My WenGe "Cultural Revolution" Yixing Teapot

WenGe Teapots


An interesting class of Yíxīng teapots is from the WenGe “Cultural Revolution” period (1966-1976). WenGe teapots are distinctive, due to a large part for their lack of distinction. These plainly styled teapots were manufactured when the assertion of pre-Revolution Chinese culture were frowned upon. Workers and master potters alike were forbidden from placing personal marks on individual pieces. As a result, these pots were typically and simply stamped Zhong Guo Yíxīng “Yíxīng China”. The state exercised complete control over all aspect of the Yixing factories – the most famous of which being Yíxīng Factory #1. -Note- Zhong Guo Yixing does not authenticate the piece as a WenGe since Zhong Guo Yixing chops are still being produced either by Yixing factories who are sanctioned to do so, or fake artist passing them off as later pieces.

Zhong Guo YiXing Mark "Yixing China"






The State also controlled the mining operations for zishā ore. Consequently, most pots during the WenGe were produced with relatively good clays as there were no other competitors. Although at first glance, it may sound reasonably well for the State to be in the pot business, there is one caveat - many revolution teapots exhibit poor production quality.

In an effort to automate the manufacturing processes under the new State, many of the quality measures you would find in an artist studio were abandoned. For instance, many pots were mold made (such as this particular one), have muddy odors from having been fired too low; others have lids that are not level, do not fit properly and spouts which do not pour water in a straight line. So, why would anyone want a YiXing WenGe pot? Well, despite the sometimes low quality of revolution teapots and their non-distinctive artistry, they still command relatively high prices due the quality of the zishā clay mined during this period. Zishā mined during and prior to the WenGe is said to provide a “roughness” allowing more tea oil to be absorbed.



As anyone will tell you who has engaged in teapot hunting, it is virtually impossible to buy a nice pot online. And living in the States only exacerbates the situation since most of the nice and authentic pots are in Taiwan. Sure, there are Taiwan and Chinese auctions online; however how do you know what you are buying is authentic or “as described”? You can’t! Well, after doing a considerable amount of auction hunting (trust me difficult if you don’t speak the language) I had decided to go to the source and give Life of Tea a chance.


My Pot



This 150ml Shui Pin pot was made early in the WenGe and was manufactured through the use of a mold. Although the word "mold" can generate images resembeling a Play Doh Factory kit where a lump of clay is put into a press and voila - the word is somewhat misleading since the pieces were and are formed by hand and then assembled through the facilitation of a mold. Additionally, the pot was fired in an open kiln. If you look closely on the lid, you will see firing deposits on the surface from the "open firing". As for the clay, it has a lovly dense quality to it. It is also quite heavy considering its size. Perhaps, Xiao Hongni? ZhuNi? The texture is somewhat smooth. It has a nice 'ping' when tapped. A good sign that it was fired sufficiently. Its performance, well it has a nice pouring through its single hole spout. However, I am afraid that the lid did fall victim to the misfortunes of the era in that it is very loose and does not fit very well. Nonetheless, it makes a scrumptious tea! Note - The pot looks much more orange in sunlight or from a camera flash. It is really a very nice red.


These pictures are more representative of the true color *almost*





I was told ZhuNi, and I am starting to lean this way. Look at the texture of the clay. Beautiful IMHO. But then again, I am somewhat biased.


Qing Dynasty Porceline Teacups 35ml

2001 KunMing Factory Blue Mark Sheng Beeng 357g

This beeng is the 2001 Blue Mark offering of the KunMing Factory. In all honesty, the information I have on this example is unfortunately scarce. What I do know is that the KunMing Factory also produced a similar beeng - the Red Mark which was highlighted in the Newborn Puerh Book 1998-2003. Nonetheless, if this is 'truly' a 2001 production, than they were made prior to the pu-erh boom so I tend to consider them special.

Initial Impressions

The wrapper design is a throw back to the Grand labels of the 50s. I find the historical significance of the large middle characters quite charming. If one notices, the Chinese character for cha "tea" being encircled by the Zhong character which represents China. When China socialized industry, China wanted to take advantage of one of its largest exports - tea. In order to symbolize China's intentions of bringing tea to the world, the China Tea Corporation had developed this now well recognized symbol of "China" zhong bringing cha "tea" to the world". Enough history :D

The beeng looks to be well stored (the last 3 years of which I did personally). There seems to be no signs of infections or rapid acceleration to speak of which eases my anxiety that this could be a knock-off. The leaves appear to be corresponding with its age - nice darkening leaves with the occasional golden tea bud scattered across the surface. The nei fei or the beeng ticket seemingly appears to have absorbed some tea oil - also apparent on the outer and inner wrapper. Depending to whom you speak with, it is at times taken as good sign of mao cha quality.



The leaf aroma is not very pungent, though you can make out a flutter of floral note, a very slight touch of smoke and woody notes. There is also no warehouse scent which you will find on occasion in older examples, although 3 years in my storage would of remedied this if it did when I bought it. For the most part, it is actually a lovely looking beeng with its full intact leaves.

