I just realized today that another reason I may be having a hard time
with the puer I do have is that I may be brewing it way too strong. I
don't have a scale so I have been eyeballing it. I brewed it a little
lighter today and didn't mind it so much.

Not using gong fu...have a cute small one-cup (10 oz) ceramic beehive
teapot from Japan that was my grandma's and I just realized tonight it
will be perfect for now. It's even shaped more or less like a yixing
pot for puer.

I called and am having Mike at Silk Road send me a price list. I don't
have any money to spend on tea the rest of this month.. and next
month I am hoping to get more samples of assams as I am still
searching for one that really knocks my socks off. Need to restock my
keemun. I want to get some honeybush for evenings (I know not tea, no
caffeine though). Etc. etc...but I will get a good puer around $10 or
maybe a little more and see if it lets me catch a glimpse of that
elusive something. I do like the loam smell that people have mentioned
before..not getting it from this cheap one though and I didn't notice
it at the time with the Upton. Which could very well entirely have had
to do with the fact that I was a total beginner and didn't have a clue
what I was looking for.

Melinda