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Mid 1980s loose raw puerh from Menghai Factory. I ordered from teamasters.

Very inoffensive and pleasant. I was hoping for stronger flavors but it was obviously very clean and well stored, so not much dankness to it.

Guy Juan wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 03, 2019 8:44 pm

Mid 1980s loose raw puerh from Menghai Factory. I ordered from teamasters.

I'm looking at their site pictures. Interesting how the leafs are preserved for almost 40 years of storage. Anything older than 10y I was lucky to come across in lose form , was broken leafs ( small parts ) because naturally they brake under it's weight in stored box. Not mentioning the fact that tea gets moved many times ( 40 years it's kinda a time )
Also brewed tea color I'd expect much darker , especially if Menghai and then TW storage ( both humid place ).

yesterday I had a loose tea leaf sheng from 1995 from Feng Qing . The company was making more green tea that time and so their processing of puerh was bit different from the nowadays.
It reminds Gong Ting shu puerh by it's appearance, but I recognize the concept and grade of tea leafs coz similar to Nanjian high mount. green tea ( they use to do the same way back then ) .
The tea was stored till 2005 in FQ in their factory and then in Kunming when they opened a shop here.
Tea taste was like Chinese traditional medicine in combination of Liu Bao earthy taste combined with dry Kunming touch. Dry nuts or something. It was not for sale , since they have only 3kg left ( family collection ) , yet I wouldn't purchase it as an old tea.
But interesting experience and nice people. I've learned lot's of interesting tea business related information while sipping the one of the FQ tea factory heritage

aet wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 03, 2019 9:37 pm

I'm looking at their site pictures. Interesting how the leafs are preserved for almost 40 years of storage. Anything older than 10y I was lucky to come across in lose form , was broken leafs ( small parts ) because naturally they brake under it's weight in stored box. Not mentioning the fact that tea gets moved many times ( 40 years it's kinda a time )
Also brewed tea color I'd expect much darker , especially if Menghai and then TW storage ( both humid place ).

Yeah It was good, but not worth the price. I think you can get more exciting teas in something 20 years newer. I think I am starting to figure out what cakes to buy. A couple shengs 10-15 years aged, a few shou’s (age doesn’t seem to affect these as much) and maybe 1 or 2 really young shengs like 3 - 4 years old. I like the DaYi’s ive tried but now I need to branch out a little from Menghai tea factory. I am still going through samples from a few places. I would choose the KTM stuff over the 80s from teamasters.

I am revisiting the YS 2000 Yiwu Sheng Pu Erh. Last time I tried was about 6 months ago, it had a strong old wood taste initially, after 6-8 brews, the aged sheng taste came to the surface, and by 12-14 brews, a typical sweetness taste, and that tea lasted so long. Today's first cup was much less old wood taste as I have been left it in a dry environment with good air flow to air it out, the brick is still so tightly compressed, a lot more pleasant than 6 months ago on the first few brews. I'll have to see how many brew this tea will last this time.

Just opened some 2018 Jingmai Love from Crimson Lotus. After having several Sheng that were 8+ years older, it was nice to have this bright and floral tea. Had an expected astringency that lingered in the back of the throat, in a pleasant way. I’ll open the Midas Touch next to compare, as it’s from older trees.

In the next few days I'll be finishing off a 2016 Jinggu "Zhan Shang" raw pu'er cake which I bought from Chawangshop when it came out. I have so many odd pieces to finish I have a feeling I'll working on them for the rest of the year...

Rui wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 06, 2019 6:51 am

In the next few days I'll be finishing off a 2016 Jinggu "Zhan Shang" raw pu'er cake which I bought from Chawangshop when it came out. I have so many odd pieces to finish I have a feeling I'll working on them for the rest of the year...

That's the great thing I'm learning about pu'er, you can have many open samples and cakes, and not have to over-worry about spoiling...like you do with most green teas.

Noonie wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 06, 2019 10:06 am

That's the great thing I'm learning about pu'er, you can have many open samples and cakes, and not have to over-worry about spoiling...like you do with most green teas.

Wont the puerh still dry out too much and go stale?

”Young Sheng” is all GTH mentioned about it’s age. Supposedly from 1,000-2,000 year old trees...regardless it’s a very clean tasting tea, but tastes more like a green tea or inbetween a green and puerh. I prefer my puerh to taste more like puerh but I can see how some would really like this one. It’s calles High Road from Global Tea Hut.

Guy Juan wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:24 pm

Noonie wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 06, 2019 10:06 am

That's the great thing I'm learning about pu'er, you can have many open samples and cakes, and not have to over-worry about spoiling...like you do with most green teas.

Wont the puerh still dry out too much and go stale?

They’re sealed and only sitting around for a month or less

Yesterday, had Xiaguan TeJi tuo from 2004 that went through HK wet storage. did 5g/100ml. Smoke was still present and similar in notes to Islay Port Charlotte whisky I was sipping night before - minus alcohol:). Then some slightly fruity and mineral tones in later steeps. Not bad at all. and kept going for 10 steepings.

@Noonie oh ok, I’m still trying to figure how long I can cupboard store before that happens...keeping them in plastic bags for now.

Guy Juan wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:21 am

Noonie oh ok, I’m still trying to figure how long I can cupboard store before that happens...keeping them in plastic bags for now.

Hey @Guy Juan I'm learning as well and hoping my current short term storage method is fine. If someone gave me a mini fridge that doesn't work, I would term it into a pumidor and geek out...but for now they're in plastic bags, in a container that is opened once a week. Though I do have five mini cakes (200-250g) and a bunch of samples to work through...so it may take me a while!

@Noonie I wonder if the taste of the fridge (plastic and metal) would be absorbed by the tea. That’s the only reason I haven’t geeked out on the project myself lol.