Brewing Parameters

Brewing vessel - Yixing 150ml Weathered HongNi pot

Water Source - Natural Spring of MI orgin

Infusion times



1-15s
2-12s
3-25s
4-35s
5-65s
6-80s
7-85s
8-125s

Tea Tasting

Aroma - The aromas were very in tune with what I would expect with a beeng of this age. For the most part the first few infusions emanated hits of musk, mature wood and a light hint of smoke which transitioned in to more sweet notes as the liquor cooled - very floral with notes of caramelized honey. In the latter infusions, the touch of smoke which was not all that apparent had dissipated and melon, camphor and tiny flutters of mint became more noticeable.

Taste - The taste was quite pleasant, and frankly just honestand straight forward. Although I was intrigued with its brightness, which made it a very active session. The berry like acidic quality to it which separated the notes on the palate. As for the true taste of the tea, dark notes were the theme - woody and nutty which were very consistent throughout the entire session. In the latter infusions, I could detect currents and pepper notes.

The sensations were very apparent and affected the sides of my tongue to a considerable degree. This was definitely not a flimsy tea with its wonderful viscosity. Though I must admit that I could tell by the way the tea had reacted to the sides of the cup and how it was reflecting light that it was certainly a soupy tea before I even tasted it.The huigan was somewhat of a tease, but entertaining I must say. As for the qi, it was not as apparent as I would have liked - somewhat disappointing. However, from what I could feel it was comfortable. Although I must admit that in the latter infusions I may have wiped my brow a couple of times to keep the beads of sweat from dripping into my cup.

Liquor




The color of the liquor exhibited its age and had a Scotch like character. It was also beautifully clear which added very much to the pleasure of the session.

Spent Leaves



The leaves seemingly appeared healthy and of choice. I believe that perhaps the beeng is not composed of a single harvest and may even be composed of different growths, both in age i.e plantation and ancient mao cha) and in region.

For the most part, I received sensations of old growth. I feel comfortable in making this assertion in that the sensations and profile differ from other known Big Factory plantation fare I have experienced of or roughly the same age. I also noticed that some leaves have ridges while others do not. Additionally, there were also varying differences in the back ribs of the leaf which may add credence to my assumptions that a blend from different areas, and/or different growths of the same region. This of course would certainly not be uncommon for a pre-boom factory tea. In fact, single estate fare is relatively a new invention. Whether this is indicative of the aforementioned possibilities, its just an educated guess OH and I like playing detective! :P

Final Impressions

The tea is good, albeit not as good as other pre-boom examples I have had the privilege of tasting. For the most part, the orgin of the beeng is very much a mystery. Nonetheless, something about its profile screams JingMai Shan, partly due to its nutty - meaty essence and that it does not remind me of 'large farm production fare'.

Though I am certain that a decade of aging has transformed its complexities and characteristics, it is still somewhat too adolescent (in a good way) to drink now, even occasionally in my opinion. Nonetheless, it has durability and strength and revealing promise. I guess only time will tell.

2005 First South East Asia Pu-erh Trade Memorial Cake Fair produced by ChangTai Group

The Changtai group was commissioned to produce this beeng to commemorate the 2005 First SE Asia Pu-erh Fair that occured during the weeks of 10/28-11/6 in Malaysia. At 300g it is a medium sized cake which is composed of single estate MengHai wild big-leaf material. Impressive! It has a very luxurious feel.

The beeng itself has this dense feeling to the touch coupled with am attractive but simple yin and Yang symbol that is printed on the thin cotton fiber wrapper. My speculation is that this symbol has become the brand mark of the Fair since subsequent beengs share the same design, albeit in different colors. As some of you know, I have become quite partial to Chang Tai products since they are very consistent in production where their products are an equal trade off between quality and price. It appears that this particular beeng is no exception.




Initial Impressions



For being a 300g beeng, it feels hefty. Hard to explain unless you hold it yourself. The cotton wrapper, as previously mentioned appears to be of choice - thin, yet sturdy. Nothing more I hate when storing a beeng is ripped wrapping! The beeng does not contain the ubiquitous CNNP nei piao but an attractive custom print, and like the wrapper, also made of quality paper.

The leaves appear to be hand arraigned on the face of the cake and stoned pressed. Nice elegant touch. After 4 years of aging, the mao cha seems to be darkening a bit, yet is still providing a very fresh young scent. As you can see from the face of the cake, the leaves are long with long stems and intact. Generally, intact leaves is what you would expect for a single estate example as there is no need to masticate them for blending purposes. Additionally, they appear to be quite glossy - a good indication of quality. Definitely a departure from big factory fare.


Brewing Parameters

Amount - 6.2g

Brewing vessel - Yixing Teapot 150ml

Water Source - Natural Spring MI

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-35s
4-35s
5-75s
6-80s
7-100s
8-120s
9-135s

Tasting Notes



Aroma

The first infusions aromas were very sweet. The notes were quite floral which transformed into dried fruit and corn silk as it cooled. There was absolutely no hits of smoke or must; very soothing and refreshing. The latter aromas were quite consistent with the first few; however I could detect a hint of citrus laced with musk, coupled with an almost berry like whiff. Indeed a nice and interesting change.

Taste

The sweetness was also the predominant theme in the first infusions. It had a very acidic quality which seemingly refreshed the palate after each cup. After the fourth infusion, you can certainly tell that you were drinking something potent. The liquor became thick with a nice silky viscosity, which consequently had caused the flavors to linger on the palate considerably. It was bitter, yet pleasing. You can say it's comparable to orange zest, not in flavor of course, but in sensation. In the latter infusions the liquor became less floral and and less sweet, and transitioned into hints of rubber, dried grass, toasted oak, and raw legumes.

