ChaoZhou DaHongPao clay

[Griselbrand]

This is a ChaoZhou teapot I obtained from BitterLeafTeas. It was listed as DaHongPao CZ clay which is apparently aged to obtain a deeper red color. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with this clay. How has it performed for you (especially with DanCong) compared to typical CZ clay? Any other information about this type of clay would be appreciated as well!

ChaoZhou DaHongPao clay teapot image gallery:



CZ teapot 2



Lastly, do the walls appear thin enough for DanCong? I've noticed it seems to push my DanCong too hard compared to a gaiwan, even with flash steeps. It could also be the slower pour speed though.

[Bok]

Looks to be on tbe thick side... what is the volume? The flat shape can make up a bit for the thicker walls, but only to a certain degree.

If the tea turns out not nice it can be a few things:

- teapot not yet fully seasoned
- teapot not suitable
- tea not good enough quality

Have you tried with a plain porcelain gaiwan as a control element?

[Griselbrand]

The teapot is ~80ml. I have seasoned it for about a year of regular use with lighter roast yancha. The description of the pot said it is less porous than typical CZ so I was not too worried about trying DC in it.

For tea I am using 2019 Mi Lan Xiang from Imen, so I don't think tea quality is the issue I first tried it in a 50ml thin porcelain gaiwan, and the aroma was incredible, but clearly not duped (aroma lasted the whole session).

The teapot seemed to mute the aroma quite a bit, though it marginally increased the sweetness. As an update, I tried less leaf (3g) in the teapot this morning and it seemed to work better. Aroma improved, but still not at the level of the gaiwan. I wonder if one of Imen's small CZ pots would be better for this...

[Bok]

Ok, tea is not the problem haha. If it’s that small and looks like this, I think the pot is too thick walled.

The shape might be the second issue. I can not fully explain why, but “edgy” pots always caused some trouble for me. Like the corners trap leaves and make the whole brew uneven...

I’d do some more side by sides with other teas to determine the effect this pot has on them in general.

[Griselbrand]

Yes I've noticed the leaves tend to get stuck around the edges so that could be adding to the problem. Unfortunate, as I do really like the shape of it

I'll do another side by side with some yancha to compare - thanks for the advice!

What shape(s) do you prefer for a CZ/DC pairing? I've been perusing Imen's stock, but none of the shapes are really jumping out to me. I haven't found any other vendor recommendations for CZ, and I only have access to online shops

[Griselbrand]

I’d do some more side by sides with other teas to determine the effect this pot has on them in general.

Hey so I tested that pot out with a young sheng today and was amazed! Brewed a parallel session in a porcelain gaiwan, and the CZ pot had a strong balancing effect. Seems like it's more porous than expected, so I may dedicate it to sheng instead.

So now I am searching for a low porosity thin walled pot. I'm considering this one from Imen:
https://teahabitat.com/collections/teap ... 65-ml-1801

I'm slightly worried from reading that most modern red clay is filled with additives though. Do you think I would be better served by finding an older F1 hongni? I would be using it for yancha and occasionally dan cong, and my budget is limited to ~$250