My Private Collection (The Puerh Journey)

2003 中茶 7572 Ripe

2009-12-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

Broken up a tong of these for some relatives.

2009 Chang Tai Yi Chang Hao (10th Anniversary)

2009-12-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

2009 is the 10th Anniversary of the 1999 Yi Chang Hao

A series of Yi Chang Hao cakes are produced with yiwu material to commerate the 99 Yi Chang Hao.

2009 Yi Chang Hao, tong of 7 cakes consisting of the below:

Casa Botin

2009-10-18T20:02:00.001-07:00

"We lunched upstairs at Botin's, it is one of the best restaurants in the world. We had roast young suckling pig and drunk rioja alta." Ernest Hemingway

Tea Tasting Event ( Half-Dipper / YS )

2009-09-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

After a busy month so far and ahead, I finally managed to find time to get through the samples for the tea tasting event courtesy of Scott at YS and organised by Hobbes at Half Dipper ( http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/08/tea-tasting-event.html )

I only know that these 5 samples are from a series of pressing by YS and are materials of Yiwu, Wuliang, Bulang, Banzhang and Youle.
Note that as a person who prefer collecting young sheng for aging rather than drinking them young, my notes are based on collecting purposes.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience and if I have to pick my favourite, it would be the yiwu.

*Added 8th Oct* Official threads/review of the samples are out at the Half-dipper.
Yiwu (Alpha): http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-yunzhiyuanruicaoxiang-alpha.html

Beta (Youle): http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-yunzhiyuanruicaoxiang-beta.html

Delta (Wuliang): http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-yunzhiyuanruicaoxiang-wuliang.html

Epsilon (Banzhang): http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-yunzhiyuanruicaoxiang-banzhang.html

Gamma (Bulang): http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-yunzhiyuanruicaoxiang.html

My Review as Below:
Here are the samples with interesting nicks instead of the ABCs.

Setup of 5 gaiwans for each of the samples. Ratio of 10g to 100ml gaiwan is used.

Same gaiwan, same water, same person, different samples. The frog is the witness.

Let's start with a preview of the brewed leaves:

Top from Left: Alpha, Beta

Bottom from Left: Delta, Epsilon, Gamma

Broth of samples at the 3rd infusion (10 seconds)

Here We Go

Alpha

Loose compression with some loose leaves, very slightly moist and not entirely crispy leaves.

Floral aroma with a sweet aftertaste that lasted a while. Slight bitterness which was acceptable with no astrigency. Typical broth and character of the yiwu region.

Broth is not thick but its quite reasonable if compared to yiwu material of recent years which seems to be thinner than those from the pass decade.

Some medium sized whole leaves mixed with some bits of leaves. Enjoyable sheng.

My Pick: A distinct Yiwu character

Beta

Very loose leaves with a light floral aroma.

First impression was similar to yiwu, weaker huigan and much thinner broth. Low to medium level of bitterness which stayed without much transformation and without astrigency. Slight smokiness but still quite easy to drink.

A few overly roasted leaves could be found in the brewed leaves which could be the cause of smokiness (Centre Leave in the pic above). There's a bud with 4 leaves and some with 1 and 2. Overall, not as balanced and consistent as I would like for collecting.

My Pick: Youle

Delta

Medium to tight compression.

Another floral sheng aroma with a fresh, cooling aftertaste, medium to strong level of bitterness which just disappeared. Broth is thin.

Again, some slightly overly roasted leaves are observed, mostly small to medium sized leaves. Overall not much character and complexity in this one.

My Pick: Wuliang, to me it have a similar level of bitterness as the Epsilon/Gamma sample (Below). However it did have a clearer presence of sheng/floral aroma along with a fresh cooling aftertaste which was the only highlight in it bearing in mind wuliang mountain is of a higher altitude.

Epsilon

Tightly compressed chucks with few loose pieces.

Level of bitterness was not as strong as Delta or similar but it had a strong presence on the tongue. Not much aroma present.

