Pesticide odor from '04 & '12 Xiaguan

Puerh and other heicha
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:23 am

I've noticed two boxed tuos from 2012 and some 2004 JiaJi autumn tuos have a strong pesticide carrier odor that really puts me off wanting to drink them! Has anyone else noticed this issue? Some of the 2012s were sourced from an authorized dealer in Kunming and the 04s and 200g 2012 tuo were from a reputable dealer in Guangdong, so it appears to be a factory issue vs a warehouse issue. The smell is strong enough that I don't want to touch the stuff! I did sample the 04 yesterday and while it had all the right aged notes and was pleasant to drink, the initial odor from the tuo wasn't something I could get past. :?
Chadrinkincat
Posts: 902
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 8:16 pm
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Contact:

Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:58 am

Maybe they absorbed the odor from what ever was used to make the cardboard box they come in. I haven't noticed any bad odors from the 04 boxed tuos I have though.
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Wed Jan 10, 2018 9:26 am

Chadrinkincat wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:58 am
Maybe they absorbed the odor from what ever was used to make the cardboard box they come in. I haven't noticed any bad odors from the 04 boxed tuos I have though.
Dunno about the '04 boxed tuos but my bagged '04 JiaJi have the same odor as the boxed 2012s! And from different sources!
User avatar
Stephen
Posts: 227
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:26 pm
Location: Bay Area, California

Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:09 pm

Could the odor come from packaging (paper, ink, boxes, etc?) That's were I notice most chemical odors. I'm usually cautious if there's a harsh feeling on the throat combined with unpleasant body feelings, but sounds like they drink okay? Perhaps you could unwrap and air them out for a while and see if the odor dissipates.
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:14 pm

Stephen wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:09 pm
Could the odor come from packaging (paper, ink, boxes, etc?) That's were I notice most chemical odors. I'm usually cautious if there's a harsh feeling on the throat combined with unpleasant body feelings, but sounds like they drink okay? Perhaps you could unwrap and air them out for a while and see if the odor dissipates.
No, I have around 250 Xiaguan tuos. Only specific 2004 (JiaJi) and specific 2012 boxed tuos have this odor. It isn't from the packaging, which doesn't have the odor (just the tea). I tried some of the '04 and felt crappy, but it might have been confirmation bias as the smell is so much like Raid. I do have a tuo airing out on my desk now, but I've arranged for the return of some of the tea. The dealer can't detect the odor and when I told them about the issue, they drank some of the '04 JiaJi right then! :lol:

Some of the 2012s (different boxes) are from Guangdong dry storage and some are direct from a large volume Xiaguan dealer in Kunming. Both have the same odor, so it isn't a storage issue either!
User avatar
Stephen
Posts: 227
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:26 pm
Location: Bay Area, California

Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:24 pm

tealifehk wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:14 pm
No, I have around 250 Xiaguan tuos. Only specific 2004 (JiaJi) and specific 2012 boxed tuos have this odor. It isn't from the packaging, which doesn't have the odor (just the tea). I tried some of the '04 and felt crappy, but it might have been confirmation bias as the smell is so much like Raid. I do have a tuo airing out on my desk now, but I've arranged for the return of some of the tea. The dealer can't detect the odor and when I told them about the issue, they drank some of the '04 JiaJi right then! :lol:

Some of the 2012s (different boxes) are from Guangdong dry storage and some are direct from a large volume Xiaguan dealer in Kunming. Both have the same odor, so it isn't a storage issue either!
That's good you can return some of it. I wonder why tea pressed 8 years apart and from different storage would have similar issues?

I did once buy tea that smelled almost like it was fumigated. Very different from the same tea I had bought before. I wondered if the warehouse was fumigated somewhere along the way.
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:28 pm

Stephen wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:24 pm
tealifehk wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:14 pm
No, I have around 250 Xiaguan tuos. Only specific 2004 (JiaJi) and specific 2012 boxed tuos have this odor. It isn't from the packaging, which doesn't have the odor (just the tea). I tried some of the '04 and felt crappy, but it might have been confirmation bias as the smell is so much like Raid. I do have a tuo airing out on my desk now, but I've arranged for the return of some of the tea. The dealer can't detect the odor and when I told them about the issue, they drank some of the '04 JiaJi right then! :lol:

Some of the 2012s (different boxes) are from Guangdong dry storage and some are direct from a large volume Xiaguan dealer in Kunming. Both have the same odor, so it isn't a storage issue either!
That's good you can return some of it. I wonder why tea pressed 8 years apart and from different storage would have similar issues?

I did once buy tea that smelled almost like it was fumigated. Very different from the same tea I had bought before. I wondered if the warehouse got fumigated somewhere along the way.
I did originally think the tea had been hit with some kind of fumigant in storage, but all of the other tea from these respective warehouses is perfect, so I think it's a pesticide issue. As baisao here told us, there is often a petrochemical carrier used to disperse pesticides. I think the carrier stuck to the tea leaves and really got in there. Even if the tea passes muster when tested, there is no testing for petrochemical residues I don't think. I wonder if the tea would be easy to ignite? :lol:

I do wonder if the odor would dissipate by airing out; it might take a yea or so. I'll take the lids off the 2012 stuff I can't return and see if that helps.
User avatar
Bok
Vendor
Posts: 5782
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:55 am
Location: Taiwan

Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:49 am

I noticed that every package I ever received via taobao had a very bad smell, so it might be an issue with how things are packaged and send in China?
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Thu Jan 11, 2018 6:49 am

No, all of the other tea from the same shipments was fine! Just these particular tuos.
User avatar
Psyck
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:41 am
Location: Bangalore, India

Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:01 am

Why not get them tested for pesticides in a lab like many vendors appear to be doing nowadays?
User avatar
Elise
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:22 pm
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:39 am

Some large Chinese packing tape have an incredibly strong synthetic glue smell. But you said only the tea was affected and not the paper box... :?:
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:00 pm

Elise wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:39 am
Some large Chinese packing tape have an incredibly strong synthetic glue smell. But you said only the tea was affected and not the paper box... :?:
Yup, and only certain tea within a box (multiple teas per shipment)!
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:00 pm

Psyck wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:01 am
Why not get them tested for pesticides in a lab like many vendors appear to be doing nowadays?
Costs thousands of USD per tea! :lol: I only have 1-5 tuos each of these three teas (samples)!
User avatar
CWarren
Posts: 174
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:36 pm

Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:48 pm

It’s all in your head. Now drink your poison tea and be happy. If it really bothers you buy some nose plugs. :lol:
User avatar
tealifehk
Vendor
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:49 pm

CWarren wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:48 pm
It’s all in your head. Now drink your poison tea and be happy. If it really bothers you buy some nose plugs. :lol:
I'm considering selling off bits so people can get to know the odor!
Post Reply