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.

2004 Bad Year for Menghai

"A good example is Meng Hai Tea Factory’s 2004 production. The company was struggled with funding problem and could not afford good raw materials. As a result of that, most of the company’s 2004 productions were of poor quality. Many Pu-erh collectors shunned away from those products." from teatalk101.blogspot.com

It is very difficult to get any information on vintages.  Can anyone even make a generalization that 2007 was not a good year because of the hyper-inflation in maocha?

Happy nose.

Truth be told, I love sniffing my cakes of pu-erh before going to sleep more than drinking them. The better Xiaguans are the perfect lullaby to my sleepy nose.

Vessels of Tea

As it is wiser to spend money on tea than on tea wares, I have not gone crazy with yixing follies and have vowed to make do with what was already in my china cabinet.

I never liked the gaiwan- white porcelain is too clinical for me. I feel too burdened by using a yixing pot as my style is too much wrongfu. I love my rustic Korean teapots best.

This little wee teapot on the left from Insadong is perfect for brewing tiny amounts so I can have several sessions of pu-erh. The giant teapot on the right is made in the traditional Korean way with firewood and potter's wheel.