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2006 Myanmar Kokang Mei Hua Bing Raw Puerh Tea 100g

2006 Myanmar Kokang Mei Hua Bing Raw Puerh Tea 100g
4.5 stars 1 review

This little cake come from border area with Myanmar from Kokang (果敢; pinyin: Guǒgǎn), area about 20km outside from China. Kokang county was part of China for long time and is famous for ancient tea gardens. Nowadays the is tea from this area sell to Chinese market as most border teas. Stored since 2006 in Kokang and this year (2015) sold to Kunming tea seller. This cake will surprise you with the quality and taste. Nice floral aroma, full body and thick,floral sweet with fast...

Eternal Spring
07.12.2015 21:09:37
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Mini cake from Myanmar

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Kokang is located on west border of Yunnan province, about 150km west from Lincang and about 70km south from Dehong. It is low populated self-administrated zone of Barma with highest point in altitude 2548 m.

The cake is small but thick. Diameter is 7.5cm and width 2cm. There is Chinese character for tea on one side and star on the other. Pressing is quite heavy. Since, I injured my hand trying to break heavy pressed tea brick; I approach such teas with great respect. After a while of careful picking I succeeded to break off a few pieces of broken tea.

There is a light smoky scent in the dry tea. Rinsed leaves smell very fruity after dates and even tropical overripe fruits.

The taste of the first infusion is bold. I was surprised by the intensity of flavours in the first cup. It’s fruity and spicy character. Instant huigan, mouth is filled with sweetness, what is then returning back via nose. You can experience cooling effect while breathing over your mouth. Also you can feel energy just after the first cup.

The second cup – I have to shorten steeping time to 6s. The intensity of scents and taste is rapidly growing.

This tea reminds me with its character Xiaguan Jai Ji Tuo. I mean those better tuochas with fruity taste and without any smokiness (ie 2005 Xiaguan Jia Ji).

It is well produced tea with great energy and outstanding fruity taste. And even more it’s already 10 years old tea for a very good price of $6.50 for 100g (2015). Definitely recommend tasting.

I used too hot water for the first preparation and also longer steeping times. I used about 7g of tea for 100ml. The teas was then strong and too much aromatic. I recommend less tea, about 4g per 100ml, cooler water – 90°C and shorter steeping.



2006 Changtai Long Ma Rui Ming "Dragon Horse" Raw Puerh Cake 400g

2006 Changtai Long Ma Rui Ming
4.0 stars 1 review

This cake is composed of Lancang and Menghai area selected materials.After 5 years aging in dry storage, this cake now taste still a little bitter. About half the time, the cake was stored in Kunming, later moved to Guangzhou for the rest of the time. It´s a very pleasant surprise that the development and aging of flavor! Changtai pressed the same blend twice in 2006. The wrapper have the same design "Dragon and Horse" but different colour. The first batch of product have...

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25.11.2015 14:09:55
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Dragon and Horse – 2nd batch

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This tea is a blend of Lancang and Menghai material. Seller has explained that Menghai material comes from Bulang area. Tea was stored in dry Kunming (4 years) and also in more humid Guangzhou (5 years), where this tea matured well.

After flashing leaves, the empty cup smells pleasantly sweet. Rinsed leaves aroma recalls dates, fruits and it’s also astringent. Colour of the brew is brown.

15s – the first sip – taste is sweetish with a small aged tones at the end. Further sips highlight mature tastes. Sweetness is coming back to mouth via your nose. No bitterness at all. Nothing disturbing. It’s interesting as there was quite bitterness in this tea year ago.

12s – the second cup – more mature taste, a lot of sweetness, still no bitterness. Here comes astringency.

You can spot camphor flavours in the tea pot.

18s – the third cup – astringency is growing and you can observe cooling effect on your tang. There is no bitterness, just more mature taste.

25s – the forth cup – 35s - the fifth – it is not a bad tee at all, what an improvement since last year – 6, 7 & 8 - the end.

Unpleasant bitterness present in the tea year ago is now gone. It’s good medium aged sheng. Price was $32 one year ago (2014), now it’s $54 for 400g (2015).



2014 Autumn Mengsong Bamboo Raw Puerh Tea 500g

2014 Autumn Mengsong Bamboo Raw Puerh Tea 500g
4.0 stars 1 review

This tea come from autumn 2014 harvest from Mengsong (Menghai), blend of tea from different villages, trees 60-80 years old, made by Dai minority. Put the tea into bamboo tube, then bake bamboo on the fire until lightly toasted. Press the tealeaves with a wooden stick when they are softened, and then fill up the tube again with more tealeaves. Repeat this procedure until tealeaves in the tube are compacted. Sweet, full tea soup with strong floral aroma. Drink now...

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25.11.2015 09:00:22
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Mengsong in the bamboo

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You can view the production of this tea on attached photos. Steamed tea is hammered into the bamboo tube and then baked on the open fire. Surprisingly there is no trace of smokiness in the taste, but the tea takes over the fresh aroma of bamboo.

Rinsed tea leaves smell like green tea – clear, sweet and fresh flowery aroma. I cannot get enough :)

1st infusion (about 40s) – colour is yellow to brown. The taste is mild, sweetish with a little astringency at the end. The tea is not yet open. Compression is not tight, you can quite easily separate a piece of tea. I recommend cutting it as a “salami slices”. Well, the association with salami is obvious. Tea really recalls salami sausage even with white “mouldy” cover. Of course there is no mould at all, those are just traces of bamboo, from what the tea was taken out.

2nd infusion – 10s – leaves smell very nice – full, honey rich taste with gentle bitter and quite astringent ending. There is enough energy in this tea. It is worming up the body. Also sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

3rd infusion – sweet and quite astringent. I’ve used more tea, so I am gonna shorten steeping times.

4th infusion – sweetness is changing to honey sweet tones – 5th, 6th – still enough of astringency – 7, 8, 9.

Perfect tea for everyday drinking. The taste is typical for Mengsong araea and it’s close to a rich green tea. I like these young aromatic shengs. $22 for 500g (2015).

By the way 2012 Mangzhi Huang Shan Cha Xiao Bing 200g was also produced in Mingshan tea house. Also 2014 Mengsong Ripe, what we also bough and will write about it soon.



2015 Chawangpu Mengsong Old Tree Xiao Bing

2015 Chawangpu Mengsong Old Tree Xiao Bing
4.5 stars 1 review

This tea come from Mengsong mountain, wild arbor tea garden. Trees are 80-120 years old, growing wild in forest.¨ We visited this garden in Januar 2015 and very like the place. We bought first harvest which was just 30kg only. Hand processing in every step and sun-dried, traditional stone pressed in Menghai town. Typical Mengsong taste, aromatic tea soup, sweet, full and strong, bittersweet long aftertaste. Manufacturer : Cha Wang Shop...

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11.11.2015 15:22:11
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Good Mengsong

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Beautiful smell of rinsed leaves – flowery-sweet fragrance. Very deep „odour“

The first infusion is fragrant and sweet, with just a little astringency in the end, fast huigan. The colour of the brew is light-yellow and it quickly changes to orange.

The taste is full, outstanding, sweet, spicy and fragrant. Simply splendid. Out of all 5 teas in 2015 ChawangPu Collection is Mengsong the one most fragrant.

Astringency is gentle. Fair warming-up energy.

This is nice tea from Mengsong area. Tasty young sheng suitable to drink now, for those how loves young green puerhs. Fragrant, spicy taste typical for Mengsong. It will also mature well, I guess.

We will also write about Mengsong tea pressed into bamboo - 2014 Autumn Mengsong Bamboo Raw Puerh Tea 500g.
There is also one ripe puerh from Mengsong area - 2014 Mengsong Ripe Puerh Cake 357g – we will write about this one later. Anyway all reviewed Mengsong puerh teas can be seen here.

Very nice tea for the price of $22 / 200g cake (2015).



2015 Chawangpu Menghai "Cheng Shuang" Xiao Bing

2015 Chawangpu Menghai
4.0 stars 1 review

Cheng Shuang 成双 means in pairs This cake is blend of two villages and mountain in Menghai area. Material for this cake come from old trees betwen 60-120 years, first harvest in late March. Pure hand made, pressed by stone in Menghai. Strong, very nice aroma, full in mouth, with some bitterness, fast aftertaste. This is powerfull blend for long term aging! Manufacturer : Cha Wang Shop Production date: Harvest early spring before 4.5.2015 .,...

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11.11.2015 14:07:40
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For aging

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

This is a bland of two teas from two villages in Menghai area. Material is coming from an old tea trees 60-120 year old. The cake is well processed.

Dry tea smells heavily fresh. Odour of wet leaves is deeply flower-sweet.

Infusion is bold, herbal, strong, bitter. Nothing uneasy in the taste, but also nothing distinctive. But the energy, on the other side, is quite distinctive and warming-up. This strong energy will make you sweat.

I can spot a little mushroom aftertaste in later infusions. Very long aftertaste.

I have over-steeped the 8th brew and it is still very bitter. Stamina is good, though.

This tea, in my opinion, is not suitable to drink now. You can find far more pleasant young shengs in 2015 ChawangPu Collection (Bada, Mengsong, Hekai). The taste of this tea is not distinctive, but judging by energy it quite interesting. Really outstanding chaqi. It will be though more suitable for long term aging. The price is favourable $18 for 200g cake (2015).



2015 Chawangpu Hekai Gushu Xiao Bing

2015 Chawangpu Hekai Gushu Xiao Bing
5.0 stars 1 review

Material for this cake came from Man Nan Lao Zhai in Hekai mountain. Man Nan Lao Zhai is home of Lahu minority. There are very few small trees in the tea gardens, most of the tea trees are really old, which have lived for several hundred years. We picked out the first picking tea in late March before the rains came. Silver and fat buds, dark leaves, strong aroma. The taste is rich, oily and full in mouth, bitter as Hekai is, aftertaste is fast and sweet. This tea come from the...

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11.11.2015 10:49:28
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Bitter, still honey sweet

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This is the most expensive cake from 2015 ChawangPu Collection and the only tea tagged as Gu Shu – wild tea trees. We were able to taste the same material 2 year ago, when Cha Wang was offering 2013 Spring Hekai moacha from the same location. I was admiring the size of leaves and pleasantly bitter body. So, how is this year’s tea standing?

Rinsed leaves smell deeply flowery and fruity.

The first cup is sweet after honey with pleasantly light bitterness. The tea immediately starts to heat up chest and the energy is rising up…

The second cup is already quite bitter with a nice honey flavour. The bitterness is outstanding, but not unpleasant, it is not disturbing. The aftertaste is pleasantly bitter-sweet and very very long. The bitterness in aftertaste is first woody, then it’s softening and finally there remains just honey sweet taste in your mouth. If you smell an empty cup after drinking, the nose is filled with lovely honey scent. The bitterness contains nutty flavour in later infusions.

I was checking other reviews on the net and almost everyone was repeating that this tea is very good to drink now, but not suitable for aging. No doubts the teas is very good now, I totally agree and I recommend it to taste.

Well, in regards to possible suitability to againg or not. It’s true that Hekai is not one of those famous locations, where you are more sure a tea will mature well. Nevertheless you can find a few single mountain teas from Hekai. I had a chance to taste 2007 Repave from White2Tea and I was not much keen on this tea (maocha from 2007 was pressed in 2014), yet I don’t want to judge Hekai by this one experience.

Hekai from Cha Wag is very likable tea. Tea trees are looking very nice, leaves are dark, beautiful, big and looking alive. It contains a lot of big and fair buds. Outstanding and promising bitterness … to buy or not to buy? An eternal question of puerh collectors ;-)
This tea is Gu Shu, so the price of $36 for 200g cake is perfect! Personally I will buy a few pieces to watch this tea.



2015 Chawangpu Bada Old Tree Xiao Bing

2015 Chawangpu Bada Old Tree Xiao Bing
4.5 stars 1 review

Since 2012, Bada mountain is one of our personal favorite place and we spend many days and travel there, many times. Visit different villages and tea gardens. Bada 2015 come from an Bulang village old tea garden, most of trees was cut in past. It´s old Bada mountain large leaves kind of tea trees, in taste very close to Zhanglang village teas. The tea trees grows in the forest in more than 1600 metres high mountain. It's not easy to pick. Our tea is...

Eternal Spring
09.11.2015 16:58:20
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2015 ChawangPu Bada

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Excellently processed cake. The tea contain a lot of buds. Comparing to 2013 ChawangPu BaDa Zhang Lang is the difference just in the tone of cake’s colour. Structure is almost the same.

 Comparison of 2013 ChawangPu BaDa Zhang Lang and  2015 ChawangPu BaDa Old Trees

Rinsed leaves smell after flowers and fruits. Colour of the brew is light yellow.

The first infusion is gentle, sweetish and little astringent.

The second brew is pleasantly herbal, sweet with astringent finish and with just a little bitterness. The remaining astringency in the aftertaste is stimulating salivation. An finally there is this very pleasant herbal aftertaste. Well, it is herbal teaste, but different from Lao Yu. BaDa Old Tree has perfumed odour, gentler than Lao Yu. The other infusions are full, just a little bitter, astringent and herbal. It is an easy drinking tea. The energy is not as big as Lao Yu. BaDa has more relaxing chaqi.

 Comparison of 2013 ChawangPu BaDa Zhang Lang and 2015 ChawangPu BaDa Old Trees

BaDa Old Tree is very well processed. Leaves are nice and there is quite a share of buds. Tea’s character in general is cultivated. Comparing to “Lao Yu”, what is also from BaDa region, is BaDa Old Tree smoother and gentler. Lao Yu processing is slightly poorer and the character is wilder, bitter. BaDa Old Tree is the good choice for those who loves young shengs to drink now. Well, even weaker stomach can easily take in this tea. In case of fresh Lao Yu 2015 you need to have a good belly.

Aging …

We tried the sample of 2005 „Zhang Wei Bada“ Raw Puerh Cake to have an idea how BaDa can mature. This tea matures well (sweet after caramel, smooth taste, but aging goes quite slow. May be a dry Kunming?). So, in regards to possible aging of 2015 Chawangpu BaDa Old Tree – hard to say, I am not wizard, but I am giving this tea a chance :) The price is $20 for 200g cake (2015).



2013 Chawangpu Bada Zhang Lang Xiao Bing Cha 200g

2013 Chawangpu Bada Zhang Lang Xiao Bing Cha 200g
4.5 stars 1 review

Nicely processed and completely manually produced tea from Bada mountains. The tea is coming from Zhang Lang village from two Bulang’s families at the end of March 2013.

Eternal Spring
09.11.2015 16:19:47
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2013 ChawangPu Bada

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This tea comes from Zhang Lang village. They are 50-80 old arbour tea trees. The tea is nicely processed and contains a lot of buds.

The brew is sparkish and clear.

Rinsed tea smells after honey and fruits. The taste is herbal and sweet. It slightly recalls Lao Yu 2013 what is also coming from BaDa region.

It is now 2,5 year old tea (spring 2013 – autumn 2015). Comparing to 2015 BaDa ChawangPu, the colour of brew is a little darker. There is not a big difference in the taste comparing with BaDa 2015 as well. They are both coming out quite close in tester, just taste of BaDa 2013 is more like caramel.

I bought two cakes in spring 2015 for $16, now it is gone.

 Comparison of  2013 Bada Pu-erh.sk - 2013 ChawangPu BaDa Zhang Lang -  2015 ChawangPu BaDa Old Trees

Comparison of 2013 Bada Pu-erh.sk with 2013/2015 Chawangpu Bada is basically not possible. The tea from Pu-erh.sk is completely different. 2013 Bada Pu-erh.sk is Gu Shu material - wild tea treas and those trees are a lot older. First infusions of “Slovak” Bada are quite bitter. Is is kind of “woody” bitterness of wild leaves. Sweetness is coming later in further steepings. After comparison of all three Bada teas in testers, it’s difficult to talk about bitterness in ChawanPu Badas. Of course, bitterness is there, but significantly milder. 2013 BaDa Pu-erh.sk is a great tea. The price is also on a different level €49,80 for 250g cake (10/2015). I bought this tea in January sale for €29. Long live sales!



2015 Chawangpu Bada Lao Yu Xiao Bing

2015 Chawangpu Bada Lao Yu Xiao Bing
4.0 stars 1 review

Lao Yu (老妪) : old woman Material for this cake came from a small Bulang village in Bada mountain. This village have very small quantity of tea trees that grow in the forest. Trees are relative old, but farmers cut the branches when trees get too tall. Tea trees are kept at easy-picking height because the tea is picked and made by old women in this village. They follow ancient ways to produce tea. Many of them make tea only for themself. We selected and bought good...

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09.11.2015 09:06:48
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Old Woman the third time

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This tea is called “Old Woman” after grannies who are harvesting this tea in one of Bulang’s village in Bada mountains. This is actually the third continuation of Lao Yu tea. The first Lao Yu was produced in 2013 and you can read about it here. The second Lao Yu 2014 is a bit different and you can read more here.

The first sip is sweet with slow approach of astringency. After swallow you can feel dryness in your mouth and bitter and herbal taste.

The other infusions are full, strong and thick. Outstanding bitterness mixed with fresh herbal and flowery taste. Great astringency. There is a little smokiness in the aftertaste.

Processing of Lao Yu is not quite perfect. The material comes from different families, which are preparing maocha by themselves. The quality can vary even in the single cake. It depends how carefully the material was homogenized. When I was comparing all three Lao Yu in testers (3g / 1 minute), Lao Yu 2015 was very smoky almost as burned. I don’t know if there was just a piece of burned tea in my cup. I haven’t tasted the same intensive smokiness in many other preparations in Gong Fu Cha style. Well, Lao Yu 2013 was also a bit smoky at the begging and now the smoke is absolutely gone.

Again, I have to say that this is great tea full of energy. Very stimulating energy, even with a flustering effect, it is quite something and your hard will beat fast. Well, there is this little smokiness, but I am not afraid of it to the future. It will be gone soon. I recommend this tea for aging. The price is superb $12.50 (2015)



2014 Chawangpu "Lao Yu" Xiao Bing Cha

2014 Chawangpu
4.5 stars 1 review

Lao Yu (老妪) : old woman Material for this cake came from a small Bulang minority village in Bada mountain. This village have very small quantity of tea trees that grow in the forest. Trees are relative old, but farmers cut the branches when trees get too tall. Tea trees are kept at easy-picking height because the tea is picked and made by old women in this village. They follow ancient ways to produce tea. Many of them make tea only for themself. We selected and...

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09.11.2015 09:05:07
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Look in to the future

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This Lao Yu is a bit different comparing to 2013 and 2015 model. Processed tea in the form of maocha was stored more than one year in Menghai. The final pressing into 200g cakes was done in January 2015. Maocha matures more quickly and also differently. This is a common process used by big tea factories as Xiaguan and Menghai Dayi to speed up aging of their fresh products. Loose leaves access more air and humidity and that is why tea matures faster than in pressed form.

In case of Lao Yu 2014, the tea had enough time to move forward and that’s why we can have a sneak preview of Lao Yu’s future. The tea from 2014 is actually more matured than the oldest Lao Yu 2013. You can easily see difference in brew’s colour coming from testers.

 Comparison of  Lao Yu 2013, 2014 a 2105

Rinsed leaves smell fruity as overripe fruits.

The first sip will surprise you with a nice sweet character. Lao Yu is coming from BaDa mountains and you can taste it there. After a while here comes expected bitterness and astringency. The final aftertaste is sweet.

You can find a slightly matured taste in this tea. Well it definitely doesn’t taste like 1,5 years old tea processed normal way and aged as cakes. First three steeping are dominated by great astringency. You can sometime spot a trace of smokiness as well. Later steeping are herbal and bitter.

The tea is giving a way many full and tasty brews (10+). The energy is quite pronounced. Well, at the moment I consdire Lao Yu 2014 as the best model of all three available Lao Yu teas …. I must admit that Lao Yu 2013 is also very good and it’s drawing close…

Lao Yu 2013 is now about 2,5 years old tea and out of this 1,5 year stored in Europe. Well, I would say that 2013 is more settled and there is more complexity in the taste. It also contains bigger fruity body. But it lacks this slightly matured character of 2014. There is still quite enough of chaqi and astringency.

Lao You 2014 is a very good tea. Storing maocha before final pressing was good for this tea. The processing of Lao Yu’s maocha is generally not perfect and you can feel some smokiness just after pressing. There is not much smoke left in 2014. Considering the price it is very good material. Recommending for aging. The price is $17 (2015). I am looking forward to observe this tea.



2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g

2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g
2.5 stars 1 review

This is a classic Menghai spring blended cake from Nannuoshan Tea Factory which was renamed as Menghai Banzhang Tea Factory from 2005. 2005 spring material from Menghai area, dry storage. This tea is strong, full and clean, floral aromas with a soft fruity taste. Perfect puerh cake for long term storage. This cake is different with another similar wrapper cake we also offer (click here) . The...

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04.11.2015 10:16:48
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Different Twins

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Judging by sight you can say that we have already reviewed this tea here. But don’t be mistaken, this is completely different tea in the same wrapper. Well, we have two teas here:

- 2005 Nan Nuo Shan Raw Chi Tse Bing Cha "7549" 375g – referenced in the text as 7549; We have already reviewed this one.

- 2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g – regarded in the text as: Nanuoshan Menghai

You can spot several differences just by visual comparison. The wrapper of 7549 is thinner and it is almost transparent. Then, 7549 is more compressed and also contains more broken leaves and stems. Nanuoshan Menghai is less compressed and quality of leaves looks higher.

2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g

You will agree with me that we have here two completely differ teas just after you flush leaves for the first time and smell them. 7549 smells distinctively fruity and sweet. Nanuoshan Menghai has deeper, more matured scent, but lucks fruity body.

The colour of first brew (15s) is almost the same for both teas.

The taste of 7549 is more astringent, souring. Astringency is quite intensive and you can feel it at the back of your mouth.

Nanuoshan Menghai is completely different. It is more matured and astringency is not so pronanuced.

The second brew (8s) – colour of 7549 is a bit lighter than Nanuoshan Menghai.

Comparison of 2005 Nan Nuo Shan "7549" and 2005 Nanuoshan Menghai

You can easily over steep 7549, and then it becomes really astringent and almost undrinkable sour. But if you make it good the taste is pleasantly fruity.

Nanuoshan Menghai is more matured, earthier, but it completely lacks fruitiness in taste. Also after 3rd steeping there is this not quite pleasant bitterness in the taste and a sharp edge appearing in your throat. This bitterness stays there till about 5th steeping.


After one year….

I am coming back to taste this tea after one year. There is again this bitterness in the taste after 3rd steeping. Well, it is a bit smaller than year ago. At least there is no trace of this sharp itchy edge in the throat, but the bitterness is still present and I do not like it.

