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Cakes vs. Tuo's

I'm fairly new to Shengs and Shu, and a lot of the offerings that I want to try seem to come in the form of a Tuo. This seems beneficial as they usually come in a handy box that is good for storage, are usually only 100 grams which keeps the price down, and is a good size for sampling.

Are Tuochas seen as inferior to cakes, or is it simply just another form of pressing?



I ask becuase I have had some shu mini-tuochas that were pretty bad, but I had a shu cake that was pretty good.
 
Generally, it's just another form of pressing. They are all hydraulic-pressed, and can be difficult to prize apart. They also can age slower.

Tuos are meant to be friendly and disposable, originally. They weren't really meant to be taken seriously. On the other hand, tuos have also been used to demostrate superior tea at cheaper prices, and work as a sample. For example, the classic, and super-expensive Big Green Tree from '99 has tuo variants, made in 2000, and which some people actually prefer to the classic. There are little known banzhang tuos that have similar looking wrappers to the standard Dayi tuo (in 2005).

These days, tuos aren't really a reliable predictor of anything, unless we're talking about the classic ultra cheap stuff that Dayi and Xiaguan (who focused mainly on tuos for much of its early history). Your first grade tuos, happy tuos, yellow ribbon, yadda yadda yadda. Beyond the stuff that has the regular customer base, people make tuos for all sorts of reasons, now. There's an odd 500g tuo from Xiaguan @Dragon Tea House, for example. Don't ask me why they want to make such a big tuo!
 
Would the

Xiaguan:
Happy Tuo's
Mushroom Tuo's
Yellow Ribbon Tuo's
Jia Ji Tuo's
Dream of the Red Chamber Tuo's
Holy Flame Tuo's

and the

Dayi:
V93 Tuo's
08 Qing Tuo's
Gong Tuo's


be considered good choices? or am I just wasting my time and money pursuing these Tuocha's?
 
Those are all consumer level tuos meant to casually enjoyed. As such, their flavors are meant to appeal to one mass market segment or another. They are not especially expensive, so buy one of each tuo that you find reviews too, and find the flavor profile appealing.
 
tuo's and beengs are for the most part good its the medalions that you should stay away from usually they are lower quality leftovers.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone. I've ordered some Tuo's and Cake samples from Jas-E-Tea, can't wait for them to arrive!

Think I will stay away from the mini-tuo's that I got from a local shop, and start to explore the world of good puerh in both tuo and cake form, with maybe even a brick or two thrown in for good measure.
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
I'd like to buy a melon, but I'm rapidly approaching the age when it's not a good idea to buy green bananas.
 
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