pu-erh in the UK

[R-James]

Gents,

A good while back mr hobbes sent me some lovely tea samples and I have been kicking my heels as to whether I really want to go and buy me some more nice pu-erh tea. My question is , where in the UK can I easily get a hold of this stuff, and any other gear like teapots etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Pig Cat]

Hi there,

I've never heard of Pu-erh tea, so when I read your post I assumed this was some kind of quality tea and immediately thought back to an article on Woman's Hour about silver tip tea. Having looked briefly on Wikipedia I am not so sure, but perhaps the following links may still be of interest:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_29_fri.shtml (can't get it to play!)

http://www.rareteacompany.com/

Good luck in your quest for pure Pu-erh!! :001_smile

[ouch]

Keep rubbing it in. Between you and the guy that drinks Kona every morning, my head is going to 'asplode.

If I lived in England, I'd move across the street from Hobbes.

[R-James]

I most certainly wish! I'm sick to death of poor quality bagged brews, so its time to take it up a level. Plus, the fact that I am completely broke does not factor in. Shaving is a luxury. 'Groceries' are necessary!

[billybadger]

For a half decent cup of bagged tea, the only one I can stand now is Yorkshire Tea. They also make a hard water version: perfect for me in hard water London!

[Proinsias]

As far as I'm aware the easiest way to get pu-erh in the UK along with tea gear is to ship it from China, aside from mugging Hobbes obv.

You could try a local Chinese supermarket for a few cakes but the quality is doubtful.

[SepticTank]

Wing Hong's on Stowell St in Newcastle carries a limited selection of Chinese tableware - not a patch on the selection you can find in Chinatown in Manchester, but it's a lot closer to you...

[kongjie]

Never been to the UK. I find it hard to believe that there aren't any Chinese tea shops there that do mail order. Hope you can find some.

[Suzuki]

I just ordered a bunch of tea from Yunnan Sourcing (e-bay vendor recommended by Hobbes), great prices and great service. I got my shipment in less than 3 weeks.

He sells teas (including samples) and tea ware at very good prices, with reasonable shipping from China. If you send him a note, he'll offer very helpful suggestions.

[Proinsias]

Never been to the UK. I find it hard to believe that there aren't any Chinese tea shops there that do mail order. Hope you can find some.

There are some Chinese tea shops but finding one which sells decent pu-erh at decent prices is proving difficult, as far as I know most pu drinkers source theirs from China or even the US - some of the US vendors ship directly from China so the shipping doesn't make too much difference if you're in the UK.

If you want cheap low quality pu-erh it's rather easy to find, good quality pu-erh at decent prices is a minefield.

There's a tea shop in the centre of Newcastle named Sencha which has a fair selection of teas but the price and quality can be easily beaten on the intertron.

I've had some decent pu-erh from:

http://stores.ebay.com/Yunnan-Sourcing-LLC

http://www.houdeasianart.com/

http://www.teaspring.com/

http://www.jingteashop.com/

and

http://www.puerhshop.com/

If you're keen to go for UK based companies all I know of are

http://jingtea.com/

and

http://www.cantonteaco.com

but they both seem rather expensive.

If you're passing by London I recommend a visit to Tea Smith (http://www.teasmith.co.uk/) which is the only high end teashop I know of in the UK, I'm sure there are others somewhere. I was gutted when the Chinese tea shop here in Glasgow closed down.

Might not be much use for pu-erh but Adagio (http://www.adagio.uk.com/) have just opened a European site and they seem to have a good reputation for starting people on the road to tea addiction.

[Suzuki]

My limited understanding is that pu erh is a specialty item and that many Chinese tea shops carry a limited (if any) stock.

My experience in Toronto (which has a very large Chinese community) is that even the high end shops carry a limited stock and charge very high prices (around double what I paid for the stuff I had sent from China - including shipping). I can get amazing green teas, oolongs, black teas, locally but not pu erh.

[ouch]

I'll add www.angelinasteas.com

I believe they get their products from YSLLC. I could be wrong, but they seem to use his pics and descriptions for their wares. It's a good place with a decent selection for folks (in the US) who are willing to pay a few bucks more to not have to wait for delivery from China.