Size of brewed leaves are medium to big.

My Pick: Although my pick is Banzhang, it did not stand out hands up as a banzhang. (Read on to Gamma)

Gamma

Medium compression with some loose leaves.

Mellow, medium broth which have a strong bitterness not just on the surface of the tongue but also on the roof of the mouth with slightly more aroma than Epsilon. The broth is much darker and this should be due to the use of aged maocha for pressing (Refer to pic of broth color above)

My Pick: Bulang. From my limited experience, I observed that this is the difference between Bulang and Banzhang. The degree of aroma, body, mellowness.

I believe this and Banzhang would have some cha qi in it but did not have the chance to experience that since I did not go through the entire session of the brew.

Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China (HK)

The end of 20 minutes of Pyrotechnic display.

2009 Mengku Wooden Packaging

2009-09-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I came across some tongs of Mengku Sheng Cakes in its new wooden packaging. It sure is pretty.

A tong of 400g cakes caged up:

6 tongs of mini cakes nicely packed and caged:

Gyokuro - Japanese Green Tea 玉露

2009-09-10T01:31:00.000-07:00

A session of the Japanese Green Tea Gyokuro
(Gyokuro - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyokuro)

Kyoto Gyokuro Kinzuru

Fine needle like leaves looking shiny and also known as the 'jade dew'

The proper japanese wares have been stored somewhere far too long for my memory to relocate so forgive the use of the gaiwan.

I used a ratio of 4g to 90ml. Some people uses 3g to 30ml and others 8g to 180ml. Some fine tuning there but the water temp of 50-60C is ideal and vital to this brew.

First Brew on the Right after 2min of steeping, Second brew on the left with a subsequent 1minute steep.

A very vegetal taste without astrigency (due to it growing up in the shed); I feel an intense flavour of seaweed. Tiny sip by sip to enjoy its delicate broth. It is something different to our usual Chinese tea, not really my cup of tea but I appreciate how delicate it is. The aftertaste is very notable and lengthy. Quite comparable to those from the Fukuoka prefecture.

3rd and 4th Brew.

Certainly something to try and indulge in when you have the the company and of course time. I call it the Green Tea Expresso but not so much Express.

2004 Chang Tai Yiwu Zheng Pin 'Blue Stamp' (Dry Stored)

2009-09-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

To me this is a very good sheng for its age. It is made of mostly yiwu material of 2002 and 2003. It is also the first batch of the series and have been aging really well developing a character of its own.

2004 Chang Tai Yiwu Zheng Pin 'Blue Stamp' (Wet Stored)

2009-09-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

This batch of sheng is wet stored in Hong Kong. Typical aroma and taste of a HK Wet Stored pu with appropriate degree of de-storage 'tui cang' (退仓) without destroying the natural properties of the tea.

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

It's been rather hot in the day and warm at night. Happen to be able to spend time trying some sheng and eventually enjoying a session of 1970s Tong Qing Hao.

This photo is taken right pass midnight (Click to Enlarge).

2004 Chang Tai 'Ji Feng Yuan' Sheng

2009-09-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

The 'Ji Feng Yuan' series of Chang Tai is produced at the end of 2003. It is meant to be a 'ripe pu series' which until today is still being released each year as ripe pu. This 04 piece is the only sheng cake of the series, only one batch produced.

The photos below showed how beautiful this cake is. Nice storage and shinny surface. Entering its 6th year of aging, the broth brewed showed its expected age. However after trying it a few times, I find that it has a weak huigan and suprisingly lack of personality. It gives me the impression that the blend isn't in harmony, broth doesn't appear to be rich either.

I came across a good bargain and was planning to collect some tongs but decided to delay this purchase for the moment. I will try it again in a few months and see if I have a different impression of it.

Comparatively, the 04 yiwu zheng pin which I've tried lately is much much better than this.

