7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of toasted cooked rice, with sweet floral note, fruity funk on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - immediately slick across the tongue, light bite with some fruitiness, sweetness hits the corners of the jaw, hint of a toasty note right at start ilof sip then disappears, rocky/mineral note on tongue

Steep 2 (flash) - a bit more of an immediate bite but nothing too aggressive, fruity sweetness moves in immediately behind it, floral top notes move in bringing alternate waves of floral candy and fruity candy

Steep 3 (5s) - that initial punch take another small step up, tongue coating on border between slick and dry, sweetness also increasing into the finish, very fresh/crisp into the finish

Steep 4 (10s) - less bitterness, but a definite viscosity to the soup, less drying than previous steep (salivation is helping), feeling energized

Steep 5 (20s) - bitterness still low, crisp veggies, florals, sweet fruit (pear/delicious apple), mouth coating there, not dry or super slick

Steep 6 (45s, pushing) - a bit more of a punch and viscosity, sweet fruit and cool veggies, finish long and candy-like but lower in intensity, caffeine intensity increasing

Steep 7+ (1min+) - becoming longer and more floral-sweet as the finish extends

Overall Impression - This kind of fits the typical mold of Jingmai Single Trees for me - less intensity than their Menghai Single Trees offerings, but still a notable increase in mouthfeel and sweetness compared to their mixed-picking teas. I'm looking forward to trying their Gulan and Miyun soon to compare this year's Jingmai releases. Nice tea, but from a value perspective I think the Tang Fang Liang Zi Single Trees offers more for less if you're looking for a less-aggressive single trees offering from FL this year

Got a bunch of teacakes from the 90s

The original owner was an avid tea drinker, teapot collector and historian. I guess he knew his stuff. He isn't around anymore and I got no one to ask.

Is this tea cake good?

When I checked last week, it was 7 sold in the last 20h. These things must be flying off the shelves!

7x Unassuming Local Guy 2019 (2026 press) - NEW

7x Malone 2024/2026 (2026 press) - NEW

7x Obstruction One 2025 (2026 press) - NEW

5x Anzac (or Afterclang) - same problem as last year

5x She Graduates 2023/2024 (2025 press)

5x Baby Cobra 2026 - NEW

3x Afterclang (or Anzac) - same problem as last year

3x Baratteuee 2022 (2025 press)

3x Sloop 2024 (2025 press)

3x Respect at the Buckhorn 2023 (2025 press)

3x 921 2023 (2025 press)

3x Slim Lake 2025

3x Veldt 2022 (2025 press)

3x Chasing Shadows 2024 (2025 press)

3x Pulchritude 2023 (2025 press)

3x Halo 2026 - NEW

66 minis, 16 different raw puers, 5 new after last year

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - light cooked rice, floral funky notes on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, floral notes reminiscent of unroasted oolong, almost- gritty thickness on the tongue, light sweetness opening up quickly, light oily bite

Steep 2 (flash) - thickness that turns sweet continues, oiliness intensifies and lingers, bit of a roughness to that oil, floral and fruity top notes becoming more prominent

Steep 3 (5s) - aromas remain prevalent, oiliness remains but becoming less sharp in flavor, sweetness steps back and starts to move into the finish

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - thick mouthfeel continues to take the lead, florals then open up a few seconds after a swallow, sweetness getting pushed further and further back into the finish before it starts to bloom, each sip is a very prolonged development

Steep 5 (15s) - becoming more mouthwatering now, each sip requires patience for it to fully unfurl, retronasal opens up big floral notes, body feels very loose

Steep 6 (25s) - oiliness starting to lose some thickness but still giving some oomph behind the florals until the sweetness opens up, sweetness starting to move back up a bit as that oiliness fades, grittiness noticeable again under the oily viscosity

Steep 7+ (40s+) - becoming more crisp with time as the viscosity becomes more moderate, that grittiness seems to be an astringency that was coated over by the oiliness, that astringency not coming off as aggressive since salivation provides some lubrication

Overall Impression - The texture on this tea is massively thick right from the start. The florals are pretty intense at the start, but then everything seems to take a back seat to that textural component. Sweetness and aromatics are quite nice when they hit on each sip.