[Hobbesoxon]

Just saw this thread!

Proinsias recommended some great ones there. Sadly, there are absolutely no shops at all where you can go and browse good pu'er in the UK. Jing tea is about it as far as buying, and they are WAY too overpriced for me to consider (though I do buy roibos/redbush "tea" from them).

I've not seen Angelina's teas before, but it's amusing that they have selected some of the more average cakes from the Yunnan Sourcing selection! I would (and do) just order directly from Scott, as it takes just a week China->UK with airmail.

(I'd recommend SAL postage for the majority of teas, but I do use airmail for obtaining samples rapidly so that I can then buy teas before they sell out. This is less of a problem these days, but teas used to last only a week or so before they entirely sold out!)

We should set up another UK tea drinkers sesh. Last year, we had a gathering at my place in Oxford, did some punting, that kind of thing. We've accumulated some more UK drinkers since last year (Warwick/Manchester, London, Cornwall, Leicester, N. Ireland, so far), and it's always great to drink zillions of rare teas in likeminded company.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[R-James]

When I have tasted my samples ordered, Yunnan Sourcing is where I will most likely be going. If any of the samples really stand out however, I may get back in touch with nada and buy a cake off him.


A Uk tea session indeed sounds like a fun thing to do!

[ouch]

I've not seen Angelina's teas before, but it's amusing that they have selected some of the more average cakes from the Yunnan Sourcing selection!

As they say, any port in a storm, and any pu in the states is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Angelina's (and Puerhshop) can at the very least supply me with some stock for the cellar, and we do have Hou De for more upscale selections. AT does carry a Mengyang Guoyan LBZ, perhaps their best offering.

[Hobbesoxon]

When I have tasted my samples ordered, Yunnan Sourcing is where I will most likely be going. If any of the samples really stand out however, I may get back in touch with nada and buy a cake off him.
A Uk tea session indeed sounds like a fun thing to do!

The 12 Gentlemen teas are really rather hard to come by, and unusually good - made by collectors, rather than by factories. The only other outlet for them is Andao, where they're much more expensive - if you're careful with the tight compression and don't break the leaves, they can be really excellent teas.



As they say, any port in a storm, and any pu in the states is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Angelina's (and Puerhshop) can at the very least supply me with some stock for the cellar, and we do have Hou De for more upscale selections. AT does carry a Mengyang Guoyan LBZ, perhaps their best offering.

I'm never too loyal when it comes to localised national shops. I can see why having next-day delivery would be handy, though. :)

Mengyang Guoyan - did you enjoy the 2008 Laobanzhang? I tried the 2005 version and found it pleasant, but a bit lacking in complexity - and certainly not worth the $48 asking price. The latest I have tried from this factory was only last year's - they're fun, but maybe a touch overpriced for what seems to be plantation tea. I did like the pressing of 8582 they did with Xizihao in 2007, though, and grabbed a tong of that one.

I know the factory has some loyal fans, which is a good thing! The ever-excellent Bill (of Old Tea-Horse Road fame - Hopgoblin?) is firmly in love with this factory, and I respect his preference, but they don't really tickle my own particular taste-buds. I remain to be convinced! (Speaking of which, I bought an entire Dragon of Bulang on his advice from Gordon of DTH and have yet to try it...)

For the same money, there are some really fine Menghai and Xiaguan offerings from the 2007-08 seasons that I've been loving on a regular basis - but again, it's all down to personal preference. I've got some notes to come on my current pick of the year, which has to be the Menghai single-mountain "wu cai kongque bingcha" [5 coloured peacock bingcha]. Incredible stuff for the money. Have you tried them?


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Scotto]

I recently tried the 12 Gentlemen tea. I found it pleasant enough, but "processed" in a similar way to the Xi Zhi Hao offerings to make it easier to drink early. The color is solid orange which is odd for such a young tea. It is nice enough, but not worth the price, IMO.

Contrast that with the 2005 Dayi 7542 I have been drinking, which is honestly bitter, and almost austere in its character, giving up its charms slowly over a session.

[Hobbesoxon]

I recently tried the 12 Gentlemen tea. I found it pleasant enough, but "processed" in a similar way to the Xi Zhi Hao offerings to make it easier to drink early. The color is solid orange which is odd for such a young tea. It is nice enough, but not worth the price, IMO.

