SOTD- sheng of the day

[Suzuki]

All of the Mengkus I've tried seem to be lightly pressed- they're really easy to pry apart, sometimes just by looking at them.

Have you tried any stone-pressed - these are pressed by hand and are even easier to take apart - you can easily pick out single leaves. There's a couple in the package I sent you - you'll be able to tell just by how easy they are to pick apart.

My SOTD

I'm spending some time with the YS 2008 Dehong, which I quite like.

I've changed my work brewing routine - still a bastardazation, but I'm now using a lidded mug with a strainer and brewing by the cup.

I'm using about 1/4 of the mug volume of leaves.

I'm on my second infusion.

I think of this tea like a good beaujolais or cote du rhone - relatively inexpensive, satisfying, and very approachable. As said previously, the tea has some nice light fruity notes, good body/mouth feel, a touch of astringency/bitterness (but just enough to give the tea some character).

In short, this is a very good daily tea that should improve with age (I'm going to order at least one more brick and possibly two). Its a great tea to give someone to try as a first sheng - its got very good balance (especially for a 2008) and my experience is that its quite forgiving to different brewing times. At $25 for a 500g brick, its also good value.

 

[Scotto]

Nice description. I have some of this on the way in my latest order. Damn the 5 week transit time from China to New Yawk!

 

[Suzuki]

Nice description. I have some of this on the way in my latest order. Damn the 5 week transit time from China to New Yawk!

I'm working on my descriptions - both to enhance my experience, as well as provide useful comments to others.

I hope you like the tea.

As for the transit time, my order arrived in Toronto in just under 3 weeks, so here's hoping that Scott strapped it onto a snail on steroids and you get yours early.

 

[kreigle]

OK. Total newbie here. I just received a handful of samplers from PuerhShop yesterday afternoon and I don't have a proper tea setup yet.

My teas this morning have been:

Before leaving for work, 2 infusions of a 2004 Menghai Superior Grade Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler. I had ~6 infusions from these leaves before bed last night and just re-used the same leaves for this mornings tea so this would be infusions 7 and 8? I am going to keep going with this again tonight and see how long it lasts.

5g, steeped 1:45s and 1:30s with 4oz of filtered tap water in a coffee cup, strained into second cup for drinking. I really like the flavor of this tea. I don't have much of a palate, but I think it is a really nice fruity? drink. It's a shame I can't afford the whole cake.

At work, I am working on a 2006 Old Tree Banzhang Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler that, again, I did 4 infusions from yesterday before leaving work. I have to make due with a cruder setup at work, using aug and a tea-ball. I did'nt weigh these leaves, just estimated about 2g into the teaball and steep in ~4oz water. I am using 2-3min steep times this morning. This tea seems dry and smokey to me, reminiscent of a Lapsang Souschong (sp?), but without the 'liquid smoke' quality. Underneath this, there seems to be an autumn forest quality (is this what I hear referred to as 'mushroom'?).

Budget allowing, I would love to try more of these.

 

[Suzuki]

Nice first post in the thread.

How much were the cakes of the tea samples you were sent?

What I'm finding is that there are lots of pretty good teas in the $15 - $25 range (prices per standard size cake/brick based on Yunnan Sourcing's prices before shipping). Its very much like wine in that, with some knowledge and trial and error, its quite possible to find a bunch of good teas at very reasonable prices. Conversely, there are expensive teas that are either objectively very average or even poor or that won't suit your tastes. In short, price isn't necessarily an indication of quality or that a tea will be for you.

The "autumn forest" note is likely more of an earthy/leafy note - the mushroomy notes are like what you would experience if you stuck nice portobello or porchini mushroom under your nose (not the wimpy white mushrooms) there are earthy notes, but also a definite mushroom scent/flavour.

These tend to be more common/pronounced in the cooked or shu pu'erh teas, but can be present in the raw or sheng teas as well. My very limited experience is that the shengs with the earthy/mushroomy notes tend to make a heavier/thicker brew.

I'm sure Scotto or Hobbes can elaborate.

 

[kreigle]

Nice first post in the thread.

How much were the cakes of the tea samples you were sent?

What I'm finding is that there are lots of pretty good teas in the $15 - $25 range (prices per standard size cake/brick based on Yunnan Sourcing's prices before shipping). Its very much like wine in that, with some knowledge and trial and error, its quite possible to find a bunch of good teas at very reasonable prices.

The samplers I got were (with both sample and cake prices from PuerhShop):

2003 Keyixing Yiwu Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler $4.99 $38.89
2006 Tongxing Hao Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler $2.99 $17.50
2006 Old Tree Banzhang Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler $3.99 $25.60
2004 Menghai Superior Grade Pu-erh Tea Cake Sampler $5.99 $62.00

So far I've tried everything except the Tongxing. I haven't seen any of these anywhere except PuerhShop, so I don't know if they are available anywhere else.

