Puerh Tasting and Vendor Praise

snipped-for-privacy@mb-m11.aol.com2/2/04

21: snipped-for-privacy@aol.comfrown

Yes, I love getting those packages.

I> have been brewing them for 30 sec., 1 minute, and 2 minutes with additional

I'm happy just hearing about it. Hope you are enjoy them. I gungfu pu-erh, but some Chinese acquaintances don't. When you finish your samples, you'll be well enough "educated" to pretty much know what you like.

Palates never stop changing, IMHO. As for vocabulary, please *don't* give that too much thought; analogy and ideosyncratic description are best, much better than the "official" word list, again IMHO.

I have samples of Michael's six Don Cong teas, drinking Wu Dong Bai Yie at the moment, which is a an experience of note. Anyway, I'm happy.

Michael

I can only second this. His goods are of high quality, and he gives friendly and good advice. I got a package from him a few days ago with some absolutely lovely yixing teapots, He (or his wife ;-) ) had put in a very nice selection of pu'erh samples which I have saved for a tasting session this weekend, something I'm really looking forward to.

Neither do I.

Lars

Lars MehlumjzkUb.32245$ snipped-for-privacy@juliett.dax.net2/5/04

00: snipped-for-privacy@c2i.filterspam.net

Lars,

Wow. Which of the teapots did you get, may I ask? I'm very interested to know how you like them. I'm looking at a couple of dem der (that is, "those") teapots for myself.

Michael

If you go to

and have a look at products>>teapots>>yixing teapots>>nature, I bought the first two, called 'artisans green zi sha' and 'top grade mixed zhu ni'. While I'm certainly no expert on yixing teapots my impression of these pots are:

1. They are beautiful!
2. The clay and the handywork seems very good
3. They pour perfectly
4. The price is at the same level or maybe a bit higher than other yixing teapots I've seen or bought earlier that seem to be of lesser quality.

The shipping cost from China isn't much higher than the shipping cost from the US for me, but that may of course be a consideration for some on this list.

Lykke til med tekannene! (Good luck with the teapots!)

Lars

They look beautiful. Congrats.

--Tom

-oo- ""\o~

------------------------------------ "Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto." Terrance

Michael,

I've recently got "Laughing Arrow" by Wang Chin Ming from M&J's and it's absolutely striking work of art. The workmanship and clay are superb and teapot is full of spirit. Well worth the money. I've been a patron of Michael Ryan's business for a while now and ALL teapots and Puerh I've got from him have been great. In case you wonder, my favorite for now is Xia Guan Tuo Cha Supreme Grade Uncooked 2003 (just order another 10 kg). If you have any questions please feel free to contact me here (in forum) or off line (yuri_pragin#comcast.net).

Thanks!

Michael,

I've recently got "Laughing Arrow" by Wang Chin Ming from M&J's and it's absolutely striking work of art. The workmanship and clay are superb and teapot is full of spirit. Well worth the money. I've been a patron of Michael Ryan's business for a while now and ALL teapots and Puerh I've got from him have been great. In case you wonder, my favorite for now is Xia Guan Tuo Cha Supreme Grade Uncooked 2003 (just order another 10 kg). If you have any questions please feel free to contact me here (in forum or off line yuri_pragin#comcast.net).

Thanks!

Lars Mehlum2obVb.32488$ snipped-for-privacy@juliett.dax.net2/7/04

14: snipped-for-privacy@c2i.filterspam.net

Mange tak sku' du have.

The ones you got are really nice: clean, bright, and good quality, it seems. Hope you enjoy them. Are you going to dedicate them to any particular type of tea or will they be generalists? (I'm struggling with this issue now.)

Michael

Yuriy snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com2/8/04

20: snipped-for-privacy@pragin.cncdsl.com

So Yuri,

Do you use the 10 kg for one cup, or do you distribute this one over time and tea? Hee hee. I've seldom thought much of Tuo Chas, although they are wonderfully convenient, so I'd be askanse (sp?) about this one. Maybe they are bigger than tuo chas, which are usually truly cup sized?)

I'm on my way to the M&J site to have a look at the WCM LA you mentioned. I'll talk more with you about this off-group.

Thanks. Michael

Thanks.

Michael

You've drunk 10 kg of tea ? Or you work as a retailer for ******* ? What did they say at the custom ?

Kuri

All I can say about personal testimonials in this ng is caveat emptor. You don't have to be smart to drive a Mercedes just rich. So enjoy what everybody else is buying and drinking. When I serve tea you'll never know how much it cost. If you prefer Puerh over Vintage Oolong you won't be back.

Jim

Space snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com2/9/04

09: snipped-for-privacy@ix.netcom.com

While I appreciate your comment, I don't necessarily understand your last line. What's this about Puerh and Vintage Oolong? Was that a reference to cost of one or the other?

Michael

Hi Kuri, I'm not a retailer. The tea is mine! All mine! :) Puerh has a wonderful quality of not spoiling but improving with age. So I can store it and drink it at my leisure for a long time. Custom can pass anything less than 30kg with no problem.

I've been asked for my opinion, so I gave it. You are right, you don't have to be smart to drive a Mercedes, but hey, I enjoy it none the less. The point is not in brand, but in quality. Unfortunately quality goods are expensive, so I prefer have less but better quality. I'm enjoying what I can afford, do you have a problem with that?

Yuriy snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com2/9/04

15: snipped-for-privacy@pragin.cncdsl.com

Generally, I want what *for me* is the best, and I'm willing to drink less and pay more for whatever quantity I can afford, if that is what it takes. Yuri, I think you hit the nail on the head. Besides, I am personally quite comfortable with my wealth.

Michael

If you guys don't shutup I'm going to start talking about my Yugo. Here's a riddle for the Mercedes crowd. I just came back from visiting a local tea merchant and he pointed out a reputable tea book no longer in print where the English author said to brew Yinzhen 15 minutes while others would assume the conventional wisdom is multiple short infusions gongfu method. I think I know why there is some merit to that statement by the English author. What is your opinion?

Jim

I don't have a Mercedes, but I do have an opinion: there's more than one way to do it.

/Lew

Yinzhen or Silver Needle is white tea and should never be used for Gongfu, so infusion for 15 minutes using warm water sounds quite all right.

Space snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com2/10/04

17: snipped-for-privacy@ix.netcom.com

First, I'm not sure whether the comment regarding Yin Zhen gungfu short infusions is yours or the authors, but it doesn't matter much. Second, you didn't mention temperature at all. Fifteen minutes in water close to tepid would be fine. I've done it. It works well. One minute in water close to boiling temperature would wreck it, **to my taste**. Please reveal the book and author. If it's expensive enough we of the Mercedes crowd will bounce out and buy it.

Speaking of which, I disapprove of Mercedes. They are big and awkward and they imply that you need others with you. My black Porsche is my favorite car, much better than the BMW. I really don't want room for many people in a vehicle. It's sort of why I only wear Polo dress shirts. No pockets. If you have pockets in a shirt, you'd probably put a pen in it. That's what secretaries are for. Know what I mean?

Drinking a rare Private Reserve Bai Hao at the moment from a private distributor/collector in Hong Kong. I was only able to get two ounces of it, but at 1450 British pounds a kilo, that was all I could afford. Is it worth it. Well, Jim, you never know, but then you'll never know.

BTW, I'd love to have you drop by for tea, but only if you promise to drive the Yugo. My people need a good laugh.

Michael