A comprehensive interview with Scott Wilson of Yunnan Sourcing detailing his long 12 year journey based in Yunnan from it’s beginnings as an Ebay store, his own productions and much much more. Tea consumed: 2013 Yunnan Sourcing Da Si. Interview was conducted in Bend where the Yunnan Sourcing US branch is based.
14 responses to “Interview w/Scott Wilson (Yunnan Sourcing) feat. 2013 YS Da Si [Episode 115]”
Nice interview! It feels great to learn some more about one of my preferred vendors. Scott always answers questions in many places, sometimes I think you secretly own a time machine.
Hope nothing but the best for him and other people like him who truly love tea and made easy for people like me that would probably never discovered on my own.
Thanks JCO. Totally agree on all points. Was great to meet him in person.
Great video!, These kind of interviews are what I enjoy more of your show.
Very interesting and informative. It would be nice a second part : )
I am curious about the brewing parameters, Scott did it for so long. What you two think about that? Was it too strong?
As I have personal experiences, I can say that waiting for 2 months for your tea makes it tastes better : )
Cheers
Thanks Jaime!
The brewing parameters definitely were strong. I think Scott may’ve been slightly affected by the camera, although I doubt anyone would ever accuse him of having a light hand.
Still, I would definitely say the tea held up remarkably well. As you might expect we had a pretty intense body and mouthfeel.
Cheers,
-James
Great interview guys!
How was it out there in Oregon?
Scott was brewing that thing for so long compared to those flash brews. Did you notice Scott pounding the tea back like a shot? He must not have any mouth burn anymore or something.
Good stuff!
-Eric
Hi Eric,
Thanks for the comment and kind words! Indeed. It was interesting to see how Scott brewed tea. Obviously very different from the show, but there’s definitely some aspects that I’ve taken into my own brewing.
Cheers,
-James
Every month I want to spend my whole tea budget at Yunnan but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet! I’m really into Chinese Black (Yunnans especially the more dark chocolate flavored), Green (need more experience but I’ve liked everything I’ve had), and Oolong (especially Anxi but I am interested in trying more Wuyis). Do you have any advice for a buying strategy? For example, in Anxi Oolongs (or any of the styles I’ve mentioned), are there a few core teas that I should try or should I really sample all of the Anxi Oolong offerings to get a good sense of what flavors exist in that style? Do you have any suggestions for starter teas to try in these categories?
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the comment. Some good questions here. I’m afraid I’m unqualified to respond in much depth.
The only of those tea genres I drink with any regularity are Wuyis and even those are sporadic when compared with pu’erh. Scott is very fair in his pricing so I’d order the minimum sample size for a bunch of teas (YS is good for this). As far as blacks, Denny is a big fan of the light-roast Dehongs and the Ailao Mountain Black.
You should consider emailing Scott about suggestions!
Cheers,
-James
Vendors spend most time talking about their products (i.e. not about themselves). So having the opportunity to know more about them is really interesting. Also very nice to be able to associate a face with the name of a vendor we’re dealing with.
Nice episode!
Thanks Benoit!
Great episode. I especially appreciate Scott’s comments regarding tea and taking care of oneself. To me these two things really complement one another very well.
As a tea enthusiast (drunk?) I am always amused by the “cleansing” products for sale these days. I always think “I drink a lot of puer and eat well, what would I want this for???”
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I think that’s a great point. The answers/truth are often simpler than we think.
Cheers,
-James
Hi there,
funny interview. The first time I went to Kunming, one year earlier than Scott, I stayed in the same hotel, went to the same places he talked about, spent a little fortune on teas, moved on to Xishuanbanna for the real thing and from there back home to Darjeeling where I used to live back then. I still have some cakes and yixing stuff from that terrific tour.
Keep it up folks!
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the comment and sharing! Quite a coincidence.
Cheers,
-James