Contrast that with the 2005 Dayi 7542 I have been drinking, which is honestly bitter, and almost austere in its character, giving up its charms slowly over a session.

Scott, that's very interesting - which 12G tea did you have? The 2007 Weizhongwei Menghai (http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2008/05/2007-12-xiansheng-menghai.html) was dazzling yellow to me - moreso than almost any tea in my collection. It was completely unprocessed as far as I recall, quite delightful.

I wonder if you mean the 2007 Weizhongwei Yiwu (http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2008/05/2007-12-xiansheng-yiwu.html)? I had a bad experience with that, the first time round (as mentioned in my notes), but changing my preparation brought out its character. I noted that this one was more orange, in the "Taiwanese" style, so perhaps this is the variety you've mentioned. If so, do try the Menghai!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[ouch]

I've not seen Angelina's teas before, but it's amusing that they have selected some of the more average cakes from the Yunnan Sourcing selection!

Toodlepip,

Hobbes

I've been perplexed by this. How much more difficult is it to offer an ecletic selection than a pedestrian one? I understand that a business has to be able to move their products, but considering the limited and specific nature of puerh collecting I'd think that anyone who makes it so far as to even find their site would be looking for more in the way of "keepers". Either they simply don't know, or their customers don't know, or both. It's a shame that a local concern that already sells this stuff can't supply a more desirable portfolio.

Oh, and your use of the exclaimation mark above is either a subconscious, Pavlovian response or a brilliantly played bit of sarcasm. Touche! :lol:



Mengyang Guoyan - did you enjoy the 2008 Laobanzhang? I tried the 2005 version and found it pleasant, but a bit lacking in complexity - and certainly not worth the $48 asking price. The latest I have tried from this factory was only last year's - they're fun, but maybe a touch overpriced for what seems to be plantation tea. I did like the pressing of 8582 they did with Xizihao in 2007, though, and grabbed a tong of that one.

I haven't tried their LBZ, and AT's $70 asking price strikes me as usurious. I see Yunnan Sourcing is also selling a Mengku LBZ (100g bricks as well as a cake). Have you tried that one?

I did try a sample of the XZH 8582, thanks to Scotto, and thought it was better than their Dragon and Phoenix. Quite decent, if a bit pricey for a basic recipe.


For the same money, there are some really fine Menghai and Xiaguan offerings from the 2007-08 seasons that I've been loving on a regular basis - but again, it's all down to personal preference. I've got some notes to come on my current pick of the year, which has to be the Menghai single-mountain "wu cai kongque bingcha" [5 coloured peacock bingcha]. Incredible stuff for the money. Have you tried them?


Great news- any others to recommend? I was under the impression that you were less than thrilled with the recent production of Xiaguan.

[Hobbesoxon]

I haven't tried their LBZ, and AT's $70 asking price strikes me as usurious. I see Yunnan Sourcing is also selling a Mengku LBZ (100g bricks as well as a cake). Have you tried that one?

Great news- any others to recommend? I was under the impression that you were less than thrilled with the recent production of Xiaguan.

If you mean the Mengku Laobanzhang that the Shuangjiang Mengku distributors occassionally make for fun (sold in a basket this year), I did recently try that one - I thought I ought to, given the attention it has been receiving! It was pleasant, but not really sufficiently interesting to warrant buying any, I think. I remember that session well - I was fully ready to buy an entire basket if it turned out to be good, and during the tea session I could feel myself cutting back to 1-2 cakes, and then finishing on a decision not to get any. It is one of the samples I want to revisit, just to make sure, but my first impressions were none too thrilled. After a few infusions, it tasted of bog-standard plantation tea - that may just have been my session, though, and I'll duly give it another go.

