Green label vs early 90s - a small experiment

[ShuShu]

I did the following experiment. I brewed young sheng (CL space girls) in 2 neizis (Zini inside coated with hongni outside). Same size and almost the same shape too (one is flatter). Only diff is that one is green label and the other was made early 90s and is not a factory pot (maybe f2-5).
1g/15ml for about 8 rather long steeps.
Perhaps a more experienced puerh drinker would have noticed more differences but the diff I observed was rather subtle. In short, the older pot seemed a bit more muting than the younger one. The flavor and control over bitterness was more balanced and unified.
Also, the color of the soup in the older pot (the right one in the picture) was slightly lighter. But I guess this can be explained by the leaves than by the pot.
Do you think this is expected? Counterintuitive?

13671DF2-5E02-4059-B486-E5C976F7EB8A.jpeg (149.34 KiB) Viewed 3871 times

[tealifehk]

Early 90s clay was more finely milled I believe, so you get less muting. I think your findings are right on!

[steanze]

I'd expect not so much difference how many times did you try? Does it replicate? When the differences are so small, you gotta wonder whether it's some difference with infusion timing or water temperature and so on.
Your findings sound plausible to me.

[ShuShu]

I'd expect not so much difference how many times did you try? Does it replicate? When the differences are so small, you gotta wonder whether it's some difference with infusion timing or water temperature and so on.
Your findings sound plausible to me.

I used to drink young sheng in both and felt there is a big diff so I have decided to make this experiment, which seems to refute my intuition.

Where would you expect a more noticeable diff between green label era zini and early-late 90’ zini?

[steanze]

nowhere really. They perform quite similarly - as Jay says, often green label zini is coarser

[tealifehk]

I can definitely detect a difference, even with hongni! the difference between green label pin zini and say, white label or laser label zini, is staggering! Wall thickness also makes a huge difference of course, but even two very similar pots from F1 from different periods produce detectably different results.