It is definitely and active tea. The sensations were wonderfully apparent. Quite active on the sides of the tongue and the roof of the mouth. I was afraid that the youthful quality of the liquor would subsequently numb my palate but this did not occur.



Liquor

The liquor had the wonderful color of a slightly aged example. What was remarkable however was its clarity.

Spent Leaves



When it comes to wild big-leaf I tend to get excited when viewing the spent leaves. For the most part, I try to find ways to distinguish wild or semi-wild fare from that of plantation. However, I should preface this in suggesting that examining the leaf is a terrible way of discerning between the two. The appropriate method is to taste the leaf. A skill which I have yet to master (sighs). But I try. The leaves do have a robustness to them. JUST LOOK AT THE MIDDLE RIB! It is definitely stocky. The veins also look rustic. The underside of the leaf also exhibits a considerate amount of down. I have yet to see this in pure plantation material. Although this does not mean that plantation mao cha does not exhibit these qualities I just have yet to stumble across it. I must also note that the initially it was suggested that the beeng was made of spring material. However, I am not so sure. Some of the leaves appear to be of fall harvest so it could be a blend of seasons.

Final Thoughts

What can I say, it was a wonderfully produced item. The huigan and chayun were impeccable; the flavors were penetrating and appears to be aging nicely. Boy, for a memorial cake it sure ranks up there with the sacred cow producers' items.

My new Toy the "Tea Refresher"

Well, after using this new accoutrement to my tea wares, I believe it is worth noting on Ancient Tea Horse Road. I acquired this hand crafted piece from the Famous Lin's Ceramic Studio located in Taiwan from a special order from Dragon Tea House.

The process of heating tea leaves was first described in Cha Jing from Lu Yu and has been a common practice since the Tang Dynasty. Primarily designated for fermented teas e.g. oolongs and blacks, some minorities of Yunnnan currently roast or bake the fresh tea leaves such as using an earthenware pot or piece of paper before steaping the leaves. For learning how to roast tea leaves over a paper please visit Tea Obsession for detailed instructions on how to do this.

The practice of heating tea leaves over heat sources serves two purposes, which interestingly are not related. The first reason has to do with the Traditional Chinese Medicine's concept of "hot and cold" and its effects on the the human body.

Young sheng is said to be very "cold". As a consequence, this cold affects those who are already "cold" negatively e.g., stomach aches, heart burn, yes, even diarrhea. However, when young sheng is heated or "roasted" such as what some of the minorities of Yunnan do, the process is said to turn the "cold" leaves to "hot" making the drink more agreeable to the body. The aging of sheng is said to this process naturally.

It is important to understand that the words hot and cold are not used here in the conventional sense although heat is being applied. For more information please visit Hot & Cold: The Art of Traditional Chinese Medicine.


The second reason has to do with the flavor, essence, and in some cases the salvage of tea itself. To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical that heating tea leaves could enhance my tea drinking experience and purchasing this tea refresher was somewhat an impetuous buy on my part ^_^. However, after using this tool a couple of times, my skepticism had quickly vanished.

I first gained interest in heating pu-erh after reading claims which suggested that heating pu-erh, (especially wet stored and shupu) can make some of the off flavors to dissipate. After some trial and error, and experimentation, these claims were substantiated. Heating wet stored and shupu did indeed seem to limit some of these flavors from entering the brew; especially the dampness and the ubiquitous pond which can be associated with these types. The liquor became more, to some degree, layered and more fragrant. The liquor seemed to have become thicker making the flavors linger on the palate longer. From that moment I was sold. Now that it has passed the wet stored and shupu test, I wanted to see if the same could be said about dry stored and young sheng.



For my experiments, I dug out of my pu closet the 1996 Chung Cha MengHai Factory "Orange on Orange", 2001 MengKu Yuan Yieh Xian Thick-Papered Sheng, and the '05 Xi-Zhi Hao Lao BanZhang. I purposely had chosen the '96 and '01 since I have decided that these two did have more dampness than some others that I have and wanted to see if heating these examples could do what it did for the wet stored pu. As for the '05, there was no valid reason other than it was the easiest to access.

Of course I did not drink all of these in one session. That would certainly be a lot of tea drinking and most importantly, would numb my tongue to the flavors. I took my time and patiently delved into my test for each over a day and half.

The '96 and '01 were first on my agenda as I was quite anxious to see how the heat would affect these two. I used 6 grams of each which were both brewed in my 150ml Zhuni Yixing pot, spring water yada yada yada. No special methods were utilized other than the heating of the tea in my tea refresher. After my experiments, I can say without a doubt both seemed to have benefited from the heat. Both of the liquors were again fragrant and seemed thicker, and for some reason much darker than I remembered when I last tried these two. The dampness that I had experienced earlier seemed to be limited thus allowing more nuances to come through. There seemed to be more honey and to some degree a touch of floral than I had remembered. I could tell from the moment that I took the tea refresher from the heating element and placed the leaves in the pot, the heat had done something to to the leaves. A scent of a nice rich puerh was emanating from the pot even before I added water. Needless to say, I enjoyed the aroma of the dry leaves for a time before I moved on to the next step of the rinse. Now the young sheng.