Honestly, though, I don't know if I want to buy a full cake of the 2006 Old Tree as I am not overly fond of the earthy flavor. Maybe after I try a full-strength steep at home I'll know for sure.

 

[ouch]

I had a Lipton teabag at the Toyota dealer today, so you can imagine the mood I'm in.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

No shengpu today - presentations and job interviews. Gragh!




Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Suzuki]

I had a Lipton teabag at the Toyota dealer today, so you can imagine the mood I'm in.

I'd rather drink hot water with lye.

Seriously though, once you move up to the good stuff, there's no going back!

 

[Proinsias]

I'd rather drink hot water with lye.

Seriously though, once you move up to the good stuff, there's no going back!

Sometimes there's no getting away from it. I ask for plenty of milk and pretend it's a quaint hot beverage not tea I'm drinking.

In my experience people over 70 who know you love tea are not to be reasoned with, add milk and smile.

 

[ouch]

I ordered a few cakes to make myself feel better. Nothing special, but a few cheapies I've had my eye on-
Yongpinhao yiwu zhengshan
CNNP 7548
Menghai 7572 shu
Xiaguan FT mushroom
Nanjian tuo shu
and a bit of dancong

I wrote down about a dozen choices and let my daughter pick 'em. We'll see how she did.


Oh, and would someone be so kind as to talk me out of buying a basket of liu an. I'm not sure I'll enjoy that one.

 

[boboakalfb]

You guys are wearing me down. I have been reading along with all this Pu talk and think I want to give it a go. I guess an order of samples from Puerh Shop would be the best way to start out. What do you guys think are a few good ones to start out with?

 

[letterk]

You guys are wearing me down. I have been reading along with all this Pu talk and think I want to give it a go. I guess an order of samples from Puerh Shop would be the best way to start out. What do you guys think are a few good ones to start out with?

I hate to say it, but I'm in the same boat.

 

[Scotto]

My suggestion is that if you are just starting out, you get samples from Hou De. The price may be higher, but the samples are universally very good to excellent. They can really give you an idea about how great pu'er can be. After that, you'll be educated enough to go on from there.

I can tell you which samples I have had from there if you like.

 

[letterk]

My suggestion is that if you are just starting out, you get samples from Hou De. The price may be higher, but the samples are universally very good to excellent. They can really give you an idea about how great pu'er can be. After that, you'll be educated enough to go on from there.

I can tell you which samples I have had from there if you like.

Yes please.

 

[Proinsias]

Oh, and would someone be so kind as to talk me out of buying a basket of liu an. I'm not sure I'll enjoy that one.

If it's fairly new liu an, at least ten years, from my experience it's a little like what I would imagine if I diluted battery acid. Once I got the brewing under control I've come to appreciate it, definite medicinal taste.

I'm sending out quite a few samples of a basket I bought a few weeks ago, pm me if you'd like a little.

 

[ouch]

My suggestion is that if you are just starting out, you get samples from Hou De. The price may be higher, but the samples are universally very good to excellent. They can really give you an idea about how great pu'er can be. After that, you'll be educated enough to go on from there.

I can tell you which samples I have had from there if you like.

+1

Hou De is decidedly high end, and one of the best sources in the states. You'll pay, often as much for a sample as you would for an entire cake elsewhere, but the quality will be there.

If I may draw (yet another) wine analogy- you have to know what the good stuff tastes like in order to appreciate both good and bad.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

I ordered a few cakes to make myself feel better. Nothing special, but a few cheapies I've had my eye on-
Yongpinhao yiwu zhengshan
CNNP 7548
Menghai 7572 shu
Xiaguan FT mushroom
Nanjian tuo shu
and a bit of dancong

Oh, and would someone be so kind as to talk me out of buying a basket of liu an. I'm not sure I'll enjoy that one.

Liu'an and liubao make me produce zombie noises. UnnNNnNNnnng. Never has so much been written by so many about so little.

If you really love shupu then this might be fun. The quality can be more horrific than shupu if you're unlucky (imagine that).

I would stick to samples of these post-fermented basket teas, unless you really, really know what you're getting yourself into!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

P.s. Is the Xiaguan FT mushroom the one that comes in the cubic box? If so, it's good!

 

[Hobbesoxon]

You guys are wearing me down. I have been reading along with all this Pu talk and think I want to give it a go. I guess an order of samples from Puerh Shop would be the best way to start out. What do you guys think are a few good ones to start out with?

I hate to say it, but I'm in the same boat.

<The Shining>
Come play with us... for ever, and ever, and ever...
</The Shining>

Houde is a great company from which to buy samples. I've spent a lot of money at Houde, and most of it has been on pu'er samples. I think I own two, maybe three, actual cakes from Houde, due to (what I consider to be) inappropriate pricing. Putting it politely.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[R-James]

Today will be some bamboo wrapped yuole and some 12 Gent Chun ya Shen Yun, I can't wait for my YS stuff to arrive to give me a bit more pu variety!