What Pu'er Are You Drinking

[klepto]

EoT's 2019 Spring "Singularity" Gushu:
Oof, I rarely ever notice teas that have a strong qi but this one. My forehead is heavy and I'm going to take a power nap.
This one is sweet and spicy, in the past I never noticed the spices in these teas but they are there esp in puerh.

Nite Nite

Good to hear it knocked your socks off! First time you had the tea? I ask because sometimes I rave about a tea, and the next time I have it, meh

I had it previously but didn't notice that lead pipe they hit you with. I now have a lot of respect for qi in tea. I've had chills/body heat/mood changes but not the 'go take a nap' qi

[OCTO]

In a mood for the unconventional today....

Having a mixed / blended puerh... 90s Sheng with 80s Shou 7581. Both are bricks. Dry stored in Malaysia. The blend of strong ChaQi, astringency, deep penetrating after taste from a well aged Sheng. Calming, smooth, and mellow tea broth from a well aged Shou. A marriage and the best of both worlds. Brewed in a 50s BSLN with moderate heat retention.

Cheers!!

[vuanguyen]

Took a 3 week break from drinking teas because teas were causing me too much agitation. I had tea toxicity I miss drinking it so much so I finally opened up drank the recently bought Yang Qing Hao 2004 Dingji Yesheng cake today (http://www.yangqinghao.com/index.php/te ... ji-yesheng). I like it better than the Yang Qing Hao 2006 Chawangshu (http://www.yangqinghao.com/index.php/te ... chawangshu) . It has a stronger Qi but like the 2006 Chawangshu, it is still very dry. Not a bad tea but it's overpriced. I like the 2003 Wistaria Zipin and 2005 Teas We Like Bulang Double Lion much better. I am now placing these YQH teas and all of my teas in 65 % Boveda containg storage box hoping that the teas will get better with some extra moister. California is too dry (48% humidity). Thank you @Balthazar for the idea.

I went on a buying spree to educate myself about semi aged Puers over the past 6 months. I find that I like sweet and powerful teas. At first I did not like the smokiness of some of these teas. Now I actually prefer a little smokiness. Funny how my taste and expectation have changed so much in such a short period. These are the tea cakes I bought. They are listed in the order that I like from most to least in term of taste (not price):

1) Wistaria 2003 ZiPin (da bomb!)
2) Teas We Like 2005 Bulang Double Lion (sweet and smoky da bear)
3) Wistaria 2007 Red Mark (strong Qi)
4) Wistaria 2007 Blue mark (strongest Qi!)
5) Wistaria 2003 Qing Teng
6) Essence of Tea 2001 Mengsa Old Tree Tea (cheap but good)
7) YQH 2004 Dingji Yesheng (expensive and overrated; still good though)
8) YQH 2006 Chawangshu (overrated; still good though)
9) Wistaria 2004 Zi Yun (nice loose leaf)
10) Wistaria 2006 Taihe cake (my least favorite Wistaria tea)
11) Teas We Like 2004 Nanqiao Bulang King (strong Qi but no sweetness)
12) 2005 Changtai "Yun Pu Zhi Dian / Top of the Clouds from Crimson Lotus (my first introduction to semi aged tea introduced by a friend at work; I don't touch it anymore)
13) YQH 1999 Jintuo (a gift included when I purchased YQH Chawangshu and Dingji Yesheng; I have not drunk this tea)

No more buying teas for me. I have enough for the next 5 years!

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[StoneLadle]

@vuanguyen that tea colour looks good from those big leaves... Interesting how the ticket is on the back of the cake...

That cake looks like it's been in some decent storage.

I'm drinking a 2000 CNNP Lam Yin tribute cake, HKG stored, high compression, unsweetened root beer syrup... The dustiness is perhaps a remnant of smokiness as the cake looks dark for a Sheng turned Shu (awaiting bullets)...

For extra smokiness I can recommend you look at some Xiaguan Tuocha , the late 90s examples should be drinking well now though careful getting those little bastards to break apart nicely...

[vuanguyen]

vuanguyen that tea colour looks good from those big leaves... Interesting how the ticket is on the back of the cake...

That cake looks like it's been in some decent storage.

I'm drinking a 2000 CNNP Lam Yin tribute cake, HKG stored, high compression, unsweetened root beer syrup... The dustiness is perhaps a remnant of smokiness as the cake looks dark for a Sheng turned Shu (awaiting bullets)...

For extra smokiness I can recommend you look at some Xiaguan Tuocha , the late 90s examples should be drinking well now though careful getting those little bastards to break apart nicely...

Thanks @StoneLadle for the recommendation. I had a chance to sample the Tibetan flame and really liked it (viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12&p=26300&hilit=vuanguyen#p26300).

[StoneLadle]

vuanguyen that tea colour looks good from those big leaves... Interesting how the ticket is on the back of the cake...

That cake looks like it's been in some decent storage.

I'm drinking a 2000 CNNP Lam Yin tribute cake, HKG stored, high compression, unsweetened root beer syrup... The dustiness is perhaps a remnant of smokiness as the cake looks dark for a Sheng turned Shu (awaiting bullets)...

For extra smokiness I can recommend you look at some Xiaguan Tuocha , the late 90s examples should be drinking well now though careful getting those little bastards to break apart nicely...