When heating the Lao BanZhang, the fragrance from the tea refresher was different as expected. It smelled more like "roasted tea" than anything else. Needless to say I had become quite concerned that I was doing just that. I again used a Yixing pot that I have dedicated to young sheng and continued to brew the tea as I do with all my other young shengs.

Interestingly, the heat did not affect the tea as much as the previous two. For the most part, the liquor did seem to be more fragrant but none of the thickness. I am not too down however as fragrance is once of may favorite qualities in liquor. All in all I was pleased with the performance of the tea refresher.

The only theory I could come up with for any of the enhancement is that perhaps the heat had caused the tea oil to become active. As for the the wet off flavors, I can only speculate that perhaps evaporated the aroma. I am still searching for the reasons, but if you have any better ideas please let me know. :D

Heating Process

As you will notice from the pictures, the refresher has two parts which - the bowl and funnel, which should be self explanatory. You use the funnel in the down position to funnel the tea in the bowl and then place the funnel up to shake the leaves from the bowl in to your pot or tea tray.

Heat the bowl with the funnel in the downward position for approx 1 minute. Add the desired amount of tea leaves into the bowl and reapply heat for an additional minute. Take the bowl off the flame and gently shake the leaves in a circular motion to evenly heat the leaves. Voila!

2001 Yi-Chang Hao YiWu Zhen Pin "Precious Grade" Sheng Beeng Cha 400g

I always like Yi-Chang products, they are consistent and are really a nice balance between price and quality. This particular example is no exception. For more information about the factory itself, please visit a previous post.

This particular example was acquired from Eloi of Sampan Teas, a Canadian vendor. Although his stock is not expansive, he does have an interesting selection.

I always enjoy drinking teas that were produced prior to the Pu-erh craze. Some suggest, which I concure, that after 2004 the quality of pu-erh has greatly suffered as consequence of increasing demand - This is a discussion that perhaps I may touch on at a later date. Needless to say, 2001 may represent some of the best that Yunnan has to offer until this god awful craze comes to an end. That said, what makes this particular beeng even better is that the mao cha is from YiWU shan, a highly sought after growing region.

YiWu Shan has a devouted following primarily for two reasons 1. YiWu shan is rich in pu-erh history and 2. its mao cha is full pleasing flavors with an almost incomparable sweetness earning it the title of the Queen of Teas. Click here for more information on YiWu Shan.

Let's get to business

Initial Impressions

The dry leaf aroma reminded me of a quintessential Hong Kong product. Although Eloi suggests that it had been dried stored in Taipei for 7 years, excessive humidity has sped up the aging process to a considerable degree. Certainly Taiwan has a drier climate than let's say Macau or Hong Kong; however, if vendors do not properly rotate their stock or provide adequate airflow, their stock may 'age' faster than those which were. This is only speculation. Nonetheless, it should not be considered a defect since many pu-erhs which have acquired more than normal humid aging conditions produce great and tasty teas. Frankly, I would still consider this a dry stored beeng since it has not reached the level of a traditional wet stored product.

The leaves appear healthy with no infestations of mold, fungus or other undesirables. Undoubtedly stone presses since the leaves easily can be pried off effortlessly.

Brewing Parameters

Amount - 6.1g

Brewing vessel - Yixing Zhuni Shui ping 150ml

Water Source - Natural Spring MI

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-35s
4-35s
5-75s
6-80s
7-100s
8-120s




Aroma

The aroma had a nice woody fragrance which was coupled with leather, tobacco and cocoa' all of which were warm, toasty and inviting. However, after the 4th infusion, almost without warning the liquor started to reveal floral notes and camphor, definitely and interesting transition. In the latter infusions, the sweet notes had succumbed to very dry notes which consisted of hay and dried grass.

Taste

The notes were quite pleasing. It was expected that the woody character of the pu-erh would carry into the liquor; however it was not as intense as it was in the aroma - It had a soothing character of which I enjoyed. After the second infusion, the liquor acquired a spicy character which was accented with delicate notes of dried plums.

For the most part, the liqour was very consistent. Although I was expecting more matured notes as a result of its accelerated aging. However, to my surprise there was still a greenness to the liquor which made it very refreshing.

It had an impeccable acidity that kept things very active and complimented the huigan quite well. Furthrmore, the thickness of the liquor provided a wonderful oomph which made the flavors linger in the palate-certainly desirable. The clarity of the liquor only added to the pleasure of the brewing session. Nice!

Spent Leaves




They are indeed broad leaf which appeared to be healthy. Nice robust ribs which would suggest although not conclusively that they are wild arbor. The flavor did remind me of wild arbor and being that it is 2001 I would have to say that they are wild arbor.


Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this example. I believe that it still has some developing which will come with further aging, it is certainly off to a great start. I would label the tea very balanced and a tantalizing brew. When the session ended, I was very comfortable and satisfied. Although the tea was not as nuanced as I had hoped for, or can say that this was a great tea, it was definitely not boring. It had all of the qualities I would expect from a decent brew - pleasant flavors, pleasant chayun and a warm and inviting chaqi.

