tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.comments2024-03-15T05:38:48.132-07:00Tea in the ancient worldJohn Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485492978163517529noreply@blogger.comBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-26069423564455780702024-02-11T08:07:15.544-08:002024-02-11T08:07:15.544-08:00One of the best reads I've come across recentl...One of the best reads I've come across recently!"<br /><br />Comment posterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08798229914221937584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-50843284800237201832024-01-29T02:35:07.369-08:002024-01-29T02:35:07.369-08:00Thanks for sharing this interesting post with us i...Thanks for sharing this interesting post with us i found this helpful for, best running trainers are Asics Gel-Nimbus 18, Adrenaline GTS 16, and Nike Zoom Structure 20.<br /><a href="https://athleticgens.com/10-best-running-trainers/" rel="nofollow">Best Running and Training Shoes</a>Victor Warinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03930186729871919331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-8549609878227696152023-12-25T03:43:54.864-08:002023-12-25T03:43:54.864-08:00Your review provided valuable insights into this u...Your review provided valuable insights into this uncommon beverage, and it's evident that you have a passion for exploring diverse and intriguing teas.<br /><a href="https://promocodehq.com/" rel="nofollow">promocodehq</a><br />Barbara Nimmohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01515250792415879927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-11324561764141597202023-09-16T09:38:00.869-07:002023-09-16T09:38:00.869-07:00Yep, sometimes the good problem of having demand c...Yep, sometimes the good problem of having demand can become a problem problem of too much demand. But in most cases, I'm guessing worth the risk given the unlikely nature of having such massive growth through one podcast appearance.<br /><br />You're right, budget makes a big difference. My budget is more limited than some, less limited than others. Let's just say that I've never bought a tong of anything yet. As for cakes, I'll only go there when it's cheap enough, and I've sampled it (or the rare time I'm confident it'll be fine), AND I think 200-357g is going to keep the appeal over that many sessions.Griftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873149928916229972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-91910241125559569012023-09-16T05:05:49.741-07:002023-09-16T05:05:49.741-07:00Interesting related thoughts. I once talked to on...Interesting related thoughts. I once talked to one of the biggest of these vendors about how the exposure from being on a mainstream podcast might change their business and perceptions of better tea, and they were mostly concerned about problems with ramping up demand too quickly. <br /><br />I'm a novice compared to many less vocal tea enthusiasts in the sense that I've never had a deep budget to work with, so it's not unusual to hear boastful comments about people spending as much on tea in a purchase or two as I do over years worth of time. It could be for a single cake, really, and not necessarily a rare auction item version.<br /><br />For other kinds of tea producers it would seem helpful if tea awareness and demand could broaden, but producers and vendors in pu'er scope generally seem to be doing ok. If demand doubled quickly it's hard to say where pricing could land; $150 for a standard cake? People often comment that Western consumption is a drop in the bucket compared to within China, but I'm not sure how directly that applies beyond more ordinary range teas. It's probably still partly true, but not like it would be for standard lower quality green and rolled oolong versions, or standard Wuyi Yancha, and so on.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485492978163517529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-65374842924683118722023-09-16T02:49:05.215-07:002023-09-16T02:49:05.215-07:00Nice breakdown of the major vendors' general s...Nice breakdown of the major vendors' general strategies. Passion for tea, in their various ways, goes a long way. But I do wonder about the smaller vendors with a sublime selection. Would better branding help them, or is the market too crowded, or are other factors at play? Could those vendors even manage with a much larger customer base? Lots of questions!<br /><br />I've found the only way to work out which vendors suit my taste is to sample their teas regularly. From those you've mentioned, W2T and EoT have consistent quality. And my few samplings from Liquid Proust, I'd definitely buy more if it wasn't for the shipping costs to me. I'm a big fan of a couple of other big vendors that you've mentioned in passing, and I feel like I'm spoilt for choice compared to when I first started my tea journey back in 2005.<br /><br />For all the branding, my direction has only been to follow the taste. I hardly pay attention to the info about the tea and the marketing. At the end of the day, what does it taste like? If I can afford it and it tastes good, woo!