First Pu-erh order just went out.

**SilverToy** · 01-01-2010, 11:35 PM

My curiosity has gotten me in trouble again! I just placed an order for my first Pu-erh tea through JAS-eTea. Instead of the sampler, I purchased 25gr samples of two green and two cooked teas. If I find this interesting, I will go for the larger samplers to get a wider variety. I purchased the Jingdezhen "Easy" Gaiwan "Blue on White Phoenix" 100ml to start with.
Using the descriptions, I picked the following.

2006 Haiwan "Peacock Quest" Ripe tea cake.
2002 Hai Lang Hao "Mengku Wild Arbor" cake.
2007 Menghai Tea Factory "7572 Ripe" Tea cake.
2005 Xiaguan "Xia Fa Crane Label" Ripe tea cake.

Something new for 2010!
Any suggestions for other Pu-erh’s that I “Must try” for starting out are welcome.
Ken.

**ambrose** · 01-02-2010, 12:39 AM

well done!

try some older shengs and some mengku, I think most people go from shu to sheng eventually.

To be honest I have not come across a bad tea I enjoy all of them. Watch your water temperature and your pour times. This can lead to great tea or nasty bad bitter tea. What you are looking for is a little bit of bitter known as gan. A type of bitter that adds to the teas complexity.

If you do get further in to it I have some tea gear I will sell off soon let me know. I would be glad to add some different samples to it.

**ouch** · 01-02-2010, 06:05 AM

Just playing devil's advocate, I'm not sure that's a particularly good first exposure to pu'er. For one, you only selected a single sheng (that's where the action is), and it's a pretty controversial choice. You may find the three cooked items very similar (the cooking process tends to obscure any nuance), and you may very well find that you don't like them at all.

Don't give up, though. Most folks' first experience with pu'er is less than thrilling, and many have been scared away for years. I'd suggest sticking with the classic recipes such as Menghai's 8582, 7542, and 7532. These are pretty inexpensive from recent vintages, and they'll give you a good idea if this is all for you. If you don't like those, you may not like any of them. As for shu, I'd only get the very best available, such as the V93, Da Yi Gong tuo, Hong Yun, and Zi Yun.

Have fun!

**SilverToy** · 01-02-2010, 09:03 AM

Thank you for the feedback and suggestions,
Ouch, I’m taking your suggestions; anybody spreading the word about Pink Floyd’s Celestial voices is up there in my book. I thought I had picked two of each, but I did only pick one sheng; that’s what happens at 1:30am when you’re listening to “In the Flesh Live”!
OK back to tea…
I added samples of Menghai's 8582, 7542, and 7532 to round out the sheng’s. For shu’s, I added 2009 Menghai "Da Yi Gong Tuo" Ripe Pu-erh tea - 100g and 2008 Menghai V93 Premium Ripe Pu-erh tea - 100 gram tuo.
Ambrose, I added a sample of 2008 Mengku "Wild Arbor King" Raw Pu-erh tea. You’re comments about heat and times are noted; I thought I would start with joel’s “Quick and easy” method, noting the results, and then use JAS-eTea’s infusion suggestions making comparisons.
Why do I see a “Tea-wiki” in my future?
Ken

**ouch** · 01-02-2010, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by SilverToy

that’s what happens at 1:30am when you’re listening to “In the Flesh Live”!

That's one of the best recorded live albums I ever heard. The part from Every Stranger's Eyes through the ATD selections are some of my favorite moments of recorded music.

**Poulin** · 01-02-2010, 10:05 AM

I placed an order recently with JAS-eTea too.... I'm looking forward to getting it. Its been awhile since I've tried anything new.

**SilverToy** · 01-02-2010, 10:14 AM

Don't get me on my soap box! (Tea Box?)
Yep, truly great music, Roger's voice continues to mellow and the music as always is defined by no specific genre. "In the Flesh Live” is as current as anything he, or they, have recorded. The message and the music has always been a "you get it or you don't" type of thing. The simplistic Pigs On the Wing, and as noted, Every Stranger's Eyes, Amused to Death, Each Small Candle, OK, I'll stop now!
Back to the thread...

**ouch** · 01-02-2010, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by SilverToy

Don't get me on my soap box! (Tea Box?)
Yep, truly great music, Roger's voice continues to mellow and the music as always is defined by no specific genre. "In the Flesh Live” is as current as anything he, or they, have recorded. The message and the music has always been a "you get it or you don't" type of thing. The simplistic Pigs On the Wing, and as noted, Every Stranger's Eyes, Amused to Death, Each Small Candle, OK, I'll stop now!
Back to the thread...

Compared to me, you don't even like them.