2003 Henry Trading Co.HK Ltd."Seriously Formula" Ching Beeng 7542, 357g

In 2003, the Henry Co. had commissioned the MengHai Tea Factory to produce the "Seriously Formula" Ching Beeng . Although the exact prescription is unknown, it is said to be inspired after the time honored 7542 recipe. For more information concerning factory commissioned pu-erh please visit a previous post.

Initial Impressions

Though this was a commissioned piece ordered by an independent company, for all intensive purposes, it is indeed CNNP product. It had the CNNP standard weight of 357g and the "chung" cotton wrapper, nei fei, nei piao, and description ticket, all of which are reminiscent of the CNNP Chi Tsi Beeng Cha era. However, what makes this product different from most other CNNP product is that there was a seconded embedded nei fei located on the back of the beeng.




The cotton paper had a musty basement smell. However, once I let the beeng air out for a while, I was able to notice that the smell did not carry into the beeng. Relieved! It had a lovely freshness with the aroma of pine saw dust.

The leaves appear to be aging nicely and are turning brown, tan and in some places beige. They were also nice and glossy - a good sign of proper storage.

The beeng was not as heavily compacted as most of the "big factory" new born pu-erh on the market, and as a resul, it was relatively easy to flick off a scant for brewing.

Brewing Parameters


Amount - 5.5g

Brewing Method - Gongfu

Brewing vessel - Yixing Zhuni Shui ping 150ml

Water Source - Natural Spring MI

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-25s
4-35s
5-65s
6-80s
7-85s

Brewing Session




There was really nothing remarkable about the brewing itself. I started off with roughly 5.5g as I do with most of my slightly aged shengs. Since the leaves were quite separated, I had decided to give the pu a very short wash as there was no need to have the water break up the leaves. You know exactly what I am talking about if you have brewed XiaGuan lately.

Aroma

The aroma from the sniffing cup was delicate and pleasant. It was very woody with a sweet floral character that is rarely found in the 7542 recipe. It also had a pleasant musk that kept most of the sweet notes in check. Musk is one of my favorite scents found in pu-erh and have found it in varying degrees in most slightly aged sheng. However, there was indeed a generous helping in this particular example. In later infusions, the floral notes had dissipated. However, the woodiness was very persistent which later coupled with grassy and the scent of raw legumes.

Taste

The liquor, as in the aroma was quite woody. However, it was a very sweet woodiness and not the quintessential wood that we find in more contemporary examples. I truly loved it. The liquor also contained notes of perfume, raw sugar with the ever so light touch of caramelized honey. Unfortunately, these were its high points. Although there was smoke in the initial infusions, it quickly had dissipated after the 3rd.

On the downside, the liquor's viscosity was lacking, which resulted in the flavors not staying on the tongue as long as I would have liked. Furthermore, the liquor lacked in brightness, generally as a result of a low acidity feeling. I like pu-erh to have lots of brightness as I believe that it separates the flavors. Though the liquor was sweet in the first infusions, it did not have a lasting huigan. It is not all bad, It was one of the clearest liquors I have drunk in recent memory and I did enjoy the chaqi with its warm and inviting sensations.

Spent Leaves




The leaves were very different than you would find in a 7542. They were not masticated as most factory fare. I as you can see, it appears that they used a combination of a 2 leaves - one bud prescription with a combination of larger leaves.

Final Impressions

The 2003 Henry did not impress me as much as I had hoped; however, it did have its moments. I loved the pine and musk notes which seemed to be everywhere in this example. I've never had a pu-erh with this amount and concentration of pine. It was definitely different. Furthermore, although the Henry was inspired by the 7542 famous recipe of the MengHai Factory, the recipe number is practically all that the two would have in common. The 7542 examples which I have tasted have the MengHai taste and are relatively more aggressive. However, the Henry was not.

The Henry did not give me the feeling of a Spring tea. In fact it was more reminiscent of a late harvest or Autumn tea. I have yet to receive an Autumn feeling from a MengHai Factory 7542. Of course being an insipired beeng of the 7542 it shouldn't be the same.

After looking at the spent leaves, I did find what appeared to be Autumn leaves, although I am not certain if this is truly the case. They appeared large enough to be. All in all, it was an average beeng. However, this is the beauty of pu-erh, I may find that in 5 years I will have something to celebrate!

2003 LiMing Factory Early Spring MengHai Arbor Beeng

LiMing Factory




The LiMing Tea Factory is the largest state-owned pu-erh operation in Yunnan. Early in 1955, a group of 13 Army soldiers demobilized to Xishuangbanna and subsequently built the state owned factory LiMing. In 1964 Liming Factory had assembled a sterling team to start colonization of the tea production in mid-March of that year. Through savvy business sense and determination, they gradually turned the LiMing Factory into one of the largest tea factories in Yunnan.


LiMing Factory Today


Today, the LiMing Factory is part of the Yunnan Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd. (YARG) which currently has access to 60,000 acres of high quality tea growths. YARG continuously attempts to improve the production of tea utilizing new tea production technology and science striving to produce innovative pu-erh products.



Product

Initial Impression

The LiMing Factory has a variety of products and one of their best sellers is the Ba Jiao Ting beeng. This particular beeng is composed of early spring arbor maocha as instructed by the cotton wrapper. The mao cha appears to be of choice and lightly pressed. According to the Yunnan Sourcing, it was stored in KuMing for a time so it has aged in a drier environment. The dry leaf had delicate notes of cocoa, tobacco, and cucumber - Clean.