Fire In The Eyes (Zisha)

2009-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you reading this would already have something similar. I've always wanted to get a piece with fine workmanship. The pieces I have lack this energy and life in it so after a few months I finally came across this beauty, beast?

The Fiery eyes will get you started on the session. Nice detailed work on the nails, body, foot etc.

We'll check back in a few years and see if it turns into gold!

Puerh Session /w a Fellow Friend

2009-09-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Always good to have friends over for a tea session. GV (UK) and I had a nice relaxing afternoon over cups of tea. Interesting to find that both of us have a similar tolerance level for young sheng and subsequently got KO'ed by some banzhang.

I think this is the 60s GYG, among the more enjoyable piece for the day.

2009 Tong Qing Hao Super Mini Puerh Tablet 同庆号

2009-08-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Found these at the HK Tea Fair. Nice little choco size puerh tabs.

A raw and ripe each weighing about 10g. For those who fancy Puerh-in-a-cup or Puerh2go.

These will make nice gifts though. Essentially why it was selling.

1st Hong Kong International Tea Fair 2009 Part III

2009-08-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

Part III Tea Presentation

Demonstration Foyer:

Chinese Gongfu Tea Demonstration:

Japanese Cha Dao Ceremony:

Nice harmonious setup:

Setup and Preparation:

Beginning of the Ceremony, the picture speaks for itself:

A cuppa for the invited guest of honour:

Guizhou ladies in Traditional Local Costumes:

TVB Interview of 'somebody' (sorry for the lack of knowledge in this field)

Finally no Tea Fair will be complete without a glimpse of the precious:

Masterpieces:

CHENALCOHOL

Lastly, something different from Chang Tai Group. They tookover a moutai (maotai) distillery in 2006 and the result is the first production of moutai products in 2009. Moutai is the much coveted Chinese 'white wine' produced only in the province of Guizhou.

The actual product, one of a few types released:

So far to many people, its a love it or hate it scenario with moutai. Most of my friends prefer the good ol' vodka or whisky but I particularly enjoy moutai, the purer ones. There are already lots of unauthentic moutai products of the larger distilleries in the market due to the market demand for it.

This is 53% alcohol, it has a very unique moutai aroma and taste. As long as you have the chance to try an authentic moutai product, do give it a try just for the experience.

1st Hong Kong International Tea Fair 2009 Part II

2009-08-16T23:18:00.001-07:00

Part II 2009 Chang Tai Banzhang

Some gifts from a friend in Chang Tai Group:

I'm glad to receive cake samples of the much anticipated 2009 Chang Tai Hao Banzhang Sheng in 3 grades namely 'Zhen', 'Jing' and 'Zheng' pin in order of superiority.

Slated for release sometime in Oct/Nov09 with prices yet to be fixed. Print of wrapping (scroll below for a sneak preview of the draft images), nei piao, nei fei and other details will be confirmed soon.

2009 Banzhang 'Zhen' pin:

Only the top grade of pure banzhang materials are used for this cake, specially selected among the banzhang materials collected in. Consistency and balance is achieved.

Banzhang raw material is among the most highly priced of puerh raw materials. 'Zhen' pin is produced by selecting from each kilos of banzhang raw bought in therefore more materials will be needed to produced each beeng of 400g. Cost will subsequently be higher and quality is assured.

Sample wrapped with a blank paper, 'Banzhang Zhen pin' handwritten on.

Gone through a few testing sessions. I sized it up with some chen sheng hao and xiaguan banzhang later on.

With my heavy brew for testing sheng, the broth revealed a light to medium honey yellow color along with this bitterness which was aggressively acceptable since it dissolved rather quickly at the back of my throat. No astrigency with a hint of bittersweet. This is banzhang and lasted for a long session, smoothness is felt all throughout. Strong and harmony without something overpowering the other. A medium length of huigan can be felt continuously with the presence of cha qi felt further into the session. Patient and gradual Qi if I could describe it.

The brewed leaves are mostly nice whole leaves, medium to big banzhang sizes. Very lively leaves which are soft or 'rou ruan' 柔软 ; an indication of a good sheng.

