TeaDB

Tag: Origin Tea

  • Yiwu Pu’erh [May 2014 Tea Drinking Report]

    Yiwu Pu’erh [May 2014 Tea Drinking Report]

    Every month, I dedicate it to one type of tea. This means I drink that genre of tea in some form at least once a day. This could mean gong-fu, grandpa, or even a cold-brew. I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties. I had so many different teas this month that my notes were especially useful for this write-up.

    Vendors ordered from:

    Primary tea producers:

    • Yong Pin Hao + Guan Zi Zai (Yunnan Sourcing)
    • Hai Lang Hao (Yunnan Sourcing)
    • Yunnan Sourcing
    • Taochaju (White2Tea)

    Also featuring:

    (more…)

  • 80’s Wild Arbor Raw Pu’erh Origin Tea [Episode 56]

    In episode 56, Denny and James review a great intro tea to aged raw pu’erh, Origin Tea‘s 80s Wild Arbor Raw Pu’erh. A reasonably priced, well-aged pu’erh.

    EDITED: Some additional notes after chatting with Tony. The earlier steeps are more affected by the storage rather than the tea itself (in this case the storage was natural Taiwanese). The ripeish notes that Denny gets are likely from this storage. The later steeps (which we didn’t really get to) speak more to the tea’s character. From my experience, this tea was able to easily go for 10+ steeps.

  • Yancha Firing Levels

    Yancha Firing Levels

    Handmade or traditional Yancha processing is one of the most intricate, processing methods of any tea. This process coupled with the rich terroir of inner Wuyi are paramount to making premium Wuyi tea. Missing either of these can make the difference between amazing and disappointing tea. Despite much hubbub about true Da Hong Pao, the terroir and processing are usually more important than the actual cultivar. This is different from Taiwanese tea, where cultivar can be a quick shortcut to cutting out tea masquerading as premium tea. While it’s not TeaDB’s goal to be a comprehensive guide to processing, it is important to know the basics behind hand-crafted teas like Yancha. The firing (roasting) has an enormous impact on the end-product and even when tea is in hand, the roast bears a strong influence on the ideal drinking time (oftentimes the difference between tea-flavored charcoal and delicious Yancha!). (more…)

  • Aged Oolongs [March 2014 Tea Drinking Report]

    Since the beginning of 2014, I’ve dedicated each month to a specific type of tea. This means I drink that genre of tea in some form at least once a day. This could mean gong-fu, grandpa, or even a cold-brew. I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to those interested.

    Primary vendors ordered from:

    Also featuring:

    (more…)

  • 2003 Shui Xian Hui Yuan Origin Tea Wuyi Oolong [Episode 48]

    In Episode 48 Denny and James review a premium top-tier Yancha from Origin Tea. This one is a Shui Xian grown deep in the Wuyi natural reserve.

  • Wuyi Special Regions Feat. Zhengyan, Lao Cong, Huiyuan, Niulan Keng, Tianxin Yan

    Wuyi Special Regions Feat. Zhengyan, Lao Cong, Huiyuan, Niulan Keng, Tianxin Yan

    Wuyishan (Wuyi Mountain) is located in Northwest Fujian and is a naturally beautiful area with a great deal of nature and wildlife. This includes an impressive amount of biodiversity, due to the area’s naturally warm climate and a nutrient rich environment. In 1999 the Chinese government designated part of the Wuyishan area as Wuyi World Heritage Reserve (Zhengyan). Tea is well-represented in the world reserve, the Zhengyan region being the original home to countless tea cultivars. Despite having a somewhat low elevation (~300-700 m.) this terroir and Yancha’s complex processing make Yancha a unique and excellent tea. (more…)

  • Wuyi Oolong Compendium

    Wuyi Oolong Compendium

    Home to the original oolong tea and its fair share of tea legends, the Wuyi mountains house some of the world’s most sought after oolong teas . Although there are many types of tea grown in the Wuyi mountains (notably Lapsang Souchong/Jin Jun Mei), it is most famous for its oolong teas. Due to the mountainous area that the tea is grown, Wuyi Oolongs are frequently referred to as yancha or rock/cliff oolong tea. This terroir and Wuyi oolong’s firing/processing methods contribute to the very distinctive taste of Wuyi yancha (this is sometimes referred to as yanyun. (more…)

  • Tea For Me Please Podcast feat. TeaDB!

    Denny and I just guest starred in the Tea For Me Please Podcast ran by Nicole (see her post here). Was a ton of fun to sit back and just chat about tea! More lax and less structured than your average TeaDB episode, and we talk about how we got into tea, the future of tea in America, how to start learning about tea, etc.

  • Lishan Cui Luan Origin Tea Taiwanese High-Mountain Oolong [Episode 37]

    James & Denny finish their 4-episode series on Origin Tea. In episode 37 they drink a slightly more oxidized and roasted oolong than the popular nuclear-green style with Origin Tea’s Lishan Cui Luan. This and the DYL 102K really help to showcase some of the more interesting Origin Tea offerings.

  • Da Yu Ling 102K Origin Tea Taiwanese High-Mountain Oolong [Episode 36]

    James & Denny continue their 4-episode series on Origin Tea. In episode 36, they move slightly down the mountain from the 104K highway marker to 102K. This is a different tea than Origin Tea’s very green 104K or Fu Shou Shan and a good example of the diversity that Origin Tea has to offer.