Of the Xiaguan output for 2007-8, I've really been enjoying them! I never used to give Xiaguan much notice, but this year and last year, they have been working hard on their FT brand and other quality output, and the results do their efforts justice, I think. Everything from the sweet little "Xizi" tuocha (blatantly aimed at Xizihao, of course!), through a curiously decent Honglouleng tuocha, up to the bigger FT bingcha have been getting quite a bit of attention from me. The FT#4 was a bing I was particularly pleased with, but it's very "young". I have the mushroom and FT "Exquisite Elegance" as yet untried, which will be coming up soon. The FT Nanzhao bing was really solid, too - I've got quite a few on them. The Nanzhao tuocha was very good. In fact, the only one I've really not found worth buying was the Dali tuocha - a bit rough around the edges.

Haiwan, 6FTM, Mengyang Guoyan always fail to impress me (with a few exceptions), and this year looks fairly similar, unfortunately.

I've been buying plenty of the new Shuangjiang Mengku - like Xiaguan, they have really reinvented themselves in the 2007-8 era, after the pu'er speculation boom. I do like their new site located in Yongde, and the Muyechun cakes are lovely. I know many people have been impressed by these little fellows. Even their Bingdao teas actually taste like real mushu Bingdao, with that cooling sensation - at least, they've included a notable amount of real leaf in their blend, which is a rarity! The Wild Arbor King was OK, but not really worth the attention it received, as far as my tastes go, at least.

I've been quietly impressed by the Yongde Tea Factory, too - fresh, unassuming, but decent. Not the kind of thing I'm buying by the tong, but certainly there are some good cakes to be buying in singles there - Yongde Mangfeishan and a few others did the trick!

The Yongpinhao brand is a new one on me, and I was impressed by their Lanxiang [orchid scent], which was unsurprisingly floral but lovely.

I think the Menghai single-mountain peacocks are a league above all of the above, pretty much, though. Just based on first tasting, that is, but I loved them. So cheap, too!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Scotto]

You guys are killin' me - I have avoided buying more tea for a while (well, weeks, anyway). Now I may have to place a few more orders.

BTW, Hobbes, have you tried the new Purple Leaf brick from YSLLC? I know you were a fan of the older version, now all gone, and I see a 2008 available now. I never got to try the original, but will likely pick up this one, along with some other goodies.

[R-James]

You guys are killin' me - I have avoided buying more tea for a while (well, weeks, anyway). Now I may have to place a few more orders.

BTW, Hobbes, have you tried the new Purple Leaf brick from YSLLC? I know you were a fan of the older version, now all gone, and I see a 2008 available now. I never got to try the original, but will likely pick up this one, along with some other goodies.



We aim to please scotto!

[Hobbesoxon]

You guys are killin' me - I have avoided buying more tea for a while (well, weeks, anyway). Now I may have to place a few more orders.

BTW, Hobbes, have you tried the new Purple Leaf brick from YSLLC? I know you were a fan of the older version, now all gone, and I see a 2008 available now. I never got to try the original, but will likely pick up this one, along with some other goodies.

I'm glad to hear that you're aiming your browser towards tea purchasing... :chinese:

I have some of the 2008 Dehong bricks - you'd be amazed how many people have asked me about them, in fact! Moreso than absolutely any other tea - they have a mysterious appeal. Well, not so mysterious - they're very tasty. Fruity, chunky, fresh. Think promiscuous fruitiness.

A few drinkers have commented that their older Dehong bricks have faded, but mine are still great after three years - a bit lower and richer, in fact - which is born out by a few others. Just one to be aware of - you might want to avoid keeping them out in a strong breeze. :)

As always, let us know how you get on!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[ouch]

I had the good fortune of receiving a passaround box from the tea chat site. As would be expected, it's a community that draws a lot of nice folks.

[R-James]

I had the good fortune of receiving a passaround box from the tea chat site. As would be expected, it's a community that draws a lot of nice folks.


I thought I saw your avatar at teachat. I joined up but my application hasn't been confirmed yet. I thought it would be a good place to learn to appreciate more levels of pu than I can learn on my own.

[ouch]

Damned impersonators.

Pay no attention to that man behind the avatar......

[Suzuki]

Now I'm really looking forward to the 2008 Dehong I just scored.

The sad thing is that I'm in the process of convincing myself that I NEED the 5 peacock set - despite just getting my shipment this week. I'm enjoying my 2005 Yong Pin Hao as I type.

[Hobbesoxon]

Now I'm really looking forward to the 2008 Dehong I just scored.

