Let me speculate too...

01. The 2 DaoHongpao you tasted could be from different vendors?

02. Teas in China are undergoing a revolution, many oolongs are turning
toward the make of Taiwan oolongs, which are oxidated on the lighter side
with less baking at the end. Many Chinese tea makers who intend to cash in
on this (Taiwan oolongs have for a time been THE TEA in the international
market) turn to producing lighter oolongs, Wuyi teas are not spared. This
trend is enforced by the younger Chinese generation who prefer the floral
fragrances to the deeper fragrances of heavier oxidated and fruiter oolongs.
This may be one reason the vendor sells the lighter Da Hongpao at a higher
price.

03. In the past, a heavy oxidated and baked Da Hongpao could keep for
years, from the teas I've tasted these several years, I find that many Da
Hongpaos, despite the appareance of heavy oxidation and baking, the tea
could not outlast 2 years without comprising its quality. I snooped around
and found 2 versions be way of explanation:

a. that the tea is processed speedily with some shortcuts, hence
producing a tea that's wonderful only for a short period.
b. the tea is processed speedily and deliberately made to be lighter,
where initially the fragrance and flavour are there but not strong; however,
after leaving it aside to continue the chemical reaction on its own, it will
taste wonderful later, like a slow bloomer. The optimal period of the tea
is shortlived, however, and falls back to mediocrity quickly.

My guesses, based on the above, a

I. The darker Da Hongpao has reached its pinnacle, and best taste now or
it'll diminish soon, thus the vendor wants to sell it off quickly and offer
it at a lower price. the lighter Da Hongpao can be kept for a while longer
till it reaches its optimal level, so the vendor wants to sell it off at a
higher price, because you can keep it around longer and it'll even better
later.

II. The vendor is trying to cash in on the younger market preference, and
the Taiwan oolong's fame in the international market.

III. The vendor doesn't know his tea and is selling the newer and lighter
Da Hongpao (which may or may not be of lower quality) at a higher pricer,
while seeing the old Dahongpao, thinks it's an old tea (with its darker
colour and baked smell) and since books do not mention old teas favourably,
better to sell off the old tea first.

More guesses, anyone? :")

Samar

"Doug Hazen, Jr." wrote in message
...
Hi,

I've tried two varieties or types or styles (I'm not sure what the correct
word is) of Dahongpao, and they are so different I'm a little confused.

One type (e.g.: http://www.gray-seddon-tea.com/oolong.shtml, the Wuyishan)
has a pretty strong roasted/oxidized taste. The other style (e.g., same
site, the Reserve; also:
http://www.generationtea.com/store/p...9efd06e296a579)
seems much less roasted with a *much* milder taste. However the "light"
style is clearly considered the primo version, as it is MUCH more
expensive.

Can someone explain the difference in these teas, with maybe some
background
on its production, etc.? Also, why is the "light" one the primo expensive
one? (As may be obvious, the "dark" style is much more to my liking.)

Thanks.


Doug