Brewing Session and Impressions


Vendor Yunnan Sourcing
Brewing Parameters

Amount - 5.5g

Brewing Method - Gongfu

Brewing vessle - Yixing Zhuni Shuiping 150ml

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-25s
4-35s
5-60s
6-75s
7-85s
8-100s
9-121s
10-140s


I first contemplated as to how much leaf I would use. Being that it was slightly aged, at times I ambivalent as to whether I would use less leaf or use a longer steeping time. I ultimately decided on a longer brewing time. Why was I in conflict you might ask? Well, typically as pu-erh ages, it requires more leaf to receive the optimal flavor. However, from aroma of the dry leaf, I was somewhat leary in using more leaf. The notes were dark, and as a consequence, I was uncertain as to how the infusions would react with more leaf. Furthermore, more leaf would mean that I would be drinking much more tea! Not a bad thing of course, but I don't want to drink more than I would enjoy.

The first infusion verified my assumptions. Although I do love tobacco and chocolate (which I call dark) I believe that they tend to eventually get somewhat heavy on the palate, thus potentially numbing other flavors in later infusions.

The aroma had layers of tobacco, cocoa, which subtly transformed into more fresh notes in later infusions. By the 5th infusion, the aroma had transformed more into honey, orchids, molasses.

The liquor was quite clear with an amber gloss. Although it is of 2003 vintage, the liquor appeared much more mature. The way that it had legs (vino term referring to the ability of the liquor to grab the cup)that it would have a nice viscosity. Indeed, it was nicely thick which coated my tongue and the insides of my cheeks. The first infusions were bold with and assertive bite, albeit not intimidating. It had a nice acidity which had seemed to have cleansed my palate with each each cup preparing my mouth for the next.

Their were notes of leather, tobacco, melon, honey, pine and chocolate which varied in intensity as the sessions progressed. This pu-erh somewhat surprised me in that I was prepared myself for a liquor that was a bit more matured. However, the adolescence of this pu-erh was quite bold with a nice oomph; definitely something worth storing. The throat feel was soothing but very active. However, I do not believe it was old growth as the sensations in my throat were not indicative of old growth. I could be wrong of course. The chaqi was quite soothing which seemed to be concentrated in the forehead area.

Spent Leaves



Final Impressions

This beeng was not conventional to say the least. When I think of MengHai material, I tend to think more stability in terms of flavors. However, the palate was quite colorful. They were bright and separated. Having been stored in KunMing for 7 years, I was somewhat taken back that it was still quite assertive. Although not unusual for a 7 year, but unusual in the sense that the color was much deeper. ** Correction, Scott of YS has just informed me that the beeng was actually stored in Xishaungbanna before he acquired it this year. This of course explains its darker color.** All in all, it was an average tea which will undoubtably become much better with age.

1994 MengHai Factory 7542 Chi Tse Beeng Cha "Seven Son Tea Cake"

The 7542 recipe is a classic CNNP recipe which was first used in 1975. For those of you have not taken the time to inform yourselves on how to read a factory code, it is quite simple. The first two numbers represent the year that the recipe was developed, the 3rd number is the grade of leaves that were used and the last number represents the origin of factory. Lastly, the number 2 represents which factory had produced it. This coding system was instilled after the the China Tea Corporation had transferred its pu-erh manufacturing oversight to the China National Native Produce & Animal By-products Import & Export Corporation, or its more widely used abbreviation the CNNP.



Under the auspicious of the CNNP, state manufactured pu-erh went through a couple of Small, although significant changes to the pu-erh collecting world. No longer were cakes labelled as "Round Tea Cakes", but henceforth, all state produced pu-erh cakes were to be called Seven Son Tea Cakes. Secondly, the inner description ticket was also introduced at this time. The Seven Son Tea Cake would undoubtedly make its mark in pu-erh history which of course is still being written today.

Initial Impressions

The dry leaf had virtually no wet-stored aroma. In fact, it was very difficult to acquire any notes at all. Not a problem of course. The leaves do correspond to the grade in the recipe with nice golden buds sprinkled on the surface. I saw no visual indications that the beeng was stored improperly - no frost, and no leaf deterioration . The leaves were loosely compacted which could easily be pried off effortlessly.

Vendor's Note

This beeng is from a new pu-erh store on Ebay - Sampan Tea. I have gotten to know Eloi, the proprietor, through a series of emails, and fortunately have been able to taste a few of his teas!

Interestingly, Eloi is based out of Montreal where he is a professional brewer at a local micro-brewery called "Le Cheval Blanc". His love of food chemistry had inadvertently introduced him to the world of pu-erh in 2003. Since his introduction to pu-erh, he has been on a quest for the perfect. His journey has led him live in China where he has had the privilege of drinking, sampling, visiting tea farms and researching tea with other fellow tea enthusiast of which were more than happy to share their own passion, and most importantly, there knowledge. Eloi has continued his tea relationships which have grown his personal knowledge and love exponentially. It is this passion for leaf that has driven him to start Sampan Tea. I wish him luck!