The sad thing is that I'm in the process of convincing myself that I NEED the 5 peacock set - despite just getting my shipment this week. I'm enjoying my 2005 Yong Pin Hao as I type.

You do need it! The Menghai, Mengson, and Bada, at least. I'll order more of those three. The Nannuo was nice-but-average, while the Bulang was tweaked into orangeness.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[R-James]

just a not to say, Nada came through this morning with:

'07 yichang hao yiwu
'04 yiwu private pressing
06 12 gentleman yiwu
08 12 gentleman chun ya shen yun
06 12 Gentleman da bao hao

spelling may be way off.

a 100 ml gaiwan and 2 25ml cups

Service was fast and clean, an I recieved more than I ordered... the sign of a generous and caring vendor.


Sorry about the rushed mid work photo:

http://i33.tinypic.com/rswgpl.jpg

[Hobbesoxon]

Great stuff, thanks for the photo!

I'm biased because Nada is a friend, but his pricing is really decent - along with Scott of Yunnan Sourcing, speaking as a buyer, I would say they are the two most fair on-line vendors that one could buy from.

Both can sell me tea cheaper via the Internet than the prices I got from buying it in person from the PRC... :mad3:


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[ouch]

I know I'm going to get slammed for this, but one of my biggest peeves in enjoying tea is the miniscule serving size. Although I'm not particularly ham fisted, I'm still in the ugly American bigger is better camp. I have a very cute 250ml dragon egg shaped pot that I didn't use for ages because it was too small, only to discover that it's considered to be too big. My ~150ml pots seem to attract similar derision.

Don't get me wrong- I like small, cute items. In school, my then girlfriend once gave me a novelty Hibachi grill that used one piece of coal to cook a single hamburger, and I loved it. (I now have an even smaller 5" grill.)
http://www.korin.com/superfile/KorinProducts/KON-106.jpg

But a 25ml teacup? Why not just use a thimble? :lol:

It's bad enough that I have to endure the taunts of my daughter about dad's "tiny teapots made from magic dirt." :001_rolle

[Hobbesoxon]

That... thing... is really pretty! I did a quick search from the image name:


"Use this exotic-looking ceramic Konro to serve grilled vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood sizzling hot to your guests. Liquid fuel or canned fuel keeps food warm and adds the finishing touch to grilling goodness."

What a great idea!

If anyone complains about the small teaware, just say they're "the tea version of espresso" - that's a phrase that seems to turn aside most idle comment, I've found. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[R-James]

Personally, I was a bit sceptical when I first saw how small the gaiwan and cups were, but after brewing multiple gaiwans with varying brew times, I can appreciate a small serving size with the view of tasting different aspects of the tea in one session.

I can however see if I already knew the tea, that a bigger size may be good for a longer enjoyment.

[Hobbesoxon]

The bigger pots are perfectly usable - go with whatever feels best for you. The rationale behind using smaller pots is that the tea brews rapidly, and gives complexity in each infusion due to the larger number of leaves that may be used. If you brew larger volumes of tea, you necessarily have to use fewer leaves (otherwise it tastes bitter), and this reduces the complexity. Using few leaves and lots of water, and brewing for 1+ minutes, is "English" style - you get just a few infusions, and they're all very similar - nor does the tea reach its peak potential.

The smaller cups are practical in that the tea cools quicker. Typically, a small pot will brew about 3 or 4 small cups, and thus using small cups allows everyone to have a taste of each infusion. Use big cups if you wish, especially if you drink alone...

There are no "right ways" to go about it. You should only adopt a style because it gives tea in the style you wish, rather than being concerned about correctness. Gongfucha is so convoluted in its history that there is no de facto method, unlike Japanese chado. I think that's what gives it charm - I'm not one for prescriptive treatment, especially when trying to get the best out of a random tea, which is a highly subjective treatment. Maybe that's why gongfucha works so well - the goal is just "haocha" [good tea].

Question everything! Accept nothing without personal validation!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Suzuki]

While I do agree that the tea tastes best when brewed in small quantities, this is not practical at work (where I drink most of my tea).

My solution is to use a Thermos brand thermal teapot with an integral tea basket. The basket is quite large, so I can use the right amount of tea and its not so large (600ml) that the tea sits around too long. I brew the tea for the desired amount of time and then put the baskent on a saucer for when I want to brew up another pot.