<br /><br />And despite all these years drinking the good stuff, I still prefer sampling over buying many cakes. If cakes were all tiny 50g offerings, that'd be a sweet spot for me. 7-10 sessions before I move on...Even with the best teas I've ever tasted, that many sessions would satisfy me most times. I don't know if that makes me a good customer for the bigger vendors, or an annoying one...Griftyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873149928916229972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-414125345580453852023-09-11T20:27:32.025-07:002023-09-11T20:27:32.025-07:00Good articleGood articleWareesa jamshed warsihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15910354872932594306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-88905462949611958262022-07-07T16:55:01.555-07:002022-07-07T16:55:01.555-07:00I am far from an expert. I think we never become a...I am far from an expert. I think we never become an expert no matter what age or area we are in. The 2005 T8653 thick paper are the ones to chase among all of that cake numeric. First picking identified by the heavier paper used on them. I would like to be in or at least have somethings stored in your climate. I think it would be an interesting subject to compare with a few years versus a tea stored in a different area. Variables and micro climes would be very interesting to see if the flora and fauna of teas stored elsewhere will see similar results or different ones. <br />Things to ponder as we walk through our travel with our teas.<br />M.john roupehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12837847817665825902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-29526259074713305262022-06-27T22:13:49.181-07:002022-06-27T22:13:49.181-07:00Thank you, John, for your detailed and objective r...Thank you, John, for your detailed and objective review. You have indeed correctly noted the main characteristics of this young sheng puerh tea. Your review is notable for its accuracy in description and intuitive details that are not obvious to many. Sergey and I are very grateful to you and hope that you enjoy this tea. Leo Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10742284675568201384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-25796789160878215162022-05-26T23:49:56.210-07:002022-05-26T23:49:56.210-07:00thanks for correcting that, and sorry for misrepre...thanks for correcting that, and sorry for misrepresenting it. that does make more sense, and the range of 10 cents to a dollar a gram is pretty much exactly the standard pricing range for sheng in general. 10 cents is on the low side now, really, with pricing starting higher being more typical.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485492978163517529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-72378080795239935752022-05-20T21:15:02.154-07:002022-05-20T21:15:02.154-07:00Great article, but I should note that the Bitterle...Great article, but I should note that the Bitterleaf example is inaccurate - the front page price range in the screenshot are for samples (15-25g) through tongs (5-7 cakes), so cake prices or comparative costs can't be gleaned from that.<br /><br />The highest sticker price on the page ($445) is for a 5 cakes of our most expensive sheng ($0.95/gram when purchasing a cake). The most affordable 200g cake (from 2021) would be $25 ($0.125/gram), with our sole 357g cake being $38 ($0.105/gram), or ~$21 if converted to a 200g cake. Overall the average $/gram is ~$0.35/gram.Bitterleafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03619819916260236383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-43893935792906384892022-04-21T20:04:36.781-07:002022-04-21T20:04:36.781-07:00John, thanks for an always informative easy to rea...John, thanks for an always informative easy to read blog. Thanks for including me in as well. As always keep writing and I will keep reading what you post. <br />Mrm.mrmoparhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14959910286510885733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-78269866858517379572022-04-14T17:10:54.168-07:002022-04-14T17:10:54.168-07:00Great review! Thanks for the post. I have this in ...Great review! Thanks for the post. I have this in stock where I work, will drink it again next time I'm in.StatueOfDiveohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12361578848937731239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-91444316650143808502022-04-09T07:47:29.480-07:002022-04-09T07:47:29.480-07:00Thanks for having me in on this. I really enjoyed ...Thanks for having me in on this. I really enjoyed the interactions of all of us across the world. Met some new friends as well.john roupehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12837847817665825902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-60760633787048657532022-04-02T03:41:19.311-07:002022-04-02T03:41:19.311-07:00Phyll Sheng is I believe Andrew Harto of the US, a...Phyll Sheng is I believe Andrew Harto of the US, active on FB puer tea club.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10544967313323315542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-54835867837356900442022-02-19T15:24:36.883-08:002022-02-19T15:24:36.883-08:00I still have some of them but not much.
I still have some of them but not much.<br /><br />noppadol ariyakruahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00623754133376241364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-70954450325782818482022-01-20T16:14:28.088-08:002022-01-20T16:14:28.088-08:00If I'm interpreting your comment correctly it&...If I'm interpreting your comment correctly it's asking about a style that is more oxidized and more roasted, swapping out fresh and bright flavors for warmer and deeper tones. It's just an interpretation on my part but I see their Dan Cong as being prepared in similar styles. Ya Shi comes across as warmer, smoother, and less bright due to material input but it's that much more oxidized or roasted. I do like the other style you seem to reference, but they seem to make Dan Cong in one way, more so than how their Wuyi Yancha vary more, but even those more often are made in a lighter style too, with slightly heavier roast applied more than shifting oxidation level. A producer could use a range of processing styles but I would expect these consistencies to be more common.