It’s a lonely world out there for those discussing pu’erh. We don’t have the same accessibility to in-person tea or pu’erh communities like urban centers in the east. This is a straightforward post detailing a few different resources and blogs that you might find valuable or useful.
Here’s a video of me in my pajamas discussing different pu’erh vendors..
Marshaln (link)
Less prolific than he used to be, Marshaln still pops in for the occasional post but most of the substance is from the limitless archive of content. Marshaln is originally from Hong Kong, which gives his blog a different tinge than all other English blogs. His blog is easily the best English resource on aged oolongs, traditionally stored pu’erhs and aged teas in general.. It is also the best resource for learning about the tea scene in Hong Kong and Taipei. There’s not a lot of reviews but tons of concept-focused posts and more big-picture type posts that give plenty of food for thought. Worth reading and re-reading for anyone truly interested in learning about tea or geeking out.. Active since 2006.
Half-Dipper (link)
Perhaps even more prolific with a massive archives, British-based Hobbes is a good compliment to Marshaln. At least 90% of the non-haiku posts are reviews about specific teas. Unlike Marshaln he’s more directly connected with the western scene, as most of the teas reviewed were available to westerners at some point in time. Talks through a few different eras of pu’erh and nearly all of the prominent pu’erh vendors. Active since 2006.
T by Jakub (link)
Similar to the Half Dipper, Jakub’s blog is mainly composed of thoughts and notes on different teas. Jakub has a different writing style but offers another perspective from Hobbes. He was most prolific in 2012 and 2013. Jakub also tends to prefer older teas than Hobbes and is the most prolific writer on Chawangshop.
Death by Tea (link)
A new(ish) blog written by Cwyn. Very unique blog that is an eclectic mix of personality, humor, and tea. Cwyn is also the queen of crock storage and has a lot of different thoughts and ideas on storage. There’s also plenty of pu’erh reviews, satires and riffs on the current goings of tea or pu’erh.
Tea Closet (link)
A blog that was active in 2006/2007 before returning in 2012. This is written by Hster, a Bay Area based tea blogger. Hster brings an interesting perspective as an on and off drinker of raw pu’erh. She reflected on her five year long hiatus from blogging in this great post, both an insightful reflection and a cautionary tale to the perils of drinking lots of young sheng. Hster has also been involved in a couple vendor call-outs dealing with a Pu’erh Shop 7542 and the infamous Verdant Tea 10000000000% markup (only a slight exaggeration).
Two Dog Tea Blog (link)
A vendor blog by the proprietor of White2Tea. TwoDog spends a lot of time in Yunnan and Asia and while he’s definitely not prolific, TwoDog’s post all help to bring a vendor’s unique perspective to the table. TwoDog does a good job of not forcing or overly marketing his tea on the blog, making it a pretty decent all-around resource.
Yunnan Sourcing Videos (link)
More unique vendor perspective in video form. This video series is a relatively recent addition and are all done by the tenured and very experienced Scott Wilson of Yunnan Sourcing. Lots of interesting topics for pu’erh nerds and well-worth watching.
Travelling Teapot (link)
A blog by Singaporean, Wilson. A rare English blog done by someone based in east Asia. Travelling Teapot is perhaps the most joyful of all the blogs listed here. Content is mainly about ripe pu’erh and Asia-stored raw pu’erh.
Oolong Owl (link)
A colorfully designed blog written by owl-knitting Char. Most of the content has been created within the last few years, and teas are thoroughly covered both pictorially and in description. Look out for the monthly posts on the W2T club. While the blog is not purely pu’erh, the monthly W2T posts and other teas from popular western-facing vendors (YS, CLT, Bana) make regular appearances on the site.
Puerh.fr (link)
French-language site that can be translated to English. Despite some cross-language clunkiness, there’s a lot of very interesting content and tastings on puerh.fr that aren’t really available outside of the sinosphere.
Other
Babelcarp (link)
Not a blog or youtube channel but essential for non-Chinese speakers. Basically a tea translation tool for tea terms. Very important for anyone that uses the (Tao)bao.
Teachat (link)
Long-lasting forum with lots of information from experienced drinkers. A bit higher-level than steepster.
Reddit (r/tea, r/puer), Steepster (link)
Two other forums with a bunch of pu’erh drinkers. Both tend to be a bit more beginner focused than Teachat. Like Teachat, steepster has a big pu’erh of the day threads.
Badger & Blade (link)
A shaving forum I guess? There’s a sheng of the day thread here that’s been around since 2008 and is perhaps the longest of all english pu’erh language threads. What was originally closer to the teachat or steepster thread has more or less become where the famed shah posts his notes and reviews.
Pu’erh Livejournal (link)
A blast from the past. Mainly active in 2005 and 2006, this was a place to post reviews and discuss Pu’erh and was lead by Jason Fasi of Bears Blog.
Facebook, Instagram
A couple social platforms. There’s a few facebook groups dedicated to drinkers of pu’erh that have some fairly active discussions.. Instagram is also very tea friendly.
Inactive, but Worth Reading Through
The Mandarin’s Tea Blog (link)
The Mandarin’s Tea Room is a somewhat mysterious high-end vendor based in NYC. There’s some interesting/relevant posts on pu’erh in the archive.
Tuocha Tea (link)
Now defunct blog by Slovakian, Tomas Arva. Most of the posts were in 2008-2009 covering Houde, early YS productions and other teas available to westerners at that time.
Bears Blog (link)
Active from 2008-2012 after the Pu’erh Livejournal community, this is a blog by Jason Fasi about pu’erh. Lots of reviews and a few pictorial useful guides for those new to pu’erh.
Listening to Leaves (link)
Another defunct blog. Listening to Leaves focuses a lot on higher-end teas, many from Bana or Essence of Tea. Towards the end of the blog’s existence the author builds a pumidor.
Phyll Sheng (link)
Active from 2006-2008, this blog is not specifically dedicated to pu’erh but covers a number of different higher-end pu’erhs. Most notably it covers a few of the teas offered at Houde as well as the Pasadena Pu’er Tasting Event where the author served tea at one of the tables.
Chadao (link)
Very active from 2005-2011.. Wide variety of posts by a number of different authors.
4 responses to “Pu’erh Blogs & Resources”
Like the format James. Seems a rather extensive list, the only thing I’d add are some videos on Youtube that Scott from Yunnan Sourcing has posted. Many seem rather informative and not just sales-oriented.
Thanks Richard! It’s on there :). I’m also a fan of Scott’s videos.
Cheers,
-James
I also really really want to recommend awkwardsoul’s blog, oolongowl.com
It is a nice light-hearted read that really captures the interest of a wide range of people. Without her blog, I’d never have become the regular reader/viewer that I am of your stuff. My first pu’erh, if you can truly call it that, came from her review of the pelican teas hot-pepper infused teas (I was in that wild transition where you go from thinking that the best tea possible was an artificially flavored fruit tea bag in a sample pack in Ross to coming around to the point where you just like ‘tea.’) Her blog details all the monthly W2T packages as well, and has fantastic pictures.
Thanks Oop#. I knew I was forgetting someone. Agreed on all accounts. Just added Oolong Owl as well as puerh.fr.
Cheers!
-James