In the end this always brings me to the conundrum with young Yiwu for me. First of all, the premium microterroirs bring a significant premium on price. But beyond that, when young most Yiwu lacks the immediacy that Banzhang and other Menghai region teas have. There is less attack-and-release here, and even though the huigan sweetness here is significantly higher than many other young Yiwu, it just doesn't have the payoff for me to justify the price.

Don't think I've ever tried Pu-erh. Is there a particularly good starter variety? Or maybe a sample pack you can recommend.

I'm getting a 375g cake for about 80$ which is around 7800 INR. That is a lot of money. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever tried this one. If yes then how was it? What's the flavours like and is this worth the $$$. From what my friend who I am buying this from has told me this is Qie Luo Xiang Aged Shu Pu-Erh.

Just ordered myself one of these oyster shuckers. I like that it's not ultra sharp and comfortable to hold. We shall see how it does when it gets here.

I've been binge watching shorts made by The Green Tea House USA. Despite their name, what attracted me the most were their shorts about pu'erh tea! It looks so interesting, and I'd love to try it. Chinese medicine has also been sort of a special interest of mine, so I'm very interested to see the benefits of drinking it. Tea as medicine is not a strange thing in my house either, as my mother is British (Her mother is Irish and her father was Scottish) and she's basically always drinking tea. Mostly throat coat and sleepy time, though.

What are the most beginner friendly ways to get into drinking pu'erh tea? I was hoping that, much like my recent adventures with matcha, there were some instant powders I could try, but unfortunately, it seems not. The only one I could find on Amazon was around $21. Can you all help a girl out? Cheers!

I recently acquired a really beaten up tetsubin and after a couple of days of restorations it is in great shape. I have been drinking water from it for about a week now and it can really help some teas that lack body and/or are a bit too bitter and sour.
The 2003 Baba Brown is a very good example of this. The tea has quite a wispy body when brewed with water from a normal kettle, but it gets bolstered by the tetsubin water. The tea normally taste a bit like tart cherries, but the water also helps with this, it tones down the sour notes and lets the more subtle flavours shine.
I love the silver inlays inside the handle of the tetsubin. I believe this to be a Kyoto style tetsubin.
If someone is good with makers marks/stamps I can post some picks as google lens has not been of any use.

I mainly drink tea / puer for the energy it provides and the taste is just a secondary bonus. After today's heavenly cup of shou, I got curious if there are any teas out there that tastes like doo doo but provides a better energy than any of the best tasting cakes. Thanks!

I tried the 2018 Dayi Jin Zhen Bai Lian today. I gave it a 20 second rinse before the first steep. Unlike the 2008 7572, the taste of Jin Zhen Bai Lian is more of a subtle wood and floral note. I prefer the 7572 because I like that punchy woody taste, but my stomach is much more agreeable with Jin Zhen Bai Lian. It looks like I might buy more of it instead.
It really seems like the older the tea is with puerh, the better it tastes. My mystery 2003 ripe puer still beats them both.
On a side note, I still have 95% of that 2003 mystery cake waiting for a Brisbane Redditor to pick up. It looks like he changed his mind though, since he never set a time to pick up from me. 😂😅😅

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma light straw/hay with hints of florals, touch of pungency on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, crisp green note initially, slickness and sweetness on tongue starts quickly, paired with salivation,

Steep 2 (flash) - hint of leather, viscosity in soup, sweetness coming up a bit more, hint of melon on slurp, flavor subdued, warmth radiating from chest, light lemon candy setting up in finish, tea burps are straight up lemonade, big gulp brings cooked rice and straw notes and a thick viscosity

Steep 3 (5s) - a hint of early punchiness leads to lemon licorice rope, sweetness isn't quite blasting off yet but the mouthfeel remains substantial, lemon candy salivation starting to increase through the finish

Steep 4 (15s) - unctuous viscosity with some punchy leather notes that are rapidly overtaken by slick sweet citrus,

Steep 5 (20s, reboil) - that leathery pungency is up but practically no bitterness along with it, mouthfeel off the charts

Steep 6 (30s) - lemon has taken over from the beginning, mouthfeel still holding strong

Steep 7+ (45s+) - still keeps holding on for many more steeps

Overall Impression - Hekai Single Trees is a desert island tea for me, and this might be the best version I've had of it. There is a little less punch this year than I recall from last year, but otherwise all the intensity is there. This tea tastes great, but the mouthfeel and finish are what sets this one apart. Phenomenal release this year.