Brewing Parameters

Amount - 5.9g

Brewing Method - Gongfu

Brewing Vessel - Yixing Zhuni Teapot 150ml

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-25s
4-35s
5-50s
6-75s
7-85s
8-95s
9-105s
10-120s
11-135s
12-150s

Brewing Session

The aroma was quite nice. The first infusions were very much fresh with notes of caramelized honey, slight hints of musk and raw flour dough. No dampness or mustiness were present. The initial notes seemed to be in equal harmony with no one particular note overpowering the other. In the later infusions the aroma notes subtly became more organic where notes of wood, hay and earth had become the theme.



The liquor was woody, albeit not overpowering. There were notes of toasted grain which seemed to give the liquor a nice meaty quality. Additionally, it was totally absent of bitterness and was quite mellow with a decent huigan. The flavors were still very noticeable after the swallow with a finish that did not get heavy on the palate. Even after the 7th infusion the color was still wonderfully dark and rich - of course a good sign of quality. I could of received more than 12 infusions, but being the 12th round alone, I was starting to get a little full. There was really no transformation or nuances to speak of. In fact, it the flavor was quite consistent. This is certainly not a bad thing. The liquor had a nice silky feeling that coated the throat and tongue nicely. As for the Chaqi, I had become very comfortable and very relaxed.

Spent Leaves




Looks like big factory fare which correspond to the recipe leaf grade.

Final Impressions

The tea was indicative of MengHai. It was a decent and clean brew and very much on par with other similar beengs that I have tasted.
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I initially believed that the beeng has acquired some wet storage, which I am still leaning towards due to its lack of complexity. However, after examining the leaves, I am somewhat ambivalent towards this conclusion. On one hand, its lack of palate development does in fact lead me to believe that it did acquire at some point some wet storage condition. However, when examining the spent leaves they look very consistent in what you would find with a dried stored product.

I do not want to give you the impression that it is a bad tea. In fact, I enjoyed it very much and is possibly a good representation of this era. I am just trying to speculate on its history as all collectors should do. As for my conclusions, I believe that this beeng indeed was wet stored. However, it was only for a brief period, and then, masterfully and artfully allowed to dry thoroughly in dry storage conditions. If it makes you feel more comfortable to think of wet-storage as "Hong Kong Storage" then perhaps we should call it that. Many beengs from Hong Kong are ripen much faster than those stored than let's say KunMing. Nevertheless, I assume this beeng was stored in a wetter climate for a period.

This beeng was delightful to drink. This example highlights why people starting off on their collecting venture should stock up on the time honored recipes.

The idea of dry vs. wet storage is an academic discussion that I wish not to get into on this post. However, wet stored beengs are not bad at all and it is tragic that many novices are way too fast to discredit them as a consequence of their misinformation. I have not encountered a vendor that does not have "some" wet stored pu-erh in their stock. In fact, some of the most prized beengs that are being sold which I have had the privledge of tasting have at one time wet stored. Yes, and they are being sold from VERY reputable vendors, and why shouldn't they! Chances are that if you purchase an older beeng especially from the Hong Kong area, it has gone through some wet storage. Simply stated, WET STORED IS NOT BAD!

2005 Xi-Zhi Hao " Double Happiness" Lao BanZhang Shan Sheng

To all my readers, I would like to first apologize for my absence. I have been quite busy but now things seem to be letting.

Lao BanZhang Mountain

I am sure that many of you are quite familiar with Lao Banzhag Shan. However, if you are not, Lao Banzhang Mountain is growing area which contains an abundance of ancient tea trees located on the North West slope of Bulang Shan. This region's pu-erh is possibly one of the world's most sought after due to its aging capability and aggressiveness. Aficionados will go through great lengths to add Lao Banzhang to their collections and will pay an exuberant amount of money to do so. Nada of the the tea blog A Felicific Life has provide an exciting intimate look of Lao Banzhang village for those interested. I recommend that you do. You can also read more about Lao Banzhang in a previous review of the Mengyang Guoyan Lao Banzhang which also details Lao Banzhang in greater detail.


Product Information

Xi-Zhi (Double Happiness)Hao is the brain child of pu-erh collector and aficionado Mr. Chen. Having its inception in 1997 just at the time when CNNP allowed privatization of pu-erh factories, the San Ho Tang the manufacturer of Xi-Zhi Hao and have begun to take the pu-erh world by storm. Mr. Chen is known to personally scavenge tea forest to find the best mao cha and painstakingly oversees every aspect of the manufacturing process. All of his products are unadulterated leaves. If it reads Lao Banzhang than you can rest assure this is what it contains. This particular beeng is made of mao cha from semi-plantation that was sun dried in the traditional way and subsequently stone pressed. If you pay close attention to the image above which is displayed on the wrapper you will notice that it is a bit risque, they are called " Chun-Gong which means Spring Mension" figures. Please visit the HouDe Blog for more information.

This is truly a hand crafted product.

Initial Impression




The leaves were obviously stone pressed. Although they did not appear to be aged almost 4 years, the "greenness" of the leaves that you would find in younger sheng has dissipated a bit. What odor the leaves did omit were floral and deep honey. Some of the leaves had an abundance of down on their underside and most had long stems. It had a very healthy gloss that you would find in a well manufactured pu-erh.


