TeaDB

Category: Ripe Pu’erh

  • 10+ Year Old Loose Traditionally Stored Ripe Pu’erh [Inbetweenisode 176]

    This episode I drink one of my daily teas I picked up in Hong Kong that’s unfortunately not available. This is a traditionally stored loose ripe that has a fairly different profile from normal ripe tea. Very chuggable tea for me.

    6.8 Rating.

  • Correcting Your Storage & Preventing Mold. What are Safe Parameters?

    So you got mold? This is a real risk for anyone aging pu’erh, especially those with setups designed to add some form of humidity. After you deal with the immediate outbreak, you essentially have two options.

    1. Scrap your setup and find a new one.
    2. Tinker and mess with small things within your setup.

    I think people often freak out and choose option 1, when option 2 will usually suffice. In some cases finding a new setup is justified. If your container holding pu’erh is leaching off aromas into the tea or if your container is susceptible to a spill risk, you’ll probably want to make significant changes.. (more…)

  • How Much Does Ripe Pu’erh Cost from Western Vendors?

    Since I’ve crunched a bunch of numbers for other pu’erh categories, I figured I should do the same for ripe pu’erh. Ripe pu’erh is not exactly the most talked about tea, but it is generally considered to be affordable and there’s enough options easily accessitlbe to keep most people satisfied. I compiled all the ripe productions sold by popular western pu’erh sources: White2Tea, Crimson Lotus Tea, Bitter Leaf Tea, Chawangshop, and Yunnan Sourcing, limiting the massive Yunnan Sourcing selection to 50 teas (still more than any other vendor). It’s also important to note that this data shows the cost of ripe pu’erh for a western audience and doesn’t necessarily imply much about the ripe pu’erh market in east Asia. (more…)

  • Q&A. Vendor + Tea Recommendations, Tea Books, Judging Pu’erh, etc. [Inbetweenisode 173]

    This episode I answer a series of questions on tea, covering a pretty wide range of topics. Topics include vendors for aged oolongs, water, tea books, caffeine content, judging pu’erh, and some pu’erh recommendations.

    Thanks for all the great questions sent in! I answered as many as I could, but unfortunately could not get to everything.

  • Tea-Side, Vendor Profile & Interview

    I had the pleasure of meeting tea vendors and Russian expats Valerii and Jane when I went to Chiang Mai. I had not been planning on any tea meetups on this trip, but Valerii happened to see I was traveling to Chiang Mai on Instagram and we met up for tea. Valerii’s family was very generous and we ended up meeting up a few times during my brief trip, including an outdoor excursion and tea session to the scenic Bua Tong waterfall. After we parted and he sent me home to Seattle with a ton of samples, we agreed to do an interview on the interesting niche he occupies, selling Thai teas. (more…)

  • Garrett Pre-Taiwan Travel Diaries [Inbetweenisode 171]

    In this episode, we discuss Garrett’s upcoming trip to Taiwan in September. We talk about shopping for tea abroad, what he hopes to buy, and some aspects of traveling there.

    After he returns from his trip in late September, we plan to do a recap episode.

  • Some Reasons You Should Consider Aging More Oolong & Less Pu’erh

    Sometimes when I’m sipping a particularly delicious aged oolong, I’ll glance over at my tea fridge and then to my wine cooler and get some major self doubt. I enjoy drinking pu’erh and happen to own enough that I’ll be aging it for a very long time. But I I also really do enjoy aged oolong… And for partly inexplicable reasons have hardly even a pu’erh cake worth of oolong put away for the long haul. (more…)

  • 2015 Dayi Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) Ripe Pu’erh via YS [Inbetweenisode 169]

    In this solo inbetweenisode. James brings on another inexpensive Dayi ripe pu’erh. This one is an extremely soft, smooth, and very comfortable tea from Menghai Tea Factory.

    5.8 Rating.

    2015 Menghai "Elephant Mountain" Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake

  • 2016 Vesper Chan’s Red Sunset Ripe Pu’erh via Bana Tea [Inbetweenisode 168]

    This episode, James brings on a boutique ripe pu’erh, under Vesper Chan’s (Best Tea House) label. This is a thick, elegant, very tasty ripe pu’erh.

    7.2 Rating.

    Shoutout to Oolong Owl for turning me onto this tea.

    https://www.banateacompany.com/pages/puerh_teas-Red_Sunset.html
    http://oolongowl.com/

  • Why Not (Age) Oolong? [Inbetweenisode 167]

    In this episode, regular guest Garrett comes back to discuss why more people aren’t aging oolong. The episode focuses on difference in pu’erh when it comes to aging, storage, and ease in the west.