7549 on the other hand is comfortably fragrant and fruity.
Well, Nanuoshan Menghai perhaps has higher leaves grade, yet the bitterness in taste is unpleasant. It is slowly fading away. May be it will be completely gone next year and Nanuoshan Menghai mature to decent tea. We will see next year.

Personally I prefer 7549 for its fruity nature even though the quality of leaves is lower comparing to Nanuoshan Menghai.
The price of Nanuoshan Menghai is now on $39 (2105). The price of 7549 is $45.

Left 7549, right Nanuoshan Menghai

2005 Nan Nuo Shan Raw Chi Tse Bing Cha "7549" 375g – Comparison 2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai having the same wraping



2014 White2Tea New Amerykah 2

2014 White2Tea New Amerykah 2
4.5 stars 1 review

An old arbor Menghai blend. Thick body, lingering kuwei [pleasant bitterness], and plenty of oomph. This tea is a continuation of last year’s New Amerykah. The blend is slightly different, focusing more on sweetness and body than on bitterness.

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02.11.2015 14:45:54
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New Amerika a second time

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I like this tea a lot. This one is sweeter than the first Amerykah from 2013, but the bitterness is still present. There is just a right amount of energy. It is not a killer like Amerykah 2013. Stamina is not as big as previous Amerykah, but still, it's a great tea.

In regards to used material, it should be blend of old arbour tea trees. Nevertheless, you can find a note claiming it is Gu Shu (wild tea trees) blend on wrapper. Well, considering its bitter character, it is quite possible having some Gu Shu material in this blend. Anyway, it is Menghai material, what is considered good for long term again.

2013 New Amerykah, what was complete Gu Shu and for the price of $69 (in 2014) for 357g cake, that was really bargain! Prices are currently different, yet 2014 New Amerykah 2 for the price of $69,50 (in 2015) is a great deal!



2008 Xiaguan FT Xizi (Happy) Tuo Cha Raw 100g in Box

2008 Xiaguan FT Xizi (Happy) Tuo Cha Raw 100g in Box
4.0 stars 1 review

Xizi tuo is one of famous Xiaguan Fei Tai products. Used high quality blend of 1-3 years aged materials and pressed on spring 2008. This make the tea taste much more mature than other 2008 teas. There are few fat and silver buds on the top of tuo, it's a typical sign of Fei Tai products. "FT(For Taiwan)" means this brick was a special order of "Fei Tai" Company. Fei Tai Company is the biggest Xiaguan TF and Menghai TF pu-erh tea distributor in Taiwan. It is claimed that the...

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30.12.2014 17:18:43
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Don't Worry, Be Happy

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Toucha is denoted by FT, which carries goods intended for export to Taiwan. Another typical feature of these export nests from Xiaguan are extra large buds on the surface. Tea looks even better on the pictures, but there's not many buds like that inside ;-) It's a classic chopped leaf material, although I find leaves bigger than usually. It is a bland of 1-3 year material pressed on spring 2008.

The smell of dry tea is quite smoky. Initially, steamed leaves smells distinctly smoky and after tobacco, but the smell rapidly turns into a pronounced fruity aroma.

The first infusion turns cloudy. It depends what kind of piece you manage to break off. Tea is firmly pressed, and it's not a fun to chop off a piece : -] If it's more crushed tea, you have to be quick.

The taste is very pronounced. Contains a lot of smokiness, but it is not unpleasant. Taste again passes into the fruitiness with the typical Xiaguan astringency. It is leaving an intense sweet finish in the mouth. The first infusion gives relatively strong tobacco overtones. Smokiness and tobacco tones disappear after 3-4 infusions and remains only fruitiness. Stamina is decent. I used 7g of tea with 1.5 liter of water. There is a big potential for further aging and perhaps smokiness will be gone after some time.

The price is still favorable, although there was a slight price increase since my purchase. Well, we are almost getting used to it. Purchased 10pcs for $50.

So, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and enjoy your cup of tea.



DaeJak 2014 ECO Korea

DaeJak 2014 ECO Korea
4.5 stars 1 review

Korean green tea picked in the spring of 2014 in Hadong district, Jiri mountains. Grown and produced by an organic, one of the best small tea companies making all-hand made tea in the area. The tea leaves were packed in the tea farm so that the very freshness is provided. The tea gives several, even 5-6 good tea brews. Its making (a way of producing it) preserves his freshness even for more that a year. DaeJak 'grade' refers to the third flush that is performed as the last one,...

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30.12.2014 15:41:49
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Korea - DaeJak sample

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DaeJak is the third harvest and "dae" is great.

Spicy fragrance, vegetal aroma, almost like dried root vegetables. Sweet aroma of pine needles, perhaps even algae (?), slightly salty. Significant taste of grass similar to SeJak. Light bitterness. DaeJak and SeJak are quite similar in taste. But SeJak has more intense and longer lasting flavor. DaeJak is losing its power just after 3rd infusion. It's also a great tea. Weaker stamina is compensated by lower price 50g / €10.90

You can see the comparison of all three Korean teas on SeJak’s page.



JungJak 2014 ECO Korea

JungJak 2014 ECO Korea
4.5 stars 1 review

Korean green tea picked in the spring of 2014 in Hadong district, Jiri mountains. Grown and produced by an organic, one of the best small tea companies making all-hand made tea in the area. The tea leaves were packed in the tea farm so that the very freshness is provided. The tea gives several, even 5-6 good tea brews. Its making (a way of producing it) preserves his freshness even for more that a year. JungJak 'grade' refers to the second flush that is performed from May 1st to...

Eternal Spring
30.12.2014 15:40:54
Eternal Spring

Korea - JungJak sample

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JungJak comes from the second harvest and "jung" refers to the middle or also medium (leave).

Less spicy compared to SeJak, missing the taste of conifers, subtle vegetal, without bitterness. Overall, the aroma and taste a bit lighter and sleeker compared to SeJak and DaeJak. Also great tea. 50g / €16.60

You can see the comparison of all three Korean teas on SeJak’s page.



SeJak 2014 ECO Korea

SeJak 2014 ECO Korea
5.0 stars 1 review

Korean green tea picked in the spring of 2014 in Hadong district, Jiri mountains. Grown and produced by an organic, one of the best small tea companies making all-hand made tea in the area. The tea leaves were packed in the tea farm so that the very freshness is provided. The tea gives several, even 5-6 good tea brews. Its making (a way of producing it) preserves his freshness even for more that a year. SeJak 'grade' refers to one of the first flushes that is performed from April...

Eternal Spring
30.12.2014 15:36:43
Eternal Spring

Korean delicacy

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

I was thinking of Korean green tea for a long time, but somehow there was no opportunity to taste it. Then, during this pre-Christmas rush, I draw my attention to one photo - the one where the tea bush is surrounded by wild greenery and bamboo. That picture got me. It is such a lively and full of energy snapshot. Although it is now time for some Shu Puerh and green tea season had passed, I bought 50 grams of SeJak and 2x5g samples of JungJak and DaeJak for comparison.

SeJak comes from the first harvest. "Se" means and refers to a thin leave size. "Jak" is short. JungJak comes from the second harvest and "jung" refers to the middle or also medium (leave). DaeJak is the third harvest and "dae" is great. This is a short lesson from Peter's Korean blog on pu-erh.sk ;-)

Tea was packed and sealed in Korea. So when I opened the bag, there was very pleasant and fresh odor coming out. SeJak’s brew is gently green. The taste is delicious and quite specific. There is a taste of grass. The taste is a combination of Japanese teas (sencha) and Chinese green teas from Yunnan. The flavor also contains flavors of high mountain conifers essence oils. The taste is very close to "Yunnan Bao Hong" that I bought a year ago from Yunnan Sourcing and already wrote about it here.

It's nice and delicate tea for special occasions. The price is quite high €19.90 / 50g ... but definitely worth it :-)

I also compared all three teas - SeJak, JungJak and DaeJak. Originally I wanted to prepare 3x 5 grams of tea, but still it seemed to me too much. So I weighed only 3 times 3g and even though I was pretty blasted. I could not sleep even after 8 hours.

Tea in dry form is somehow not different. Color, leaf size and fragrances are quite similar for all 3 teas. The color of the brine is also the same - bright yellow green. The taste and endurance various for all three "models".

SeJak:

Sweet, rich, vegetal, very little bitterness in the aftertaste, salty, strong essence of alpine conifers, intense aroma, long stamina, up to 6 infusions. Simply superb!. 50g / €19.90

JungJak:

Less spicy compared to SeJak, missing the taste of conifers, subtle vegetal, without bitterness. Overall, the aroma and taste a bit lighter and sleeker compared to SeJak and DaeJak. Also great tea. 50g / €16.60

DaeJak:

Spicy fragrance, vegetal aroma, almost like dried root vegetables. Sweet aroma of pine needles, perhaps even algae (?), slightly salty. Significant taste of grass similar to SeJak. Light bitterness. DaeJak and SeJak are quite similar in taste. But SeJak has more intense and longer lasting flavor. DaeJak is losing its power just after 3rd infusion. It's also a great tea. Weaker stamina is compensated by lower price 50g / €10.90



2014 Jingmai Gu Shu Huang Pian

2014 Jingmai Gu Shu Huang Pian
4.0 stars 1 review

This tea is from Jingmai Da Zhai, grown in Da Ping Zhang area, and it is considered to be of the finest Jingmai tea available on market. We took few kilos of this Huang Pian to Kunming, where some of it we offer as loose leaves and rest will be pressed into the cakes. This raw puerh is the highest selection of older tea leaves ( Huang Pian - yellow leaves, or Da Ye Zi ). The older leaves, coming from the hundred year's trees, become bright yellow, red or orange tinted. The tea workers sort...

Eternal Spring
21.08.2014 15:37:03
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Yellow Leaves

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Huang Pian or Day Ye Zi means yellow leaves. They are old, yellow, red or orange tea leaves, which are taken out before production of higher quality pu-erh. This is tea from Jingmai area from very old wild tea trees - up to several hundred years old. As mentioned in the description of the product, part of the tea is available as loose tea and part of this Maocha be pressed into cakes.

Mated leaves smells well, fruity and sweet.
I recommend using warmer water and longer steeping times. Then you get very aromatic, dense infusion of floral taste. It's almost hard to believe how fragrant an infusion could be. This is Jingmai :-) Also you can observe a pleasant bitterness of wild leaves. It also leaves a pleasant feeling in the mouth. The energy is then quite strong - I was surprised what could be hidden in yellow leaves. Of course, endurance is not great and you can prepare 3 max 4 very dense infusions.
If you don’t know this type of tea, Jingmai’s Gu Shu Huang Pian is worth trying!

The price is $5 per 50g. We'll see the price of this year’s cake ...not yet available.



2014 Spring Te Ji Grade Lianghe "Hui Long" Green Tea

2014 Spring Te Ji Grade Lianghe
4.5 stars 1 review

Selected grade famous high mountain green tea from Huilong Zhai, Dachang village, Lianghe county, Dehong prefecture. Huilong village, land area 1.28 square kilometers, elevation 1650 meters, average annual temperature 14.9 ℃, annual precipitation 1491.6 mm. Strong spicy fragrance of dry leaves. Pick one bud and one leaf or one bud/two leaves. This tea is very good for experimenting with little cooler water ! Low temperature make this tea milky cloudy, full in mouth...

Eternal Spring
20.08.2014 17:41:09
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Hui Long or Simao?

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I bought three spring green tea from this year's harvest on ChaWangShop to get some supplies for summer sipping. Actually to be precise there were two greens and one white tea. I already wrote about "White Peony“ and it was certainly nice surprise.

Simao and Hui Long are enduring classics and I buy it regularly. I prepared both teas at a time and compared them.

Both are quite similar with a certain "Yunnan" character. Hui Long is alpine green tea from Huilong Zhai area, located at the altitude of 1,650 meters. The average temperature there is 15°C and tea plants - about 50 year’s old trees - are getting a lot of moisture. It is Yunnan varietal big leaf tea tree.

5g of Simao seems optically slightly less than the same amount of Hui Long. Simao is rolled into small cocoons. Hui Long leaves are rolled lengthwise and tea mades up tiny curls. White Peony, as it is a white tea, it is not rolled at all.

Simao’s infusion is more yellow than Hui Long. The taste of Hui Long is spicier, bolder and with sweeter character in comparison to Simao.

Both teas are very good and suitable for everyday drinking. I personally prefer Hui Long for its spicier taste. Price is almost the same. Hui Long is only about 50cent more expensive.

I recommend using colder water about 70°C for steeping.



2014 Yunnan Simao Huoqing Green Tea

2014 Yunnan Simao Huoqing Green Tea
4.0 stars 1 review

Spring comes to Yunnan earlier this year. And also spring teas from regular spring harvest are picked a bit early.This good quality green tea comes from Simao area and was picked in late February. Picked one bud and two leaves. Commercial name for this tea is Bi luo chun in Kunming market, but we feel this tea doesn't look like original Biluochun, and the taste is not similar either. We call this tea Huoqing, because the look of jade green leaves is very similar to Yongxi Huoqing (涌溪火青,...

Eternal Spring
20.08.2014 16:35:32
Eternal Spring

Simao

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

5 grams of tea looks quite modest in a teapot. Simao is being rolled into small cocoons and so it looks more subtly.

Yellow-green color of the infusion, which becomes cloudy after a while.
I use cooler water and longer steeping times. The taste is then sweet.

The tea is of good quality and is suitable for everyday drinking. You can also prepare this tea with cold, during hot days - to steep for about 20 mins in a bottle ;)

The price is $7 per 100 grams.



2005 Nan Nuo Shan Raw Chi Tse Bing Cha "7549" 375g

2005 Nan Nuo Shan Raw Chi Tse Bing Cha
4.5 stars 1 review

This is a classic and old style cake from Nannuoshan Tea Factory which was renamed as Menghai Banzhang Tea Factory from 2005. This cake made of 2005 pure sun-dried large leaf material, compression is medium. After stored for 6 years in Kunming, this tea is ready for drink now but still very powerful with good choice for aging ! Nice golden liquor with typical floral aromas of Nannuoshan tea, full in the mouth, fruity with quickly huigan! Later infusions are sweet and smooth.

Eternal Spring
27.06.2014 13:40:23
Eternal Spring

Very specific and fragrant flavor, but I love it

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 1 reader

I purchased a 25g sample of this tea with very specific and fragrant flavor. The sample had disappeared fairly quickly. I've always enjoyed the tea, so I ordered the cake.

The sample consists of two large fragments and many individual leaves. It can be seen that the cake is loosely pressed and leaves are cut.

Steamed leaves are very fragrant. It is an intense floral odor.
The brew has darker color. The taste reminded me at first green tea "Gun Powder", but as it turned out, there are many scents and tastes hidden in this tea.

No bitterness, only strong astringency on the tongue. Intense, fruity and floral huigan from the first cup.

The taste is dense and very strong, spicy. Great astringency. Aftertaste is also very strong, fragrant. Overall, it is the spicier tea with fragrant character that will last long in the mouth.

The cold brews are first dominated by more mature taste, which is then quickly covered by astringency. Later infusions are pleasantly sweet and fragrant.

This is a 9-year-old tea that has matured in a dry environment in Kunming and still has plenty of potential for further aging. It is not the tea for everyday drinking. It is very fragrant, spicy astringent tea and not everybody will like it. It is a quite matured tea at a very competitive price - big cake 357 grams for $29.

Tea is very fast. Use cooler water about 90°C and watch the dosage. Have a fun.


Review of simile tea with the same wrapping is here
2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g 2005 Nannuoshan TF Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 357g



2013 Chawangpu Xiao Jin Bing Red Tea 100g

2013 Chawangpu Xiao Jin Bing Red Tea 100g
4.0 stars 1 review

This small red tea cake is made from 2012 spring harvest Simao high mountain material. Carefully pressing in Menghai , simple white wrapper. 10 cakes are packed in bamboo tong. Nice dark chocolate fragnance, smooth and sweet with hint of honey.

Eternal Spring
26.06.2014 11:15:28
Eternal Spring

Small, cute red tea cake :)

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Interesting thought, why not. Longer term storage would not harm red tea, quite the opposite. Just I would not store it together with puerhs ;) Otherwise, I find it very practical solution. I travel quite a lot and I am carrying my tea with me in the backpack. I am keeping samples that I do not want to crash in the hard case of "lunch box". Red tea usually occupies a lot of space in a bag, but this 100g read tea cake gets packaged very well for a travel.

Dry leaves start to smell nicely, sweat in a warm tea pot.

Full flavor, slightly sweet with a quick transition to astringency. Very pleasant taste remains in the mouth. Color of infusion is dark red.

There are remains of fluff in the cup. There is quite a lot of golden tips coverd by this fluff in the tea. Tea also contains whole leaves and twigs.
Tea has quite relaxing energy. I feel like I am made of rubber.

It is a very good red tea with a lot of tips. Of course - Jinggu Da Bai Hao - is much better, but also twice as expensive.

Preheat pot, put dry tea in - 6g - 80 ml, let tea releases its fragrance - water 95°C - 20s/5/10/15/20/25/30/35/45/60. It is the drink for the whole day.



Xiaguan Tuocha 2007

Xiaguan Tuocha 2007
4.5 stars 1 review

Jia Ji (甲级) - "A-Grade" Tea was stored in mountain district of Taiwan. I was drinking other day a sample from a FengHuang JiaJi 1998 Sheng Tuo. It is a pretty good tea indeed, the more I brew it the more I liked. Thinking that price for this tea in Taobao is almost 200 euro/100 grams stopped me before any plan to acquire it for my shop. I have never believed in a magical transformation of such tuo cha's. Until lately I tried a few good ones, such transformation...

Eternal Spring
25.06.2014 12:27:32
Eternal Spring

White Crane Xiaguan Tuo 2007

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

All Peter’s teas from PU-ERH.sk, I had the opportunity to taste, were of high quality, so there was no reason to worry. I bought straight whole tuocha w/o sampling it. It turned out well, of course :)

The nest is loosely pressed on edges. When breaking a piece it disintegrates into individual leaves. The smell of steamed leaves is slightly mellow with strong fruity overtones. Deeper smell is then dominated by fruity fragrance.

Very pleasant fruity taste from the first infusion. It leaves the feeling of astringency on the tongue. There is this little unpleasant bitter and biting "tooth" at the end of first two infusions. This can be avoided by rinsing longer or double short rinsing before first infusion. Then there is nothing disturbing in the taste. A strong astringency at the end shows the considerable potential for further maturation. In the mouth it leaves a fruity taste with astringency.

Pleasant and relaxing energy. Sipping on the patio in 30°C and the tea brings pleasantly relaxed mood.
Somewhere at the sixth infusion fruitiness disappeared and ii is replaced by more mature and mellow taste. Camphor flavor perhaps.

Super aged tea for good price, 200g for €19.50

5g per 80ml - rinse 2x3s - water 90°C - 8s/5/7/9/12/15/18/20/22/25/28 / ... simply a lot of tasty brews

Beware of dosage and temperature. The leaves are chopped and loosely pressed. Tea is then very quick and can be easily over-steeped. The infusion is then too astringent.



2009 Youleshan Tuo Cha Raw 100g

2009 Youleshan Tuo Cha Raw 100g
4.0 stars 1 review

This tuo is made of wild arbor sun-dried material from Youle mountain, also called Jinuoshan, Youle is one of the Six Famous Tea Mountains in Xishuanbanna. Spring Youle mountain material pressed to tuo shape. Stored in Banna for 4 years (- very good storage without bad signs of mold or other negative strangeness make the tea taste terrible!) and mature faster than in dry Kunming storage. Nice golden clean tea soup with hint of honey, smooth and mellow in mouth, ripe fruit and...

Eternal Spring
20.06.2014 11:12:19
Eternal Spring

Cheap and good Tuocha from Youle

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

It is a material made of wild arbor tea plants from Youle area. Tea was stored four years in humid environment of Banna.

Wet leaves smell nice, slightly mature with intense fruity aromas.
I would recommend a little longer rinsing. After all, the tea was stored in a humid environment. There are some signs of the humid storage after a short rinsing. But a brew is perfectly clean after rinsing for about 10s.

Full, sweet, honeyed, fruity taste that transforms into considerable astringency on the back of the tongue. Sweetness comes back from the nose to the mouth. Long Hui Gan. Very aromatic tea. Empty cup smells sweet.

Energy is medium and brings about a pleasant mood :-) Price will also brings you a pleasant mood: 100g for $5. It is a good tea to drink now; It is moderately matured for regular drinking. The potential for longer storage is certainly here. Tuocha is firmly pressed, so it will ripen slowly.

It is necessary to pay attention to the dosage and times. Longer steeping times could bring some uncomfortable and intense astringency.

5g to 80 ml - rinsing 10s - water 90°C - 10s/5/7/10/12/15/20/25/30/40/50



2013 White 2 Tea New Amerykah

2013 White 2 Tea New Amerykah
4.5 stars 2 reviews

This puer tea cake is made from a 2013 pure Spring blend of gushu [old tree] material from the Menghai region, heavily weighted with Bulang region material taken from forest areas (as opposed to old growth from old tea gardens) . Intense kuwei [bitterness] and potency that will not disappoint lovers of brute strength. We promise. The total production of this tea was under 30 kilograms. 357g Cake

Eternal Spring
19.06.2014 16:43:05
Eternal Spring

Gu Shu America

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

We acquired this interesting Gu Shu tea in March 2014. They were actually the last available cakes before tea was withdrawn from sale. It is a pure Gu Shu, a wild tea trees from areas of Menghai and Bulang. Price of tea from wild tea trees is skyrocketing every year. Some pu-erh lovers are speculating about a "bubble" on the market with a wild tea, but the demand far exceeds supply and the price of Gu Shu tea thus grows and grows. So, I am afraid, we cannot expect any "bubble bursting" soon.

Dry tea smells nicely. Leaves are nice and it contains a lot of silver buds. The smell of steamed leaves is very fruity. The taste is bitter, but not a significantly bitter. It is a pleasant bitterness. It is a blend of Menghai and Bulang. Astringency is decent. Aftertaste is sweet. Endurance is excellent.

The argument that it will not disappoint fans of "brute" force was confirmed. Personally, I like stronger tea, but this is almost on (my) edge :-) After the third cup, my head is vibrating with energy and heart beats very fast. The energy is so strong that tea brings up almost disturbing tension. This state does not last long and after about 15 minutes it gradual releases.

