Woohoo Tea Tasting

I've been lucky enough to be included in Hou De's tea tasting in Pasadena ten days away!

Lazy winter sunday

While my sister is enjoying global warming with 60 degree weather in Virginia, the Berkeley chill has put a serious dent in my sheng pu-erh drinking. I had planned many times in my mind to brew up some of the mystery beengs Caroline brought, but I just wimped out with a cup of toasty feel good dian hong just like I did yesterday, and the day before that.

It's true. If there had to be only one tea in the world, there's only Yunnan gold for me. The more hardships I eat, the more I value comfort over complexity. I am always a sucker for dian hong's malty maple roundedness which makes me feel all is right with the world even if it's only a cupful so.

Organizing

After a mess of exploding cakes with tearing rice paper covers, I've cracked down with basswood boxes. Perhaps this significantly detracts ageability by reducing the humidity but I open the boxes frequently enough. 

Shelf Life of Flower Beeng

" The flower tea cake can only keep for a maximum time of about 5 years. Due to its richness in pollen and other flower components, its fermentation process is faster than of tea leaves."

Just a gimmick or does it really enhance the tea. I'm on the gimmick side of the fence although the idea itself is lovely.

Caroline's booty

Caroline brought me back a hefty box of tea from Beijing Chado and Meliandao, more than 16 beengs of which I have only been slowly and pleasurably trying out the cakes.

These are douji cakes she rightly chose along with a obligatory stack of Yinji 6 FTM which is a regret. But gifts of pu-erh are always accepted with gratitude.