TeaDB

Category: Tea Learning

  • 80’s Wild Arbor Raw Pu’erh Origin Tea [Episode 56]

    In episode 56, Denny and James review a great intro tea to aged raw pu’erh, Origin Tea‘s 80s Wild Arbor Raw Pu’erh. A reasonably priced, well-aged pu’erh.

    EDITED: Some additional notes after chatting with Tony. The earlier steeps are more affected by the storage rather than the tea itself (in this case the storage was natural Taiwanese). The ripeish notes that Denny gets are likely from this storage. The later steeps (which we didn’t really get to) speak more to the tea’s character. From my experience, this tea was able to easily go for 10+ steeps.

  • Pu’erh Compendium

    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…)

  • Yancha Firing Levels

    Yancha Firing Levels

    Handmade or traditional Yancha processing is one of the most intricate, processing methods of any tea. This process coupled with the rich terroir of inner Wuyi are paramount to making premium Wuyi tea. Missing either of these can make the difference between amazing and disappointing tea. Despite much hubbub about true Da Hong Pao, the terroir and processing are usually more important than the actual cultivar. This is different from Taiwanese tea, where cultivar can be a quick shortcut to cutting out tea masquerading as premium tea. While it’s not TeaDB’s goal to be a comprehensive guide to processing, it is important to know the basics behind hand-crafted teas like Yancha. The firing (roasting) has an enormous impact on the end-product and even when tea is in hand, the roast bears a strong influence on the ideal drinking time (oftentimes the difference between tea-flavored charcoal and delicious Yancha!). (more…)

  • About Shui Xian and Three Different Uses of Shui Xian and other Yancha

    About Shui Xian and Three Different Uses of Shui Xian and other Yancha

    Along with Rou Gui and Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian (also Water Lily) is one of the most represented Yancha in the western tea market. It lacks the sensational origin story or marketing potential of Da Hong Pao but is still sold far more frequently than any of the other famous bushes and possibly even more than Da Hong Pao. Shui Xian is even commonly consumed unknowingly often being marketed as Da Hong Pao or included in a Da Hong Pao blend. Processing-wise, Shui Xian is usually executed in a very similar manner to the rest of Wuyi oolongs. It is traditionally fired a shade darker than most Yancha although this is not necessarily a steadfast rule. Why is it far more consumed than for instance the three other famous bushes (Tie Luo Han, Shui Jin Gui, Bai Ji Guan)? Simply put, Shui Xian is a highly prolific bush. (more…)

  • Aged Oolongs [March 2014 Tea Drinking Report]

    Since the beginning of 2014, I’ve dedicated each month to a specific type of tea. This means I drink that genre of tea in some form at least once a day. This could mean gong-fu, grandpa, or even a cold-brew. 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 the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to those interested.

    Primary vendors ordered from:

    Also featuring:

    (more…)

  • Da Hong Pao, What’s in your Cup? Blending & Popular DHP Surrogates

    Da Hong Pao, What’s in your Cup? Blending & Popular DHP Surrogates

    Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) is one of China’s ten most famous teas, owns a mythic origin story and is as close to a household name as exists in tea. Given this, it is unsurprising that the name Da Hong Pao is a great marketing term for purveyors of tea. The name Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe simply sells. Vendors are well aware of this and tea marketed as Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe is often the only Yancha offering sold by generalist tea vendors. Obviously these teas are not the Da Hong Pao from the original bushes of the legend. So, what are these vendors selling as Da Hong Pao? A simple question, but the answer is complex and often ambiguous. (more…)

  • Three Chinese Yancha Brands, Supermarket Yancha, Feat. Sea Dyke, Wuyi Star, Huiyuan

    Three Chinese Yancha Brands, Supermarket Yancha, Feat. Sea Dyke, Wuyi Star, Huiyuan

    The Chinese tea industry is largely composed of big businesses, large factories and corporate brands. While this frequently results in inexpensive, mediocre tea for the casual tea consumer, some of these factories also dabble in higher-end commercially available tea. A few bigger brands can be purchased in North America, usually in a Chinese or Southeast Asian supermarket. These inexpensive teas are often the ideal way to begin your journey into Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs). Long and cumbersome shipping is avoided and supermarket Yancha is cheap. Often very, very cheap. For more seasoned drinkers, Chinese supermarket Yancha no longer serves as a gateway but a great daily drinker or grandpa style sipper. It is also not always a low-budget affair and brands like Wuyi Star and Huiyuan sell some pretty expensive tea (although these are more difficult to find in the US). (more…)

  • Wuyi Special Regions Feat. Zhengyan, Lao Cong, Huiyuan, Niulan Keng, Tianxin Yan

    Wuyi Special Regions Feat. Zhengyan, Lao Cong, Huiyuan, Niulan Keng, Tianxin Yan

    Wuyishan (Wuyi Mountain) is located in Northwest Fujian and is a naturally beautiful area with a great deal of nature and wildlife. This includes an impressive amount of biodiversity, due to the area’s naturally warm climate and a nutrient rich environment. In 1999 the Chinese government designated part of the Wuyishan area as Wuyi World Heritage Reserve (Zhengyan). Tea is well-represented in the world reserve, the Zhengyan region being the original home to countless tea cultivars. Despite having a somewhat low elevation (~300-700 m.) this terroir and Yancha’s complex processing make Yancha a unique and excellent tea. (more…)

  • Wuyi Oolong Tea Vendors

    Wuyi Oolong Tea Vendors

    In line with the trends of the rest of the tea industry online, the amount of roasted oolongs and Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs) being sold online has grown significantly. With increased choices and wild price variations even within the same vendor and tea (1,2) shopping for Yancha is confusing and difficult. The online shoppers reliance on photos (easily faked) make the consumers purchasing decision more about vendor trust and reliability. There is a huge price disparity between daily-drinking and premium Yancha, making it extremely important to look at one’s motivations for buying tea. This can prevent the undesirable situation of spending over a $/gram when all you want is a daily drinker or vice versa! The Wuyi Vendor Guide (modeled after our Taiwanese Vendor Guide) is intended to aid in the search for good-quality Yancha on the internet. This guide disregards any offline options (i.e. Chinese supermarkets). (more…)

  • The Price of Yancha

    The Price of Yancha

    Good yancha is difficult to shop for. There are no distinctly yancha-specialized vendors and no obvious filters to quickly eliminate debris (eliminating non-specialized vendors works very well for Taiwanese oolongs + pu’erh). One other obstacle are forgeries designed to satiate the public’s demand for Da Hong Pao (usually Rou Gui + Shui Xian). This article will attempt to clarify and simplify the process of shopping for yancha by examining the prices of the four famous bushes (Si Da Ming Cong) and two of the most commonly sold Yancha (Rou Gui, Shui Xian). Please note that this article should not be taken as a statement of cheaper is better. Different buyers should shop for different types and grades of yancha. Depending on your individual purchasing goals it is often worth spending more for quality. (more…)