Slightly Adrift with Pu-erh

[DavyRay]

Hello All,

I have had two teas from a local tea shop.

The first was 2005 Premium Jingmai Golden Pu-erh, a loose tea.

The second was a bing, shown in this thread http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2653705#post2653705

After drinking up all of the first tea, I was hungry for more pu-erh. This even though the tea smelled like low tide at the beach.

After drinking some of the second tea, I decided that I needed a better source of pu-erh. This 2006 Mengyang Guoyan is said to be wild arbor stone-pressed tea. I am not impressed. I have had a dozen cups of this tea, and it is not inspiring. I have decided that my local tea shop is charging high prices for mediocre teas. I would like to support a local business, but not if they sell me junk tea for expensive prices.

What about a recommendation for a decent, drinkable pu-erh?

 

[Proinsias]

Sounds like the first one might be shu and the second sheng. Might be worth trying some other shu's from around the same age, 2005 is a pretty good age/time for shu in my opinion. Anything from the Menghai factory is a pretty safe bet, Steve should have plenty of that at: http://www.jas-etea.com

Might be worth looking at Hou de or Nada's site for a few samples too.

It's worth bearing in mind that I've not tried either of these teas and either one may be a poor example of the genre, and that shu is generally a far more forgiving tea to brew than young sheng.

 

[shah8]

There are no cheap Dayi 2005 shu worth having in the obvious places.

Awazon on Ebay has a cheap 0532 '06. Widest selection seems to be Dragon Tea House, for their '07s. Many of them are pretty reasonable in costs for shu that's about ready to drink, after airing out, of course.

 

[Proinsias]

There are no cheap Dayi 2005 shu worth having in the obvious places.

Just had a look, you're right there's not. Which is quite a shame.

 

[DavyRay]

I really want to try some classic sheng, even if I do not get well-aged sheng. What I have on order as of today is:

2008 Menghai "0622 Premium Raw" Pu-erh tea cake - 400 grams
2009 Menghai Tea Factory "7542 Batch 901" Raw Pu-erh - 357 grams

I am eager to try these teas.


The bing I already have is identified as "2006 Guoyan, stone-pressed Youle Mountain wild arbor". I continue to drink this, but, even with my inexperience think it does not live up to its billing.

 

[ouch]

I really want to try some classic sheng, even if I do not get well-aged sheng. What I have on order as of today is:

2008 Menghai "0622 Premium Raw" Pu-erh tea cake - 400 grams
2009 Menghai Tea Factory "7542 Batch 901" Raw Pu-erh - 357 grams

I am eager to try these teas.


The bing I already have is identified as "2006 Guoyan, stone-pressed Youle Mountain wild arbor". I continue to drink this, but, even with my inexperience think it does not live up to its billing.

The 7542 <901> is very approachable for such a young sheng. It's very nice.