On Mar 31, 10:19*pm, Lewis Perin wrote:

Sorry about the nerdy joke: there is no such thing as ISO-7542-PU.
And I don't have any particular allegiance to Menghai's 7542 series.

Haha, you just gave away a good joke...ISO-8582-PU, anyone?


I wasn't claiming to be able to predict how a tea will behave when
aged based on how good it is to drink now. *That's the real problem,
and I'm skeptical of what I've read on the subject, as I said earlier.

I can't either, but I know of people who can - 1 told me from looking
at the pu-er disc what 2 expect then, 6 months later, & 5 years later;
the 5th year was last year, & so far she is correct.

By "balance", admittedly a vague term, I mean that the tea shouldn't
have too much of one attribute without some countervailing quality.
If it's bitter in its principal taste, there should be sweetness too,
perhaps in its aftertaste. *If it's astringent on the tongue, there
should be softness or smoothness somewhere else, maybe in the throat.

I c, understood now. Some of the 7542 cakes, from around the period of
1988-1992, have a bitterness that lingers at the top of the throat
that does not go away. Is this poor quality then? Some say this tiny
bit of bitterness will go away in another 10 years time...

Right. *I don't see the point in comparing new and old tea. *And as
you don't exactly say out loud, it's at least conceivable that, given
enough time in good storage conditions (another big subject), *any*
decent Pu'er will be great to drink.

It attempts 2 answer your earlier post...the aged pu-er does not
appear 2 qualify as 'quality' tea by the present standards. 1 of the
best example is the Cultural Revolution Wen Ge bricks, or the early
Bao Yan mushroom pu-er. These by present standards do not qualify as
'quality' tea, they were basic rough tea meant 2 quench the
thirst...yet now, these are prized..
As for storage, that's is a big subject...most of the aged teas that
we so prized now did not go through a systematic or monitored storage
process...

If you do not really expect all of these in a pu-er, especially in a
young pu-er, then how do you determine if the pu-er you have is a good
pu-er, & that it will age well?
Or do you believe that a good pu-er is one that tastes awful when
young & mellow when aged?

I. *Don't. *Know.

I. M. Waitg. 2. Find. Out.

IMPO, a good pu-er must 1st fulfill the criteria 2 age well, & this
criteria must have 2 main factors: correct processing of the maocha -
we know there are 2 main types of Yun Nan maocha: Dian Lü & Dian Qing.
Dian Lü was the main maocha produce in Yun Nan, for making green tea,
Dian Qing is the main maocha produce in Yun Nan persuing the Pu-er
heat, & used in the making of pu-er. If a pu-er is processed with Dian
Lü maocha, then while it tastes good when newly made, it might not age
well.

As I understand it, these are two different manufacturing processes
(Dian Qing not being fully kill-greened) rather than two different
cultivars. *Do you agree?

Yes, it is a manufacturing process.
No. There are cultivars that are better suited for Dian Lü (especially
those cross-bred cultivars) & some better as Dian Qing...

The other factor is the aging method, which is a complicated
discussion in itself.

Amen, brother.

Amen indeed.

Kevo