Price aside, personally I like this more than the 2009 Xiaguan Banzhang because of its purity and smoothness. The 2009 Chen Sheng Hao is weaker comparatively and may be in the same league as the other 'Zheng' pin. (2008 Chen Sheng Hao is also a very nice banzhang cake but the price is hitting US$120/cake at the tea fair)
Since the price is yet to be confirmed, it will be interesting to see how its being priced as compared to the other banzhang. If it fits my budget, I would certainly be going for the 'Zhen' pin.

Handwritten 'Banzhang Zhen pin' nei fei of cake sample:

2009 Banzhang 'Jing' pin:

Materials after selection for the 'Zhen' pin are used. Still maintaining a very high quality, perhaps age will reveal further the differences between them. Will spend more time on these cakes over the next weeks.

Handwritten 'Banzhang Jing pin' nei fei of cake sample:

2009 Banzhang 'Zheng' pin:

I'm happy to see the consistency throughout this series with the 'Zheng' pin proving to be a very decent cake itself. Huigan is present but a bit short lived at the moment which will hopefully grow as it age and other elements start transforming. The more distinct difference is in the variation of leaves used, observed upon closer inspection of leaves. Some smaller sized leaves in the mix at small proportions.

If history is anything to go by, the 1999 Yichang Hao proved that even the 'Zheng' grades are impressive.

Current draft of the wrapping outlook:

2008 Chang Tai 'Wei Rong Hao' Ripe Cake:

2007 Yichang Hao Sheng 250g:

Series of Chang Tai gift products and loose pu for office or use when out and about.

1999/2001/2003 Chang Tai Hao Sheng:

2008 Chang Tai 'Wei Rong Hao' Jin Gai Yin Hao Ripe tuo:

A very nice ripe tuo for a casual brew.

Lastly, stumbled upon something innovative and interesting. A patented product for a clean and simple brew. Crushed teas leaves (not powder) are prepacked and contained in the sleeve. Simply place them into a cup with boiling water and do it the 'lipton' tea ex the mess and drips.

Nice fragrance and color which I was told is free of coloring too!

After a cup, I'll still prefer sticking with my puerh.

Part III with photos of a tea presentation and a little something on the famous chinese liquor, you guess it.

1st Hong Kong International Tea Fair 2009 Part I

2009-08-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong International Tea Fair 2009
13-15 August 2009
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

This is the first Tea Fair being held in Hong Kong providing more international exposure for Chinese tea. Also being held at the same time are the HKTDC Food Expo, International Conference & Exhibition of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine / Health Products and the Hong Kong Lifestyle Showcase.

The crowd was quite impressive thanks also to the publicity of the Food Expo which attracts a large group of visitors. And why not when you can get 100 fishballs for US$0.13 but the catch, be there early and queue to be their 'first 100 visitor' quota. Food Expo covers 2 floors and shares part of the top floor with the Tea Fair.

Admission Badge:

Yunnan which means Puerh by default:

Booth of Menghai Dayi 'Taetea':

Products available are mostly from 2008

A few foreigners could be spotted but language is an issue since most exhibitors are not English speaking.

Showcase of some recent products from various countries:

Representing the United Kingdom (Sorry nothing from the United States)

Booth of Xiaguan:

Some cakes and tuos ranging from 2005-2008
Great effort being put into the costume of the rep.

One of the booth from Hong Kong, The Best Teahouse which I'm sure most of you are familiar with:

Booth of Mengku Shuangjiang:

Promoting their 2009 products

Booth of Chen Sheng Hao:

Showcasing the 2008 Banzhang Sheng Cake with 3 Stamps on the wrapper. The 2009 Banzhang Cake and Brick has also been released (without the 3 Stamps).

Next to Chen Sheng Hao is the Chang Tai Tea Group (name has been changed from Chang Tai Tea Factory since 2005):

Showcasing a range of 2007 products. Puerh cakes for the serious; Gift packages and also a range of products convenient for those stuck in the office.

