This episode is my second deep dive into looking at the storage . I recently acquired a cake of Lingya from a non-Yang source in Taiwan and decided to compare it with the tea I’ve been storing. The first cake is a cake I’ve kept in my own pumidor storage (an unplugged wine cooler) for three years and was previously acquired from Yang. The second cake is one that I’ve stored in a pumidor for a year in a half and then on my shelf in a ziploc for another year in a half. This is the cake I’ve consumed out of and I’ve drank up around half of it. The final cake is the aforementioned cake acquired from Taiwan.
The tea featured is the 2007 YQH Lingya Yiwu. In my opinion this is a very decent Yiwu and I enjoy drinking it quite often.
The episode is set around a mix of visual examination/narration and direct comparison. I begin by taking a look at dry leaves and the humidity generated by them. I then compare the three teas with each other, before concluding with a wet leaf examination and some overall thoughts/takeaways,
If you are are pu’erh nerd or at all interested in storing pu’erh I think you will enjoy this episode. If you want to learn more about storage conditions, please check out some of our other storage related content.
Feedback for this episode is highly appreciated!
From Yang/Fridge/Shelf Rating: 7.5.
From Yang/Wine Cooler Rating: 7.7.
From TW/Non-Yang Rating: 6.1.
If you missed it, please check out the deep dive on the storage of the 2006 Chenguanghetang Yiwu Yecha .
7 responses to “Storage Deep Dive featuring 2007 YQH Lingya [Inbetweenisode 183]”
Can you share more about your use of Mylar bags? What size/source do you use for whole cakes. Why not use these on your tea shelf instead of regular plastic? Thanks!
They’re a relatively recent purchase so I haven’t really thought about using them more widely. It’s probably worth consideration. I’m not sure how big the difference would be. I got them here (http://www.discountmylarbags.com/) per a couple tea friends recommendations.
Cheers,
-James
I am thinking I would like to bag some (more expensive, more aromatic ones), not all cakes in my pumidor. Could please tell me what size seems to work well for 400g cakes? Also, what thickness did your friends recommend? Thanks!
Sorry for the slow response Jerrod. I use the 1 gallon ones with a seal.
James,
I’m loving the deep dives, although the result is not too surprising. “Shelf Fatigue” and “Own Storage Preference” are two phenomena that I have identified and are common, I think.
Would love to see 1- Houde purchased American stored YQH 2- your wine cooler YQH 3- Just shipped from Yang Storage YQH
That would be the most interesting comparison, I thing.
Great work!
Peace
Thank you Matt. I’d do that comparison if I had 1 or 3, but alas I don’t. Nice post on shelf-fatigue, I think you framed it well.
Hi Matt
The idea of “shelf fatigue” is an interesting one and we all struggle to have a good basement and space for man-sized ceramic pots, (it doesn’t stop me from dreaming nonetheless!!).
Generally, I would say the older the tea the more the risk, so I am always more particular about getting them packed in. I do generally rotate my teas through my storage that some may argue would itself pose risks of disturbance and loosing some of the benefits of close proximity stacking.
Personally I still feel storage is a trial and error and also very individual, its something we spend a lot of time discussing, which I am glad of and its good that James and others continue to share their thoughts. Even when you get it right you never quite sure how you got there and whether you can or should repeat it with other teas. There is also a point to be made that teas uniquely respond to different storage. To cite an example, being a self-confesssed Liu Bao head, I find the old production Malaysian stored Liu bao is the cream of the crop, however more recent Wuzhou productions which have been drier stored really do excel in their own way. I have no accounting for this, only that there is some interplay with more modern techniques, climatic change, changes in leaf material and growing habits. My point is that we have to continue to experiment,explore and enjoy.
I am have currently got a few Nan Jian productions, that were originally Kunming stored, in ziplocks to see how they might turn out, only time will tell!!