai, has had their recipes blatantly copied until it was deemed illegal in 2005. (more…)
Category: Ripe Pu’erh
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Ripe Pu’erh Concepts
Depending on who you ask you will get dramatically different reactions to ripe pu’erh. Ripe pu’erh, also shu, shou, or cooked pu’erh, is preferred by many as an easy, smooth drink. It is also often shoved aside by tea people as an inferior or simply uninteresting tea. In Zhang Jinghong’s fantastic Puer Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic she draws the analogy between raw/ripe (cooked) pu’erh and raw/cooked food. In this analogy the wo dui process that ripe pu’erh undergoes is the cooking process and the aging of raw pu’erh can be likened to naturally slow cooking cooking the tea. Freshly pressed raw pu’erh is simply uncooked (and has even been classified by many as not pu’erh!). This article will explore some intermediate level concepts of ripe pu’erh and examine common variations in the “cooking” process of ripe pu’erh and how it might affect your cup. (more…)
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2008 Bulang Crimson Lotus Tea Ripe Pu’erh [Episode 58]
In episode 58, Denny and James welcome back special guests from their sourcing trip in Yunnan, Crimson Lotus Tea. This episode showcases their 2008 Bulang Ripe Pu’erh.
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Pu’erh Vendor Guide
Pu’erh is a hot tea. In the past 15 years it has moved beyond its longtime audience in Hong Kong and Taiwan into mainland China, the rest of Asia and more recently the west. With Ebay, Taobao, and the ever-growing worldwide marketplace, options for buying pu’erh online have exponentially increased in the last ten years. Pu’erh is even sold as a dieter’s tea to more “ordinary” consumers in the west. This dynamic marketplace has spawned both monstrous creations as well as very high-quality tea. The specialized vendor scenes tends to be different for pu’erh compared with vendors for other teas, i.e. Taiwanese Oolongs. This guide will attempt to highlight the various options available to the western consumer. This guide disregards any offline options (i.e. Chinese supermarkets). (more…)
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Pu’erh Compendium
White Tea. Green Tea. Oolong Tea. Black Tea. Yellow Tea. Pu’erh Tea? A weird outlier in the tea world, pu’erh is a weird, unntuitive name for an odd-ball in the tea world. Pu’erh represents both an ancient tradition of tribute tea, as well as a fast-moving, contemporary urban trend. So what is Pu’erh tea? Pu’erh tea not only represents a processing method and location (two actually!), but a successful marketing campaign that is mirrored by the chaotic tea marketplace that surrounds it. (more…)
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1997 Fuhai Shu Pu’erh [Episode 33]
In episode 33, James & Denny review an older 1997 Ripe Pu’erh from Chinese tea factory Fuhai (Lucky Star). Fuhai split off from Dayi in the late 1990s.
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Yunnan Pu’erh Special Tea Factory 2006 Shu Pu’erh [Episode 26]
In episode 26, James & Denny have a special guest star from a new Pu’erh tea company opening up shop in the US, Crimson Lotus Tea. Today’s tea is literally a wedding cake, just far better than your traditional white sugary affair. Yunnan Pu’erh Special Tea Factory 2006 Ripe Pu’erh.
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Fengqing Golden Buds 2005 Shu Pu’erh [Episode 16]
James & Denny are again joined by a guest Zach for the second episode in a three-episode series on Teavivre. Episode 16 covers their premium Ripe Pu’eh offering from 2005, Fengqing Golden Buds 2005.
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Golden Buds Shu Pu’erh [Episode 5]
James & Denny begin their series of Pu’erh teas with Episode 5, a golden, smooth ripe Pu’erh from Verdant Tea: Golden Buds Shou Pu’erh.