Session




Brewing Parameters


Water-Bottle spring water, generic brand. Source of water Lafayette Springs, WS

Amount – 5.6g

Water Temp - Boil then cooled for 2 breaths

Brewing Vessel - Yixing Zhuni Shuiping Teapot 150ml

Method – Gongfu

Infusion times
1-15s
2-12s
3-16s
4-30s
5-45s
6-65s

Liquor - The liquor was somewhat on the greenish side for 3 1/2 years of aging. However, it was wonderfully clear which indicative a good 'kill green' stage. It had a nice sheen to it which reflected light very well. Lovely.


Aroma - The aroma in the cup had many layers which revealed themselves as the liquor cooled in the sniffing cup. There were notes of dried hay, vegtal, muted honey, layers of dried wood, all laced with the too familar and wonderful sweet aroma of pu-erh. In later infusions, the aroma began to resemble raw legumes again with the pronounced woodiness. A very clean aroma.

Tasting - In understanding that the tea I was drinking was Lao Banzhang, I had prepared my mind for an aggressive tasting tea. My first impression of the first two infusions were "Humm, I can take it, no big deal". Boy were my sentiments wrong by the third. The first two cups were somewhat subtly sweet with notes with wonderful woodiness. However, by the third, the liquor became dry (in the wine sense). The liquor had begun to be quite assertive. The muted flavors were starting to be challenged by the pronounced bitterness and acidity. I was worried that the bitterness would somehow over power the pleasant notes which would make for an unpleasant session, but to my surprise, it was a perfect balance. Notes of caramelized honey, dry grass and dried figs which seemed to permeate the insides of my cheeks, tongue, lips; it was everywhere . By the 5th infusion my entire mouth had become numb with flavor. Definitely a powerful brew. The chaqi was also starting to reveal itself by this time, but not in a comfortable sense. I began to perspire and feel light headed and hungry. By the end of the 6th infusion I decided that it was a good time to stop although I believe it could of gone for at least 3-4 more.


Spent Leaves




Final Impression

Considering my uneasiness with a few of their products lately this particular Xi-Zhi reminded me of how good Xi-Zhi can be. But to Xi-Zhi's credit, my impressions were made with the mid-range beengs that I had purchased. Although those aren't bad, you can certainly tell the difference between qualities from the more, I hate to say it, more expensive offerings. The liquor certainly did remind me of Lao BanZhang and I only wish I had a bag of money to buy much more. Now, if you please excuse me I am going to go and lie down.

2003 Yi-Chang GeDeng Shan Wild Arbor Sheng Beeng

According to early 19th century government records state, “…there once was a King Tea Tree on GeDeng Mountain that was a substantially bigger and taller than all the others that would yield a disproportionate amount of tea buds when compared to other tea trees. The local farmers would gather for a ceremony at this “King Tree” to thank the mountain for a bountiful and prosperous harvest.

GeDeng Mountain “Leather Stirrup Mountain” is situated next to the Kong Ming, YouLe and JiGuani Mountains. District records indicate that GeDeng’s annual tea production is over 250 metric tons which is generally picked by the local villages, the most notible of which are the villages of An Le and Xing Fa. Interestingly, the tea arbors which grow in GeDeng can at times are covered with white tomenta thus earning the nickname “Big White Tea” which can be dated back many years.

Factory Information

ChangTai Factory is owned and operated by the Shōtai Yunnan Tea Industry group in the city of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna. Shōtai Group has assets worth 50 million yuan, with an output of nearly 7,000 tons of quality Pu'er tea annually in over 500 different varieties making Shōtai a power player in the pu-erh business.

Shōtai Group has been a pioneer in establishing a tea industry for the benefit of agriculture and its farmers. With the recent prices of Mao cha, the Shōtai Group has been able to benefit of ethnic minority farmers in making a significant contribution to their local economies

Initial Impression




The beeng seemed to have been stored properly. It had a wonderful 'dry' aroma and the leaves looked quite healthy. The surface of the beeng seemed to show an abundance of tea buds. The leaves also appear to be aging nicely.

Water-Bottle spring water, generic brand. Source of water Lafayette Springs, WS

Amount – 5.5g

Water Temp - Boil then cooled for 2 breaths

Brewing Vessel - Yixing Teapot 150ml

Method – Gongfu

Infusion times
1-15s
2-12s
3-17
4-20
4-36s
5-40s
6-60s
7-90s


Tasting Notes



The color of the liquor was mesmerizing with its clear electric amber. The aroma had notes of pine, sweet grass wrapped in a flutter of camphor which turned somewhat fruitier in subsequent infusions. By the third infusion, I could smell a hint of dried plum. The liquor was dry which subtly transformed into a sweet palate although its sweetness did not last long. The liquor was highly acidic which gave the liquor a vibrant feeling. Additionally, the liquor had a silky viscosity which coated the tongue and throat nicely. It had a descent warming chaqi that came in spurts.

Spent Leaves



The leaves look healthy with a nice leaf to bud ratio. Not flimsy but had a nice weight to them. Definitely not over harvested leaves.

Overall Impressions

I enjoyed this tea. It can actually be drunk now in my opinion. With 5 years of aging, most of its harshness seems to have dissipated. It had interesting flavors and a nice chaqi. Although it did lack a nice lasting huigan, its complex flavors made up for the deficit. It was a good session.