It will be an excellent tea in about 5 years, I guess. Let's see what will happen on market with Gu Shu tea in 5 years and also what will be a price for this tea...
This tea was bought for a fair price of $68, concerning the fact that it is a Gu Shu tea. Interesting how we are getting used to such prices for yang pu-erh :-)



2013 White 2 Tea New Amerykah

2013 White 2 Tea New Amerykah
4.5 stars 2 reviews

This puer tea cake is made from a 2013 pure Spring blend of gushu [old tree] material from the Menghai region, heavily weighted with Bulang region material taken from forest areas (as opposed to old growth from old tea gardens) . Intense kuwei [bitterness] and potency that will not disappoint lovers of brute strength. We promise. The total production of this tea was under 30 kilograms. 357g Cake

sypalino
19.06.2014 14:48:49

New Amerykah

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 1 reader

This tea has been produced by White 2 Tea store owner. According to his words, he did not follow traditional processes, but made tea while bearing on his mind what puerh really means to him personally. The cover is composed of enlarged pixels, which reminds him of the game he used to play as a little and the name itself is taken from the name of the album of the singer Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part 1&2.

Tea in dry form smells sweet fruity / herbal, and slightly smoky. After rinsing the leaves it releases a beautifully scent. A smokiness is still slightly present in the smell.
Brews are pretty strong / full, with a strong but pleasant bitterness, astringency is decent with fruit-herbal ingredients. The richest infusions were 2nd, 3rd and 4th, then the bitterness and light smokiness fades and remains herbal - fruity flavor. Tea has great stamina and is packed with energy. Although it is a young tea, my stomach digested it without any problems. Spent leaves look healthy, robust, some are dusky.

I am glad that I managed to buy some cakes, and I wonder how it will develop in the future. I am also looking forward to taste this tea successor – 2014 New Amerykah 2.

Gaiwan 120 ml/6g

rinse 10s/15/5/10/15/20/25/30/40/50/60



2012 Bulang Man Xin Long Wild Arbor Raw Puerh Cake 250g

2012 Bulang Man Xin Long Wild Arbor Raw Puerh Cake 250g
4.0 stars 1 review

Product name (stamp on the wrapper) : Qi Zi Yuan This cake come from natural growing tea garden in Man Xin Long, Bulang mountain. This tea is powerfull with nice aroma, full and strong, bitter with fast huigan and very good energy. Great for long term aging! This cake is in limited quantity

Eternal Spring
05.06.2014 18:26:27
Eternal Spring

Bulang - Man Xin Long x Lao Yu

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

The delicious aroma, sweet, fruity, slightly astringent overtones. Leaves are nice and pretty green.
The first infusion turbid after a while, it could be a sign of tea’s "strength". The taste is just slightly bitter, delicate astringency, sweetness. Fruitiness echoes in the back of the mouth and it is then returning via nose back into mouth when you swallow. Tea slips nicely into the throat and stops somewhere in the middle of the chest. Aftertaste is sweet with the transformation to astringency. It has moderate energy.

Tea tastes very good. The taste of Man Xin Long is more smoother, full bodied compared to the wilder flavor of 2013 Lao Yu, which also comes from Bulang area. But Lao Yu has far greater energy I must say. The price of Man Xin Long is $26 for 250g cake.

Lao Yu is clearly my winner in this comparison. It is also cheaper (Lao Yu is 200g Xiao Bing for $17).



2014 Yunnan "Bai Mu Dan" White Tea

2014 Yunnan
4.5 stars 1 review

Fujain famous white tea "White peony" (Bai Mu Dan)- Taste similar but not the same. This tea come from tea area near Jingmai, Lancang county and large leaves varietal trees. Clean slightly yellow green tea soup, pleasant aroma. Sweet and rich taste, fresh and pleasant

Eternal Spring
05.06.2014 18:05:11
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Sweet treat

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

This is a wonderful tea, which contains a large proportion of fluffy tips up to 3cm long. Tea leaves are not rolled, and thus occupies a large volume. 100g bag is really huge :-) Some leaves are yellow.

The smell of the dry tea is fresh and slightly spicy.
The first infusion has bright color. Taste is soft, delicate, sweet.
Further brews are dominated by sweet taste with a floral flavor.

Energy is a very gentle, caressing. It is also suitable for evening sipping.

Beautiful, pleasant and tasty tea for super price of $7.

Colder water will highlight spicy - herbal flavor.
Otherwise, do not be afraid of warmer water or longer steeping times. You always get sweet and pleasant infusion.



2000 CNNP 7532 Tiepai

2000 CNNP 7532 Tiepai
4.5 stars 1 review

This tea most closely resembles CNNP 7532, but we are labeling it as tiepai [pasted brand] because it is too difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the cake and we do not want to misrepresent it. Stored in Guangdong province, this tea has a slight humidity to it, but the cakes and tea are very clean. Some cakes have a neifei [inner ticket] buried in the middle of the cake, some are on the surface, and one cake we opened did not have a neifei.

sypalino
22.04.2014 10:52:54

2000 CNNP 7532 Tiepai

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was stored in a humid environment, dry leaf smells quite earthy. Individual brews are beautifully clear, color is orange to deep red, the flavor is beautifully nutty with a hint of earthiness, it slightly tickle in my throat. The tea has a very relaxing cha-qi and great stamina.
Excellent tea for, I'd say, a fair price.

5g/110 ml yixing

flush - 10s/15/10/15/20/25/25/30/40/50/60



Lao ManE 2013 autumn

Lao ManE 2013 autumn
5.0 stars 1 review

The LaoManE rules over this autumn teas. In this village you may find really bitter tea and also sweet teas as the villagers call it. This one is something from the first and second too, very balanced and drinkable from it's very fresh state. Masterly picked and made maocha makes a great tea, made by a very skillfull and modest buddhist monk. A tea that comes with its sharp edge, a fruity center and very well defined taste.

Eternal Spring
03.04.2014 10:52:44
Eternal Spring

Lao Man E – Bulang’s Village

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

It is interesting to observe how tea can quickly calm and relax the human mind. I had a very busy and rushed morning. It's one of those states when you are almost not present in your physical body, but your are rather somewhere outside with your thoughts. Then I made some tea (actually not some but this Lao Man E), drank one cup and immediately observed relaxation of mind , hence the whole body. Of course this is partly about training – to empty the mind, but the tea is very helpful. It is interesting to observe the speed at which tea energy starts influence your mind and body. Surely it's not just the active substances such as Tein impacting body through the digestive system. According to the speed with which the energy kicks in, it is evident that it must be Qi, Cha Qi more precisely.

"Body tranquil, mind free, you can then observe the subtle."

"The mind is the ruler of the whole body, the commander of all the mental power. When it is quiet, it produces insight; when agitated, it is necessary to sit calmly, collect the mind, and detach from objects, so the mind does not cling to anything, spontaneously entering into absolute nonresistance." ... this is what Thomas Cleary writes in his book Practical Taoism

The sweet smell of leaves. The taste is slightly bitter, strong astringency; the first cup and here comes energy. I am feeling hot in my face. There is this typical bitter Bulang aftertaste left in the mouth.

The second cup – I can feel the energy in the forehead and at the top of my head. There are such a waves of energy coming in to my head.

The taste is full, dense. It is a mix of distinct sweetness bitterness and astringency. Splendid. I can clearly imagine light green juicy leaves on the wild tea trees.

Check out the new video - Lao Man'e: A Bulang Tea Village

Excellent tea , but with a higher price - 250g + 25g for €60



2013 Chawangpu "Lao Yu" Xiao Bing Cha 200g

2013 Chawangpu
5.0 stars 1 review

Lao Yu (老妪) : old woman Material for this cake came from a small Bulang village in Bada mountain. This village have very small quantity of tea trees that grow in the forest. Trees are relative old, but farmers cut the branches when trees get too tall. Tea trees are kept at easy-picking height because the tea is picked and made by old women in this village. They follow ancient ways to produce tea. Many of them make tea only for themself. We selected and bought good...

Eternal Spring
27.03.2014 12:29:01
Eternal Spring

Great young tea "Lao Yu"

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This is an interesting cake from Bada mountains, which bears the name "Lao Yu" meaning "old woman". One of them became the main cover motif of all ChaWang Shop’s 2013 puerh cakes.

Old women are responsible for harvesting tea in Bulang community from which the tea originated. It is made of macho purchased from about 15 families who are in the care of the village tea plants growing wild in forests. Local farmers are cutting tea tree branches down to keep them short to allowed the older women comfortable harvests tea leaves from the ground. The volume of harvested tea is not great and is mainly intended for home consumption.

Cake smells very fresh almost like green tea. Wet leaves smell sweet. It is really nice, crisp and fresh scent.

Color of the first infusion is very light. The flavor evokes green tea and is generally lighter and just slightly bitter. The aftertaste is sweet with more pronounced bitterness. You can observe dryness on the tongue. Well, it's still a young tea even if it carries the name of "Lao Yu" :-)

The second infusion is giving more pronounced flavor. The aftertaste is bitter and sweet after honey. It is strong, long lasting and promising great potential for aging,

Huigan comes after the second cup and it is pleasantly sweet. Here come the energy – it holds in the chest around the heart and then reaches to the top of the head.

Tea, at first, behave as if nothing, but it has enormous energy. The first time I brewed the tea, it was after a day of skiing in the afternoon and even at midnight, I was still fresh. It is a true "strongman". I do not recommend drinking this tea in the afternoon, unless you plan to stay awake longer. Beware of dosage, sometimes I overdid it and I had to interrupt for a moment not to be sick. Also do not drink it on empty stomach.

Maocha comes from about 15 families and the taste may vary. It is good to buy a whole cake and sample it from different parts of a cake.

Finally, the best news. The price is only $14, making this tea a great favorite for buying the whole tong.

4g per 80ml gaiwan - flush - 15/5/7/10/12/15/20/25/30/40/50/60



2000 Shu Pu 7262

2000 Shu Pu 7262
4.5 stars 1 review

Factory - „tailor-made” private production “Zhong Cha Gong Si” in Dayi (Menghai tea factory) Taste - After 12 years the taste is smooth and fine, its rich body has still a great potential to develop its character. Storage - Most of time stored in taiwan’s mountainous district where the enviroment is clean. Material 7262 is a recipe from year 1972, used in Dayi (Menghai tea factory), uses grades of maochas from grade 2 to grade 6. The outcome tea soup is thick and smooth

Eternal Spring
24.03.2014 11:02:27
Eternal Spring

Luxury Shu Pu 7262

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

It is a spring rainy weather, what lasts already for two day and now it started to snow. So I reach for the rest of the sample of Shu pu-erh from 2000 what fits well with such weather and mood. This is a classic recipe of Meghai Tea Factory alias Dayi from 1972. These are the first two numbers of the recipe. Figure 6 indicates the grade of leaves and number two at the end of the recipe is Menghai TF. The first two drinks were excellent, so the third time ...

Earthy - wood - nutty, this is the smell of rinsed leaves. It's full, smooth fragrance with fruity overtones. The brew is sweet. There is no sign of earthiness or woody tones in the first infusion. It has a sweet aftertaste.

The second infusion is already very dark, with a subtle woody flavors. Very sweet, fruity. There is a certain trace of earthiness in the aftertaste.

The tea has a very thick consistency. Tea nicely caresses and slips into the stomach.

Fruity flavor fades away around the 6th infusion and woody flavor begins to dominate.

Pleasant, very refined, very clean and also very luxury drink. The price is higher - €73 for 357g.

3g per 80ml - rinse - 10s/5/7/10/15/20/30/40



2014 Yunnan Zao Chun

2014 Yunnan Zao Chun
4.0 stars 1 review

"Early Spring" - fresh green tea from higher elevations near Yun Pan Shan (1100m) in early spring harvest. Nice uniform leaves with a moderate share of silver fluffy tips. Leaves with a lightly fruity aroma, infusion with crisp pickle-green color, fresh delicate taste with a hint of typical chestnut blossoms fragrance.

Eternal Spring
18.03.2014 12:51:14
Eternal Spring

First green tea of 2014

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves smell freshly like spring with a light smoky flavor.
The taste is sweet, soft, followed by a pleasant astringency.
Good tea at a reasonable price - 50g for $6.50

70°C water, 4 g per 80 ml, gaiwan - 15s/10/15/20/25/30/35/40



2014 Darjeeling Rohini Exotic SFTGFOP1

2014 Darjeeling Rohini Exotic SFTGFOP1
4.5 stars 1 review

Exclusive collection of the youngest gardens in Darjeeling processed from fresh buds of cultivar AV2. The golden infusion heady fragrance with notes of fruit, flowers lime and traces of peanuts. Sweet and smooth, balanced taste of ripe fruit with hints of grape which continues until lightly honeyed tones. The first breeze of spring in a cup of tea! Garden Rohini is situated in a valley Kurseong and has an eventful history. It was closed for 30 long years from 1962...

Eternal Spring
18.03.2014 11:22:46
Eternal Spring

The first spring DJ

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Tea occupies a lot of space in the bag. Incredulous, I put the bag on the scale, if there's really only 50 grams. Leaves smells nicely as spring. Color of infusion is a bright yellow-brown. The taste is light and fruity with a delicate hint of citruses. In the aftertaste, you can feel soft sparkling and astringency on the tongue.
The tea has nice and refreshing energy.
Very good tea. 50 g for $14.

I used cooler water about 90-95°C.



2013 Yunnan Sourcing "Year of the Snake Red Label" Ripe Pu-erh tea cake

2013 Yunnan Sourcing
3.5 stars 1 review

A premium ripe tea composed entirely from 6 and 4 years aged ripe tea from Lincang. Light to medium fermentation spring material from old plantation tea trees gives this tea a strong taste and mouth-feel. Nice huigan and noticeable cha qi! Will develop more texture and nuances with the passing of years.

Eternal Spring
28.02.2014 09:43:11
Eternal Spring

2013 and ripe pu-erh in the sign of the Snake

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 0 readers

Rinsed tea smells earthy and nutty. The taste is full, dense right from the beginning (first infusion 15s). Sweet aftertaste is also evident after the first cup.

I used an advantage of winter sun and took a picture of a very dark infusion without artificial lighting. The color is dark brown and red.

The second infusion - only 5s - very dark infusion. The taste is earthy with nutty tones at first. One can observe subtle scratching in the throat. Tea is rubbing a little in the back of mouth.
The scratching recedes in later infusions and the taste is then dominated by sweet nuts. Watch out for over-steeping, there is again this sore throat accompanied by a bitterness.

Tea endurance is excellent. The price is also amazing 380 grams cake for $18.50 what is earning this tea an extra ½ star. Totally 3,5*

4g of tea per 80ml teapot - rinse - 15s/5/7/10/12/15/20/30/60



NaKa 2013 autumn

NaKa 2013 autumn
5.0 stars 1 review

The Naka king makes its way with a robust and specific taste even in the autumn season. Very powerful tea that despite it's overwhelming strengh makes you calm and quiet. Sweetish and very pleasant aftertaste. Nicely made leaves are visible from the first sight, strong stalks and veins are apparent in this high mountain gushu pu-erh tea.

Eternal Spring
26.02.2014 21:20:29
Eternal Spring

Autumn but still excellent NaKa 2013

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

I'll start from the end. When I was examining spent tea leaves I could not any. There were just buds or top stems. So it was finally clear where the great stamina and energy came from ... ;-)

The first infusion got cloudy after a few minutes, which is the first good sign of "solid" tea.

The second infusion is much more aromatic - flowers, honey. The astringency is more pronounced, but still enjoyable. There is a feeling of dryness on the tongue with a pleasant bitterness in the mouth. After ingestion there is a return of intense sweetness back in the mouth.

Tea contains a large number of buds and has great energy. It warms the stomach and at the same time is my head buzzing like a bee hive :-) The tea has a very strong sweet aftertaste in the mouth.
After 5 cups I took a break and went for a walk with the dog. It was a nice leisurely walk.

The bitterness is nicely balanced with sweetness and astringency. You can observe a taste of herbs in later infusions.

Tea has a great endurance. You can prepare 15 delicious cups. It's a drink for the whole day. It’s very good tea.



2012 Yunnan Sourcing "Qiu Yun" Wild Arbor Raw Pu-erh tea of Yi Wu mountain

2012 Yunnan Sourcing
4.5 stars 1 review

Late autumn harvest tea from wild arbor tea trees (between 60 and 80 year old) growing in the area of Yi Bi village of Yi Wu county. Entirely no spray tea from one family's tea garden. Hand-processed from start to finish, but without any smokiness! Classic Yi Wu taste, thick and full in the mouth. Sweet after-taste with some grass and mushroom notes. Qiu Yun (秋韵) means "Song of Autumn"

sypalino
22.02.2014 23:25:33

YI WU - "Song of Autumn"

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves are darker in color and smells very pleasantly (herbs, slightly mushroom scent).
The infusion of orange color, very fruity - herbal taste, pleasant bitterness, changing in sweetness and long lingers in your mouth, you can smell the slight mushroom taste. Wet leaves smells very intensely. Tea has a solid endurance, the best brews were 2-5, then it begins to fade, fruit ingredients disappear. Highly encouraging, I do not recommend drinking it in the evening. Considering the price it is really excellent tea.

Zhong 120ml/5g - flash 10s/20/15/20/25/30/40/50/60



Luo Shui Dong 2012 Spring

Luo Shui Dong 2012 Spring
4.0 stars 1 review

This cake is made from high quality gushu leaves sourced from Luo Shui Dong 落水洞 - a famous puer producing village in Yiwu. The farmers here are primarily Han ethnicity, known for their excellent hand-processing technique. This early spring tea produces is a clear bright yellow liquor, with a sweet, buttery mouthfeel. Because it is easy to drink when young, Luo Shui Dong is a good entry point for those new to sheng (raw) puer, or those who don’t like bitter or astringent flavors.

Eternal Spring
21.02.2014 13:59:58
Eternal Spring

Chickens

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Very nice scent of steamed leaves, flowers, honey.

The leaves are beautifully green and vibrant.

Mild astringency. Honey flavor returns back to your nose. You can feel tea in the chest, as if did not reach the stomach and settled in the chest, where it warms up the body. It has a nice energy that can be observed already after the second cup.

For longer times, there is a stronger bitterness and astringency, but they are not uncomfortable. Obligate dry feeling of younger Sheng is also present.

The best infusions were between 2nd and 4th cups. Brew was then weaker.
I was pleased with its energy and sweetness that stays a long time in the mouth. Price is $70 per 357g.



Kabusé Daitsuin 2013

Kabusé Daitsuin 2013
5.0 stars 1 review

pack: vacuum, 30 gram (packed in Japan)

Eternal Spring
21.02.2014 08:14:28
Eternal Spring

Kabusé 2013

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

I have stuck my nose into the bag and inhaled aroma of tea. It smelled sweet after strawberry jam.

The leaves are dark green and beautifully shiny.

Kabusé is substantially the same as Sencha. The only difference is that the tea bushes are 10 days before harvest covered with mats. This will reduce the amount of sunlight falling on leaves and tea is therefore forced to increase the amount of chlorophyll to allow photosynthesis even with less sunlight. The taste is then finer and less bitter compared to Sencha .

It's a pleasant tea. At first infusion I am using very cold water about 45°C. I am steeping for about 1 minute. Brew is very light in color with a fine haze. The taste is sweet, like cream with no signs of bitterness, only gently astringent grassy taste.

The second infusion - again cold water and steeping for 10s only. Still no bitterness, astringency is little stronger. Sweet and salty taste. The grassy taste, where I am finding traces of strawberry jam. You can observe very mild bitterness at the end in your mouth.

Just goodness.



Kukitya 2013

Kukitya 2013
4.5 stars 1 review

pack: vacuum, 50 gram (packed in Japan)

Eternal Spring
20.02.2014 17:59:34
Eternal Spring

Kukitya 2013

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

It is a variant of Kukicha, a tea containing a proportion of stalks, twigs and leaf of Sencha. The ratio of stalks to leaves is roughly 1:1. Leaves are rather small and broken.

Taste the grassy, sweet - salty. Bitterness is very soft.

This is a pleasant tea with good price for everyday drinking. 50g for €3.90
80 ml pot - water 60 ° C - 60s/10/15/20



Sencha Ohira 2013

Sencha Ohira 2013
4.5 stars 1 review

pack: vacuum, 30 gram (packed in Japan)

Eternal Spring
20.02.2014 17:52:18
Eternal Spring

Sencha 2013

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

After Fukushima, I was not sure how is it with radioactivity in Japanese teas, so I asked Peter of Pu-erh.sk . He told me that the Japanese tea does not leave the country until it pass the test for radioactivity. The farmer had to wait six weeks for his test. Then there were two extra veterinary checks performed in Slovakia... So I'm OK and I can enjoy my tea :)

Dry leaves smell surprisingly sweet after strawberry jam in the bag. It is a very fresh scent. Wet leaves issued grassy "spring" like smell (probably just my wishful thought in the middle of winter).

Grassy flavor comes with fine sourness, bitterness with light hint of marzipan and finely dry feeling on the tongue.

I am preparing the tea in the small porcelain teapot 80ml, 2-3g of tea. For the first infusion, it pays to wait for cooler water about 50-60°C. Be careful, if you pour a hot water on the tea, the brew will be bitter. Steep for about 1 minute. Second infusion for 10s and the third for 15s. Enjoy :-)



Sencha Ohira 2012

Sencha Ohira 2012
4.0 stars 1 review

Tea is an originally packaged in Japan and stored at low temperatures in Slovakia, which guarantees exceptional freshness. Packing: vacuum, 50 grams (packed in Japan) The infusion is smooth and a gentle, savory flavors, perfectly balanced taste without any disturbing elements, the tea will melt away on the tongue like morning dew, a pleasant, refreshing

Eternal Spring
20.02.2014 17:31:25
Eternal Spring

Old stock

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Water to be used to prepare Japanese green tea should be relatively cold. One tool says that if you keep your finger in water for 3 seconds, the temperature is just right. This is a good way to help yourself if you do not have a thermometer. However, if you are impatient, sometimes this method leads to scalding fingers ;-)

My experience is that it is definitely better to use cooler water - and almost only warm water than to spoil the infusion by bitterness.

Wet leaves smells intensely by grass. Color of infusion is clear, pale green.
The taste is fresh, sweet. Quite a long sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

The second infusion – steeping only for 10s - the color is already intense yellow and green brew gets cloudy. It tastes very grassy, with a hint of bitterness, which then turns into a sweet grassy end. It leaves dry feeling in your mouth.

The third infusion 15s - still using the same water, which cools slowly down. The infusion is without any signs of bitterness. Sweet, grassy taste with a hint of marzipan.



2004 Shi Kun Mu Yibang Gushu Raw Puerh Cake 400g

2004 Shi Kun Mu Yibang Gushu Raw Puerh Cake 400g
5.0 stars 1 review

This cake is one of the "four cakes set(Yiwu, Manzhuan, Menghai and Yibang)"which were produced by master Shi Kun Mu. Cakes have the same wrapper but different seal which is the name of mountain. Taiwanese master Shi Kun Mu is famous tea producer of highest quality ancient arbor puerh teas. He selects the materials personally and monitors production process from beginning to end. This cake is made of pure spring acient arbor tea from Yibang mountain. Yibang mountain is one of...

