High-Quality Tea Subscriptions?

[pantry]

To the contrary, I personally like punchy Puerh. Perfect for a nicely muting Pines Zisha, haha Thank you for recommending spacing it out! I was thinking the same thing. I have read time can really transform maocha. It’s a nice pouch full, I haven’t weighed it, but it will certainly last many sessions.

Oh no! Fresh sheng in a zini? How sacrilegious! Haha j/k, but really I find zini really does a disservice to young tea. Not that I don’t use it on young sheng occasionally but mostly out of convenience and curiosity. Other than a gaiwan, I’d go with a pot that doesn’t retain heat as much, mutes little to none, and accentuates the tea‘s aroma. For me Fall is the time to start enjoying fresh sheng from the Spring harvest, but that’s just my own preference

[Bok]

@pantry not all Zini is alike. Most of my antique Zini are not muting the least, very good for fresh teas

Always question the status quo and consensus.

[pantry]

pantry not all Zini is alike. Most of my antique Zini are not muting the least, very good for fresh teas

Always question the status quo and consensus.

You’re absolutely correct! I should be more careful with my wording haha! @TeaTotaling referred to his muting pines zini though! That, at least, I know about .

@TeaTotaling Revision: I would only use the diamond grade on younger sheng!

[TeaTotaling]

@Janice Good to know, thank you for the helpful information!

I love comparing and contrasting our own tastes with each other. I guess I’m so used to young Sheng, this particular Nannuo I found to be hardly bitter. Even on long infusions! Much more floral and creamy for me.

I’m also finding aged Sheng to be so incredibly smooth and mellow, I was asking myself, “ Am I missing something?”

Geeking out on aromas, flavors, and texture amongst fellow tea drinkers is a good time!

[TeaTotaling]

pantry not all Zini is alike. Most of my antique Zini are not muting the least, very good for fresh teas

Always question the status quo and consensus.

You’re absolutely correct! I should be more careful with my wording haha! TeaTotaling referred to his muting pines zini though! That, at least, I know about .

TeaTotaling Revision: I would only use the diamond grade on younger sheng!

@pantry Please don’t be careful with your wording...at least when it’s directed my way! This is a perfect example, because @Bok brought up an excellent point, which lead me to a revealing comparison.

I put the same 2019 Kunlu Shan Wild Sheng in my modern Zini, which I have used with young Sheng for over 6 months (not ), next to my antique Zini and brewed them side by side.

My experience on doing this comparison for the first time:

1. GongJu Zini produces a much smoother liquor, the liquor is also noticeably richer in the cup over infusions. Modern Zini seems to be thicker as well.

2. Aroma seems to be more pronounced in the GongJu. Definitely noticeable in the empty cup.

3. Flavor of the GongJu has more depth, with significantly less bitterness! It captures the same high notes as the modern Zini, but without the sharpness.

**Side notes:

1. I have noticed this particular modern Zini seems to be higher fired, and not as porous and muting as some other modern Zini.

2. The GongJu seems more porous, but doesn’t mute the higher notes, all the while attenuating bitterness.

@pantry I was planning on using my Diamond Grade for young Sheng when it arrives. Once I thought I had a finger on the different clay performance of my pots, I was thrown for a loop.

[Janice]

Janice Good to know, thank you for the helpful information!

I love comparing and contrasting our own tastes with each other. I guess I’m so used to young Sheng, this particular Nannuo I found to be hardly bitter. Even on long infusions! Much more floral and creamy for me.

I’m also finding aged Sheng to be so incredibly smooth and mellow, I was asking myself, “ Am I missing something?”

Geeking out on aromas, flavors, and texture amongst fellow tea drinkers is a good time!

Do you mind sharing your brewing parameter for the Nannuo? I’d like to give it another try.

[TeaTotaling]

Janice Good to know, thank you for the helpful information!

I love comparing and contrasting our own tastes with each other. I guess I’m so used to young Sheng, this particular Nannuo I found to be hardly bitter. Even on long infusions! Much more floral and creamy for me.

I’m also finding aged Sheng to be so incredibly smooth and mellow, I was asking myself, “ Am I missing something?”

Geeking out on aromas, flavors, and texture amongst fellow tea drinkers is a good time!

Do you mind sharing your brewing parameter for the Nannuo? I’d like to give it another try.

I sure will, although if you noticed some bitterness in your brew, mine is likely to induce more. I enjoy a full bodied brew, personally.

I brewed it side by side, one in antique Zini, the other in a thicker stoneware Gaiwan...Spring water brought to boiling in stainless steel, immediately poured over leaves. First infusion was about 1min., adding a minute + to each subsequent infusion. Both brewing vessels were preheated, and dry leaves were left to warm in brewing vessels for a short time.

[TeaTotaling]

I wonder if there are tea subscriptions you would consider worthwhile.