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485492978163517529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-89431465823611373252022-01-15T18:04:32.863-08:002022-01-15T18:04:32.863-08:00have you tried other teas from Cindy that were sim...have you tried other teas from Cindy that were similar? Trying to find some dan congs from her that are not so green. I didn't like Ba Xian so much. Ao Fu Hou was okay but not quite as good as this one.alpenandrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08764708631167056757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-78379804921053110242021-12-01T03:14:03.690-08:002021-12-01T03:14:03.690-08:00That is an excellent review of my currently favour...That is an excellent review of my currently favourite black/red tea. Very educational in terms of my own understanding of tea. The brief comparator to Magalam, my second favourite Assam, so far, was interesting as well, although my experience it of a stronger tea than the Halmari, but that's probably down to the brewing.<br /><br />And bonus references to a few more teas to try, with context. :)<br /><br />Thanks.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04443175614508790849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-67499863469667875792021-10-30T13:12:54.742-07:002021-10-30T13:12:54.742-07:00Rereading this and enjoying (again) the reference ...Rereading this and enjoying (again) the reference to culture/linguistic reference points on a topic and sensation that isn't simple to describe. These sensations and subtle feelings will, I hope, play as much into the future of descriptions as some of the hyped up marketing terminology that is like fog. As always, appreciate what you put out there John. Jeff Fuchshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231782058942396560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-67798728938449134852021-10-24T20:53:54.686-07:002021-10-24T20:53:54.686-07:00good input; it's nice to see detailed feedback...good input; it's nice to see detailed feedback in a comment once in long while. that approach sounds promising, that an emphasis on not just passing on an account but also setting up a standard form of description could make tasting description and discussion go better. there was an interesting and novel attempt by the Taiwanese tea research agency, TTES, to create oolong-specific flavor wheels, which could be interpreted as along the lines of what you are describing. it really didn't seem a productive final end step, to me, since it didn't get closer to being functional than standard aroma wheels, but trying something new makes sense. using a limited set of descriptions for a certain range is also promising, eg. narrowing down range of standard description for an oolong sub-category. in the end people are talking about a lot of different things though, with some focused on feel aspects, or others effect of a tea, and with varying flavors interpreted in lots of different ways. I think a set of people with shared experience and discussion history could get further with what you describe, passing on meaningful descriptions. it probably doesn't help that the group forms related to that potential keep shifting, that active groups like Tea Chat go inactive, and currently active groups like Gong Fu Cha on FB tend to focus on picture sharing, or limited questions, not venturing into discussion of experience as much.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485492978163517529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-66334883618235382422021-10-21T07:29:19.500-07:002021-10-21T07:29:19.500-07:00For me, tasting notes are a vehicle of communicati...For me, tasting notes are a vehicle of communication with others - an attempt at engaging with the community/social aspect of tea enthusiasm. I enjoy a vendor's notes to the extent that they give me something to look for, but it doesn't bother me at all to discard them in favor of my own experience. In addition to the attempt at 'universal' tasting notes that are sharable, I also keep private tasting notes which are more a record of memories triggered, words that visited my mind during the moment, and associations with other teas I've experienced. These private notes do not make any sense to others, and I've tried by supplying both the private notes and the stories that describe my past memories, and this was offensive to others not on due to the excessive number of words, but because it presumed they would be interested. However, tasting notes that attempt to speak in a more universal voice, limited to flavors, scents, and textures that most people would have experienced I think is our best attempt to dispel the curse of Babel and build tasting wheels or lexicons that permit the experience to be shared even from a distance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-88271888073652661232021-09-24T22:25:01.362-07:002021-09-24T22:25:01.362-07:00This was a helpful review. I recently ordered from...This was a helpful review. I recently ordered from Ketlee, and now I’m really looking forward to it arriving, especially the Manipur shengs.Hughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17129658337452261044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-40046586868425489242021-09-02T14:25:35.617-07:002021-09-02T14:25:35.617-07:00Thanks for your depiction of this tea (which I'...Thanks for your depiction of this tea (which I'm sipping at the moment.) Your view seems to match my own. Best, JimJim Vandegriffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02561701022798345407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5896101085985164789.post-31272168093583403162021-08-20T22:31:34.441-07:002021-08-20T22:31:34.441-07:00You might explore The incoherent rage that we as r...You might explore The incoherent rage that we as readers experience when our favourite blog goes quiet.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10544967313323315542noreply@blogger.com