Daxue Jiadao 大学夹道

[tjkdubya]

https://daxuejiadao.com/ (password: kuaile)

Tongmuguan update:

• We're moving onto 2021 vintages for Da Chigan Banshan and Xiao Chigan Longdu.

• The traditional smoked Yanxun Xiaozhong is now offered in two vintages: 2020, and a 2015 that demonstrates the aging evolution of these teas.

In other news:

• We're down to only 2 boxes of the Anhui Handcraft Green Tea Tasting Set, and 3 sets of the Yancha Explorer #1.

• The 2020 Baiyun Rougui and the 2020 Guoxiang Rougui are now low in stock; we have taken away the 250g option.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our little project. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Shuyu & Ki Won

[faj]

( This message was intended to be a PM, that is what you get when posting too late)

[tjkdubya]

[GaoShan]

Happy Lunar New Year! I noticed your catalogue has been offline for a while and am wondering when I might be able to see your inventory again. I'm still very much interested in your red tea.

[teatray]

DXJD mentioned in an Instagram comment that they're working on a new Yancha sampler (current one sold out). Hoping it will be available soon after the New Year break, as I really would like to try them but am a bit new/lost.

[belewfripp]

Very excited that my tea from Daxue Jiadao arrived today. I was apparently the last customer to get an order placed before the the new setup/layout is implemented - originally I had inquired in late December and a variety of circumstances (my email got stuck in their spam folder, I missed their reply and then asked to wait a couple of weeks due to financial matters, Lunar New Year, etc.) led to just now getting the tea. Many thanks to the vendor for even allowing me to order at all, given the changes they are making, and for working with me through the delays. Even more thanks for selling me an Anhui green tea tasting set from their personal stock, despite being sold out. Very generous and much appreciated.

I'm very excited to try all of these teas, especially given how well-received they have been by other TeaForum members. I'm starting this morning out with the 2015 Trad Rougui. Here are the rest of the teas I ordered:

60's Laochapo Liu Bao (10g)
80's Muxiang Liu Bao (10g)
Trad Zhengyan Rougui (8g)
2015 Trad Rougui (50g)
Heritage Laocong Tieluohan (8g)
2017 Wild Laocong Shuixian (50g)
Anhui Handcraft Tasting Set
A sample of the 2020 Trad Tieluohan was also included.

Again, many thanks, I look forward to trying all of these.

[GaoShan]

Has anyone been able to contact this vendor lately? The website is still down and they're not answering my emails.

Maybe they're just on vacation? Is this the August long weekend in China as well as in Canada? August must be a slow month everywhere.

[Andrew S]

Has anyone been able to contact this vendor lately? The website is still down and they're not answering my emails.

Maybe they're just on vacation? Is this the August long weekend in China as well as in Canada? August must be a slow month everywhere.

I think that "vendor" might not be the best description for them; I believe that they are two individuals keen to make some nice tea available online, and my impression is that they sell from time to time. So, not quite a 'shop'.

I think that patience may be necessary, but perhaps others will correct me.

Andrew

[GaoShan]

Has anyone been able to contact this vendor lately? The website is still down and they're not answering my emails.

Maybe they're just on vacation? Is this the August long weekend in China as well as in Canada? August must be a slow month everywhere.

I think that "vendor" might not be the best description for them; I believe that they are two individuals keen to make some nice tea available online, and my impression is that they sell from time to time. So, not quite a 'shop'.

I think that patience may be necessary, but perhaps others will correct me.

Andrew

Ah, that makes sense! I'll do my best to be patient.

[tjkdubya]

Hello everyone!

Long time no announcement. We've been operating our new online store https://daxuejiadao.com/ quietly for a few months now. If you have any questions regarding the offerings (we do keep our descriptions quite succinct), we'll be happy to answer.

In other news, I (Ki Won) am in the LA area for a few weeks visiting family, and if anyone is interested in getting together, I would love to come over and share some tea with you!

Thank you all.

[Victoria]

Ki Won, Sent you a pm we could organize a tasting at my place with LA members

[tjkdubya]

Ki Won, Sent you a pm we could organize a tasting at my place with LA members

Lovely! Thank you~

[debunix]

Ki Won, Sent you a pm we could organize a tasting at my place with LA members

Lovely! Thank you~

Yesterday I enjoyed a Los Angeles tea tasting at Victoria's with some lovely teas brought by Ki Won.

I missed the first one because I was late, but I arrived in time for a very pleasing, a medium roast Wild Laocong Shuixian that was mellow and deep, with the dry leaf aroma of fruit--plums, raisin--and spice

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borne out in the initial aroma of the wash/first steep. There were more richly earthy caramel and earthy notes in later steeps, along with a subtle minerality and a fine balanced Qi.

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Next up was a traditionally roasted Bu Jian Tian, with first impression of strong roast and astringency, but a wonderfully lasting sweet aftertaste and strong heady Qi.

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The third of the Daxue Jiadao offerings was Songzhen wild Qimen black tea that definitely changed my mind about Qimen tea. I'd previously only had cheap versions at a time when all I knew was to hit tea with boiling water and steep it for 5 minutes...giving this bitterphobe a predictable aversion that kept me from trying it again until now. In contrast, this marvelous tea from Daxue Jiadao was roses and plums and caramel, free of bitterness, and lasting through many infusions--we were somewhere between 8 and 10 when we stopped and the leaves clearly has more to give. The mellow diffuse Qi was quite distinct from the headrush of the Bu Jian Tian.

Ki Won also brought some fine porcelain tasting cups and a teapot with a most enthusiastic pour--it kept surprising me by how powerful the stream was from the spout and I spilled a bit every pour because of that. With a little practice, this translucent gem and I would get along just fine.

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The cups held onto the scent of the tea remarkably between infusions--I have to wonder if the glaze was chosen for this quality, because I've not noticed that degree of scent retention in the inexpensive porcelain gaiwans I purchased in duplicates for my own comparative tastings. I think these were the cups.

I also opened a tuo of Dancha from TeaBuy Korea that I'll discuss in another topic.

[tjkdubya]

Thank you @debunix for the great pics and the write-up. Was nice to meet you and a few others in person. And of course many thanks to @Victoria for being a gracious host!

[Victoria]

Thank you @tjkdubya for kindly sharing your teas and teaware with us this past Saturday. Was a special occasion to see you again after so much time, and to see your curation now reaching a much larger audience.

The cups held onto the scent of the tea remarkably between infusions--I have to wonder if the glaze was chosen for this quality, because I've not noticed that degree of scent retention in the inexpensive porcelain gaiwans I purchased in duplicates for my own comparative tastings. I think these were the cups.

@debunix your post beautifully expresses so much of our tasting. The glowing teapot image captures perfectly the very delicate and thin Dehua porcelain teapot. Seeing this special teaware online, and then in person, is a whole different experience; the feather lightness, thinness, delicate feel and fast dripless pour is something else. The aroma cups as well are very special, a perfect size for sampling teas and such a pleasure to handle capturing scents so well. Definitely want to add a few to my collection.

During our tasting Ki Won shared with us his; first Yongchun Laocong Foshou trad 2022, followed by Wild Laocong Shuixian 2017, full roast trad Bujiantian 2021, and Qihong Songzhen Huangye 2022 (that Debunix described so well). Debunix’s Korean Nok Goryeo sm Dancha was memorable (a green?), and Tillerman’s Qilai high mountain from his Laoshi that I pulled out is a unique tea as well ... Looking forward to our next session this coming Saturday