TeaForum.org

Victoria wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:12 pm

I drive an Audi, great car.
Youzi’s post regarding an expensive Niurou Wuyi oolong, reminded me of a 2088 Tea from KyaraZen I got a while ago, so I added it to my original list at beginning of thread. It was described as having Siberian Deer Musk notes 39$ for 7 grams. He wrote a nice article about the artisanal tea maker at the time. I’ve been saving it to share during one of our tastings, although with this lockdown, I’m tempted to just go for it.
2088 Tea 2015 Wu Yuan Jian Ban Tian Yao Handmade (Singapore)
https://www.2088tea.com/

Also, interesting he recommended to steep this yancha with just 3.5g/120ml/off boiling/7,7,10sec. Practically half the leaf I’d typically use.

Oh, I wanted to try that Ban Tian Yao. I planned to visit that artisan when I go to wuyi, but not sure when that'll be, in the current situation.

I don't think KZ will ever sell anything again on that site. There's not even a page for the sold out yancha.

Wish I could share this Ban Tian Yao with you @Youzi. Will share the moment virtually .

Are there really no Western-facing vendors of top grade yancha?

How does fully handmade tea from Rui Quan rank? It is sold by EoT, Chanting Pines, etc. They claim to be the only makers with a facility in Zheng Yan.

mafoofan wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm

Are there really no Western-facing vendors of top grade yancha?

How does fully handmade tea from Rui Quan rank? It is sold by EoT, Chanting Pines, etc. They claim to be the only makers with a facility in Zheng Yan.

I think TXS became suddenly quite high end, with that Niurou at 10$ / g.

Youzi wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:47 pm

mafoofan wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm

Are there really no Western-facing vendors of top grade yancha?

How does fully handmade tea from Rui Quan rank? It is sold by EoT, Chanting Pines, etc. They claim to be the only makers with a facility in Zheng Yan.

I think TXS became suddenly quite high end, with that Niurou at 10$ / g.

Let me top that with an award-winning black-label $27/g beef from Master Chen Xiaowen

pantry wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:04 pm

Youzi wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:47 pm

mafoofan wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:35 pm

Are there really no Western-facing vendors of top grade yancha?

How does fully handmade tea from Rui Quan rank? It is sold by EoT, Chanting Pines, etc. They claim to be the only makers with a facility in Zheng Yan.

I think TXS became suddenly quite high end, with that Niurou at 10$ / g.

Let me top that with an award-winning black-label $27/g beef from Master Chen Xiaowen

Where's the link for that Kobe steak?
Let me get a kilo.

did you try yancha from king tea mall? i had several and it is decent but can't judge price ratio as i do not have that much experience.

For those of you in the New York area, these guys also stock yancha with elaborate origin claims and prices to match (although I imagine closed for the time being):

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lc-tea-trading-inc-new-york

Youzi wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:55 pm

pantry wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:04 pm

Let me top that with an award-winning black-label $27/g beef from Master Chen Xiaowen

Where's the link for that Kobe steak?
Let me get a kilo.

PM‘d. I appreciate a 1g sample finder fee

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:22 pm

For those of you in the New York area, these guys also stock yancha with elaborate origin claims and prices to match (although I imagine closed for the time being):

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lc-tea-trading-inc-new-york

I’ve been there a few times but I don’t remember their yancha being that expensive. Most of their stuff was around $1/g which is cheaper than places like Tea Drunk.

Chadrinkincat wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:04 pm

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:22 pm

For those of you in the New York area, these guys also stock yancha with elaborate origin claims and prices to match (although I imagine closed for the time being):

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lc-tea-trading-inc-new-york

I’ve been there a few times but I don’t remember their yancha being that expensive. Most of their stuff was around $1/g which is cheaper than places like Tea Drunk.

@Chadrinkincat I think I asked about Zhengyan stuff and they offered me a really expensive Ma Tou Yan/“horsemeat” tea—may well have been my fault, haha! And curious what you think, but IMO tea drunk is a pretty huge ripoff. For top quality tea in the city I’ll almost always do TShop (which has excellent yancha, btw) or Fang’s, or if I'm with less intense tea people, Te Company.

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:20 pm

Chadrinkincat wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:04 pm

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:22 pm

For those of you in the New York area, these guys also stock yancha with elaborate origin claims and prices to match (although I imagine closed for the time being):

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lc-tea-trading-inc-new-york

I’ve been there a few times but I don’t remember their yancha being that expensive. Most of their stuff was around $1/g which is cheaper than places like Tea Drunk.

Chadrinkincat I think I asked about Zhengyan stuff and they offered me a really expensive Ma Tou Yan/“horsemeat” tea—may well have been my fault, haha! And curious what you think, but IMO tea drunk is a pretty huge ripoff. For top quality tea in the city I’ll almost always do TShop (which has excellent yancha, btw) or Fang’s, or if I'm with less intense tea people, Te Company.

LCT had a SX from 2000 that I remember being pretty good but some of their fresh teas didn’t excite me that much.

I’ve only tried a couple different teas from TD. Their 2014 tieluohan was tasty but way overpriced at nearly $2/g. Prime NYC location renders all of their teas overpriced. I’d much rather take the train to Flushing instead.

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:20 pm

Chadrinkincat wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:04 pm

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:22 pm

For those of you in the New York area, these guys also stock yancha with elaborate origin claims and prices to match (although I imagine closed for the time being):

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lc-tea-trading-inc-new-york

I’ve been there a few times but I don’t remember their yancha being that expensive. Most of their stuff was around $1/g which is cheaper than places like Tea Drunk.

Chadrinkincat I think I asked about Zhengyan stuff and they offered me a really expensive Ma Tou Yan/“horsemeat” tea—may well have been my fault, haha! And curious what you think, but IMO tea drunk is a pretty huge ripoff. For top quality tea in the city I’ll almost always do TShop (which has excellent yancha, btw) or Fang’s, or if I'm with less intense tea people, Te Company.

Is Tea Drunk really no good? Their pricier yancha all seem to come from very specific and premium parts of Zhengyan.

You have to remember that in order to sell in the West, certain costs have to be added on top, so whatever price you are paying in NY is likely just a third or less in retail in China... which would then again not put it into premium but maybe downgrade to upper medium.

I really have a hard time imaging how a Western operation would even lay their hands on the premium stuff in the first place, when competition over this very rare stuff is already very fierce in China and by extension, Asia itself? Adding to that that people do have the money and are willing to spend it in a way the average Western tea freak won’t. Good and decent tea yes. But not the premium, I really doubt that.

mafoofan wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:50 pm

Demea wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:20 pm

Chadrinkincat wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 6:04 pm

I’ve been there a few times but I don’t remember their yancha being that expensive. Most of their stuff was around $1/g which is cheaper than places like Tea Drunk.

Chadrinkincat I think I asked about Zhengyan stuff and they offered me a really expensive Ma Tou Yan/“horsemeat” tea—may well have been my fault, haha! And curious what you think, but IMO tea drunk is a pretty huge ripoff. For top quality tea in the city I’ll almost always do TShop (which has excellent yancha, btw) or Fang’s, or if I'm with less intense tea people, Te Company.

Is Tea Drunk really no good? Their pricier yancha all seem to come from very specific and premium parts of Zhengyan.

@mafoofan it’s ok but not really where you’d go in NYC for the best stuff. And it’s vastly overpriced, as @Chadrinkincat noted.