Eternal Spring
08.01.2014 11:58:09
Eternal Spring

Splendid

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

This tea comes from Taiwanese master Shi Kun Mu, who is known for the high quality of its products. Tea is part of a series of 4 cakes from areas Yiwu , Manzhuan , Menghai and Yibang . The cover was the same for all cakes; the only difference was the red seal indicating the area of origin.

Dry tea gives a nice mellow flavour. Rinsed leaves fragrance smells after flowers, it is very uplifting fresh scent.

The taste is unique, very fragrant, honey- sweet, very complex and hard to depict by words. At the beginning it's a concert of flavours and sweet tastes. Then comes very delicate astringency on the back of the tongue. Finally when you swallow a fruity taste comes back via your nose back to mouth. An empty cup smells sweet after caramel.

Energy comes after the second to the third cup and goes straight to my head - it inflates my forehead. Very strong. I'm trying to send it up, but it still holds over the third eye. I am drinking the fourth cup very slowly and I give myself a break. Very strong and intense Cha Qi .

After the third infusion wet leaves starting to smell gently after camphor and mint. The flavour gets more mature character. You can feel a cooling effect in the mouth.

It is a very good tea. I defiantly recommend trying it. 25g sample for $9 or a whole cake for $95/400g.

Rinsing - 15s/7/10/12/15/20/30/40/50



2013 Spring Hekai Gu Shu Mao Cha

2013 Spring Hekai Gu Shu Mao Cha
4.5 stars 1 review

The mao cha were picked on the same day from the same tea garden. Light yellow liquor with rich scents of wildflowers; approachable, with a soft, smooth mouthfeel; fresh, delicate taste. This excellent sample will help to know the taste of Hekai tea.

Eternal Spring
06.01.2014 15:17:28
Eternal Spring

Bitter, sweet and full of energy - Hekai

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves are huge. Some leaves are up to 5cm long. Time to time you can find yellow leave. The smell of dry leaves is fruity-sweet. Rinsed leaves smell very intensely fruity and sweet after honey. Much like maocha from Mengsongu.

The first infusion 20s . Lighter infusion, very delicate astringency on the tongue and the sweetness in the aftertaste. Delicate floral taste.

The second infusion again 20s – infusion has a sparkling yellow color and the taste is still soft. There is a pronounced astringency and bitterness at the back of the tongue. In the aftertaste there is a mix of sweetness with the bitterness of wild tea trees – “Gu Shu”. Sweetness is coming back into the mouth from throat – “Hui Gan”. The bitterness remains in the mouth for a long time and is very intense with woody tones.

The third infusion - a distinctive taste, astringency is very intensive and it blends into bitterness – “Ku Se“. The energy - “Cha Qi” - is coming directly in the head. You can still feel it even after 7th and 8th cup. Tea has a great energy. Bitterness is less pronounced in further infusions but still preset in the mouth.

Comparing this Hekai maocha to MengSongu, Hekai has more pronounced bitterness, it is not so honey-sweet and fragrant. For subsequent infusions there are mushroom tones present in the aftertaste on the tongue.
Simply great stuff with great potential for aging.



2005 Boyou TF 0508M Ripe Puerh Cake

2005 Boyou TF 0508M Ripe Puerh Cake
4.0 stars 1 review

Boyou was founded in 2005, now is one of the factories which still adhere to the strictest sanitary standard in Xishuangbanna. Boyou TF hire Master Huang An Shun who was fermentation workshop director working at the Menghai Tea factory since 1957 to be supervisor for fermentation process. 05 series ripe puerh is the first batch of products. Used 2005 fermented and matured materials, after more than six months storage, select eight grade material and blended into this...

Eternal Spring
30.12.2013 11:36:09
Eternal Spring

Boyou 0508M

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

How to start? Simply 0507M is just better …
0508M is again good tea. The taste is smooth and cultivated. Gentle earthiness. Comparing to 0507M this tea lacks bolder fruity component. There is also no nutty taste what you can find in 0507M.
The aftertaste is earthy and sweet. The mouth is filled by sweet aftertaste. It is quite good and refined tea without any disturbing elements, but also without greater complexity in the taste.
You can get sample of 25g for $3 or 357g cake for $21.



2005 Boyou TF 0507M Ripe Puerh Cake

2005 Boyou TF 0507M Ripe Puerh Cake
5.0 stars 1 review

Boyou was founded in 2005, now is one of the factories which still adhere to the strictest sanitary standard in Xishuangbanna. Boyou TF hire Master Huang An Shun who was fermentation workshop director working at the Menghai Tea factory since 1957 to be supervisor for fermentation process. 05 series ripe puerh is the first batch of products. Used 2005 fermented and matured materials, after more than six months storage, select 7th grade material and blended into this...

Eternal Spring
30.12.2013 11:23:39
Eternal Spring

Simply 5 stars

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Pu-erh numbering was standardized by Yunnan Tea Company in 1976 in order to improve export of this commodity. Standard cake has a four-digit numbering. The first two digits indicate the manufacturing year. The third digit indicates the leaf grade and the last digit indicates tea factory. For example well-known formula 7572 says that it was created in 1975, it is using tea leaves of grade number 7 and it was produced in 2 = Menghai Tea Factory. This factory produces its products since 1989 under the brand name Dayi. Since 2007, the printed use of Dayi’s recipe types were disallowed in names of products of other companies. Therefore Boyou is using different code for basically the same recipe.
0507 - The first two numbers indicate the year of the creation of the recipe used for the production of this tea. In this case, it is the year 2005. The second two digits indicate tea leaves grade.

Dry tea smells nutty, no trace of earthiness. When comparing 0507 and 0508, I find dry samples identical. Smell of 0508 is also nutty. Surface of cake contains both the lighter and darker leaves.
The smell of steamed leaves is earthy for a little while, but immediately passes into a very intense fruity aroma of ripe fruit with hints of nuts.
The first infusion has a mild nutty flavor, no earthiness and it leaves a subtle sweet taste in the mouth.
The second infusion is superb. Consistency is caressing and dense. Tea comfortably slips into the stomach and warms it up. I can feel the energy in my hands and also in my cheeks. The flavor is nutty with a hint of fruitiness.
I like the taste of ripe fruits in Shu teas and this is exactly my taste. Earthiness is replaced by a nutty flavor, dense and caressing texture. Nice soaking energy. There is nothing disturbing to point out, simply 5 stars.
Bad news at the end – the tea is already sold out. You can buy only 25 g sample for $3 on Cha Wang. I definitely recommend trying it.

7g per 150ml – flush – 15s/10/12/15/20/30



2004 Jin Hao Feng Huang Ripe Puerh Tuo Cha 100g

2004 Jin Hao Feng Huang Ripe Puerh Tuo Cha 100g
5.0 stars 1 review

The best ripe tuo cha this factory has ever made. The 801 product line is well known for the highest grade of leaves and mellow taste. Handpicked in high mountains (more than 2000 meters high mountain area in Wuliangshan), large leaf tea. Finely and traditionally processed. After 7 years aging, the tea produces sweet, smooth taste and aged fragrance of dried longan. A full deep ruby colored liquor with nice aroma. Very good storage in Kunming! Such a good tea is...

Eternal Spring
18.12.2013 12:43:08
Eternal Spring

Excellent Fruity Tuocha

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Wet leaves are producing beautiful fragrance of honey and tropical fruits without any earthiness.

The flavor is very delicate fruity without distractions. There is a mild astringency in the first and second infusion. There is also maturity and roundness in the taste. Aftertaste is intensely fruity.

The taste is sweet, after the third infusion it reminds me the taste of caramel.

Excellent fruity tuocha. Price $11.9 for 100g.


6g per 150ml - rinsing - 15s/10/12/15/20/30/40



2007 Longyu Brand Bulangshan Jin Cha Ripe 250g

2007 Longyu Brand Bulangshan Jin Cha Ripe 250g
2.5 stars 1 review

Jin Cha(mushroom) is especially for Tibetan market, used to be mixed with milk, it is very helpful for the digestion. Using 2006 large-leaves material from Bulang mountain. After artificial moderate fermentation and high temperature pressed into the mushroom shape in 2007. Breved tea have deep red color, smooth and sweet. Yiliang Xiang Long TF was established in 2003, existing staff and workshop equipment come from the original Yiliang tea factory which has been a part...

Eternal Spring
16.12.2013 14:42:25
Eternal Spring

Average Tea

5 stars 2.5 This review helped 0 readers

Wet leaves are giving off a very earthy smell. Fruitiness in the aroma is not significant.

Very dark infusion. The taste is very earthy. Sweetness is comming back to the mouth in the aftertaste, but it is still quite overlapped by earthiness. There is also a light smokiness in the mouth in aftertaste.

The taste is rather "sharper" and earthier. There is also some energy in tea. I am sipping my tea in the morning on an empty stomach and I can feel light hint of energy in my head.

Longer steeping is producing very thick consistency brew. It is then leaving a slightly irritating scratchy and bitter feeling in the throat. Shorter infusions are OK.

It is an average tea. Missing the complexity of flavors, mostly dominated by earthiness. Suitable for unpretentious tea-lover, or to treat hangover - when the taste buds are crippled by an alcohol – it will certainly do its job :-)
Price is good and matches the quality of tea $ 8.80 for 250g mushroom.

8g per 170ml - rinsing - 20s/7/10/12/15/20/30



Shu 7581 - 1998

Shu 7581 - 1998
5.0 stars 1 review

„tailor-made” private production “Zhong Cha Gong Si” This tea was stored for the whole time in mountain district of Taiwan. 7581 is the number and formula which originated in Kun Ming Tea Factory, the earliest production was in 1970 decade and famous for the fragrance of jujube. 75 means the year they started to use this recipe, the 8 means the grade of tea leaves are larger and older and with some stems, the 1 refers to the factory code which is CNNP This...

Eternal Spring
13.12.2013 11:36:06
Eternal Spring

Thick, rich, cultivated

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

The smell of steamed leaves is a mix of earthiness and tropical fruits.
The brew has very smooth, refined taste. Earthiness combines nicely with the fruitiness and is topped with a sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

The consistency of tea is very thick, rich. As if the tea would increased the density of infusion in your mouth. In the aftertaste there is astringency, fruity tones. Your mouth is flooded by slightly earthy and sweet taste coming back from your throat after a while – May be Hui Gan again? It is just a very pleasant feeling in the mouth.

I am sipping tea in the morning with an empty stomach, so there is no obstacle standing in tea’s path. After the third cup I was shot down. I did not notice gradual onset of energy from the stomach up. It is simply a direct hit to my head. Everything is in a light haze.

Again, excellent tea. Very thick, rich and cultivated. Price is €35 per 250g or €1.2 per 1g.



Shu 7581 - 2002

Shu 7581 - 2002
5.0 stars 1 review

„tailor-made” private production “Zhong Cha Gong Si” This tea was stored for the whole time in Guangzhou, moved to Taiwan in July 2013. 7581 is the number and formula which originated in Kun Ming Tea Factory, the earliest production was in 1970 decade and famous for the fragrance of jujube. 75 means the year they started to use this recipe, the 8 means the grade of tea leaves are larger and older and with some stems, the 1 refers to the factory code which is...

Eternal Spring
11.12.2013 22:28:36
Eternal Spring

Shu and Sheng Together

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

The tea from 2002 has a larger and more diverse color of leaves. Some leaves are lighter, others darker. Four years older 7581 has already more compact structure of a typical Shu and the color is more uniform - dark brown. One cannot therefore confuse these two teas.
After rinsing the tea smells at first after nuts, then the smell passes into more fruity tones.
Tea is less pressed and a piece disintegrates immediately upon pouring, so I let the first steeping only 10s. The flavor is nutty with woody notes. Earthiness is very soft. The aftertaste is sweet with astringency at the end.

After the first infusion tea in a teapot has disintegrated into individual leaves. These are really great and entire leaves. The smell has almost no earthiness and there is prevailing fruity aroma of ripe fruit with nuts.
I am leaving the second infusion only 7s - Tea intensely heats the bottom Dantien. Heat pleasantly rises in the chest. In the mouth it leaves a pleasant sweet feeling - as Sheng’s Hui Gan

The third infusion 12s - I cannot get enough of the smell of wet leaves. I like the transition between subtle earthiness and fruitiness. Leaves also look like a very old Sheng. Interesting is the aftertaste after the third cup – there is a certain earthiness combined with sweet Hui Ganem. Energy already arrived to the head. Very nice.
From the 6 brew there are just woody and bamboo flavors dominating the taste and tea weakens. 4g per 150 ml is not enough I guess.

Very surprising tea, also when you consider the price of $25 for 250g brick. It is a very good and interesting tea.

4g per 150 ml - rinse - 10/7/12/20/25/30/40/50



Shu Tuocha 2003

Shu Tuocha 2003
4.5 stars 1 review

„tailor-made” private production “Zhong Cha Gong Si” in Dayi (Menghai tea factory). This tea is made by a dayi employe on a special request from Taiwan. This is a perfect, aged shu pu-erh tea for a reasonable price. Why? It was produced in large scale so the final price of this tea is very affordable. It was stored in Taiwan and in 10 years transformed into a stage when this shu pu-erh is very tasty to drink. This private production tea is not burdened with a famous brand name so...

Eternal Spring
11.12.2013 11:58:35
Eternal Spring

Creamy Tuocha

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Very firmly pressed tuocha. I am steeping first brew for about one minute and the infusion is then very light brown to red. Wet leaves smell after nuts.
The first infusion has a very mild flavor. There is a light earthiness, finished off with a sweet woody aftertaste.

Tea slips easily into the stomach; infusion has, I would say, a "creamy" consistency in the mouth. Very relaxing flavor.

There is a gentle bitterness on the tongue after the second and third infusion.
Pleasant, relaxing energy for Sunday siesta when the weather is rainy. Tea made me feel better.

4g into 80ml gaiwan - rinse - 60s/10/15/20/25/40/60/90



2010 Longchang Puer Brick 100g

2010 Longchang Puer  Brick 100g
0.5 stars 1 review

Shu brick 100g brought from China as a present. Unknown seller. Producer is LongChang Tea Co.

Eternal Spring
11.12.2013 09:19:42
Eternal Spring

Bad Shu

5 stars 0.5 This review helped 0 readers

I came across to a several Shu pu-erh samples and because I have not so many experiences with Shu, I decided to broaden my horizons and also "calibrate" my rating stars. Buying tea is always based on trust between the merchant and the buyer. The stable range of suppliers for your tea will get you most goods of a certain standard and quality. To be able to distinguish what is good and what is bad, you should know also these limits.
So I decided to look around in the completely different circles and that's how a I got this tea. A friend of a friend brought this 100g shu puerh brick from China as an inappropriate gift.

The packaging does not look bad. It is brown recycled paper. There is also quality logo QS "Food safety certification". Unfortunately I know how they treat such logos in China and it does not increase my trust. There is even a web address of Longchang Tea Co. on the box. But as you can see on attached photo the page is definitely not about a tea. I have a bad feeling about this tea… but I am not giving up and searching information about TF on Google. I found only one link, it is not a good either. The site is praising TF with many tea rewords they have received, but the web site is not gaining my confidence as well. So let’s put cattle on and taste the tea.

The infusion has reddish brown color after flush. Immediately after opening gaiwan’s lid there is a sour, musty, strange smell. The brew itself also smells musty. One advice regarding experiencing tea says:

„If, when smelling tea there is any strange or unpleasant smell, one may well consider not proceeding further to tasting the tea as it will likely not be satisfactory“

I decided not to swallow the tea. The taste is bland. I would expect at least an earthy taste, but there is just no taste. I am pouring out the infusion.
The second infusion has a very intense brown to black color. Again there is almost no taste. Nothing spectacular, very light earthiness, maybe. The third infusion is almost black, again it smelled musty. I do not dare drink this. I'm done...

„life’s too short to be drinking bad tea“ as says tea addict MarshalN



Big Green Tree Yiwu 2001

Big Green Tree Yiwu 2001
4.5 stars 1 review

„tailor-made” private production “Zhong Cha Gong Si” in Dayi (Menghai tea factory), so in case you see the 2001 BGT paper wrapper looks different. This tea is made by a dayi employe on a special request from Taiwan. Material is ancient tea trees, I would say gushu at very high rate. Taste is nicely aged, fine and smooth but still could move forward as there is still bitterness that will in next years transform to sweetie tones. Storage in Guangzhou...

petroff
26.11.2013 16:36:44

BGT Yiwu 2001

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

When the bag was unsealed it released a mellow fragrance from inside. When you then spill out leaves on the table - the sample is fragmented into individual leaves - then the tea smells fresh. Leaves are pretty "a live", huge, just a nice tea.
The smell of wet leaves is very heavy – much over-ripped exotic fruits with camphor overtones.
Mellow, fruity, sweet, just enough astringency, finished with coolness on the tongue.
Tea is a pleasantly smooth, nicely matured with dense consistency in the mouth.
Strong Hui Gan, great sweetness and cooling effect when you inhale through your mouth. Wet leaves smell strongly after camphor.
Energy started slowly; it started gently vibrate your body and relax the mind. Very pleasant, light energy. I was drinking tea all day long. It was a pleasant day.
Now the bad news. 400g cake costs €140, so for us who are less wealthy, we can settle for a sample of 25g for €10. It is definitely worth trying

5g for 100ml, gaiwan – rinse – 15s/5/10/15/20/25/30/35/40/50/60/70



YiWu 2012 autumn

YiWu 2012 autumn
4.5 stars 1 review

pressed by stone mold into 250 grams cakes, autumn maocha Massive sweetishness in the back of the mouth, already like in throat, fruity tones, buttery-biscuit like texture. The exact whereabouts of this tea garden is not known even to my 'buyer' friend in Jinghong

sypalino
25.11.2013 14:41:39

Autumn YiWu from PU-ERH.sk

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

All PU-ERH.sk teas I had a chance to taste were very good or almost excellent and this autumn YiWu is no exception.
Dry leave looks very promising; smell very intensively, sweet, fruity. I am placing 5g of tea into the tea pot and rinsing leaves for about 5s. Leaves started to smell after fruity–honey perfume. First brew about 20s. The taste is typical for YiWu teas, sweet, fruity with just a small astringency and bitterness – very pleasant taste. Tea is gradually gaining taste with further infusions and I am enjoying nice aroma of wet leaves from my yixing tea pot.
The tea has very good endurance, I was able to prepare 9 brews and even the last was good enough. It has also very pleasant energy, it worms up body after a cold day. It also has this calming energy.
Even though it is an autumn harvest tea I personally think it’s quite above the average.

yixing tea pot, 100 ml/5g
rinse 5s - 20/10/20/25/30/40/50/60/90



2013 A few Single Trees (maocha)

2013 A few Single Trees (maocha)
4.5 stars 1 review

This tea is a blend of a few single tree teas from Bangwei and Bulang. These trees stand out from their neighbours as some of the biggest and oldest trees in their gardens. This is a very special tea. It is composed of a large proportion of buds, from the first flush of Spring. The taste is very pure, thick and with plenty of strength. There is a hint of taste from the wok, perhaps it wasn't cleaned properly between batches during hand-processing, but this should settle over the...

Eternal Spring
25.11.2013 13:45:07
Eternal Spring

Only a few trees

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I like maocha so I can closely examine leaves. Some are up to 4cm long, smell fresh and sweet.
Quick flush to open tea and release its fragrance. It is really deep, intense, sweet and floral smell.
Color of infusion is very light. It looks more like green tea. The brew itself does not smell or taste any distinctive. Everything comes after you swallow, then it unfolds floral sweetness in your mouth.
There is more astringency in the second infusion and it is very pleasant. It promotes salivation. After the second cup Hui Gan appears and very gentle energy. There is dryness on the tongue; it is after all a young tea. There is no bitterness at all.
With the third cup the energy started to warm everything. At first I sweat a little bit. Then the energy settled down and got comfortably quiet. I could feel a light tickle on GV 20.
The energy was increasing with further infusions. It mainly warms the upper half of the body, lungs, and head. I'm pretty fired into the sky. It was good to promote Qi Qong exercise, but be careful with tea. It is quite powerful.
The brew itself has rather plain flavor. It taste like a green tea after some brews. All the flavors come after swallowing, distinctive floral sweetness, pleasant astringency and obligatory dryness on the tongue. The next drink flushes all tastes and they returns back again after another swallow. Very powerful tea with pleasant energy.


7g, gaiwan 150ml – quick flush – 15s/15/20/25/30/35/40/50



2012 EoT Bulang Puer Tea 400g

2012 EoT Bulang Puer Tea 400g
5.0 stars 1 review

This tea was a bit of an experiment for us. We'd found 2 different maochas from Bulang mountain, which were each excellent, but in different ways. One was old trees from around Manmu village, while the other was old trees from a few km away. We went back and forth, trying to choose one of them to press into cakes, and in the end decided to blend the two teas. The Manmu was very pure in flavour with a strong qi and strong ku (pleasant bitterness), the other was thicker in the mouth and more...

Eternal Spring
22.11.2013 12:51:57
Eternal Spring

Unprecedented Qi

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

A friend gave me this sample with a warning that the tea is very fast and it is necessary to steep just about 5 seconds. Otherwise the tea would be undrinkable, how biter it is.

Warned, I am steeping for 10s for the first time and brew is fine. There is no bitterness, just a pleasant astringency and taste of honey.

The second infusion 7s - astringency and bitterness are on the verge of drinkability. It's just Bulang as it should be. There is pronounced bitterness with sweetness of honey in the aftertaste. You can feel tea’s energy just after the second cup. It warms the stomach and chest.

I am leaving the third infusion only for 5s - interesting how even after such a short time, infusion has a nice yellow - green color. The shorter infusion lets stand out the complexity of flavors in the aftertaste. I find it as Monad, combining bitterness and sweetness into one complete unique taste.

Tea’s energy is huge. My head shines like a light bulb :-) I need a break after the fourth cup. The reality is slightly dimmed and has no choice but to delve into meditation.

It is excellent tea - full, spicy, extremely strong Cha Qi, bitter and sweet at the same time. £86 for 400g or £0.28/g.

3g per 80ml, 99°C water - flush – 10s/7s/5s/7s/10/12/15/20/30



2006 Longyu Brand Bulangshan Jin Cha Raw 250g

2006 Longyu Brand Bulangshan Jin Cha Raw 250g
4.5 stars 1 review

Raw Jin Cha is especially for Tibetan market, used to be mixed with milk, it is very helpful for the digestion. This Jin Cha is made of sun-dried large leaves material from Bulang mountain. The tea liquor is deep golden and flavored. Stimulation and rich in mouth with floral sweet aftertaste. This raw Jin Cha can also brewed in Tibetan way of tea with milk, butter and salt (or sugar).

