A Tea Addict's Journal

Friday August 11, 2006

August 11, 2006 · 12 Comments

I spent the entire afternoon today in the Best Tea House again. This time I had the whole day free to do tasting. So after lunching, I went up to where the store is and sat down to do some tasting.

Here’s our host, Tiffany

The first thing we had was actually the 1997 sample of Xizhihao I brought over. It was, once again, a comparison test thing. She likes it, but was trying to sell me something else which she deems as better. That cake is this one:

Of which there are many tongs in the store

And the list price for one piece of this is close to $300 USD. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. It was one of the first generation of high quality cakes produced by Taiwanese merchants. It was made in 1996, and called the Zhenchunya hao. Taiwan is already pretty much sold out on this thing, and so the Best Tea House has the market basically cornered.

The cake is a more subdued tea. Compared to the 1997 Xizhihao, which is rather spicy in taste and has a strong menthol flavour, the Zhenchunya hao is more mellow and restrained. It is a bit creamy/milky in flavour and smell, with a bitter edge. It doesn’t, however, have that menthol sort of taste that is rather common, it seems, in Xizhihao cake. I do not know if it is the aging or if it is the tea, as menthol tastes do tend to disappear over time.

After this, which took about two hours, we went on to something else (and another tea buyer joined in, a gentlemen called Ben). Our skilled host brewed two teas at the same time like this

Bet you can’t do that.

On the left (our left) is tea from a 2005 tuo. It’s a 500g tuo, selling for 25 USD (yeah, that’s a lot of tea for not a lot of money, which Tiffany tried to push on me), made by the Fengqing tea factory. The liquor is slightly cloudy, with a very sweet, mellow taste, almost green tea like. I don’t like it, and I doubt I’ll buy something like this.

The one on the right, which was brewed simultaneously, is this:

Sorry for the unclear picture. It is a cake from 1997 as well, also from the Fengqing factory. This one brewed a stronger liquor, but the OVERWHELMING TASTE was cigarette. It smelled like cigarette, and tasted like cigarette. The smoke flavour was so strong, it overpowered everything else. However, smoke generally do go away after a while — sometimes after a long while. There are hints of camphor and wood and other things in there, even a hint of sweetness, but the initial, overwhelming taste of cigarette is quite jarring. I might buy one of these for experiment/education purposes. I don’t think it is bad. I think it is just not ready. Price? $60 USD.

By then, it was 5:15, and we were all pretty tea drunk (the three of us). Then, to top it off, I had to taste test for lesseps the loose sheng that they sell. Apparently, they mix a little shou in there, but still, the taste is mostly that of aged sheng, spicy, mellow, the usual mix, and going after 6-7 infusions. Not quite the same as my loose sheng that is aged, but similar enough, I suppose, for the purpose. (tell me if you don’t want it after this description)

I was going to try a dancong and other things too, but by then, it was too late, and I was too caffeinated. My stomach was also hungry after the aged sheng (aged puerh ALWAYS makes me hungry) so I was off.

But before I finish — just a few more pics of the place and the things they sell, this is only one part of the store.

Two display cases

And finally: the Red Label, selling for a grand total of $5000 USD.

Next visit is scheduled for Monday 🙂 and Sunday I will probably go to another tea shop. So many places, so little time!

Categories: Uncategorized

12 responses so far ↓

  • osososososos // August 11, 2006 at 3:00 pm | Reply

    excellent post! I brewed three teas at once for estif! ;P
    when you come across any “must have’s” or “I love’s” of young or young-ish sheng, please post! Also, if there’s any “WTF GROSS’s”

    thank you for the education. sounds like a good teahouse if they let you stay there all afternoon 🙂 did you buy anything?

  • stevendodd // August 11, 2006 at 6:15 pm | Reply

    Only $5000USD eh? Hmmm, *takes out a student loan*

  • Phyllo // August 11, 2006 at 7:47 pm | Reply

    Excellent post!  Tiffany is cute!  Can’t wait to hear about their Dan Cong!

  • MarshalN // August 11, 2006 at 10:09 pm | Reply

    No, didn’t buy anything. They know me and I know them, so there’s really not much pressure. When I was about to leave, she said “yeah, I know, you always stock up right before you leave” lol

    We all know what Phyll’s priorities lie. :p

  • psychopuncture // August 11, 2006 at 11:08 pm | Reply

    umm, nice photos. but more photos of tiffany, please? an attractive woman with access to a massive amount of tea–i’ll be there on the next flight…

    looking forward to hearing about the dancong.

  • MANDARINstea // August 12, 2006 at 12:01 am | Reply

    Do you have a chance to see Master Chan. Kindly say hello for me if you can.
    Anyhow, do try the tuocha I’d mentioned before, should not be a bad buy….

  • davelcorp // August 12, 2006 at 12:22 am | Reply

    Nice looking shop. I wish I had access to such a place here at home. Actually, I’m glad I don’t — too dangerous.

    As far as the loose sheng goes, go for it. I can handle a little shou in my sheng.

    Thanks and keep up the wonderful postings. Any word on the puer-expo?

  • MarshalN // August 12, 2006 at 12:28 am | Reply

    I did see Master Chan yesterday, but he was busy talking business with some guy, so I didn’t really say hi. He got older.

    I think the tuo I had in that tasting is the same one you mentioned, no? It’s nice and sweet, and a bargain, unless it’s not the right thing. How much is the tuo you were telling me about? Is it from Fengqing tea factory?

  • MANDARINstea // August 12, 2006 at 12:52 am | Reply

    does it comes with a fancy box from Fengqing, brown and metallic? cost around 160HK per box. The leaves are from 400+ years arbor tree. Anyhow, The top selves top 3rd no paper wrapping cake is “The” Bing from last year! Convince Tiffany to let you have a zap…. hehe, still selling for 3000 US per cake?

  • MarshalN // August 12, 2006 at 6:11 am | Reply

    Yes, I know that’s “THE” cake. Not quite 3000, I think the price is 2000US (15000 HKD)

    And yes, that’s the tuo I’m talking about. 400 year old arbor trees? I find it rather plain and boring. Maybe we should’ve used a little more leaves, and when put next to teas like the zhenchunya hao, maybe it seemed particularly weak.

  • MANDARINstea // August 12, 2006 at 8:25 am | Reply

    Patience my young friend, Patience…. Older is much more tame and plain, but yet surprising later : )
    Also, you are looking at the last group of “THE” cake, cos they are not producing it anymore. T

  • MarshalN // August 14, 2006 at 12:38 am | Reply

    Hmmm, maybe I”ll try it again

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