2006 Hongtaichang Mingdee Thai Raw “Pu’erh” via Tea-Side [Episode 271]

Posted on July 17, 2018 by

This episode we drink a 2006 tea from northern Thailand produced like a pu’erh. It was made under the Hongtaichang label and produced by Mingdee factory. Thanks to Valerii at Tea-Side for providing the sample.

https://tea-side.com/

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

Posted on July 14, 2018 by

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. Continue reading →

Posted in Aged Pu'erh, Article, High-Mountain Oolong, Low-Elevation Oolong, Oolong, Raw Pu'erh, Ripe Pu'erh, Taiwanese Oolong | 20 Comments

1970s Sunyishun Liuan via Varat [Episode 270]

Posted on July 10, 2018 by

This episode is the second part of a series on Liu’an Heicha. Complex, woody, barky, and quite powerful this is a very interesting aged tea from Varat.

http://theguidetopuerhtea.blogspot.com/

Posted in Liuan Heicha, Podcasts | 2 Comments

2007 Yangqing Hao Lingya Raw Pu’erh [Inbetweenisode 170]

Posted on July 6, 2018 by

This episode, I bring on the well-balanced, semi-aged, dark Yiwu, the Yangqing Hao Lingya. This is a cake that I own quite a few cakes of and enjoy drinking regularly.

7.5 Rating.

http://yangqinghao.com/

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2000s Sunyishun Liuan via Varat [Episode 269]

Posted on July 3, 2018 by

This episode starts a two episode series featuring Liuan (Heicha) tea from Varat. The tea is still pretty young and has a complex profile that resembles both pu’erh and some oolong.

http://theguidetopuerhtea.blogspot.com/

Posted in Liuan Heicha, Podcasts | 4 Comments

Rare Tea: Dry-Stored 1980s/1990s Zhongcha 7542

Posted on June 30, 2018 by

It wouldn’t be without the generosity of experienced tea hands that I’d be able to do posts like these. A sample was provided by Peter from a cake from Su’s collcetion. Thank you to both of you!

About the Tea

This tea is not famous when put in comparison with previous teas like the 1988 QB or the 1999 Big Green Tree Black. The tea is labeled as a 7542 and is a big factory production, but is importantly not an official Menghai TF production. This makes the 7542 mean less than it would had it been a bona fida production, such as the 1988 QB. To this uneducated eye the leaves do look the part, with leaves that are neither big nor small. You may ask why I’m featuring a tea that isn’t famous.. It is a well-sourced, dry-stored, old tea. Those just don’t come around everyday and I wanted to do my best to document this tea and session. Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Drinking Report | Tagged | 5 Comments

Healthy Leaf Yunnan Red (Black) Tea [Episode 268]

Posted on June 28, 2018 by

This episode we drink a good, aromatic, smooth red (black) tea from Healthy Leaf.

Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea 2016 – Yunnan Gu Shu Hong Cha

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

Posted on June 22, 2018 by

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

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2017 Gaojiashan Hui Gui Fuzhuan via YS [Episode 267]

Posted on June 19, 2018 by

This episode, Denny and I drink a very interesting Heicha from Hunan. The tea is made by Gaojiashan factory and is a golden flower brick, Fuzhuan. The processing is done in a way that creates yellow fungi (Golden Flowers). It’s the sort of tea that sounds a lot more off-putting than it actually is. Worth trying for anyone that has yet to try a Fuzhuan. A very tasty and quite inexpensive tea.

2017 Gao Jia Shan "Hui Gui" Fu Brick Tea from Hunan

 

Posted in Hunan Heicha, Podcasts | Tagged | 8 Comments

Datapost: The Dearth of Aged Pu’erh Available From Western Facing Vendors

Posted on June 16, 2018 by

It’s no secret that aged pu’erh is scarce out west. The western vendor scene is dominated by vendors traveling to Yunnan bringing back predominantly young tea to sell. For this exercise, I added all of the older teas from western vendors I could think of. Unlike some of my other data compilations, this one didn’t take long at all.. The cutoff for aged pu’erh (both raw and ripe) was set at 18 years (2000 and older). Setting it at 18 years puts it firmly above semi-aged, but also not high enough (25 years) where we would have no teas making the cut. It’s a number that’s probably going to annoy some people off because its too low and others because it isn’t high enough (ask Su what aged tea is!). Continue reading →

Posted in Aged Pu'erh, Article, Raw Pu'erh | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments