Home Set Up

Tea should be simple. I typically brew gongfu except when I make a good English Breakfast. Zhuni pot is one that I dedicate to Chinese black teas. Yes, I do also drink other teas.

Work Tea Time!

Very simple set up. Electric kettle, a cha hai, a Yixing pot, a porcelain gongfu tray.

The Chinese Tea Company - Brewing Puer Cha

Yunnan Pu Erh Tea Documentary 2

Yunnan Pu Erh Tea Documentary 1

I am thinking about reviving Ancient Tea Horse Road

Hello, I am not sure if anyone is still out there but I am thinking about possible reviving this tea blog. I have not stopped drinking tea and do so quite frequently. I have amassed a considerable amount of puerh tea over the years and are now starting to show their potential. Comments? Love tea!

Mid 80's Golden White Needle Shupu MengHai Factory

Golden White Needle Shupu from the MengHai Factory has definitely become one of my favorite ripe puerhs. The quality of the MengHai GWN, when compared to other big factory fare seems always to surpass my expectation -- it provides an artful balance between quality and price.

Being 20 years or more, I wasn't expecting too much in regards to aroma or longevity. After a few years of storage, it has been my experience that shupu rarely if ever will undergo a miraculous transition. Granted, shupu will get better with some age in terms of its mellowness, but for the most part there is no real advantage in aging shupu past 5 or 10 years. Why you ask? As a consequence of artificial fermentation the harshness which we find in young sheng has been for the most part lost or destroyed. Simply put, why age something that is already meant to emulate aged tea?

That said, shupu will never in my humble opinion be an "on par" replacement to sheng. This is not to say that there are not some fantastic shupu on the market with wonderful and vibrant flavors; indeed there are. Yet, shupu in my humble opinion does not generate the same romance of aged sheng which can only be achieved with time.

Initial Impressions

The leaves were wonderfully intact with virtually no breakage. Lovely color with no sign of infestation. The aroma was very woody and laced with a non-offensive dampness. The leaves correspond to a a higher grade when compared to your quintessential shupu. Overall, nice.

Brewing Parameters


Amount - 6g

Brewing vessel - Porcelain Gaiwan

Water Source - Natural Spring MI

Infusion times

1st - 30s
2nd - 20s
3rd - 45s
4th - 60s
5th - 75s
6th - 85s


Brewing Session

Aroma - The aroma corresponded with the dry aroma - very woody and pungent. There was and abundance of dampness, yet not offense. The dankness of the brew became sweet after the 4th infusion. More notes of wet hay and wood were revealed. For the most part, very typical for shupu.



Liquor - The liquor was wonderfully dark. A nice coffee hue and clear. Amazingly clear for shupu. Very sweet and comfortable down the the throat and in the earlier infusions, quite viscous. The woody notes were also quite apparent in the brew which and an amusing spiciness. All in all, not a disappointment.

Overall Impressions



The brew was nice, unfortunately, the age may have affected the longevity of the brew in regards to its flavors. Though aging shupu for a few years may benefit a shupu, IMHO, anything longer than 5-10 years, may actually negate the effects we strive for in a good shupu since most of the aging process has taken place during artificial fermentation. Nonetheless, the age provide for a very uncomplicated brew.

CopCo Stainless Steel Thermal

Ok, as many of you know, I rarely if ever review products on my blog, yet, I was so surprised with this one, I made an exception. I have always wanted a thermal that would do what it was designed to do - make great tea! Unfortunately, the products that I have test have all fallen short, except this one. I think CopCo had stolen my mental design since they created exactly what I have always pondered would make a great travel buddy.

Here are the Stats

Stainless Steel Thermal

Durable stainless steel construction with non-slip silicone grip

Removable infuser cap allows user to pour hot water directly over loose leaf tea or bag tea

Twist-to-stop steeping feature incorporated in sip-through lid

The function that I enjoy the most IS that I can remove the leaves without removing the basket! - Just a twist of the top dial voila! DONE! The leaves are removed from the infusion. You don't even have to discard the leaves until you are ready since twisting the dial, it creates a barrier between the water and the leaves. Lastly, for this thing to leak you practically have to play catch with it which means no spills to work, school, shopping, or what have you. It's great!

For more info : CopCo

MengHai Da-Yi "Yun Xian - Wu Tsi Den Ke" Series - Hao

This is the "Hao" beeng for the MengHai Da-Yi "Yun Xian" Wu Tsi Ke Series - Hao (Tips).

Again,like the previous beeng reviewed, the information for this particular beeng was again scarces. Yet, I do believe what MengHai was going after is showcasing a beeng with a high bud ratio which is obviously implied in the name - yet, you never know with puerh and Chinese translations.



The dry leaf does appear to have a slight higher bud ratio than your average beeng preseciption - but not much. I figured if you were going to showcase a beeng and name it "hao", it would be slightly "whiter", yet this was not the case.

Brewing Session

Method - Gaiwan 100ml

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-25s
4-40s
5-50s
6-85s
7-85s

Infusions


Aroma

Definitely still a very young tea even after almost 4 years of aging. There were quintessential aroma notes that you would find in a younger example; mostly floral, but almost candy like. There were wafting notes caramelized honey enveloped with a tad of smoke, though not offensive. The aromas were very strong and did not dissipate easily from the aroma cup nor from the brew itself. Wonderful.



In the latter infusions, the sweetness had transformed more into a vegetal quality allowing more of the muskiness to come through - a nice transition which helped to even out the session.

Taste

The liquor very much corresponded with the youth of the aroma. There were notes of rubber, smoke and very much astringent. However, after the 3rd infusion, in a surprising turn, the notes had transformed into a subtle leather and tobacco; interesting indeed. The astringency was still noticeable which is "ok" in a young and potent beeng. However, what concerns me is that after almost 4 years, it still has quite a bite. The acidity was impeccible, which made the liquor lively and bright. When you can get passed the astringency, there is a subtle huigan that in my opinion makes the astrigency worthwhile. The texture of the liquor was quite smooth which is somewhat suprising with its complex brassiness.


Spent Leaves



Ordinary Big Factory Fare


Final Impressions

What a punch! Very potent in all respects. It had a wonderful longevity and could of gone more rounds however decided to cut the session short as I was starting to feel the effects of drinking such a young tea. I assume that this been will age nicely however, if the astringency is still not in check in a couple of years, there may more concern. But I am going to be lenient only because it supposed to be slightly more bitter with its higher bud ratio. All in all, it was a potent brew which certainly lets you experience the strength of puerh. The cha qi was pleasant and short lived.

2006 MengHai Da-Yi "Yun Xian - Wu Tsi Den Ke" Series

The Wu Tsi Den Ke Series made quite a splash in '06. Although the hefty price tag seemed a bit excessive, many puerh fans grabbed them as soon as they came on the market leaving many DaYi fans in the dark.

The five cake Wu Tsi Den Ke Series were created to highlight the 5 different characters associated with Shengpu - and in very much a Chinese fashion. Wu Tsi Ke is a traditional Chinese blessing when roughly translated means "May your five children become great scholars". Don't you love this stuff?!

Unfortnately, not much is known about this series (or atleast I coudln't find any) other than each of the cakes were allegedly made from a very special prescription to show case the five predominant charactersisitcs in flavor and material of pu-erh: Aged, High-Mountain, Tender Tips, Honey and Rock.

I have chosen to review Chen "aged" first - after all the litmus test for pu-erh is whether or not it will have the capacity for aging - Chen will be my first of five installments.

Initial Impressions

When the leaves were compared to the other examples of the series, there seemed to be a noticeable darker hue. Whether this implies that the prescription used to make the beeng is older than the others, I guess it is difficult to say since dark leaves do not always correlate with age. In it's dry state, the leaves did not provide any scent. However, after the rinse almost in an instant my gaiwan suddenly came alive with wonderful whiffs consisting of deep pungent notes of wood, and what I tend to call the scent of "old books". Additionally, there was also a noticeable hint of smoke making the aroma quite masculine.

The leaves appeared to be of higher grade. Though this is difficult to tell with blended material since blends are generally masticated in order to provide the needed consistency throughout a blended beeng - from the leaves which were somewhat intact (in that I can determine width)they resembled 1-4 grades.

Parameters

Amount - 5g

Method - Gongfu Gaiwan 150ml

Infusion times

1-15s
2-12s
3-20s
4-35s
5-55s
6-75s
7-85s
8-95s
9-120s

Brewing Session




Aroma

The aroma was delicately floral- suprising to say the least since the initial aromas did not point this direction. There were sweet notes laced with a buttery essence; interesting. Definitely rich and pungent. Smoke though faint was also noticeable. The latter infusions were very much consistent with the first yet would vary tremendously from infusion to infusion.

Taste

I found the taste of the liquor quite rustic with its overtones of wood and spice. Generally, when I speak of wood notes, it is to denote the quintessential wood that one finds in pu-erh; however, this is different. I could actually determine an oak quality that was very much reminiscent of a scotch like palate. In the latter infusions, the notes became more earthy sweet with notes of mushroom and dark malt that became medicinal as the liquor cooled on the palate.

The chayun for was wonderfully active. The liquor tantalized the sides of my tongue and the roof of my mouth. There was also a unique sharpness which coupled well with the huigan. Definitely a viscus concoction which made the session quite satisfying.


Spent Leaves




Nothing remarkable about the spent leaves. Appears to be classic 'big factory' fare. There seems to be a good ratio of buds within this prescription.

Final Impressions

The only thing really off putting about this example is the hefty price tag. I really enjoyed it. The aromas were captivating; the clarity, color and activity of the liquor kept things moving. Best of all, the flavors did not tire the palate as some of the more assertive examples can easily do. The recipe appears to have been created with aging capacity in mind in that the aging characteristics needed for aging pu-erh were all present. Oh, a warming chaqi.

1998 MengHai Factory 8582 Sheng Beeng

Apologise to my readers for the long delay in posting. Rest assure that I do not plan on killing my blog. Please look foreword for other reviews in the VERY near future!




I was readjusting my pu closet and to my surprise had found this little nugget of gold - A sample of 8582 that I had purchased sometime back! I love it when this happens.

Well, for many of you, I am sure that 8582 needs no introduction since it certainly has become a perennial favorite for many; and rightly so. Current aged examples are quite delicious and seem to age just as well as other "higher grade" leaf. I think I need to explain what I mean by higher grade. Many tea drinkers who begin to collect too more often than not assume that higher grade of mao cha is more suitable for aging than others. Well, this is not entirely so. The grade of the leaf only corresponds to the size of the leaf and has really nothing to do with its quality. For instance, when we have a MengHai Dayi 06(2)2 recipe, we can assume that the majority of the tea will have finer and more bud like leaves since the number in the paren will always indicate leaf grade - in this case it is a 2. However as I had previously stated, this will not always translate into a cake which will age. In fact, many cakes which are considered finer grade are not showing promise at all.

Now back to the 85(8)2. As will notice, the leaf grade in this recipe is a grade of 8. This will mean that the Marjory of the beeng will be composed of 8 grade leaves - generally bigger and heartier fare. The 8582 has become a perennial classic since many of the older 8582 are showing great signs of promise. I like them in my own collection for this very reason.


Water - Generic Spring Water

Infusions

1 Rinse

1-15s
2-10s
3-15s
4-21s
5-26s
6-34s
7-41s
8-68s

Impressions




Aroma

I was surprised that there was still a hint of honey in the aroma. Albeit faint, it was still noticeable. The dominant aromas however were hay and pleasing wood aromas. Latter infusions were somewhat sweeter which with an ever so lovely musk. The aromas were long and lasting and did not dissipate easily from the aroma cup. Nice potency.

Taste

The flavors were richly brite and slightly tannic and acidic- though not obtuse, but delicate which complimented the richness of the liquor quite well. As in the aroma, the wood notes were dominant which transformed on the palate as it cooled on the tongue. The texture and viscosity were impeccable making the throat feel comfortable which the swallow.


Final Impressions

It was an orthodox puerh. It was enjoyable but was not as inviting as I had hoped. The huigan was lacking which did not correspond well with the sweetness of the aroma. On a good note, the chaqi was pleasant and comfortable.