Eternal Spring
21.11.2013 14:44:23
Eternal Spring

Pleasant Surprise

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I was just curious about this tea, so I bought one mushroom. Puerh tea in the shape of mushroom is primarily intended for Tibetan market and it was produced since 1912. However, production was stopped in 1966 and at the request of Tibetan Buddhists it was reinstated in 1986 again. I did not have great expectations of this pu-erh tea. Mainly I wanted to taste what they drink in Tibet and I was pleasantly surprised. Tea with milk certainly was not a surprise.

The smell of wet leaves is the first to feel a touch of maturity , which then passes into a distinctive fruity aroma of ripe fruit with a touch of menthol in further sweepings. Tea contains large quantities of stalks, but also a fair share of tips. The quality of leaves varied, see attached photo.
I am steeping the first infusion a little longer about 30 to 40s, then the tea is full-bodied right from the start. Tea comfortably slips into the stomach. The taste is mellow and has a strong astringency. There is no bitterness. Aftertaste is also astringent and it then changed to honey- sweet end.
The second infusion - 15s, color of the brew is caramel brown - very pretty. Taste is fruity, round , mellow. There is very pronounced fruitiness in the aftertaste. It is returning to the mouth via nose after swallowing. There is still no bitterness. There is this cooling effect in the mouth when you inhale through your nose. Finally there is very slight bitterness in the aftertaste - I thought that perhaps it is not Bulang :) You can observable a mushroom taste in aftertaste in further brews (5th or more), it is not unpleasant.
Tea’s energy is quite aggressive. It starts from your belly and rises up to your head. It warms up everything along the way. When it reaches the head, it is better just sit back and relax or meditate.

I am adding a little bit of milk. Unfortunately I do not have yak’s milk and butter, only cow’s milk out of the box. Although brew’s color is very intense like caramel, added milk absorbs all the color and infusion has a very fine brown – white color. What has happened to the color of tea, also happened to taste. The complexity of flavors is now covered with milk. Fruit component, maturity completely disappeared. There is just milk flavor with a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste.
I understand that drinking tea with milk and yak butter is due to different cultural and mainly geographic differences. We cannot compare Tibet and our local conditions. In Tibet, it is mainly to diversify rather one-sided diet based on yak meat. In the film – Tea Horse Road – they say this about drinking puerh tea in Tibet : "The tea warms the body and give him the necessary calories to withstand physical stress. At the same time, it also helps to digest meat and deprives the body of butyric acid, which it accumulates at these altitudes. "

It is about 7 years old tea, nicely matured with a fruity flavor, cooling effect and expressive energy. It has good endurance. Tea is good to drink now, also it has more potential for aging for sure. For me, it's a pleasant surprise, especially when one considers the price of $11 per 250 grams. I ordered also Shu version of the same tea from 2007. So hopefully the package arrives till Christmas and I would share more tea experiences with you.

7g per 100ml , 99°C water - flush - 25s/10/15/20/25/30/35/40/50/60/70
Watch out for sourness for longer steeping times.



2013 Wuliang Wild Hongcha

2013 Wuliang Wild Hongcha
4.2 stars 2 reviews

This tea is collected from ancient, wild trees on Wuliang mountain. These are truely wild trees, that haven't been planted by humans and average around 800-1000 years old. The leaves naturally have honey like characteristics in the taste and aroma, which lends them very well to being made into hongcha (Red/Black tea). I find it difficult to get excited by many hongcha - the oxidisation often seems to mute many of the characteristics of teas that I find most enjoyable. This one...

Milena
11.11.2013 11:10:25
Milena

2013 Wuliang Wild Hongcha

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Sweetish taste, forest fruits, scent of fir-needles. Wild tea. You can feel that it is made of wild tea trees. There is a taste of wild herbs and forest fruits. Rinsed leaves smell after spices, cardamom.



ManSa 2013 - blind tasting set 7

ManSa 2013 - blind tasting set 7
4.5 stars 1 review

flowery, in some parts honey, narcotic aroma, taste goes to honey, sweetish tones, verry fancy tea, just like teas from Mansa are this spring hand-pressing of pu-erh cakes was done in a very skilled manufacture in Yiwu, is more tight than previous years, there is more work for me when taking apart the tea leaves for samples, but for long term storage the tight pressing will allow keep longer the aromas, the tea leaves won't dry that much, during this tighter pressing the man...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:57:21
Eternal Spring

Nuts

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Last sample - dry leaves smell fresh indeed as all previous seven samples – they are all this year's tea :-) Rinsed leaves are again releasing a concert of aroma of young puerh. It smells sweet after overripe fruit with a hint of herbs. The first infusion, this time there is no signs of bitterness, just sweetness as usual and dryness on the tongue. There is a delicate nutty flavor in the colder brew. There is a pleasant sensation of sweetness in the mouth after the first infusion. The second infusion – it has pleasantly grown up in abundance and still no bitterness. There is just a pleasant astringency and dryness. Pleasant Hui Gan after the second cup.



YouLe 2013 - blind tasting set 6

YouLe 2013 - blind tasting set 6
4.5 stars 1 review

dense, rich, bitter-sweet, fruity aroma, full body floods the whole mouth and gives a feeling of oily brew, later steeps taste bitter-sweetish leaving a nice feeling in a mouth, the tea is a great premise for aging, strong, tight pressing has already started up the fermentation this spring hand-pressing of pu-erh cakes was done in a very skilled manufacture in Yiwu, is more tight than previous years, there is more work for me when taking apart the tea leaves for samples, but for...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:56:19
Eternal Spring

Good

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

The taste of tea is round. The first infusion has a pleasant sweet flavor with a hint of bitterness in aftertaste. The second infusion is full and sweet, but the sweetness turns into a distinctive bitterness. Again, dryness on the tongue. The cold brew is dominated just by bitterness. The bitterness is smaller in further infusions, but it is still present. Tea preserves its flavor and fullness even in further brews. Tea has a kick compared to sample No. 6 (Manzhuan). Infusion’s color is distinctly yellow.



ManZhuan 2013 - blind tasting set 5

ManZhuan 2013 - blind tasting set 5
3.5 stars 1 review

sweetish, rich, dense taste is apparent from the first brewing, in the second brew the fine gushu bitterness appears, in the cup you can feel nice flowerish aromas, pu-erh teas from Manzhuan has the ability even during his first year of aging to transform to sweet, honey like tones, that can be noticed in the tea even now, be careful with the dosage, number of grams used, this is a really powerful tea that with high dosage could be a very bitter like brew, these cakes unlike the others spring...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:55:19
Eternal Spring

Plain

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Sample is not compact. This is a tea with a very long individual leaves. In this case, it is clear that it is ManZhuan. Tea leaves are filling almost the whole tea pot, but it is still the same 7 grams of tea. Scent of a young pu-erh is great – sweet and floral. The first infusion has a soft flavor, I guess too short steeping. I am steeping much longer. The tea was already over steeped according to the color, but the taste is still not bold. Slight sweetness, mild bitterness, dry tongue in aftertaste, but nothing distinctive. Such a "flat" taste, but the smell of leaves is splendid in a teapot.



Bulang Shan 2013 - blind tasting set 4

Bulang Shan 2013 - blind tasting set 4
4.5 stars 1 review

rich and delicate bulang bitter taste with sweetish aftertaste, sweet tingling almost in the throat, after the third cup of this tea have one cup of warm water and at once you will understand what is this tea about this spring hand-pressing of pu-erh cakes was done in a very skilled manufacture in Yiwu, is more tight than previous years, there is more work for me when taking apart the tea leaves for samples, but for long term storage the tight pressing will allow keep longer the...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:54:07
Eternal Spring

Wild

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Dry leaves smell fresh again. The sample was nicely broken off. Wet leaves are again pretty sweet, floral scent. The first infusion has a slightly bitter taste, but there is a strong bitterness in the aftertaste. The second infusion is such a rough, full of bitterness, sweetness in aftertaste, which then turns into wild bitterness on the tongue. I guess it is Bulang. According to the note from the seller, he recommends to take a sip of warm water after tea. It is an interesting effect. Water is totally sweet. The bitterness is fading away with further infusions.



NaKa 2013 - blind tasting set 3

NaKa 2013 - blind tasting set 3
5.0 stars 1 review

this tea is sold only as a sample, each order is limited to have only 2 samples of this tea aroma of a freshly baked bread with fruity tones, very specific scent and taste, energetic bitternes, in some parts very similar to the one from Lao Banzhang, disappearing after a while and leaving strong and pleasant aftertaste, the similarity with Banzhang they say it is used in good fakes of Lao Banzhang, this year this tea sold only as samples, the ordered 5 kg of this was sold on...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:52:48
Eternal Spring

Favorite

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Again, dry tea smells beautifully fresh. The sample is holding together. Smell of wet leaves is sweet, floral and much similar to the sample number 2 (Hekai). The sample is relatively compact; I am leaving the first infusion for 40s. The brew is delicate, a floral scent, delicate sweetness. It leaves a slightly sweet feeling in the mouth what is then changing into dryness. No trace of bitterness. Very smooth impression. The second infusion is full, spicy. It leaves a pleasant astringency in the mouth and pronounced dryness. Pleasant energy. I have forgotten the 7th infusion and there has appeared a bitterness, but the brew is still drinkable – so far my favorite :-)



HeKai 2013 - blind tasting set 2

HeKai 2013 - blind tasting set 2
4.0 stars 1 review

nicely balanced bitterness with a breze of sweetness, beautiful honey-fruity aroma, pleasant and pure feeling after swalowing the tea in the mouth, in the second brew there is already the richness and dense texture of the tea soup, already after a few sips a steady aftertaste, or rather taste sits on the tounge with a mounth-drying effect, the cup gives parfume like scents, the next brews are tough and syrupy, condense flavours, I would describe in overall the taste as rounded, softened...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:51:37
Eternal Spring

Quite bitter

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

The sample is quite compact and firmly pressed. Smell of wet leaves is distinctive, floral after lily. The first infusion is bitter. I am using the colder water for the second infusion. Bitterness is still present, but does not increase. The tea has a full flavor, really robust. Hui Gan is intense. It has a great energy.



BaDa 2013 - blind tasting set 1

BaDa 2013 - blind tasting set 1
4.5 stars 1 review

the pressed leaves aroma is strong and fruity, the taste is bitter, nutty, almond, fruity, fresh, balanced, very pleasent, fancy like Banzhang like bitterness, slowly disappearing in the mouth, raising salivation with dryness in the mouth this spring hand-pressing of pu-erh cakes was done in a very skilled manufacture in Yiwu, is more tight than previous years, there is more work for me when taking apart the tea leaves for samples, but for long term storage the tight pressing...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:50:27
Eternal Spring

Sweet

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea was part of Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Rinsed leaves smell sweet. Infusion is pretty yellow. The taste is slightly sweet, but there is a subtle bitterness in the aftertaste. Pleasant Hui Gan already after the first cup. There is a dryness which remains on the tongue. The second brew about 10 seconds, more pronounced flavor, the third infusion for 15s – distinctive sweetness, round taste. It is interesting how subtle bitterness has turned into a sweet finish. Very strong sweet aftertaste. The mouth is flooded with sweetness. Very heavy and full bodied infusion.



Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set

Sheng 2013 Blind Tasting Set
4.5 stars 1 review

Buy only teas you like not teas you think you like! This is a blind tasting set of all pu-erh.sk spring puerh teas. The samples are numbered and its identity can be revealed at any time by a request. If you don not like this game you always can buy a usual tasting set of the same teas with labels. There are 7 samples per 7 grams. The whole set is about 13% cheaper than buying the samples one by one. In case you guess the correct name for each tea you win a 50...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 10:48:42
Eternal Spring

Blind Tea Rating

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I ordered the new tasting set of 7 sheng puerhs from spring 2013 with a new shipment of teas from pu-erh.sk. It was possible to choose from a classical labeled set or a blind test set without labels. The tea names can be obtained upon request by an e-mail. I thought it might be fun and I chosen blind set. At least I will not be affected and I can learn what I really like.

I will be opening samples one by one by numbers. It actually does not matter where I start :-) I will taste always one sample per a day. I simply want to enjoy every tea. Samples are 7g each, so I will only have one drink per each tea. It's not optimal. Tea party is not always satisfactory, so more importantly I need to take notes to be able to choose my personal winner and not to get lost.

I must say that it was not easy. All teas are very good in average, very fragrant; there is more or less bitterness in taste, wild energy and finally dryness on the tongue. Theay are all young sheng puerhs indeed. I always tried to recognize characteristic feature of each tea.

1. Bada - Sweet - 4,5*
2. Hekai - Quite bitter - 4*
3. Naka - Favorite - 5*
4. Bulang - Wild - 4,5*
5. Manzhuan - Plain - 3,5*
6. Youle – Good- 4,5*



2013 Wuliang Wild Hongcha

2013 Wuliang Wild Hongcha
4.2 stars 2 reviews

This tea is collected from ancient, wild trees on Wuliang mountain. These are truely wild trees, that haven't been planted by humans and average around 800-1000 years old. The leaves naturally have honey like characteristics in the taste and aroma, which lends them very well to being made into hongcha (Red/Black tea). I find it difficult to get excited by many hongcha - the oxidisation often seems to mute many of the characteristics of teas that I find most enjoyable. This one...

Eternal Spring
11.11.2013 09:29:10
Eternal Spring

Wild tea

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are brownish-black in colour and are pretty long, some up to 3 cm. Tea scent is delicate.

Wet leaves have very strong sweet smell after overripe berries. I cannot wait to taste it :)

Colour of the infusion is brown like toffee.

Taste of first infusion is slightly sweet, fruity. There is a very pleasant astringency which stimulates salivation in the aftertaste. The second infusion is sweet again. Strong wild astringency remains on the tongue. The astringency is not unpleasant. It has a very specific - forest flavour. After a while the astringency disappears and remains the taste of sweet berries. The energy of the tea is warming my face.

The first four infusions were the best. It is an exceptional red tea baked very carefully which preserved his “wild” taste.


5 g per 170 ml, water 99°C - 25s, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60



2013 Spring Mengsong Baotang Gushu Maocha

2013 Spring Mengsong Baotang Gushu Maocha
4.5 stars 1 review

Mengsong is one of the oldest ancient tea area in Menghai. Baotang old village is located next to the ancient tea garden. The ancient tea gardens are at an altitude of 1800 meters above the mountains. We tasted many kinds of Maocha and this is one of the pure Gushu(Ancient tea trees) tea samples. This tea has soft texture - mildly sweet and flowers aromas. Slightly bitter, cool and refreshing feeling left in the mouth.

Eternal Spring
06.11.2013 16:27:38
Eternal Spring

Mengsong Gushu Maocha

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

After 2013 Chawangpu "Shuang Shu", which is a blend of Jingmai and Mengsong, I reached for the bag of gushu maocha from Mengsong Baotang.
The beautiful fresh scent faded away from the bag when unsealed, it smells something like a green tea. I was very careful with the bag of macho not to crush leaves. They are really great, up 5 cm long. Smell of dry leaves is very pretty. I put more maocha on the table and I was enjoying beautiful material and honey - floral scent of very long leaves.
After flush, wet leaves smell realy great. It is a concert of flower, honey scents.
The first infusion 15s – infusion is very soft, fresh. It nicely slips into the stomach and then it fills mouth with sweetness. There is no trace of bitterness in the aftertaste, just a sweet, floral flavor. Cha Chi is warming my belly.
The second infusion 7s - after swallowing there is a flash taste of roses for a short moment ... Now; the infusion contains a delicate bitterness of wild leaves. You can observe a cooling effect after inhaling via mouth. At the end there is dryness and intense sweetness coming from the throat. Tea has great energy – my belly is shining as a bulb and slowly activates the head.
The third infusion - 15s - bitterness is quite strong, it significantly stimulates salivation. I am trying to identify a specific fresh flavor that is returning to my nose after a sip of tea .... It's like a freshly laundered clothes :D... which then changes into a sweetness in the mouth.
Fourth - 20s – infusion is now dark yellow, very full flavor, fruity - floral tones, astringency on the tongue. Energy has already reached the top of my head.
Fifth infusion 25s, 30, 40 , 50, 60.
It was a pleasant tea time while studying Mengsong area.



2011 "Zi Qi Dong Lai" Ripe Puerh Cake 150g

2011
4.5 stars 1 review

"Zi Qi Dong Lai" : The Purple Air coming from the east -- a propitious omen (from the East) is approaching This small ripe puerh cake has been produced exclusively for our shop and Czech tea-sellers. We tasted many different materials and chose this blend together.Two kinds of materials from Menghai are in the blend: 2006 5th grade from Haiwan Tea Factory (stored in Anning) and 2008 Gongting (the highest quality ripe puerh) from a small factory in Menghai...

Eternal Spring
04.11.2013 10:26:30
Eternal Spring

The Purple Air coming from the east

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

"Zi Qi Dong Lai" in translation: The Purple Air coming from the east. This saying refers to the sign that appeared on the sky when Laozi decided to leave into a desert to become a hermit. He was then caught by guardian Yin Xi in Hangu Pass. Yin Xi became his student. He asked (forced :-) Laozi to write a book about his teachings. And that is how the book Tao Te Ching was written.
The cake is small, 150g . There is a New Year motive of an old Taoist nn the cover. It reminds the new year 2011, when the cake was made. It is a blend of two materials from Menghai. The first is from Haiwan TF 2006. The second component is 2008 material from Gontingu, made in small TF in Menghai.
The cake is firmly pressed, however the tea can be well separated. I am adding couple of loose tickets to the whole tea piece. The first infusion after the flush, I am steeping a longer time until the brew gets darker red colour. The whole piece of tea is still holding together.
Tea scent is earthy and pleasant. Wet leaves smell earthy at first, then woody. The aroma reminds bamboo. Finally there is a fruity aroma.
The brew colour is a brownish-red.
The taste of the firs brew is dominated by woody flavour that stands out mainly in the back of the mouth and tongue. The aftertaste is slightly astringent with a hint of metallic and earthy sweetness on the tongue.
The second infusion has already dark red-brown colour as mahogany wood. The taste is very full. The distinctive taste of bamboo, fruit tones, ending with a pleasant astringency on the back of the tongue. The energy is strong. It nicely worms up belly.
Even after the third infusion the piece of tea is still holding together. The colour is almost black. The best infusions were second till 5th. They also contained fruity flavour components. Tea endurance is long. Very good ripe pu-erh. $12 for 150g.



2007 Boyou "Man Lu Da Shan" Meng Song

2007 Boyou
4.2 stars 2 reviews

Boyou tea factory was started by yet another ex-Menghai tea blender. Boyou is well known for showcasing Menghai tea mountains and making Ripe Pu-erhs that rival Da Yi ripe teas. This particular tea cake was the Silver Prize winner at the 2007 Tea Culture Exhibition in Chengdu. It is a tea produced entirely from Meng Song mountain tea trees. Meng Song tea trees are well known for being a slightly smaller leaf varietal that was the result of cross-breeding several hundred years ago. The tea...

Eternal Spring
28.10.2013 15:13:40
Eternal Spring

Boyou Raw Meng Song

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 1 reader

I've tried this tea about half a year ago and at that time I did not like it much. There was a mushroom flavour in the tea’s aftertaste which bothered me. A friend of mine was still praising the tea to me and he also intended to purchase a greater number for maturation. I asked for another sample and as you can see from the number of stars, the tea has scored for me now.
The tea is very firmly pressed and therefore the steeping times should be significantly extended. Even then the sample came apart after 4th steeping. The tea is already 6 years old but due to the very firm pressing it matures more slowly and its appearance and taste are getting "younger".
The smell of the leaves is sweet and floral - this is Meng Song area. I steep first infusion for 45s and even though infusion is weaker. There are honey–floral tones in the taste. There is a gentle bitterness in the aftertaste and also a bit of astringency on the tongue, which is promising for further aging. It leaves a nice sweet aftertaste in the throat that lasts for a long time. There are also those “mushroom” tones in the taste in further infusions – 9th…. When the sweetness is gone in aftertaste then you can feel mushroom taste in the mouth. The taste is ok for me now. The tea’s energy is smooth, comfortable. The tea has a solid endurance and you can prepare many delicious infusions. I finished after 12th.
The tea will mature slowly due to the very tight pressing and there is certainly a good potential for further aging. The current price is reasonable (YS - 1 for $34 or 3 for $90), especially when you buy 3 pieces.

5 g per 100 ml, water 99 ° C - flush - 45s/25/20/25/30/35/40/45/50/60/80/90



2007 Boyou "Man Lu Da Shan" Meng Song

2007 Boyou
4.2 stars 2 reviews

Boyou tea factory was started by yet another ex-Menghai tea blender. Boyou is well known for showcasing Menghai tea mountains and making Ripe Pu-erhs that rival Da Yi ripe teas. This particular tea cake was the Silver Prize winner at the 2007 Tea Culture Exhibition in Chengdu. It is a tea produced entirely from Meng Song mountain tea trees. Meng Song tea trees are well known for being a slightly smaller leaf varietal that was the result of cross-breeding several hundred years ago. The tea...

sypalino
24.10.2013 18:11:55

2007 Boyou "Man Lu Da Shan" Meng Song

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

This is very interesting tea from Boyo Tea Factory. My experiences were only through black (ripe) puerhs with this tea factory, which were all very good. So I was curious about this green raw cake. Tea is very strongly pressed; it takes little effort to peel off a bit. Wet leaves give a strong, pleasant floral aroma. Due to the strong pressing, I chose a longer time for steeping than I am used to. Tea began to open up after 3rd and 4th steeping, taste is floral with a sweet aftertaste, just a slight hint of bitterness on the tongue. Stamina was very good; I ended up at about the ninth infusion, which was still very tasty. I prepared this tea a several times and I must say that it is my favorite one.



2003 CNNP Yi Wu Arbor Ming Chien „Hundred Mark“ Beeng Cha

2003 CNNP Yi Wu Arbor Ming Chien „Hundred Mark“ Beeng Cha
5.0 stars 1 review

Processing: discontinuation of oxidation, rolling, sun drying, humidification, pressing performed hydraulically, tea, however, can be fairly well divided. Leaf: excellent quality leaves with a very good share of buds, the overall appearance is neat and uniform. Scent of dry leaf is medium strong, harmonious, floral with hints of dark fruit and cane sugar. Infusion: Color is golden honey, the smell fully corresponds with the smell of dry leaf, as opposed to the more perceptible...

Eternal Spring
22.10.2013 10:53:08
Eternal Spring

Archive Puerh Tasting

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Wet leaves initially released mature scent that gradually changed into a very pungent smell of honey and fruits. Taste is mellow, very round, honey-sweet. Hui Gan is immediate, nice return of sweetness from the throat, while the cooling effect is appearing on the tongue. There is astringency at the end of the first cup, indicating further potential for aging. My sample was quite broken, so there was bitterness in the taste after longer steeping times. Wet leaves smell minty after the fifth infusion. Cooling effect is very strong in the mouth. Tea’s energy is great, very stimulating, my heart beats really fast :-) It is worth trying. It was a great experience. The price is quite high $0.8 per 1g.