Thanks StoneLadle for the recommendation. I had a chance to sample the Tibetan flame and really liked it (viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12&p=26300&hilit=vuanguyen#p26300).

Wow that looks like someone won that in a lottery!

Awesome shape and I've never ever seen one like that before.

I'm totally intruiged!

I've only ever drunk regular tuocha with the crane on it and also the one with the French name...

[Balthazar]

I've got two of those left . First half of life spent i HK, other half in Malaysia.

Was planning to begin on a new one, but now that the "puer drinking season" in Norway is nearing its end, I'll probably wait until next spring.



Another thing that's nearing its end is my cake of 2001 Mengsa Old Tree Tea, which is what I'm drinking today. I still find the storage a bit dry for my preferenes (it's Kunming storage, although not even close to as dry as most Kunming stored teas I've had - which admittedly aren't that many) but it has a really good energy going. It's been a nice experience, but I don't regret not getting more cakes before it sold out (better that those who enjoy it even more can have those..)

[wave_code]

Does anyone know if the baoyan 'shrooms and bricks are made with the same material/recipes? I tried a good chunk of the shu mushroom and it really didn't sit with my palette- there was something about it that had this very perfume-ish flavor like someone had used some kind of cleaning product nearby and you couldn't get the taste out of your system. I do really like the holy flame bricks though for my occasional sheng craving. I saw they have shu bricks now too, but if its the same recipe as the mushrooms I might look elsewhere.

[debunix]

now that the "puer drinking season" in Norway is nearing its end, I'll probably wait until next spring.

Now curious: for me, I'm more into puerh in cool rooms and cooler seasons (although as a resident of Los Angeles, I hesitate to suggest that we have any actual 'cold' weather when speaking to someone from Norway!). So interesting that for you it's a warm-weather tea. What are your cold weather tea choices?

And....editing to add that I am again enjoying a the Mori-machi puerh from Den's Tea as a chilled sparkling tea. I haven't tried any other puerhs as sparkling teas, because I just don't see the earthy humus notes that I love translating well to bubbly chill, but this fruity one is quite lovely, and one of the few ways I can enjoy puerh until I'm back wearing summer clothing in a cool office or when the weather gets cooler here at home.

[StoneLadle]

@Balthazar have you tried stressing the 2001 a little?

I'd take about 12grams if possible and stick it in a can or a porcelain container for a week or so, somewhere warmish... Gosh I can't imagine a 20 year old cake that hasn't turned...

That mushroom looks cool, what's the story there?

[StoneLadle]

now that the "puer drinking season" in Norway is nearing its end, I'll probably wait until next spring.

Now curious: for me, I'm more into puerh in cool rooms and cooler seasons (although as a resident of Los Angeles, I hesitate to suggest that we have any actual 'cold' weather when speaking to someone from Norway!). So interesting that for you it's a warm-weather tea. What are your cold weather tea choices?

I've never really thought about seasonal tea drinking really and it's another intrigue for the day!

I think back and I've always drunk the same stuff no matter where I am and what season it is...

[Balthazar]

Now curious: for me, I'm more into puerh in cool rooms and cooler seasons (although as a resident of Los Angeles, I hesitate to suggest that we have any actual 'cold' weather when speaking to someone from Norway!). So interesting that for you it's a warm-weather tea. What are your cold weather tea choices?

It's not so much my choice as the tea's, if it was up to me I'd drink puer in all seasons

I find that most of my sheng puer go into a sort of hibernation mode in the late autumn that lasts through the winter. They simply taste more flat. It may be connected to the fact that the indoors temperatures drop in those months. Luckily, they return to normal in late spring.

In my experience, heichas do not display the same characteristic, so I drink those throughout the year. Other than that, black teas and roasted oolongs are probably my winter favorites!

[Balthazar]

Balthazar have you tried stressing the 2001 a little?

I'd take about 12grams if possible and stick it in a can or a porcelain container for a week or so, somewhere warmish... Gosh I can't imagine a 20 year old cake that hasn't turned...

That mushroom looks cool, what's the story there?

I don't think a week of hotbox storage would do much, but I might be wrong! It's a fine tea at a very reasonable price, just not my favorite storage profile.

The mushrooms are the same late 90s/early 00s Xiaguan Tibetan flame mentioned by @vuanguyen. Picked up from a Malaysian seller for a very reasonable price last year, been through a couple of them already.

[debunix]

I find that most of my sheng puer go into a sort of hibernation mode in the late autumn that lasts through the winter. They simply taste more flat.

Got it. Maybe the dryness of indoor heated air is impacting them. But it' not such a problem if other fine teas step up the challenge.

[sqt]

It's not so much my choice as the tea's, if it was up to me I'd drink puer in all seasons

I find that most of my sheng puer go into a sort of hibernation mode in the late autumn that lasts through the winter. They simply taste more flat. It may be connected to the fact that the indoors temperatures drop in those months. Luckily, they return to normal in late spring.

I have the exact same experience as to do some other friends in Norway, First winter in Oslo I panicked thinking my tea had gone off somehow, but it rebounded nicely come spring.

What is interesting is that my tea is stored at the same temperature and humidity regardless of season, so it points more towards the ambient drinking temperature and humidity being the culprit, and possibily drier naso-oral mucosa due to the drier heated air.