Comments on: The Teacup – Xiao Tou Cha Pu’erh http://www.gongfugirl.com/2006/12/the-teacup-xiao-tou-cha-puerh/ Discovering the way of tea, one cup at a time. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:34:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leenerella http://www.gongfugirl.com/2006/12/the-teacup-xiao-tou-cha-puerh/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Leenerella Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:18:34 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=90#comment-95 Thank you for the encouragement - there is a lot to learn. I'm trying to be patient about that. It's very slow going, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying all of the wonderful sensations. I can't wait to feel the warmth that you described in one of your recent entries. We've moved into our cold, wet winter weather, and nothing would be better. Thank you for the encouragement – there is a lot to learn. I’m trying to be patient about that. It’s very slow going, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying all of the wonderful sensations. I can’t wait to feel the warmth that you described in one of your recent entries. We’ve moved into our cold, wet winter weather, and nothing would be better.

]]> By: Phyll http://www.gongfugirl.com/2006/12/the-teacup-xiao-tou-cha-puerh/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Phyll Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:53:53 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=90#comment-94 Hi Gongfu girl, like you, I also have a genuine interest in pu'er. From your description, it sounds like the first pu'er you had was also a cooked (shu) type, but of better quality than this xiao tuo cha. I understand that some barnyard characteristics can be welcoming, though an acquired taste. However, I believe that barnyard qualities in pu'er is generally an indication of unskilled "cooking" techniques, especially being that the tea is already 4 years old. Some shu pu'er have a tendency to smell like a fishy/mossy pond and/or barnyard-y when just released from the factory...but a few years of proper storage should decrease -- and eventually get rid of -- this offputting aromas. Also, xiao tuo cha is generally made of lesser quality leaves. Better leaves are not going to be wasted on such small offerings, but on larger tuo's, bricks, and the best of all going to either the production of beeng (disc shape) or kept in loose form. Don't give up, though. There are good pu'er out there, and there are outstanding ones, too! I just tasted an excellent vintage pu'er (see today's entry on my blog), but alas a whole beeng of this tea is not so affordable to me $400/357gr. I recommend you trying out some young raw pu'er, cooked pu'er and some old raw pu'er, to get an idea of the contrast among them. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Houde Asian Fine Tea has many choices, and best of all you can purchase them in small sample quantities. My 2 cents. Hi Gongfu girl, like you, I also have a genuine interest in pu’er. From your description, it sounds like the first pu’er you had was also a cooked (shu) type, but of better quality than this xiao tuo cha. I understand that some barnyard characteristics can be welcoming, though an acquired taste. However, I believe that barnyard qualities in pu’er is generally an indication of unskilled “cooking” techniques, especially being that the tea is already 4 years old. Some shu pu’er have a tendency to smell like a fishy/mossy pond and/or barnyard-y when just released from the factory…but a few years of proper storage should decrease — and eventually get rid of — this offputting aromas.

Also, xiao tuo cha is generally made of lesser quality leaves. Better leaves are not going to be wasted on such small offerings, but on larger tuo’s, bricks, and the best of all going to either the production of beeng (disc shape) or kept in loose form.

Don’t give up, though. There are good pu’er out there, and there are outstanding ones, too! I just tasted an excellent vintage pu’er (see today’s entry on my blog), but alas a whole beeng of this tea is not so affordable to me $400/357gr.

I recommend you trying out some young raw pu’er, cooked pu’er and some old raw pu’er, to get an idea of the contrast among them. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Houde Asian Fine Tea has many choices, and best of all you can purchase them in small sample quantities.

My 2 cents.

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