10 years (1999-2009) of Yi Chang Hao and the reproduction awaits.

Booth of Tong Qing Hao:

Nice range of products including some ripe and recently pressed cakes of 3 years aged sheng packaged to target those hunting for a gift for the mooncake festival (also known as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival - FYI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooncake)

Good pairing with puerh.

Wine glasses? It's an International Fair afterall!

Mostly ripe cakes:

Hunan Black Tea for a change:

These are usually compressed into a massive brick of around 1kg up.

Behind the Tie Guan Yin section:

Representing Fuzhou:

Wuyi Rock Tea who have their fair share of fans:

Anxi Tie Guan Yin:

My summary: They're packaging cost more than the tgy itself.

Fu Ding White Tea from Fu Jian:

One of the Yixing Masters, Master Gao Jian Jun:

Showcasing a series of teapots which has been issued as stamps by China Post in 2009 (1st zisha stamps to be issued in 2009).

Only 100 sets of these teapots were made which were issued as stamps, the certification is being carved on a yixing plate:

There are names for each of them but I couldn't remember them all, the one on the right is made to commemorate the 08 Beijing Olympics thus the 'cloud' like pattern:

Some other potraits:

These only represent a portion of the exhibitors at the fair but are the key exhibitors.

Part II will be on the goodies I got from the fair. Will be up fairly soon.

1998 Menghai 7542 Sheng (Light wet storage) 勐海7542青饼(轻入仓)

2009-08-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

An afternoon session of the 1998 Menghai 7542 Sheng Cake, the last portion from a chuck of beeng.

First infusion let out a light aroma, in fact too light to attract attention. Aroma revealed when brewing a tea is one of the indication of how well the sheng has aged and its storage condition.

The broth was a classic 7542 taste without much aged aroma. Huigan is weak and disappointing on that note. I would think the wet storage it had been in contributed to this coupled by possibly an inferior batch of 7542.

From a collector's point of view, It would have been very disheartening if someone has collected these from the beginning, waited 10yrs to find such results. However if you need a quick drink without fuss, its still a decent sheng for immediate consumption.

2000 DaDuGang Wild Arbor (Dry Stored) 大渡岗

2009-08-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

'Tea oil' appearing on the nei fei, sign of a tea coming good.

Shiny appearance of cake is an indication of good dry storage.

2005/06 Jingdezhen Jingdeyao - Four Seasons Cup Set 景德镇

2009-07-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

High quality Jingdezhen porcelain, made and painted by hand

Spring, Autumn, Winter, Summer:

View of cups from another angle:

10th Anniversary (1999-2000) - Yi Chang Hao 易昌号

2009-07-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

1999-2009 10 year of Yi Chang Hao

Landmark 1999 Yi Chang Hao Series

Coming soon:

2009 Reproduction of the 1999 Yi Chang Hao Series (400g - Three Grades)

2009 Jinzhu Mountain Wild Round Cake Qianjiafeng

2009 Chang Tai Banzhang Chi Tse Beeng

2001 Mengku Shuangjiang Yuan Ye Xiang 勐库双江原野香

2009-07-29T01:11:00.000-07:00

I came across an article by Bill regarding the 2001 Mengku Shuangjiang Yuan Ye Xiang in his nicely created and updated blog. (Link:http://ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com/2009/07/2001-mengku-yuan-yieh-xian-of-mengsa.html)

Just a month or so ago, I received some samples from a friend in the States, a thick paper version of the 2001 Mengku Shuangjiang Yuan Ye Xiang and tried it along with a thin paper version from my own little collection. So I decided to search through those few photos I took and share my experience on the session.

Thick paper with the darker broth on the left and Thin paper with a lighter broth on the right.
1st Steep:

4th + 5th Steep:

6th Steep taken with Flash:

A heavy brewing method was used to put them to the test. Ratio of 10g leaves to 100ml was used in each gaiwan brewed together side by side.