This allows me to have a reasonable amount of tea on hand in a way that doesn't sacrifice too much flavour. I have yet to get a gaiwan, but suspect a trip to Chinatown is in order...

And Hobbes - you are quite the enabler there's a new AD - TAD - that I now have to contend with!

[Hobbesoxon]

Ah, TAD :chinese:

I have a small tea-tray and gaiwan/zishahu in my office - a quick trip to the kettle fills up a 0.5L flask with boiling water, and then it's good tea all morning... :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Scotto]

Ha - my wallet hasn't recovered since Hobbes found his way to B&B. My shelves groan with pu'er, but I think Jay has it worse from what I can tell.

I just pulled the trigger on a bunch of stuff from YSLLC including some of the items discussed on this thread, as well as some other goodies.

[Hobbesoxon]

Fine work, sir!

[Suzuki]

Fine work, sir!

Are you on commission??? :wink:

[Suzuki]

Ha - my wallet hasn't recovered since Hobbes found his way to B&B. My shelves groan with pu'er, but I think Jay has it worse from what I can tell.

I just pulled the trigger on a bunch of stuff from YSLLC including some of the items discussed on this thread, as well as some other goodies.

I rationalize my tea expenditures by telling myself that a pot of excellent pu-erh costs much less than a cup of lousy Starbucks coffee...

[Proinsias]

I've given up rationalizing and simply buy what I can afford, it's much easier.

[Hobbesoxon]

Are you on commission??? :wink:

I pity any poor soul who would want to rely on my meagre business :)

I think I've tried most vendors out there, and most are expectedly inflated. I always keep coming back to the same few, who offer the best cakes at uninsulting prices - it's nice to see that the market is mature enough for vendors like them to exist; i.e., those who don't treat their customers as if they know nothing. One vendor who shall remain nameless amuses me by selling hulu (essentially tea-strainers made from gourd-fruits) for £12, when their actual cost is below £0.05 in China.

This works in general because the majority of customers don't have access to information. For those that do, or who take the time to find it out, the approach doesn't work, and more mature vendors (Yunnan Sourcing, Dragon Teahouse, Jingteashop.com in China, and others) are required.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Hobbesoxon]

I rationalize my tea expenditures by telling myself that a pot of excellent pu-erh costs much less than a cup of lousy Starbucks coffee...

It's true! Pu'er is a real bargain. You can stop buying Starbucks/Nero/Costa coffee for several weeks, and save serious amounts of cash, which can buy large quantities of very decent pu'er. Plus, it's actively good for you, rather than being questionably unhealthy.



I've given up rationalizing and simply buy what I can afford, it's much easier.

The nice thing about pu'er is that you can get really great pu'er for the cost of two pints of beer, or two bad coffees Starbucks. All of the expensive tea (Xizihao, etc.) are really there for people who are willing to spend more - but the returns are rapidly diminishing over good baseline pu'er. Sure, if you don't like young shengpu, the old stuff will cost a lot - but I don't believe in buying tea, wine, or cheese and pay other people to mature it for me. I'd much rather spend a fraction of the cost and get this year's product, and age it myself.

Some of my favourite shengpu can be had for < £10 / bing, and remember that each bing contains enough tea for 20-30 entire sessions.

Expensive pu'er can be a fool's game. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Proinsias]

Unfortunately my tea addiction extends far beyond pu and even at that I prefer the older stuff.

[ouch]

Ha - my wallet hasn't recovered since Hobbes found his way to B&B. My shelves groan with pu'er, but I think Jay has it worse from what I can tell.

If he keeps this up, Scott, I think I'll have to mail him a cheap carbon Japanese knife and a rudimentary water stone. That should do it. :lol:

[Proinsias]

Should be an easy one, I recall him posting about acquiring a tai chi sword.