2013 Yunnan Simao Premium Green Tea "Gao Shan Yin Ya"

2013 Yunnan Simao Premium Green Tea
4.0 stars 1 review

This is one of the best quality green tea which is produced in Yunnan province. First spring harvest in early March 2013 from high mountain, picked tender buds and carefully processed. Though this tea is often called "Bi luo Chun" in the marketplace, Neither appearance nor taste are similar with original "Bi Luo Chun". The materials were picked from Yunnan varietal tree - Yun Kang No.10 (different from Bi Luo Chun Xiao Ye Zhong tree). So we name this tea "Gao Shan Yin Ya" and it means...

Eternal Spring
21.10.2013 16:00:15
Eternal Spring

Premium Green Tea

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Very nice leaves, up to 3cm long buds with one leaf, very fluffy. Leaves are quite solid and so they take up a lot of space. It's a bit deceiving while dosing. It is necessary to give visually more tea otherwise the infusion will be weak. Or simply use the weight :-) 5 grams per 100ml.
I am steeping for about 1 minute at the temperature of 70 °C . Tea is very sweet, has a spicy taste and floral aroma. There is a pleasant astringency in the aftertaste in further infusions. The taste and aroma reminds me this year’s best green tea so fare - 2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Long Mei - but the quality of this one is not as good. Yet, it is a very good green tea. Price is $6 per 50g. 4 stars for me.


Gaiwan 150 ml, 8g, water 70 °C - 60s/25/35/45/50/60



2013 Chawangpu "Shuang Shu" Xiao Bing Cha 200g

2013 Chawangpu
4.5 stars 1 review

This is the first time we made blending raw puer cake, so we took advice from a more experienced tea seller, who is also a friend. He offered many high quality Maocha from Mengsong area. The materials we chose came from the highest altitude (1860m) place, next to the Naban river national nature reserve. Far away from noise and pollution! Jingmai tea came from the same tea-maker as last year. We watched them only pick ancient trees for us. All the tea leaves are from one single...

Eternal Spring
07.10.2013 12:37:37
Eternal Spring

Jingmai and Mengsong

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I was really pleased by the tea from Jingmai last year- it was the cake - 2012 Chawangpu Jingmai Gu Shu Xiao Bing Cha 200g - 5 stars rating, so I was very curious about this tea which is blend of Jingmai and Mengsong . Both areas are separated by about 50km west and east from the road linking Menghai and Lancang . Jingmai is an alpine area, where the original tea forest is growing with trees several hundred years old. The original area of old tea trees is now surrounded by the newly planted tea bushes. Jingmai is recently gaining popularity. Local government is investing a lot in infrastructure and tourism is on ascend. But as stated by the manufacturer, the material for this tea was collected in mountainous areas far from the "noise and pollution”. In case of Mengsongu the material come from the tea trees growing 1,860 meters high, near the nature reserve Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve. The aroma is very intense. The more you inhale the more intense it smells. The smell is floral with a sweetness of honey. Jingmai tea adds its floral aroma to the tea. The pleasant floral taste remains on the tongue long after the first cup. The taste is full, balanced. There is a mild bitterness on the tongue after the second cup. After the third cup the bitterness disappears. Hui gan is fast, there is an intense sweetness in the aftertaste and long lasting floral flavor. Regarding energy, the tea has not such power as Jingmai from the last year (2012). Energy is more "cultivated ", it nicely opens "Bai Hui " (Hundred Convergences). I liked the tea. Price $40 is little bit higher for 200g Xiao Bing.

Flush 5s - 20s, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60



1997 CNNP Big Red Mark Raw Puerh Cake

1997 CNNP Big Red Mark Raw Puerh Cake
4.0 stars 1 review

This cake is called "Da Hong Yin" or Big Red Mark. It's a blend from Banna area tea leaves and the raw materials are pressed into wooden molds that give them their irregular shape. The weight of these cakes are from 380g to 430g. The tea was stored in Hongkong traditional storage and then moved to Malasia. Its clean wet storage without white 'frost' on the surface.Aged aroma with hint of nutty, deep and clean tea soup. Smooth and sweet. The mouthfeel is complex, huigan is fast. After few...

sypalino
03.10.2013 13:04:23

1997 CNNP Big Red Mark

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

It is already quite matured, wet stored tea. First it was stored in Hong Kong then in Malaysia. Dry tea has a fairly strong earthy aroma. The first infusion dominates by earthiness and considerable bitterness. Since the second infusion the earthiness gradually subsides and bitterness decreases. The taste of infusion consists of earthiness / maturity with a pleasant bitterness and nutty(?) aroma. The color of brew is beautifully dark red. The best infusions were 3rd, 4th and 5th, in about the 9th infusion the tea begins to fade. The tea has a lot of energy and worms you up nicely. I will rather wash the tea for 2 times for the next time. Tea is certainly good. It was nice tea time, although it is not exactly my cup of tea. Maybe it was too wet stored for me or I simply have not yet developed the taste for such archival teas to fully appreciate it. Anyway, I highly recommend at least trying.

Yixing teapot 110 ml/5g rinse 10s and 20/10/15/20/25/30/35/45/55/80/90



2013 Chawangpu "Gao Shan Liu Shui" Xiao Bing Cha 200g

2013 Chawangpu
4.5 stars 1 review

高山流水 [gāo shān liú shuǐ] :lofty mountains and flowing water; -- referring to the harsh reality that talent and ability can rarely meet [find] people who can really appreciate them. These cakes are a blend of the high mountain ancient tree tea from Mengku and Menghai area. The Menghai materials came from 2012 spring harvest and were matured for a year in Kunming, then blend with 2013 early spring tea from Mengku East Mid-levels. The tea has a strong taste, fresh,...

Eternal Spring
19.09.2013 14:54:02
Eternal Spring

Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Another this year's (2013) Cha Wang Shop’s cake named "Gao Shan Liu Shui" meaning "High mountains and flowing water" referring to the harsh reality where talent and skills are rarely appreciated by people. It is also name of the famous piece for guzheng instrument.
Wet leaves smell fruity and sweet. There is a nice aroma of young pu-erh. The taste is very full, fruity and sweet with a distinct bitterness in the aftertaste. The bitterness remains relatively long in the aftertaste during the first three infusions. Then there is the astringency and dryness on the tongue – the bitterness is understandable as there is part of this year’s tea from Mengke in the cake. Hui Gan is quick. It's a very strong tea full of energy. I wonder how it will develop in future. Bitterness is giving a good potential for aging. Price is $28 for 200g.


Rinsing - 95°C - 7 g in gaiwan - 30s/5/10/15/20/25/30/40/50



2013 Chawangpu "He He" Xiao Bing Raw 200g

2013 Chawangpu
4.0 stars 1 review

He he is the last cake from Chawangpu 2013 spring production we offer now. He He is another Chinese name for two famous Chinese poets and Tao - Chan legendary figures. Han shan (寒山) and Shide (拾得). Hanshan and his sidekick Shide are honored as emanations of the boddhisatva Manjusri and Samantabhadra. They were very famous in China but now they are well know only in Chinese New year and wedding motives like He He. He-He er xian (Chinese: 和合二仙; pinyin: Hé-Hé èr xiān, i.e. "Two...

Eternal Spring
19.09.2013 10:57:42
Eternal Spring

Harmony and Unity

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

The cake poetically named after two Taoist immortal heroes He He, as an analogy to the blend of two known areas of Yiwu and Menghai, greatly fulfilled its analogy of "harmony and unity". The first infusion 20s - very pleasant, sweet smell of steamed leaves. The taste of the first brew is pleasant. There is no bitterness. The infusion is sweet. There is a tingling feeling on the tongue. The empty cup smells like honey. The second infusion - 5s - the taste is balanced, round, full and sweet. There is a fine bitterness in the aftertaste caused by young components of this blend, which is composed of a spring harvests of 2007, 2012 and 2013. The bitterness disappears after the second cup. Interesting is a gently cooling effect - take a long smell of wet leas after the second cup. You can feel a gentle cooling effect on the tongue’s root, highlighting the bitter and sweet aftertaste in the mouth. Cha Qi is strong and started just after the second cup. Tea is nicely balanced - mature component gives the tea a pleasant roundness in the taste. Seller states that it is intended for long-term storage, but tea is definitely good now. For me it is a good price / performance ratio - $17 per 200 grams.

100 °C water - rinse 10s - 20/5/10/15/20/30/40/50/60



Darjeeling Jungpana Wonder Delight Second Flush 2013

Darjeeling Jungpana Wonder Delight Second Flush 2013
2.5 stars 1 review

Beautifully prepared whole leaf tea cultivar Pb312. Very rare tea from this garden, production only 9kg.

Eternal Spring
16.09.2013 15:10:53
Eternal Spring

Second Flush - No Glory

5 stars 2.5 This review helped 0 readers

Dry tea smells nice and fresh. The leaves are also nice looking. There are many buds. Rinsing of DJ usually leaves smell after overripe fruit, but in this case there is no such odour. The taste of tea is not exceptional, nor is it bad. You can tell that it's DJ, but no glory.
Comparing with DJ Thurbo Wonder Delight SF, Jungpana Wonder Delight SF is not bitter, so you can steep tea longer time and get a stronger flavor. The tea is then full of energy, but it does not help the overall weaker impression.
The price was quite high and certainly the quality of this year's SF is not worth it - $12.25 per 50g. My best yet tasted SF tea from 2013 was Sikkim (reviewed earlier), which was actually the cheapest one.


5g gaiwan, 170 ml, water 100 °C - 20s/10/15/20/30



2007 Banzhang Tuocha Certified Organic Raw 250g

2007 Banzhang Tuocha Certified Organic Raw 250g
4.0 stars 1 review

This tuo is composed from spring material from Menghai area (most from Bulang mountain) and from different years. The quality and selection of raw material are much more better than 2008 Menghai Tuocha we also offer. Traditional sun-dried material was blended well and pressed careful. Tightly compression is good for long term storage. This tea was stored few years in Menghai and then moved to Kunming. Humid, hot and clean Menghai storage is big benefit for maturation. Mellow but still...

Eternal Spring
09.09.2013 11:16:24
Eternal Spring

Banzhang not from Banzhang

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Personally, I like teas from Menghai, so I was very curious about this Tou Chu. It was stored in humid and hot environment of Menghai for a few years and then moved to dry Kunming. Not all of these Tou Chas were stored liked that as I understood from communications with vendor, who was comparing this particular tea with the same Tou stored only in the dry Kunming. He said that the taste of this material is "a little bit rounder" :-) So, how is it ...
Tou Cha is firmly pressed together, the sample is firmly holding together. Wash for 10s. I left the first steeping for about 1 minute, until infusion gained color and leaves get loose little bit. Leaves smell fruity. There is no trace of musty. The taste is very pleasant. There is a sense of fine ripeness, bolt fruitiness, but also gentle sourness. The second steeping just 5s. Fruity taste with honey tones. There is still small sourness in the taste - it disappears after third steeping. Aftertaste is sweet, with a mild astringency on the tongue. I poured 1.5 liters of water over 7g of tea and infusion was still full of flavor. The tea has a pleasant energy. Price $14 for 250 grams and 5-year-old Tou Chu seems to me very good and the taste will certainly continue to develop. We will see how :-)


7 g, gaiwan 170ml, 95°C – wash 10 – 60/5/10/15/20/30/40/50/60



2013 Zhejiang Long Jing Hong Cha AAA Grade

2013 Zhejiang Long Jing Hong Cha AAA Grade
5.0 stars 1 review

Material came from the same tea trees with Longjing green tea. The dry tea leaves are rolled tightly and full of aroma. The liquor has a deep ruby red, aroma of ripe berries, nuts and cinnamon with a little dark chocolate flavor, fresh and velvety smooth mouthfeel, with a surprisingly long, charming aftertaste. Really worth a try! Producing area : Hangzhou area , Zhejiang province Production date : Early April 2013

petroff
06.09.2013 10:03:20

Cocoa delight

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are completely black. Dry leaves smell like cocoa. Wet leaves smell after cocoa with the sweet scent of ripe fruits. The brew is nicely balanced and smoothed. The taste is sweet. You can find there a taste of fruits, nuts, and light taste of wood. No astringency, no bitterness - simply the concert of tastes. The second infusion 10s, to get more intense teaste. It seems to me that the cocoa becomes more like dark chocolate. The flavour is more intense, sweeter, just more chocolate in the taste. Still there is no bitterness or astringency. Very good red tea, I am giving 5 stars.

5g, gaiwan 170 ml, water 100°C - 20s/10/15/20/30/40



Darjeeling Thurbo Wonder Delight Second Flush 2013

Darjeeling Thurbo Wonder Delight Second Flush 2013
2.0 stars 1 review

The best type of clonal tea, which was possible to taste this year. A wonderful, spicy, attractive and clean aroma with hint of citruses, delicate flavor. Harvested only from selected tea plant P312 and produced under the supervision of one of the finest Darjeeling teamaker Mr. J.D. Raie. The summer harvest, known as the ‘Second Flush’, makes what are reputedly the best teas in the world. What makes them so distinctive is a special tinge of sweetness. These teas are delicately...

Eternal Spring
03.09.2013 13:07:09
Eternal Spring

Disappointment

5 stars 2.0 This review helped 0 readers

After an excellent first harvest from the same garden - Darjeeling Thurbo Moonlight FF 2013 - I was looking forward to this tea. Unfortunately it is disappointment for me. But let's start from scratch. The beginning was promising. Leaves are nice, whole and are quite large. Tea contains a lot of buds. Wet leaves smell beautifully fruity after overripe fruit. The first infusion is brighter; the taste is very light and slightly resembles "moonlight" from the first flush. I expected that the taste will develop, raise and highlight in the second and third infusion, but unfortunately it did not happened. The taste is still very light, dull. If you try to prolong steeping time, bitterness will appear. The same if you add more tea, again there is bitterness. It seems to me as the tea was too baked. I also tried cooler water, but liquor is then weak, faint. The price was quite high - $12.25 per 50 grams and it was not a "wonder" and certainly not "delight".

4 g per 150 ml gaiwan, water 95°C - 30s/5/10/15/20



Sikkim Temi FTGFOP-1 Second Flush 2013

Sikkim Temi FTGFOP-1 Second Flush 2013
4.5 stars 2 reviews

Excellent tea from a single garden in Sikkim, spread around the village of Temi, in the beautiful landscape of the legendary kingdom. The lot number SK-2 was prepared the traditional way of Temi gardens, it consists mainly of tea plant cultivar T-78 and B-157, it contains a greater amount of tips and two leaves, which give us the embedding, bright, clear golden brew with a full color attractive aromas flowers, fruits and precious woods and full, heavier, balanced flavor with fruity notes and...

Eternal Spring
19.08.2013 16:21:41
Eternal Spring

Sikkim – a pleasant surprised

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I have to confess, that I had to search on internet to find out where Sikkim lyses. Here is what Wiki says: "Sikkim (/ˈsɪkɨm/; also known as Shikim ) is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. The state borders Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the east. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal. Sikkim's Namgyal dynasty was established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed frequent raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. In the 19th century, it allied itself with British India, eventually becoming a British protectorate. In 1975, a referendum abolished the Sikkimese monarchy, and the territory was merged with India. The Chinese government eventually recognized Sikkim as an Indian state in 2003, on the condition that India officially recognize Tibet as a part of China." Now back to the tea.
The leaves are smaller, broken and brown. Actually it does not comply with the photos supplied by the shop (looks more like a DJ FF). But it is the only complaint about this tea. Dry leaves smell good. Wet leaves first smell after cannabis, which then turns into an intense sweet smell of ripe fruit. The brew is red in colour. The taste is full, spicy, woody fragrance with essential oils, slightly bitter astringency with a dry feeling in the aftertaste. For me it is very good tea and actually pleasant surprised. Purchased for $7.25 per 50g.


6g per 150ml gaiwan, water 95°C – 20s/5/10/15/20/40/60



2013 Jinggu Da Bai Hao Hong Cha

2013 Jinggu Da Bai Hao Hong Cha
4.5 stars 1 review

Jinggu area, it's famous for one of varietal tea trees – Da Bai Hao – “Big White tomentum”. The tea leaves and buds with dense white tomentum are larger than other tea variety. Its delicate aroma is sweet and appealing, its taste is thick mellow and unforgettable. This is one of highest Yunnan black tea production - first harvest, hand picked and highly selective process. Pleasant taste of Yunnan Hong Cha (black teas). The dry material - hairy aromatic long buds. Rich flavorful...

Eternal Spring
16.08.2013 10:59:35
Eternal Spring

Tea covered with golden shiny fluff

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are really beautiful. Dry leaves are covered with golden shiny fluff. It is not much visible on the pictures. Tips are really great and solid. Visually it is a very nice tea. I am using water.100°C. The infusion is brownish-red. Wet leaves smell intensely after overripe berries. The taste is nicely balanced. There is nothing standing out of smooth delicate taste. There is a hint of honey, but the sweetness is minimal and it is covered with a delicate astringency and dry feeling on the tongue.

Personally, I prefer the full bodied taste. I am using 4 grams per 100ml and steep for about 20 to 30s. The taste is still smooth and delicate even for longer steeping. There is just more astringency and dryness on the tongue in the aftertaste. I like it this way :-) It's a nice tea. For those who love classic red tea, I definitely recommend to taste it.



Sikkim Temi FTGFOP-1 Second Flush 2013

Sikkim Temi FTGFOP-1 Second Flush 2013
4.5 stars 2 reviews

Excellent tea from a single garden in Sikkim, spread around the village of Temi, in the beautiful landscape of the legendary kingdom. The lot number SK-2 was prepared the traditional way of Temi gardens, it consists mainly of tea plant cultivar T-78 and B-157, it contains a greater amount of tips and two leaves, which give us the embedding, bright, clear golden brew with a full color attractive aromas flowers, fruits and precious woods and full, heavier, balanced flavor with fruity notes and...

sypalino
15.08.2013 12:37:20

Sikkim Temi FTGFOP-1 Second Flush 2013

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Wet leaf smells amazingly, infusion taste florally and fruity, really good tea.

gaiwan 120 ml/about 4g 30s/15s/30/60



Lao Banzhang 2004 Bamboo Tube

Lao Banzhang 2004 Bamboo Tube
5.0 stars 1 review

Lao Banzhang 2004 is a pu-erh pressed into bamboo tubes. Mighty and rich tea soup reminds us its great power and true origin. It's making is not masterly but back in 2004, when LBZ was not that which is today, they did no care much about good tea processing. In spite of this one could taste and have a feeling how LBZ could develop in almost 10 years of storing. Stored in Taiwan.

Eternal Spring
09.08.2013 16:22:35
Eternal Spring

Lao Ban Zhang from the Bamboo Tube

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Tea was tightly pressed into bamboo, so it is very compact. I am steeping the first infusion for 20s after rinsing. Wet leaves smell distinctly like overripe fruit. Although it is a 9-year-old tea, the scent is pleasantly fresh. The first brew is slightly sweet with a soft astringency on the tongue. Hui Gan. I can feel start of cha qi. The second infusion, full ripe flavor, very fruity, slight bitterness in the aftertaste. Third infusion - very full bodied taste, complex flavor, bitterness is fading away, very strong Hui Gan. Fourth infusion - there are menthol tones in the smell of wet leaves and also in the infusion. You can sense the cooling effect in the mouth. Bitterness in the aftertaste is gone now, remains a pleasant astringency and sense of dryness on the tongue. The fifth infusion - the taste is still very rich, complex, full-bodied. The sixth infusion - I forget my tea when writing e-mails and steeped for about 2 minutes :-( very full of flavor, bitterness is back, strong taste of menthol …but liquor is still drinkable :-) ... 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th infusion – still giving tasty brews. It was very nice tea time, a great experience. I am pleased beyond measure and I am giving 5 stars.

7g, water 95°C, rinse 10s – 20s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, 2min, 45s, 1min, 2min, 3min, 4min, 5min



2011 CNNP Sheng Huo Fu Zhuan

2011 CNNP Sheng Huo Fu Zhuan
4.0 stars 1 review

This Fu brick tea is made of 2rd grade mao cha by machine. It has been aging for 3 years to reproduce "golden flowers" in the tea. This is very prized and interesting tea. People have called it the golden flowers "Jin Hua". The Eurotium Cristatum is the dominant germ in the Fuzhuan, contributing to the special quality of the tea. Smooth and sweet with floral and dry fruits aroma in mouth with long and great aftertaste, "Jin Hua" arohid flavour - a true gift for tea lovers! Good for...

petroff
08.08.2013 15:54:10

Tea with noble fungus

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

I approached this tea with slight apprehension because of fungus, which is intentionally added to tea. Tea produced in 2008 is then three years stored to allow noble fungus spore of Eurotium Cristatus perfectly spread in tea. However, concerns were misplaced and it turned out to be a pleasant tea time. Tea contains a large proportion of leafstalks. The brew smells pleasantly earthy. There is no trace of musty or fustiness in the taste. The taste is cultivated, smooth, very gently earthy with woody flavour of nuts. It leaves a pleasant long-lasting sweetness in the mouth. It is a pleasant tea that opened the world of dark teas Hei Cha to me. Their prices are not so escalated as Puerhs are. 700g for $6,90 is very pleasant.

5g per 150ml - 99°C – 60s, 4 - 5 infusions



2009 Xinhua Qu Jiang Bao Pian 60g (10 slices)

2009 Xinhua Qu Jiang Bao Pian 60g (10 slices)
4.0 stars 1 review

Qu Jiang that rises in Gutai moutain Xinhua County Hunan Province and flows eastward through Fengjia, Tianmen, Changfeng, etc. Fengjia, most of the residents of this place are named Feng, is famous for producing good tea in history. Qu Jiang Bao Pian is one of the famous tea in Tang dynasty, the production of recorded time until the song dynasty, has more than 500 years tribute tea history. The researcher looked through the ancient books and records, visited folk, finally reinvent...

petroff
08.08.2013 15:00:26

Tea in the shape of Chinese coin

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

The coin have a diameter of 3cm and a height of about 4mm. Coins are firmly pressed. The whole tea coin will expand during the first steeping and starts slowly releasing red color. Wet leaves smell fruity, I'd say prunes and it is pleasantly sweet. Liquor is nicely colored brown-red after the first minute of brewing, the flavor is very subtle and it leaves pleasant metallic aftertaste in the mouth. Other infusions are noticeably darker. The flavor is stronger, sweet with long-lasting metallic aftertaste on the tongue. There is no trace of earthiness or fermentation. Smooth, pleasant taste. "Qu Jiang Bao Pian looks like a coin, has iron color..." I would personally add to this quote that it also taste after iron :-)

100°C, 1/2 coin per 150ml gaiwan - 60s/30/60/90/120



2013 Yunnan Simao Huoqing Green Tea

2013 Yunnan Simao Huoqing Green Tea
4.0 stars 1 review

Spring comes to Yunnan earlier this year. And also spring teas from regular spring harvest are picked a bit early.This good quality green tea comes from Simao area and was picked in late February. Picked one bud and two leaves. Commercial name for this tea is Bi luo chun in Kunming market, but we feel this tea doesn't look like original Biluochun, and the taste is not similar either. We call this tea Huoqing, because the look of jade green leaves is very similar to Yongxi Huoqing (涌溪火青,...

Eternal Spring
08.08.2013 13:47:47
Eternal Spring

Excellent tea for everyday drinking

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 1 reader

Leaves are rolled into small irregular cocoons. I like this tea and I am buying it every year. It is very good for everyday drinking. The taste is bold, spicy and full bodied. Tea is very stimulating, suitable for mental work. I recommend using cooler water to allow tea develop it’s unique taste. I also prepare this tea with cold water during a summer hot weather. Purchased for $7/100g.

Hot water preparation: 7g, 170ml gaiwan - water 60 to 70 °C - 20s /15/20/30/40/50
Cold water preparation: 10g per 1.5 liters of cold water - I start drinking the tea after about 25mins, I leave leaves all the time in a jar. The tea is still drinkable and it is not bitter after about 1 hour of steeping. The second infusion - again 1.5 liters of cold water - you can drink after about 20 minutes. The second infusion is weaker.



2003 CNNP "Yi Wu Old Tree Round Cake" Raw Aged Pu-erh tea cake

2003 CNNP
4.0 stars 1 review

Probably a small tea factory in Yi Wu area pressed this cake under the "zhong cha" label in 2003. Entirely spring 2013 Yi Wu mountain material. Stored in Jing Hong until 2012 when it was purchased by Yunnan Sourcing and brought to Kunming. Nice balanced traditional (wetter) storage. Nicely aged but without any moldy or off smells. Camphor and delicate aromas when brewed. Sweet thick tea soup. An enjoyable tropical stored tea!

sypalino
08.08.2013 11:10:55

2003 CNNP Yi Wu Old Tree Round Cake

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

According to the seller it is a wet stored tea and really, when you open the bag with the sample you can smell strong earthiness fading away. Leaves smell intensely sweetly and earthy after rinsing. The brew is dark brown (like wild honey), pleasant sweet taste, you can feel slight maturity (camphor), earthiness is surprisingly very lightly in the background. Infusions are quite full, the tastiest were 3rd and 4th one, but even then the taste is very good and full bodied. You can feel a cooling effect in the mouth, generally the tea had an easing effect on me. It is an interesting tea that is certainly worth at least trying.

yixung 100 ml, 10s rinse - 15/10/20/30/35/40/50/60/90



2009 Menghai "Spring of Menghai" Raw Pu-erh tea 357 grams

2009 Menghai
4.5 stars 1 review

This is a newer Menghai release, first released in 2005 and then again in 2006, 2007, and 2008. This recipe is comprised entirely of Menghai county early spring raw material from 2007-2009 mao cha. It's special characteristics are bitter, pungent, aromatic and thick and full in the mouth. The tea quickly causes salivating in the mouth and cha qi is warming. Tightly rolled leaves lock in the pungent aroma! Producer: Menghai Tea Factory Vintage: 2009 / Batch...

Eternal Spring
08.08.2013 10:37:49
Eternal Spring

Three springs from Menghai - 2009

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The cake smells nice; aroma is maintained by its very tight pressing. Cake’s margins are thinner and it is not easy to peel off the first bit of tea. It crumbles away a lot. The first infusion - 9 g per 170 ml, rinse 10s, colder water 90°C - 15 sec. Wet leaves smell sweet and after honey. The tea has a pleasant taste, no bitterness, fruity sweet infusion. The second infusion - water again 90°C - 7s. Intense fruity flavor. There is a pleasant astringency in the aftertaste, hui gan. The third infusion - 10s – there is a small bitterness. 10s were possibly too long. Hui gan is very intense. Here comes tea’s energy. It is pleasantly stimulating tea. The tea is naturally bitter. It is necessary to use cooler water and shorter times. I can compare with the same product from 2012. By my opinion it is a good product line. 2009 is slightly more matured, mellow than 2012. 2009 is already sold out in YS. In regards to the note - " The tea quickly causes salivating in the mouth" – it seems to me that I just smell the wet leaves and I start salivating :-) But I rather consider this as Pavlov's dog effect of tea lover :-D

9g, 170ml, water 90°C – rinse 10s – 15s/5/7/10/15/20/…



2006 Haiwan Certified Organic Pasha Mountain

2006 Haiwan Certified Organic Pasha Mountain
4.5 stars 1 review

Tall and straight forest - Meng Pasha Pasha in the Aini language means tall and straight forest. According to local people, Pusha was settled more than 300 years ago by people from the Jinghong and Damenglong area of Xishuangbanna. At that time this area had no villages or cultivated land within 10 kilometers and was dominated by vast mountains filledwith giant ancient tea trees. The Aini people, through foresight and diligent work,created their home on this land, relying on tea to earn a...

sypalino
08.08.2013 09:38:39

Favorite

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 1 reader

I'm very fond of this tea from Pasha mountains. I tasted this tea more than two years ago for the first time when I started to drink puerh teas and it was great experience. I returned to this tea again last year. I bought sample and immediately after I ordered two cakes. The cake is tightly pressed, dry leaves smell fruity and slightly after tobacco. After rinsing the tea starts to smell beautifully after herbs with fruity fragrance. The infusion is also fruity - herbal, pleasantly bitter at first, bitterness fades out with more infusions but the fruity taste prevails. You can prepare 9-10 very good infusions. This tea is very sensitive to a water quality. To enjoy the best tea I am using water heated on the stove Chaozhou. When I use water heated in cattle on the induction stove the taste is flatter and fruity - herbal components are suppressed in the taste. The quality of water and the way it is heated really matters for this tea.

4.5g / 85 ml yixing, 10s rinse /15,10,15,20,25,30,35,45,60



2006 Haiwan Organic Pasha Tea Brick 500g

2006 Haiwan Organic Pasha Tea Brick 500g
3.5 stars 1 review

This brick was stored in Kunming since 2006, it was made by using the best raw materials Haiwan Tea Factory could find. A few factors make this tea brick very expensive. 1. it's rare as it's hard to get it nowadays at the marketplace; 2. it's a certified 'Organic'; 3. its raw materials were harvested from ancient tea trees; 4. it's big 500g heavy, the equivalent of two standard 250g bricks, 5. it's a collector's item. Once you considered all of these factors, you may understand why...

sypalino
07.08.2013 22:29:11

Organic Pasha Brick

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 1 reader

This tea in the form of 400g cake is my big favorite, so when I found out that it is available on puerhshop.com as 500g bricks, I could not resist and bought one piece. Brick is very tightly pressed. The tea smells after tobacco when unwrapped. After rinsing the tea produces intense tobacco - herbal smell, but the tobacco component is dominant. The infusion’s color is pale yellow to greenish, much lighter than the version in the cake. The taste is again dominated by tobacco. Herbs and fruitiness are suppressed in the background. Tobacco is actually present in the infusion throughout the whole tea-time. You can prepare 9 to 10 infusions. I was slightly disappointed after the first tasting of this brick. I think that due to the tight pressing and also due to the dry storage in Kunming the process of aging was not as good as in case of cake. Well, I will see how the brick develop in the future. So fare I definitely prefer this tea in the form of cake.

4.5 g / 85ml yixing, rinse - 15s/20/10/15/20/25/30/35/45/60



2011 Bulangshan Banpen Village Raw Puerh Cake 357g

2011 Bulangshan Banpen Village Raw Puerh Cake 357g
4.5 stars 1 review

This raw puerh cake is made of Wan Bang Tea House from Kunming. This product without neifei and printed wrapper is offer to other tea bussines partners who would prefer to their own wrapper. It uses early spring large leaves material with good portion wild arbor tea leaves. Banpen village is well know because it's near Banzhang. Brewed tea have light yellow color with strong and great floral aroma filled the space soon ! Nice...

petroff
07.08.2013 17:44:29

Bulang from Banpen village

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Banpen village is located in the Bulang mountains (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan) about 15km north from famous Lao Ban Zhang. Tea has large leaves. Wet leaves are giving very intense sweet smell. They have very aromatic fragrance, slightly floral. Tea has a balanced taste with a very little and pleasant astringency. It has a full flavor with a long sweet finish. It is very good tea, I was pleased and ordered the whole cake for $15.50

Water 90°C - rinse 10s – 15s/10/15/20/30/40/50



2006 Langhe TF Meng Hai Chitse Beeng Cha "8549" Raw 357g

2006 Langhe TF Meng Hai Chitse Beeng Cha
3.0 stars 1 review

This is one of classic recipe from Langhe tea factory which is similar with 8542 from Dayi. This tea is composed from blend of 2005 and 2006 spring harvest from Menghai area. This is first batch in 2006 (601) and is far way better than later batches. Clean orange tea soup with nice herbal and flower aroma, strong, pungent and rich in mouth with fast huigan. Some bitterness and powerful feeling give to this cake good potential for long term storage!

Eternal Spring
07.08.2013 17:19:22
Eternal Spring

"8549" Menghai Langhe TF 2006

5 stars 3.0 This review helped 0 readers

The first three infusions were quite rough - sourness, astringency, sweet metallic after taste. I did not like first, but other infusions have settled down, sourness disappeared, remained less astringency, mild bitterness, full flavour. Interesting cooling effect in the mouth. Finally, it is not a bad tea. It probably needs shorter steeping times, colder water or less tea. Price is $25. They say it is suitable for long-term storage. For me, it's little bit above average, I give 3 stars.

Rinse 10s – 15/5/7/10/15/20/25/30



Lao Banzhang 2013

Lao Banzhang 2013
5.0 stars 1 review

Lao Banzhang is the pu-erh that you will pay the most money for and the pu-erh that you find most likely a fake. Is it that good, is it worth it, try it and you make your own opinion. A few people that tried this one said it's the best pu they had. Now 7 gram samples for trying it - €9

Eternal Spring
25.06.2013 18:17:34
Eternal Spring

Lao Banzhang 2013

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

Intense aroma of wet leaves. Surprisingly yellow infusion. The taste is mellow, bolt, sweet after honey with a slight bitterness in the end. The tea has a very long and sweet finish. Hui Gan is very fast and intense. You can feel slight touch of the tea energy even after the first cup. The second cup hits you with full force of cha chi. It is very simulative tea. You can prepare many infusions. I give the highest rating, despite a high price of the sample - 7 grams for €9. It was very nice experience.

Water 95°C - rinse - 20s/5/10/15/20/25/30…



2007 Zhen Si Long "Autumn Harvest Yi Wu" Raw Pu-erh tea cake

2007 Zhen Si Long
4.5 stars 1 review

Fall 2007 Harvest * Yi Wu Wild Tea trees * 357 grams Zhen Si Long Tea company of Yi Wu is a small family run tea factory based in the Yi Wu mountain area of Xishuangbanna. Zhen Si Long has been producing teas since the late 90's and does many private pressings (like this year's Hai Lang Hao) as well as their own productions. This tea cake is produced entirely from Fall Harvest 2007 tea from Gao Shan Zhai and Luo Shui Dong area of Yi Wu. The leaves being fall harvest are...

Eternal Spring
19.06.2013 15:37:59
Eternal Spring

Fall 2007 Yi Wu Wild Tea trees

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tropical heat is raging outside, so I decided to ease my computer job with this Yi Wu tea, and I think it was pretty successful. Leaves smell pleasantly fruity. Full flavor, nice sweet taste. It leaves a long, gentle minty, slightly cooling aftertaste. It is the autumn harvest, tea is now nearly 6 years old and the price is $45 for 357g cake - I think it is OK and appropriate. I really enjoyed it.

150ml gaiwan, 6g, wash 10s – 15s/10/15/20/25/35/45/60/90/120



Yiwu 1999 maocha

Yiwu 1999 maocha
3.0 stars 1 review

Yiwu 1999 maocha is a well stored tea in Taiwan. Loose leaves, maocha, is not stored that much so that if there is some it becomes a rare tea. A worth of trying. Now 7 gram samples for trying it - 1g - €3,20

petroff
06.06.2013 18:10:40

Yiwu 1999 maocha

5 stars 3.0 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves are beautifully long. Wet leaves produced dark earthy smell at first, but it quickly turns into fruity, honey sweetness. Very nice scent. The taste is more earthy mellow, nicely matured. At the end it reminds of nut taste and leaves a very intense sweet aftertaste. Regarding energy, unfortunately there was no energy for me.



2005 Changda Hao Yiwu Mansa Gu Shu Cha Raw Puerh Cake 400g

2005 Changda Hao Yiwu Mansa Gu Shu Cha Raw Puerh Cake 400g
4.0 stars 1 review

Changda Hao is one of famous and established earlier tea factory in Yiwu town. Changda Hao - also called Manluo Tea Factory adhere to the traditional process since its foundation in 1999. Each batch of manufactured according to traditional way - pure sun-dried materials, manual stone press, bamboo packaging, bamboo split strapping, classic design. Changda Hao produced two set of Six famous tea mountain raw puerh cake in 2005, and this is one cake from one set. Mansa is higher...

petroff
06.06.2013 17:57:03

2005 Changda Hao Yiwu Mansa Gu Shu Cha Raw Puerh Cake

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are large. Wet leaves smell fruity. The taste is pleasantly mellow, sweet after honey, balanced. It leaves a sweet aftertaste with a pleasant astringency, probably caused by Gush component. Price is $44



Big Green Tree Yiwu 2004

Big Green Tree Yiwu 2004
4.0 stars 1 review

Big Green Tree Yiwu (special grade) year 2004 is a very nice aged pu-erh still for a reasonable price. The tea was stored in Taiwan, lately in Guangzhou province in China. I recomend to try it, the whole bing cha's will be in stock later. Now 7 gram samples for trying it - €1.00

petroff
05.06.2013 15:57:17

9 years old YiWu

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are smaller and broken. I do not know if this is just in case of sample. Wet leaves smell very nice - it's full, rich, fruity fragrance. The taste is mellow, rich, balanced, fruity and sweet. The infusion leaves a sweet aftertaste in the mouth, huigan is fast. Tea is pleasantly stimulating. It creates light cooling effect in the mouth. You're drinking hot tea, and yet you feel "draft" in the mouth :-) Good tea, we'll see how much it will cost a whole cake.

Water 100 °C - wash 10s - 20s / 10s/15/20/30/40/50 ...



2013 Early Spring "Yunnan Bao Hong" Green tea

2013 Early Spring
4.5 stars 1 review

"Bao Hong" tea is from Yi Liang county of Yunnan. It's leaf is quite small and it carries a high level of aroma. The leaves are always picked when very small and fresh during a two hour window of time in the early morning of early March. The aroma is intense and fresh. It was first grown in the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) at the same time a Buddhist Monastery was built on Bao Hong Mountain. The original tea plant was brought by a visiting monk from Fujian. This tea has been growing on...

Eternal Spring
27.05.2013 16:22:44
Eternal Spring

Taste of grass and alpine conifers essential oils

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Leaves are flat and contain hairy buds. Steamed dry leaves smells fruity and sweet.
Infusion’s color is bright yellow-green. The taste is really special. Immediately you will enjoy the taste of grass and essential oils of alpine conifers. It has a very specific aroma. The aroma reminds of conifers such as cypress, thuja and it is very intense, rich, spicy, grassy and slightly sweet. I would not compare this tea with Dragon Well. I see a similarity only in leaves processing. The tea has truly a unique flavor.


I recommend cooler water and longer times. 65 °C - 60s/30/40/60/90/120



2013 "Light Roast" Wild Tree Purple Varietal Black Tea of Dehong

2013
4.0 stars 1 review

This is a lightly processed black tea that was hand-crafted using a wild tree purple leaf varietal from Dehong prefecture. Ye Sheng "野生“ varietal aka "Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. assamica (J. Masters) Kitam." is a primeval varietal that pre-dates Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica and is a naturally occuring non hybridized varietal. It's potency in cha qi arises from it's unadulterated nature. It is naturally bug repellent, grows wild in the forests of Yunnan at an altitude of 1600-2200...

Eternal Spring
24.05.2013 13:03:15
Eternal Spring

Interesting red tea

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves are dark brown to black from 2 to 4cm, nicely rolled. Dry leaves smell smoky and slightly resemble WuYi Oolongs. Steamed dry leaves smells fruity jelly - like Darjeeling, but with a light smoky aroma. The taste is very gently smoked, which then develops further in the mouth. The brew is spicy, slightly sweet. The empty cup smells after honey. You need to tune a little your preparation. The tea can be easily over steeped and then contains more tannins and astringency. It is pleasantly refreshing. I like to drink it in the morning because it evokes a pleasant lightness. We'll see in a few months how the taste develops.

Too short time produces weaker infusion, but too long produced more bitterness and astringency. 5g, gaiwan 140ml - 100 ° C - 40s/30/40/60/70/90



2002 Yi Wu "Ancient Spirit" Raw Pu-erh Tea cake

2002 Yi Wu
4.8 stars 2 reviews

Made entirely from spring 2002 material, this Banna wetter stored tea cake sports a smooth aged taste with a floral / camphor aroma. The tea was stone pressed by traditional method and stored in hot and humid Jing Hong until 2011 when it was brought to Kunming. Nice wetter stored tea with aged feel and taste!380 grams per cake

sypalino
23.05.2013 14:03:42

Ancient Spirit

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Very good, already quite matured tea. You can taste wet storage, but only during the first infusion. The infusion is beautifully full, fruity aroma is intense, mixing with mellow - earthiness. The tea is really very nice. I bought the whole cake after sample. It is definitely worth trying.



2012 Menghai "Spring of Menghai" Raw Pu-erh tea

2012 Menghai
4.0 stars 1 review

Premium blend of first flush of spring tea * Batch 201This is a newer Menghai release, first released in 2005 and then again in 2006, 2007, and 2008. This recipe is comprised entirely of Menghai county early spring raw material from 2009-2011 mao cha. It's special characteristics are bitter, pungent, aromatic and thick and full in the mouth. The tea quickly causes salivating in the mouth and cha qi is warming. Tightly rolled leaves lock in the pungent aroma!...

Eternal Spring
22.05.2013 14:34:32
Eternal Spring

Three springs from Menghai

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

This tea is the blend of first flushes of springs 2009, 2010 and 2011 from Menghai, pressed into cakes in 2012. The cake smells very fresh. It is firmly pressed and is relatively thin. Leaves are rather small. It's not easy to break off a whole piece, it crumble away a lot. Wet leaves smells very nicely sweet. The infusion has a subtle spicy aroma. The flavor is really full, aromatic and sweet with a subtle smokiness. The taste is nicely balanced. Very simulative tea. Price seems to me fine - $ 14. It is a good tea for everyday drinking. It will be interesting to compare to the same tea from 2009 ($ 34), what is the bland of 2006-2008 years.

I must say that it took me a while to master the preparation. Tea is very fast. Best if you manage to break off the whole piece of tea and add a little bit of loose leaves. It is enough to use just a smaller amount of tea. I give about 4 grams per 170 ml gaiwan. Longer steeping will easily produce very bitter infusion. 4 g per 170 ml - 100 ° C - wash - 15s/5/10/15/20/25/30/35/40/45/60



2013 Darjeeling Thurbo Moonlight First Flush

2013 Darjeeling Thurbo Moonlight First Flush
4.5 stars 2 reviews

The legend among tea cultivators Mr. J. D. Rai, the main teamaker of famous Thurbo gardens produced limited quantity of tea made from leaves harvested exclusively from the tea plant cultivar Pb 312. This delicious tea is composed purely of silver tips and the top two leaves. The infusion is clear, golden with dominant fruity tones that are typical for the cultivar Pb312. Really wonderful tea! (FTGFOP-1), lot no. Dj-16/13

sypalino
20.05.2013 16:26:49

Very interesting FF DJ

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Very interesting FF DJ. Wet leaf smells really nice. I boiled the water on chaozhou stove. It beautifully highlighted fresh, floral flavor of the tea. Really excellent tea, probably the best FF I've yet tasted.

5g/120 ml, gaiwan, 30/60/90/120s



2013 Darjeeling Thurbo Moonlight First Flush

2013 Darjeeling Thurbo Moonlight First Flush
4.5 stars 2 reviews

The legend among tea cultivators Mr. J. D. Rai, the main teamaker of famous Thurbo gardens produced limited quantity of tea made from leaves harvested exclusively from the tea plant cultivar Pb 312. This delicious tea is composed purely of silver tips and the top two leaves. The infusion is clear, golden with dominant fruity tones that are typical for the cultivar Pb312. Really wonderful tea! (FTGFOP-1), lot no. Dj-16/13

Eternal Spring
20.05.2013 15:07:19
Eternal Spring

Beautiful Darjeeling

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The tea consists of brown leaves, silver tips and partly green leaves. Wet leaves smell fruity with a delicate aroma of marmalade. The infusion is light, yellow-brown. The taste is fresh and fruity with a slight hint of citrus. This is really beautiful FF DJ, worth of testing if you can get it. 50 grams per $14.

Gaiwan 170 ml, 4 g, 90 ° C - 60/70/80/90/100 depends on a taste. Even longer steeping is producing nice infusion w/o bitterness.



2003 Xiaguan Jiaji Tuocha in box

2003 Xiaguan Jiaji Tuocha in box
4.5 stars 1 review

Classic Xiaguan green box JiaJi tuocha is replenished! Xiaguan TF has been producing Jiaji Tuocha since 1951. Earlier used "CNNP"brand, was replaced by "pine crane" trademark in 1991. Paper box Tuocha is superior to paper bag Tuocha in quality. Old green paper box Tuocha has become the most popular product and much sought after. 2003 was a generally good year, full flavor and well-chosen maocha. After 8 years of a good storage, this tea can be very enjoyable to drink now, also can...

sypalino
20.05.2013 14:35:05

2003 Xiaguan Jiaji Tuocha in box

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

I bought this Tuochu in the spring 2011for $15. The first tasting end up badly. The tea was good, well matured, there was a smell of fruits, but also a lot of bitterness. So I let it be for a year and returned back to it this spring. I do not know if tea has ripened or my tea skills has improved, but this time the tea was really excellent. Beautifully fruity, ripe with minimal bitterness. At least it confirms that tea in my home stock do not suffer, which makes me really happy. I plan to buy at least one more piece for comparison, to see how the tea ripened in China.