In comparison, the thick paper has gone through a mild wet storage , quite a pleasant one with a dark cherry camphor aroma. From my experience, it has the style of a Hong Kong wet stored tea (which was later confirmed).

Wet storage requires a fare amount of experience and knowledge and Hong Kong seems to produce some nicely balanced wet stored sheng. For this tea in particular, its storage seem to have just overwhelmed its natural quality in return speeding up its aging. The bitterness and astringency has been brought down to an acceptable level, transforming it to a smooth and sweet broth.

Leaves of the Thick Paper version:

Leaves of the Thin Paper version:

As expected, aging of the thick paper is faster than the thin paper therefore it is a few years ahead of the thin paper in terms of aging/drinkability. Colours of the leaves are slightly greener in the thin paper version as a whole.
The thin paper version is dry stored; broth is thick, cool, fresh and clear. It has a significantly longer, stronger huigan and wild aroma, which is at present not very notable in the thick paper perhaps covered by the camphor aroma.

The thick paper version is enjoyable too in its own style. I did like the dark cherry, plum camphor aroma from the sample, which is an effect of the wet storage and more ready to be consumed at present. Broth was thick too but just lack cha qi and huigan as compared to the thin paper.

For only 15% more in price, I would go for the thin paper from a collector's perspective.

1998 Tong of 7 Thick Sheng Cake

2009-07-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

1998 Menghai ''Ye Sheng Qiao Mu' Wild Arbor Sheng Cake

Tong in its original bamboo packing.

2009 Spring - High Mountain Thousand yr Ancient Tree 高山千年古树茶

2009-07-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

‘Thousand’ year as to describe the well aged ancient tree found in a natural environment high up in the mountains of Yunnan. Shared by a friend who has been in the Tea and Puerh business for over two decades.
These high quality puerh leaves are plucked and dried without further processing from the pollution free region. Usually used to entertain important guest, consumed by the local tea farmers or within a close circle of family and friends.
An old man, pal of my friend brought them down from high altitude deep into the remote mountainous area. Total quantities plucked is said to be less than 50kg of which a minimal quantity was shared with him.

Alright let's get into the tasting session, which is the most important of all.

The leaf is mostly one bud/stalk with two leaves, crisp and crushes with a pinch. They are on average 3cm in length, black on one side and white on the other, giving out a hint of pleasant floral fragrant.

Ratio of 5g to 100ml gaiwan was used and the first steep made heads turn. The strong attractive floral, sweet young sheng puerh aroma is in the air. Sweet on the nostrils without attacking it. Leaves were softening from its crisp stature while still maintaining its structure.

The first few steeps after rinsing resulted in the leaves slowly transforming to a reddish-green colour. Yet they look so lively and appealing.

The light yellow broth from the 2nd steep.

Broth of 3rd steep on the left; 9th steep on the right showing some light honey yellow colour.

To my surprise, there are no bitterness or astringency at all which is present in young sheng puerh. None at all! The broth is smooth, very cooling as if you were drinking on the top of the mountain. Light sweet honey aftertaste throughout the session. Sense of nature, spring, purity of the broth makes this very much enjoyment.

It is very unique to find such an experience with a young sheng puerh. The steep continues steadily up to 18 steeps and could still continue showing the depth of its richness reflective of the age of the ancient tree.
For someone who couldn’t consume large amounts of young sheng due to nausea, this session had none of this effect on me, showing just how pure it is.

Pleased with such a special session of high mountain ancient tree puerh, I managed to get some for myself, my relatives and also to share with my puerh drinking friends.

The Start of a Journey

2009-06-19T00:42:00.001-07:00

First of all Welcome!

The idea of this blog is to share my Puerh experience and get to know more puerh aficionados out there.

I will also share some items from my private collection and hope to learn/exchange information with you all.

Do drop by off and on for any updated post or contact me by email to keep in touch.

Thanks.
Sp1key