[ouch]

Just kidding about the diminutive teaware. Perhaps I'm cranky from waiting for my foot to heal, and the numerous trips to the kettle have been getting to me. :lol:

Drinking an '08 Yong De as we speak. My sample was so small, I'm thankful to have a little gaiwan on hand to brew a decent cup. :tongue_sm

Around twenty years ago, when wine was still relatively cheap, I went on buying binge that lasted many years. I even went through a period when I drank a different dessert wine every night for a year. Not only did I learn a lot, I managed to stockpile enough goodies to outnumber the appropriate occasions for drinking them. Nowadays, I fid myself saying that "I can't drink that '90 Latour, it's a thousand bucks!" even if it only cost a small fraction of that. I hope to someday find myself in a similar situation with puerh. :001_rolle

[Scotto]

If he keeps this up, Scott, I think I'll have to mail him a cheap carbon Japanese knife and a rudimentary water stone. That should do it. :lol:

That would be suitable revenge indeed. Unfortunately I have been on the receiving end of both the sharpening/knife addiction and the pu'er addiction as well. It is time for me to plot my revenge....:001_rolle

[ouch]

That would be suitable revenge indeed. Unfortunately I have been on the receiving end of both the sharpening/knife addiction and the pu'er addiction as well. It is time for me to plot my revenge....:001_rolle

I somehow managed to avoid a four figure coffee equipment addiction, so you'll have to try something else. :lol: Good thing I got tropical fish out of my system years ago. Talk about a money pit.

I'm sure you'll come up with something.

Had some loose '98 Menghai shu of unknown provenance the other night. I'm proud to say that I've already learned enough to know that it was not a '98, and probably not even a Menghai. I'm going to avoid loose pu at all costs, although I did try some nice mao cha from Houde De that was delicious.

[R-James]

Just a quick question. If I have a gaiwan of tea and get called away, and the leaves go cold in the gaiwan can they be returned to later and resume the session or should I discard and start over.

[Proinsias]

Depends on who you ask, I'm quite happy to drink the same leaf if it's been sitting idle for 12hrs or so. I'm pretty sure you'd be absolutely fine with a few hours.

Toki, who knows his stuff, along with guys at the NY tea gallery are currently sitting at a record of 7 weeks for the same gaiwan of leaves.

http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-is-detail-tasting.html

Common sense is probably the best guide. If it doesn't smell, taste or feel right then don't bother.

edit: a flash rinse with boiling water is probably the best was to resume the tasting.

[Suzuki]

I'm going to avoid loose pu at all costs

Words to live by!

[ouch]

Just a quick question. If I have a gaiwan of tea and get called away, and the leaves go cold in the gaiwan can they be returned to later and resume the session or should I discard and start over.

From what I gathered from one of Hobbes' earlier posts, I believe he has a gaiwan frequented about his house that's been brewing since last year. :lol:

[Hobbesoxon]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger :)

[R-James]

It tasted all right when I re-brewed so I'm gonna be brave and before some fresh 2004 private pressing in the morning I will try a couple of gaiwan fulls of this 12 gent 2006 to see how 14 hours treats it.

[Hobbesoxon]

I wouldn't worry unless it's over 24 hours old, and even then a quick refresher with boiling water will kill 100% of bacteria. :)

[Suzuki]

I'm glad to hear that you're aiming your browser towards tea purchasing... :chinese:

I have some of the 2008 Dehong bricks - you'd be amazed how many people have asked me about them, in fact! Moreso than absolutely any other tea - they have a mysterious appeal. Well, not so mysterious - they're very tasty. Fruity, chunky, fresh. Think promiscuous fruitiness.

A few drinkers have commented that their older Dehong bricks have faded, but mine are still great after three years - a bit lower and richer, in fact - which is born out by a few others. Just one to be aware of - you might want to avoid keeping them out in a strong breeze. :)

As always, let us know how you get on!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes
I've just had a few sessions with the brick of the 2008 Dehong and I'm very impressed - while my frame of reference is limited, this is a very balanced tea for one so young, and Hobbes description is quite apt. Its got a mouth-filling quality to it, very tasty and satisfying.

I may have to order another brick before its all gone!!

Its only been a week since my order came in and I'm already thinking about my next one!

[Hobbesoxon]

I've never met anyone yet who doesn't like it. What a tasty tea! I've got a few - you might kick yourself if you just have the one, if you're likely to be into pu'er for the long haul. :)


Toodlepip,

Hobbes