I would only consider a subscription offering a well curated, small amount of high-quality teas as a way to learn and discover. I would not want to receive amounts of tea that would make up a significant fraction of what I drink. I also would not want to get teas that are, on average, of lower quality than what I would tend to select myself. I do not mind if shipments are monthly or less frequent, or if they contain more of a single tea, or many smaller samples.

Do you know of tea subscriptions that would, in your opinion, fit that purpose?

Did you ever sign up for a subscription?

[pantry]

I brewed it side by side, one in antique Zini, the other in a thicker stoneware Gaiwan...Spring water brought to boiling in stainless steel, immediately poured over leaves. First infusion was about 1min., adding a minute + to each subsequent infusion. Both brewing vessels were preheated, and dry leaves were left to warm in brewing vessels for a short time.

How much tea did you use, and what’s the pot sizes? A full minute for the first infusion sounds quite intense!

[TeaTotaling]

I brewed it side by side, one in antique Zini, the other in a thicker stoneware Gaiwan...Spring water brought to boiling in stainless steel, immediately poured over leaves. First infusion was about 1min., adding a minute + to each subsequent infusion. Both brewing vessels were preheated, and dry leaves were left to warm in brewing vessels for a short time.

How much tea did you use, and what’s the pot sizes? A full minute for the first infusion sounds quite intense!

Thanks for pointing that out! Missing two crucial points guy, c'mon!

6 grams in about 130ml for the Zisha, and 3 grams in about 80ml for the Gaiwan. I like a stronger infusion, but this also helps me to find the true character of the tea.

[faj]

Did you ever sign up for a subscription?

No, actually. Ultimately, I tend to be more interested in choosing from any given vendor's product list rather than going blind.

What it would take to convince me, I think, would be either :

• Smaller quantities of very high quality teas. Getting to know really good stuff I might want to purchase afterward. In other words, high-quality sampling, knowing I will not explore each tea I get in any depth unless I order more.
• Larger quantities of teas I know and love from a vendor that would allow me to chose from their inventory at a discount in exchange for a commitment toward a minimum order once every two or three months for at least a year. In other words, large amounts of stuff I know I like.

If a vendor is going to take away my ability to chose, they need to convince me they will send me really high-quality products. I do not want to risk getting bags and bags of tea I do not like much.

[pantry]

Did you ever sign up for a subscription?

No, actually. Ultimately, I tend to be more interested in choosing from any given vendor's product list rather than going blind.

What it would take to convince me, I think, would be either :

• Smaller quantities of very high quality teas. Getting to know really good stuff I might want to purchase afterward. In other words, high-quality sampling, knowing I will not explore each tea I get in any depth unless I order more.
• Larger quantities of teas I know and love from a vendor that would allow me to chose from their inventory at a discount in exchange for a commitment toward a minimum order once every two or three months for at least a year. In other words, large amounts of stuff I know I like.

If a vendor is going to take away my ability to chose, they need to convince me they will send me really high-quality products. I do not want to risk getting bags and bags of tea I do not like much.

Let me preface by saying that I’m not trying to convince you to subscribe to EoT. I actually am on my way out as I enter the next phrase of my tea exploration.

However, in my experience they somewhat meet your requirements. Each month you get about 50g (on average) of quality tea that they curate specifically for their tea club. Once in a while, they might be able to offer members to purchase more at 20% discount. If not, you now have learned about this new tea that you may carry forwards your knowledge/experience for future tea purchases/exploration.

Of course there will be teas that might not interest you as much (for me it’s those ripe puerh months), but 50g is also not a whole lot. There’s really no commitment to subscribe for the whole year. You can try a few months and find out for yourself!

[klepto]

I had just signed up with EoT's club and got my first one. For me it was a wash but I heard that a lot of good tea comes from this tea club so I'll stay on.

[faj]

Let me preface by saying that I’m not trying to convince you to subscribe to EoT. I actually am on my way out as I’m entering the next phrase of my tea exploration.

Their subscription may be the one I have thought about the most. However, I am not experienced with the kind of teas they are focused on. I actually have my first order from EoT on the way (shipped long, long ago...). I think after getting through the teas I ordered I will be better equipped to say if a subscription might make sense.

If I may ask, are you leaving that subscription because you are moving to other types of teas than those offered by EoT? Or to try different sources? Higher-end teas?

If not, you now have learned about this new tea that you may carry forwards your knowledge/experience for future tea purchases/exploration.

I have this idea (futile hope?) that as time passes, I will be able to have a increasing proportion of my tea drinking dedicated to teas I really like, and subscriptions kind of go against that thinking if most of the time you cannot get more of the stuff you like. Obviously, there is always value in lessons learned, either positive or negative...

[TeaTotaling]

I had just signed up with EoT's club and got my first one. For me it was a wash but I heard that a lot of good tea comes from this tea club so I'll stay on.

I wouldn’t dismiss this current months offering just yet, as @pantry noted, Maocha can take a few months to develop. We shall see!

I did purchase a few cakes of Sheng, both aged and young, and I have been pleased thus far! The Aged Sheng I had this morning had a deep energy. Very clean as well.