2007 Jingmai Qiao Mu “0502”

2007 Jingmai Qiao Mu “0502”
3.5 stars 1 review

Use Jingmai mountain arbor (Qiao Mu) tea which picked before Grain Rain (mid-April) as raw material, this traditional stone pressed cake is one of the most attractive raw puerh in our store. When make the tea, the house can be filled with fruity fragrance. It is a very enjoyable experience. Bright yellow infusions, with honey sweet taste and light apricot aroma, rich and balanced. After 4 years dry storing in Kunming, 0502 is very good for drink now. And this tea will be continued to improve...

sypalino
19.05.2013 22:43:15

2007 Jingmai Qiao Mu “0502”

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 0 readers

I bought two cakes about two years ago. I did not manage to prepare it for my full satisfaction, tea was quite good, but there was quite bitterness. I put it away, and from time to time I am trying to sample it again. Now, after about two years, there is the new smoky component, quite pleasant, but it's on the edge ;-)

My preparation was: 7g/130 ml Yixing teapot, water 95 and about 20/10/15/25/30/40/50/60/75. Maybe it could help to prepare it with colder water. I will give it a try and let you know.



Kabusé Okuyutaka 2012

Kabusé Okuyutaka 2012
4.2 stars 2 reviews

Packing: vacuum, 50 grams, packaged in Japan Tea is an original packaged in Japan and stored at low temperatures in Slovakia, which guarantees exceptional freshness. The smell of hot tea leaves: strong, penetrating, the smell of freshly baked bread Color: greenish, clear Taste: sweetish, with a very thin bitter edge with a distinctive aftertaste

sypalino
19.05.2013 21:49:42

Kabusé Okuyutaka 2012

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

The leaves are nice, dark green, sometimes even brighter with pleasant scent. The first infusion is clear; color is pale green, grassy flavor with a pleasant, slightly bitter and long lasting finish. Further infusions are more yellow and slightly cloudy. I managed to prepare three delicious infusions; the second one was the tastiest. Very good tea. I look forward to the next time :-)



2002 Yi Wu "Ancient Spirit" Raw Pu-erh Tea cake

2002 Yi Wu
4.8 stars 2 reviews

Made entirely from spring 2002 material, this Banna wetter stored tea cake sports a smooth aged taste with a floral / camphor aroma. The tea was stone pressed by traditional method and stored in hot and humid Jing Hong until 2011 when it was brought to Kunming. Nice wetter stored tea with aged feel and taste!380 grams per cake

Eternal Spring
17.05.2013 15:18:45
Eternal Spring

Wet storage

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 1 reader

The smell is really full-bodied, earthy with a light fruity flavor. The taste is surprisingly balanced. Considering the wet storage, the taste is pleasantly balanced and uplifting. There is a nice connection of earth and heaven :-) Definitely worth trying. I am personally considering purchase of a whole cake. The price is not so high, taking in account age: sample 25g - $8, cake 380g - $53



2002 Fu Cha Ju Ailaoshan Ripe Puerh Cake

2002 Fu Cha Ju Ailaoshan Ripe Puerh Cake
4.2 stars 2 reviews

This high quality ripe cake is made of spring large-leaf varietal arbor tea from Ailao mountain. Ailao mountain is one of high mountain in Simao area. Old tea trees material ripe puerh tea is quite different from garden tea ripe puerh. The raw material is completely the same as sheng puerh products which Fu Cha Ju made in 2002. Medium fermentation and 10 years perfect clean storage, an lovely and very tasty ripe puerh tea we ever met. Clean brown-reddish tea soup, smooth and sweet, rich...

Eternal Spring
12.04.2013 18:03:31
Eternal Spring

Pleasant tea

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

I had the opportunity to taste a sample of 11-year-old ripe pu-erh and it was pleasant afternoon :) Wet leaves smell sweet after jam. The color is beautiful brown red. The taste is full with no signs of bitterness. Just a nice drink. $52 for 500g



2002 Fu Cha Ju Ailaoshan Ripe Puerh Cake

2002 Fu Cha Ju Ailaoshan Ripe Puerh Cake
4.2 stars 2 reviews

This high quality ripe cake is made of spring large-leaf varietal arbor tea from Ailao mountain. Ailao mountain is one of high mountain in Simao area. Old tea trees material ripe puerh tea is quite different from garden tea ripe puerh. The raw material is completely the same as sheng puerh products which Fu Cha Ju made in 2002. Medium fermentation and 10 years perfect clean storage, an lovely and very tasty ripe puerh tea we ever met. Clean brown-reddish tea soup, smooth and sweet, rich...

sypalino
11.04.2013 09:02:13

Excellent Shu

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Interesting point about this tea, what actually brought my attention to it, that it was made of leaves from old tea trees and that it was the same material the manufacturer also used for sheng puerh in 2002. By the way this sheng pu is excellent. Moreover, this shu is now 11-year-old.

Dry leaves look well with fair share of twigs. Tea can be easily broken. After flush, leaves release fruity (like marmalade) scent and just softly earthy aroma.
The infusion’s color is reddish brown, creamy, pleasant, cocoa fruit flavors, earthiness is not very significant.

The color and taste recalls a dark oolong, little bit. I am not a big shu puerh drinker, but I would say that this is really excellent and worth trying tea.

Gaiwans 120 ml / approx 6 grams of tea
rinse 10s and about 30/10/30/45/60/120s



2012 Chawangpu Jingmai Gu Shu Xiao Bing Cha 200g

2012 Chawangpu Jingmai Gu Shu Xiao Bing Cha 200g
5.0 stars 1 review

This tea is from Jingmai Da Zhai, grown on the Da Ping Zhang area, and is considered some of the finest Jingmai tea available. Another famous tea village is Mangjing. The Mangjing tea taste more simple and bitter, therefore be sold at a lower price. Jingmai mountain is famous for middle/little leaf tea (中小叶种茶) which is popular for its sweet taste and floral aroma. Jingmai Da Zhai is one of the most famous village and has the biggest ancient tea tree garden in Jingmai mountain,...

Eternal Spring
09.04.2013 16:43:50
Eternal Spring

Great Jingmai wild tea

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

The smell is strong, sweet. The first two infusions have small bitterness of wild tea trees. It leaves a very pleasant sweetness in the mouth. Hui Gan is fast and intense. It is a very strong tea with a pleasant energy. I'm pretty fired into the sky, after two cups and there are still at least 12 infusions left. It is the tea for the whole day, but you need to start early ;-) Very good tea, unfortunately no longer available. Purchased for $ 30.

8g gaiwan 170ml, 100°C – wash 10s – 15s/5/10/15/20/25/30…up to 15 infusions



2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Long Mei

2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Long Mei
4.0 stars 2 reviews

Grade: AAA Cultivar: Yunnan Da Ye Harvest area: Zhenyuan, Simao, Yunnan Yunnan green tea produced from Yunnan Large leaves varietal tea trees, smaller leaves, high quality, greeny infusion pleasantly strong, harmonic, characteristically fresh aroma with floral and fruity tones.

sypalino
28.03.2013 14:03:21

My first 2013 green tea

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

This year's first green tea I've tasted. Leave is smaller, beautifully scented, very nice fresh floral taste, very simulative. I rather drink it in the morning.

You can prepare 4-5 very good infusions.



2012 Myanmar - Beyond The Small Mengsong Mountain Gushu Xiao Bing 200g

2012 Myanmar - Beyond The Small Mengsong Mountain Gushu Xiao Bing 200g
4.5 stars 1 review

The raw materials of this cake came from villages in Myanmar, its north border on small Mengsong mountain. Tea trees are about three hundreds years old and remain unmanaged. The natives living in isolated areas where transportation is difficult, they carry the tea on the backs and walk to the border. The tea is not expensive but does not come by easily.

Eternal Spring
27.03.2013 13:29:24
Eternal Spring

Pleasant surprise

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The first infusion was quite bitter, probably because it's Gushu (wild tea trees) and also this year's tea. It should lose its bitterness late on when the raw cake will be properly stored. Since the second infusion bitterness has subsided and later almost disappeared. It smelled sweet, very pleasant smell in the cup. I do not know how I would describe the taste, as herbal - flower, but I like it very much. For the price of $ 14, I'd say that this is an excellent tea, certainly adept for buying a cake - if not the entire Tong (5 pieces) ;-)

7g, 130ml, wash 10s – 15/5/10/15/25/30/40/50/60sec



2012 Mangfei "Da Ye Chun" Early Spring Raw Puerh Cake 400g

2012 Mangfei
4.5 stars 1 review

This high quality old tree tea cake come from a small shop in Yongde. Using early spring material from tea trees about 80-300 years old. Mangfei is one of Yongde high mountains. Using traditional processing techniques -“sha-qing”(kill-green) in wok and sundried and carefully pressed to this 400g cake. Smell of dry leaves is strong and great. Tea soup is yellow green, sparkish clean and fragrant. Full, thick, with fast huigan. Aftertaste is floral sweet. This tea have some fantastic cooling...

Eternal Spring
27.03.2013 13:16:44
Eternal Spring

Tea from the misty mountain

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

The cake is loosely pressed. The infusion has a slightly smoky taste. It leaves a sweet aftertaste in the mouth. Huigan is really fast. Interesting is the cooling effect, especially when you think of the mountain covered with mist. It is strongly stimulative tea. Very tasty. 400 g cake provides much material and $ 18.50 is also very favorable price. I highly recommend it.

Gaiwan 170ml, 7g of tea, wash 10s, 15s/5s/10s/15s/20s/25s/35s



2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Mao Feng

2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Mao Feng
3.5 stars 1 review

Grade: AA+ Cultivar: Yunnan Da Ye Harvest area: Si Mao, Yunnan Yunnan green tea produced from Yunnan Large leaves varietal tea trees, medium dize leaves, high quality, greeny infusion pleasantly strong, harmonic, characteristically fresh aroma with floral and fruity tones.

Eternal Spring
27.03.2013 13:09:41
Eternal Spring

Yunnan spring 2013 - take two - Mao Feng AA+

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 0 readers

Yunnan Mao Feng is the tea grade AA+. Leaves are little bit bigger, some of them not well rolled. You can notice browny leaves after steeping. I am using colder water about 70°C and longer first steeping for about 30sec. The infusion is clear and greenish. The aroma is fresh, floral and sweet. Compared with Long Mei of the same delivery, the price is little bit lower, but there is not much difference in taste. Only those brown leaves, thus giving him 0.5 stars less. Still, this is an excellent tea. This year's first harvest of Yunnan green teas is really good.

7g per 170ml gaiwan – 70°C –30s/35/40/50/60



2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Long Mei

2013 Early Spring Premium Yunnan Long Mei
4.0 stars 2 reviews

Grade: AAA Cultivar: Yunnan Da Ye Harvest area: Zhenyuan, Simao, Yunnan Yunnan green tea produced from Yunnan Large leaves varietal tea trees, smaller leaves, high quality, greeny infusion pleasantly strong, harmonic, characteristically fresh aroma with floral and fruity tones.

Eternal Spring
27.03.2013 13:08:39
Eternal Spring

Yunnan spring 2013 - take one - Long Mei AAA

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Yunnan Long Mei is the tea grade AAA. Leaves are smaller and nicely rolled. Dray leaves smell sweet. The infusion is greenish-yellow and clear. Pleasantly stimulating tea. Very nice spring tea. Comparing to Yunnan Mao Feng, from the same delivery what is little bit cheaper and grade AA+, I rather recommend Yunnan Long Mei. This year's first harvest of Yunnan green teas is really good.

7g per 170ml gaiwan – 70°C – 25s/30/35/40/50



Meng Ding Shi Hua 2013

Meng Ding Shi Hua 2013
5.0 stars 1 review

"Stone Flower" - Best green tea from our plantation on the mountain Meng Ding. Careful collection, only the top buds with one small leaf. Dense, herbal fragrance of dry leavs. After steeping the smell is softer and it is pleasantly sweet, herbal to floral. The taste is full, round with a long, spicy aftertaste. Term Ming Qian Cha - 明前 茶 states with teas of the most valuable early harvest of the first leaves of the highest quality. It literally means tea picked before the spring...

Eternal Spring
22.03.2013 14:09:05
Eternal Spring

Spring is finally here!

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

I visited TeaNet teahouse in the Jerusalem street in Prague. It was freezing outside. With the expectation of spring I smelled the first teas of 2013 and I was caught. Tea called Stone Flower smelled so good that I had no choice but to buy it despite the quite considerable price. The smell is strong, fresh, aromatic – a great experience. Tea is only 1 month old and tea was stored in the refrigerator, so it helps to maintain its aroma. Buds are beautifully brought to life by hot water. It is one bud and one leaf size of 1 cm. Beautiful. The infusion is clear, light green colored. Taste is very delicate, sweet, and floral. Simply …spring on the tongue. And outside is still snowing and snowing ... :-)

70°C – 20s/25/30/45. It is better to use colder water and longer time for steeping.



2011 Mengmao Lao Shu Ye Sheng Xiao Bing 100g

2011 Mengmao Lao Shu Ye Sheng Xiao Bing 100g
5.0 stars 1 review

2011 Spring harvest. This material come from Baoshan area, 2600 meters high mountain closed with Mengmao village. There is home for wild arbor big tea trees in ecological environment. This tea is 100% organic - more than 90% vegetation cover, it's a beautiful place free from pollution. Residence is known for undiscovered "paradise", "tea tree ancestor". This kind of wild tea has special purple color leaves. This tea is called three color tea. Fresh leaves are purple, dried tea is...

Eternal Spring
20.03.2013 15:42:44
Eternal Spring

Great pu-erh from purple colored wild tea tree leaves

5 stars 5.0 This review helped 0 readers

I am writing this review with my last piece of cake left since the purchase of this tea one year ago. I must say that the taste was changing enormously over the time – it was better and better :-). In the beginning the taste and smell was pleasantly smoky. After about half year start to dominate a strong fruity aroma with a subtle smoky flavor.
The infusion is light green, clear. The taste is full, balanced, with a delicate flavor and a pleasant, slightly smoky, finish. No bitterness. Hui gan is fast. Very stimulative tea, evokes pleasant atmosphere.
Now I really regret that the cake is only 100 grams and I can no longer follow the development of this great tea. Purchased for $ 5.50 in 2012. Unfortunately it is not available for purchase anymore.


7g, gaiwan 170ml, water 100°C, first wash 10s. Very firmly pressed cake. First steeping was longer - about 30s - 10/20/30/40/60/90/120/180



2012 Autumn Fujian Anxi Benshan 100g

2012 Autumn Fujian Anxi Benshan 100g
3.8 stars 2 reviews

One of famous oolong teas from Anxi is Benshan. This is a light roasted with low oxidation (only 10-15%) high mountain (Gaoshan Benshan) oolong, carefully processed in early October. This tea comes from Xiping village(西坪). Emerald green rolled leaves have slightly orange fragrance. Full-bodied and complex with oily texture and floral sweet aftertaste. Benshan = Source Mountain Cultivar : Ben Shan(本山)

Eternal Spring
19.03.2013 13:47:21
Eternal Spring

Greener oolong for a good price

5 stars 3.5 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves are yellow-green. Strong and aromatic odor. The infusion is luminously yellow-green. The taste is strong, grassy with floral aftertaste.

Water 90 degrees. I start to infuse about 1 minute. The second infusion is about 30 seconds faster. Then you can prolong infusions as per taste.



Dooteriah SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2012

Dooteriah SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel  2nd Flush 2012
3.0 stars 1 review

rich, slightly 'barrique' taste of oak barrels as in wine, balanced bitterness, smooth and strong finish, for the shorter steeping it gives many rich infusions, after second brew the aftertaste is pleasantly ‘smacking’, sorry for the term, but it rarely happens to me, that after black teas has a tut for a while and enjoy its aftertaste

Eternal Spring
18.03.2013 16:17:12
Eternal Spring

Dooteriah or Sourenee?

5 stars 3.0 This review helped 0 readers

Wet leaves smell distinctly fruity. Aroma reminiscent an apricot jam. The infusion is lighter in color. It leaves a nice dry bitterness in the mouth. I prefer shorter and more frequent steeping. The third infusion is getting more emptier, plain. I bought both Dooteriah as well as Sourenee Darjeeling. I must say I like more Soureneed, has a pronounced spicier taste in more infusions.

100°C, 20s/10s/20s/30s



2011 Yunnan Mao Feng (early March)

2011 Yunnan Mao Feng (early March)
2.0 stars 1 review

The Yunnan Mao Feng is one of most popular green teas from Simao

Eternal Spring
18.03.2013 16:05:35
Eternal Spring

Disappointment

5 stars 2.0 This review helped 0 readers

Tea unfortunately does not look much after the photo. Bland taste. Tea was purchased about three quarters of the year after harvest. Green teas are best fresh otherwise it greatly depends on storage method. Something was wrong here.



2012 Autumn Te Ji Grade Lianghe Hui Long Green Tea 100g

2012 Autumn Te Ji Grade Lianghe Hui Long Green Tea 100g
4.0 stars 1 review

High grade famous high mountain green tea from Huilong Zhai, Dachang village, Lianghe county, Dehong prefecture. Huilong village, land area 1.28 square kilometers, elevation 1650 meters, average annual temperature 14.9 ℃, annual precipitation 1491.6 mm. Strong spicy fragrance of dry leaves. Pick one bud/two leaves. This tea is very good for experimenting with little cooler water ! Low temperature make this tea milky cloudy, full in mouth and very stimulation...

Eternal Spring
18.03.2013 16:00:09
Eternal Spring

Great tea for regular drinking

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves smell strongly, sweet. I am using cooler water. The first infusion is then a delicious spicy flavored, really nice. Other infusions are tasty, full. Autumn 2012 harvest, I think, is a bit better than the spring one. Probably depends on the weather. I bought 250 grams for $ 14. Great tea for regular drinking also at work. The tea is greatly stimulative.

70°C – 60s/40s/80s/120s



2012 Mangzhi Huang Shan Cha Xiao Bing 200g

2012 Mangzhi Huang Shan Cha Xiao Bing 200g
4.0 stars 1 review

This tea came from Mangzhi mountain which is located in the west of Xiangming village Mengla county, and next to the Gedeng mountain. Mangzhi tea mountain once had a very glorious history, but suffered a setback in the local wars during the end of the Qing Dynasty. Early spring harvest from wild arbor tea trees. Traditional “sha-qing” (kill-green) processing in wok and sun-dried. Select maocha was pressed by stone to this small pretty cake. A pleasing depth of...

Eternal Spring
18.03.2013 14:38:39
Eternal Spring

Wild tea trees from Mangzhi

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Firmly pressed cake in sizes Xiao Bing 200g. The taste is full, spicy, with a slight bitterness of wild tea trees. Hui Gan is very fast. Leaving pleasant, sweet aftertaste. Very stimulative tea. Very good choice. Purchased for $12,50.

Gaiwan 170ml, 7g, water 100°C – first wash 5s - 15/5/10/15/20/25/30/40/60/120



Kabusé Okuyutaka 2012

Kabusé Okuyutaka 2012
4.2 stars 2 reviews

Packing: vacuum, 50 grams, packaged in Japan Tea is an original packaged in Japan and stored at low temperatures in Slovakia, which guarantees exceptional freshness. The smell of hot tea leaves: strong, penetrating, the smell of freshly baked bread Color: greenish, clear Taste: sweetish, with a very thin bitter edge with a distinctive aftertaste

Eternal Spring
13.03.2013 22:19:15
Eternal Spring

Delicious Japanese tea for a good price

5 stars 4.5 This review helped 0 readers

Dry leaves smell fresh. After placing dry leaves into the warm gaiwan it greatly expands their fresh grass scent. Steep with water, in which you can keep your finger submerged for more than 3 seconds - a nice advice :-) Infusion is a clear, light green. The taste is really delicious, sweet and grassy. It leaves a pleasant grassy aftertaste with very little marzipan bitterness. Three infusions provide excellent tea. I bought this tea with 30% discount for 8.90 EUR. Very good tea, I highly recommend it.

Gaiwan 140ml, 3g of tea, steeped with water, in which you can keep your finger submerged for more than 3 seconds – 1,5 mins / 2 mins / 2,5 mins



Sourenee SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2012 Organic

Sourenee SFTGFOP 1 CH Muscatel 2nd Flush 2012 Organic
4.0 stars 1 review

ripe, sweet fruit, distinct darjeeling tones, wild honey, enjoyable aftertaste of overipe grapes

Ondřej
05.03.2013 15:37:04
Ondřej

Nice aromatic Darjeeling

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

Tea smells after wild fruit marmalade. The color is darker – as it is the second flash. Distinctive taste; multiple infusions are possible, very stimulating. I can recommend this tea.

I prefer stronger taste… qaiwan 120ml, 7g of tea, water 100°C, first infusion 20s/5s/10s/15s/20s/25s



2012 Autumn Fujian Anxi Benshan 100g

2012 Autumn Fujian Anxi Benshan 100g
3.8 stars 2 reviews

One of famous oolong teas from Anxi is Benshan. This is a light roasted with low oxidation (only 10-15%) high mountain (Gaoshan Benshan) oolong, carefully processed in early October. This tea comes from Xiping village(西坪). Emerald green rolled leaves have slightly orange fragrance. Full-bodied and complex with oily texture and floral sweet aftertaste. Benshan = Source Mountain Cultivar : Ben Shan(本山)

Ondřej
20.02.2013 15:40:06
Ondřej

Mild and fresh oolong

5 stars 4.0 This review helped 0 readers

After steaming in the gaiwan it produces mild and fresh smell of oolong tea. Infusion has light green colour, it is obvious that it is low oxidised oolong. Smell is mild and fresh. Taste is pleasant, full with taste of flowers, but very mild and fresh. I can recommend this tea, considering the price of $6 per 100g I am, giving 4 stars.

140 ml gaiwan, 7g of tea, water 90°C, steeped for 45sec and gradually prolonged, up to 8 tasty infusions



2006 Bailong TF Jinggu "Da Bai Hao" 357g

2006 Bailong TF Jinggu
2.0 stars 1 review

Jinggu area, it's famous for one of varietal tea trees – Da Bai Hao – “Big White tomentum”. The tea leaves and buds with dense white tomentum are larger than other tea variety. Its delicate aroma is sweet and appealing, its taste is thick mellow and unforgettable. Sun dried 2006 spring material, compression is medium. Sweet, light floral with comfortable mouth feel. This tea is good to drink now. Yunnan Jinggu Tea Mill was founded in1958 and used to be one of the six CNNP...

Eternal Spring
02.01.2013 20:19:01
Eternal Spring

Well, nothing special

5 stars 2.0 This review helped 0 readers

Well it is a good tea, but for me a bit too old. I prfer more fresh Sheg Pu-erh teas.



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