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

Posted on September 8, 2018 by

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.. Continue reading →

Posted in Aged Pu'erh, Article, Raw Pu'erh, Ripe Pu'erh | 11 Comments

2005 Changtai Jingpin Raw Pu’erh via Farwenwa (US Stored) [Inbetweenisode 175]

Posted on September 6, 2018 by

This episode I drink a Washington state stored raw pu’erh. The tea is the Changtai Jingpin, which was stored a couple hours east of Seattle. I think the dry-storage has treated this tea (which probably wasn’t overly aggressive to begin with) especially well. The tea is smooth and rich with a lasting huigan. Big thank you to Geraldo, the collector who sourced this tea years ago.

6.2 Rating (amended up after video).

FarWenwa

Posted in Podcasts, Raw Pu'erh | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Wuyi Origin Wild Lapsang Hongcha [Episode 278]

Posted on September 4, 2018 by

This episode we drink an exceptional Hongcha from Wuyi Origin. Spicy, aromatic, with a great aftertaste. Thank you to Cindy for providing the tea!

https://www.wuyiorigin.com/store/p26/lapsang_souchong_wild_2016

Posted in Black Tea | Tagged | 2 Comments

Tea-Side 2016 Jinxuan Thai Hongcha [Episode 277]

Posted on August 30, 2018 by

This episode James and Denny drink a Thai-grown black tea using the Jinxuan Hongcha. It is both familiar and unique in how it blends teas from China and Taiwan.

http://tea-side.com/

Posted in Black Tea | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted on August 25, 2018 by

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. Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Ripe Pu'erh | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Thoughts on Marco’s Hotbox Storage Experiment [Inbetweenisode 174]

Posted on August 23, 2018 by

This episode, I talk on Marco’s fascinating experiment where he heats up his pu’erh in a cooler (kept at a fairly steady humidity). It’s only one year in, but there’s a lot of food for thought!

https://mgualt.com/tealog/2018/08/04/temp-control-experiment-w2t-bosch/
https://mgualt.com/tealog/2018/08/12/storage-experiment-w2t-tuhao-af-2016-one-year-in/

Posted in Aged Pu'erh, Podcasts, Raw Pu'erh | 2 Comments

2018 Crimson Lotus Tea Guoyoulin (Yiwu) Raw Pu’erh [Episode 276]

Posted on August 21, 2018 by

This episode we drink a premium Yiwu from Crimson Lotus Tea. Very fresh, premium young tea with huge leaves.

Thanks to Glen & Lamu for the sample.

https://crimsonlotustea.com/

Posted in Podcasts, Raw Pu'erh | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted on August 17, 2018 by

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.

Posted in Aged Pu'erh, Oolong, Podcasts, Raw Pu'erh, Ripe Pu'erh | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Farmer Chen’s Primitive Charcoal Light Roast Lishan [Episode 275]

Posted on August 14, 2018 by

We drink Farmer Chen’s Lightly Roasted Lishan Tea. This one is very similar but also a little bit different from a few generes of Taiwanese oolongs. Thanks to Nug at Dead Leaves Club for the sample.

You can find more of Farmer Chen’s teas at Leafy Green Tea.

https://leafygreentea.com/

Posted in High-Mountain Oolong, Oolong, Podcasts, Taiwanese Oolong | 2 Comments

YQH Retrospective & The YQH Value Spot

Posted on August 11, 2018 by

In our small little westerm tea community, there was quite a stir over YQH in 2015 and 2016. I’ll personally admit to being caught up in both the dialog and purchasing of these teas. YQH remains available via Emmett, the most important figure in making these teas accessible). And while YQH as a conversation piece in the tea community has faded, I thought I’d share some thoughts on YQH, looking back with some perspective. Continue reading →

Posted in Article, Drinking Report, Raw Pu'erh | Tagged | 18 Comments