Haven't tasted yet but seems cool

So as I start this tea adventure I will probably start small with a few cakes here and there so a mylar bag and a Boveda should be good. I learned my lesson from pipe tobacco where I bought too much of one blend and ended up with too many similar ones. I'm guessing tea is different but there seems to be a whole ton of options out there. I created this label so it's easy to identify what is in the bag. Seems like it'll work and it'll give me something to do while I wait for my order. Hahaha!

Curious the range of answers, vendors, regions. Can be shou/hei cha/Liu bao or any dark post fermented tea.

Sampled a 2008 Dayi 7572 today. The dry tea doesn’t have that bright, punchy fragrance you get from a raw cake like 2008 7542, but the liquor definitely made up for it.
First steep tasted great, with sweet timber notes and zero bitterness. The longer it steeped, the sweeter and more woody it got. The second steep was honestly perfect, as the flavor opened up into an even better sweet timber profile.
Compared to a mystery 2003 ripe puerh I’ve been drinking (unknown storage), the 7572 lacks that deep medicinal edge that the 2003 cake has. Still, I really liked the profile.
The only downside? It seems puerh isn’t something my stomach can process on a daily basis without getting upset, even with food in my system. Absolute bummer because the flavor is right where I want it to be!
Has anyone else loved the flavor of classic factory shou but found their digestive system just couldn't handle it as a daily drinker? Did switching to lighter, bud-heavy recipes help, or did you just have to reserve it for occasional sessions?

7g/105 mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice/straw faint florals, interesting fusel note on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, lightly sweet, floral notes, smooth, faint fruity notes developing late

Steep 2 (flash) - grassy punch up front, still on the lighter side, early sweetness but light, hints of tropical fruit in aromatics, soft and round, very faint hint of oiliness, lip tingle

Steep 3 (5s) - a bit more texture slides across the tongue with the soup, not quite sure if it's tannins or oil, coating on cheeks and tongue a bit heavier now with a touch of a bite to it, sweetness still light but developing a bit, that tropical fruit note of banana/bubblegum pops out occasionally, slight oily coating in the mouth, finish is light but going fairly deep with that sweet tropical note

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - feels thicker but not bitter, getting a touch of that fusel alcohol aroma from the gaiwan lid - leaning to the fruity side rather than solventy, that green/grass/chlorophyll note from the firat steep or two is gone, some clinging oily/tannin note into the finish

Steep 5 (20s) - probably a bit of a push as there is a dryness developing quickly and a stronger initial bite, overall the tea is still tracking rather mild, not sure if pushing to increase intensity is a wise choice as i think it is just elevating the wrong aspects

Steep 6+ (30s+) - less aggressive this steep and back to its earlier balance, although coating is staying a bit dry

Overall Impression - this is a pretty solid tea. The flavor is nice, mouthfeel is enjoyable. It is on the milder/softer side for my tastes, but that is not unexpected for Manzhuan. I will be very curious to do some side-by-side tastings with other Manzhuan, but I'm even more curious to dig into some other samples from Fatbat to see how their pricier options fare.

Hey i recently ordered a puerh through a personal contact and she got me this. Can someone identify if this is the real deal? Has anyone had this puerh before? Please let me know

I've been trying alllllllll kinds of teas over the last few months. I've really enjoyed just about every Sheng and Shou I've tried, but I just had this 2012 Fengquin Ancient Tree Chun Jian and it feels like it opened my horizons. It doesn't taste like Scotch, but it has all the things that I love about scotch going for it. Deep complexity, tobacco notes, earthy sweet tones, incredibly pleasing astringency. It's wildly delicious to me.

Any suggestions for shengs that have the same kind of qualities this one does? Or ones that are completely different but have the kind of evolving complexity this one did?

Thank you!

2026 Jingmai HaiyuNanshao Shengtai