Seeking Vintage India Tea

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ali.r.quliyev
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Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:55 am

Good day Dears,

The reason I'm posting this - I'm seeking for Vintage India teas produced at 1970-1980s and saved till nowadays.
I guess maybe there is anyone who could somehow help me or can advise me how I can find it.

Thank you in advance.
.m.
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Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:19 am

You should be able to find some on ebay, even 50's or 30's sometimes. For example: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... a+unopened
The question is if you want them enough to pay the price and shipping. Plus I wouldn't expect a 70's plantation tea to be of great quality, and there is always a question of what kind of pesticides they used back then. But you likely have your own reasons for searching them. Cheers!
ali.r.quliyev
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:03 am
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:06 am

.m. wrote:
Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:19 am
You should be able to find some on ebay, even 50's or 30's sometimes. For example: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... a+unopened
The question is if you want them enough to pay the price and shipping. Plus I wouldn't expect a 70's plantation tea to be of great quality, and there is always a question of what kind of pesticides they used back then. But you likely have your own reasons for searching them. Cheers!
Dear, thank you very much for feedback.
My father asked me to find out - some of his friends from India brought him 2 packs of these teas, and he liked very much - that's why I'm seeking.
So if you have any other news for me, please also share them. Thank you in advance!
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Victoria
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Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:54 pm

@ali.r.quliyev, Curious, are you looking for aged black, or white from India ? Fermented as in puerh? Also, there is a difference between resting, aging, fermenting teas. Here is a quick description of each, New Tea, Rested Tea & Aged Tea. A description of the flavor profile that your father remembers enjoying might help in finding a similar aged tea.
ali.r.quliyev
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:03 am
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:00 am

Victoria wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:54 pm
ali.r.quliyev, Curious, are you looking for aged black, or white from India ? Fermented as in puerh? Also, there is a difference between resting, aging, fermenting teas. Here is a quick description of each, New Tea, Rested Tea & Aged Tea. A description of the flavor profile that your father remembers enjoying might help in finding a similar aged tea.
Dear Victoria,

Thank you for share information. I'm looking for aged black and green from India. I found Chinese Aged teas (mostly Puer), but nothing about Indian Aged teas.
Don't you know which exact kind of India teas has been aged? How I could find it? I checked Darjeeling and Assam - no results.

Thank you in advance!
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Bok
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Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:05 am

I don’t think any of these teas have been intentionally aged. If so, probably some leftover stock someone forgot.
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mbanu
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Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:20 am

Was the tea compressed into a shape? One type of aged tea that is made sometimes in Assam is "Singpho Falap". It is a traditional tea for the Singpho people. It is normally stored inside bamboo.
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Victoria
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Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:19 pm

mbanu wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:20 am
Was the tea compressed into a shape? One type of aged tea that is made sometimes in Assam is "Singpho Falap". It is a traditional tea for the Singpho people. It is normally stored inside bamboo.
Good to know about this semi-aged Assam tea. When this thread was first posted I started thinking about ancient trade routes going to and from China, India, and Nepal. In those traveling caravans during the past ~3,000 years, Yunnan pu’erh teas probably made their way into India and had some localized influence along the way.

From a vendor in Assam:
Singpho Falap - Probably the smokiest tea in the world.

These traditional pu-erh styled teas are processed using century old traditional methods by tea crafters from the Singpho community in Assam. Singphos in India is said to have been drinking tea since the 12th century.

After the tea is processed, bamboo tubes are used to preserve the tea on a "dhuwa chang" (Assamese word for shelves above traditional cooking pits) and are aged for atleast 4 years before they are sold. The tea ages beautifully just like a bottle of wine and they can be preserved for as along as 10years.

A smooth cup of tea with light coppery golden liquor, very smokey in nature with low astringency. One spoon is enough to make a cup of tea.
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