"Mike Petro" wrote in news:1172687316.182172.289280
@t69g2000cwt.googlegroups.com:

Hi Ozzy,

I have not tried IPOTs version, but I have tried dozens of others. The
Bamboo Puerh genre varies immensely. Some are exceptionally good while
others are putrid. There are both raw and cooked varieties. The tea is
always hand processed using bamboo tubes of varying botanical variety,
size, and greenness, filled with leaves which are then tamped into the
tube to compress the leaf. The bamboo tubes are usually then roasted
over a fire. The compression, heat of the fire, and roasting time are
all highly variable since they are controlled by human judgment, not
to mention the quality of the source maocha. I will say that the
Menghai brand is consistently good, although expensive.

As for this particular offering, I see several red flags. They branded
this themselves so you have no idea who the source factory was. They
also completely omitted both the vintage and even the weight of the
item. Perhaps the most disturbing omission is that they don't even
tell you if the puerh is cooked or raw. I would never purchase this
item based solely on the information provided. Furthermore I would
never pay $45 for any bamboo puerh unless it was either aged, or
weighed about a kg or more. Most of these bamboo canes contain around
50-100g of puerh ( http://tinyurl.com/2or3vh ), although I do have
some that weigh a kg each ( http://tinyurl.com/3duzv9 ), and some that
weigh as much as 3kg each ( http://tinyurl.com/3334m5 ). So knowing
the weight really is important, are they charging 5 cents per gram or
45 cents per gram, how would you know?

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net


Hi Mike,

Thanks for your detailed, instructive response and the illustrative URLs. I
definitely will not buy from IPOT, and probably will try Menghai.

I have a trivial question as to the weight and/or diameter: it seems
logical to assume that these Pu-erhs are molded using older trees. Do you
find that heavy or big-diameter bamboo teas of the same color and age have
any taste notes in common? Or would the many variations in processing
overwhelm any such thing?

Ozzy

Hey Mike and Ozzy.

I am just a rank beginner with about 2 years of trying pu-erh from 100
kilos of tea I have purchased and sampled from ( yes I have the bug!)
but in my opinnion the large 2kilo bamboo currently listed at YS is
something special. After trying it I ordered a second helping.
The little tubes of 100 or so grams have not terribly impressed me, I
think they might be for the tourist/sovinir trade.

Tom

BTW, the first one pictured in your post is the one being sold at
Yunnan Toucha - both varieties -raw and cooked. The last one pictured
on your post looks like the one Scott has at Yunnan Sourcing (Ebay).

Right on both counts. If you look at the last line of the description
table you will see the vendor on all of my teas.

Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

I have a trivial question as to the weight and/or diameter: it seems
logical to assume that these Pu-erhs are molded using older trees. Do you
find that heavy or big-diameter bamboo teas of the same color and age have
any taste notes in common? Or would the many variations in processing
overwhelm any such thing?

No, I have never really been able to correlate on batch to another.
The variables are many, more so than bings or bricks. Even within one
batch there are major variations from stick to stick. The ones in the
first link being a prime example. I bought a few of the raw sticks and
they were fantastic, I reordered more within the same month and the
second was extremely over roasted, obviously having been in the fire
too long. Yet the labels, and general appearance were exactly the same
except for maybe a few extra scorch marks from the fire.

I am not sure where you are going regarding the "old trees".I dont
think they use the premium ancient tree maocha in these things. As for
the bamboo canes, there are many variables there as well. Which
botanical variety was used, what diameter was used, how green it was,
the moisture content of the bamboo, the thickness of the stalk, etc
etc. So two bamboo canes stuffed with the exact same maocha, processed
by the exact same person, over the same fire at the same time, could
indeed be very different.

If anything, I have learned to make "no" assumptions as they are all
so different. There are some varieties that are reminiscent of
incense, I dont remember why, but the aroma is unmistakable. I will
say this, one of the best cooked puerhs I have ever tasted was a
bamboo puerh, as some friends up in Massachusetts can attest to.

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net

"Ozzy" please.answer@NG wrote in message
4.196...
Hi All,

Has anyone had this? Just got a notice from inpursuitoftea, saying it was
back in stock. Then the question becomes, is the taste so unusual as to
be
worth $45+S&H? Doesn't even say whether it's cooked or raw, or what year
it is, just "sweet notes". The blurb says too many things about Pu-erh in
general but not this one. Has anyone ordered from them since the review
on
pu-erh.net (11/05), and if so, what say you? :-))

http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Produc...e=pc150&Click=
4938

Thanks,
Ozzy



The only bamboo puerh I've ever had was a stick I ordered from Silk Road
Teas about two years ago. It was cooked. When I first drank from it, it
seemed moderately good meaning it wasn't as rough as a camel's breath (even
that's not a good way to explain since those seem to vary too but it's the
best I can do) but recently I came upon the last chunk of it (I think) and
stuck the whole thing in my brewer...it lasted for more steeps than I
usually get from a cooked. It was pretty good to me then. Not quite incense
but not bad at all, it had more of a smoothness to it than the camel's
breath cooked mini tuos I have right now, and some indefinable quality. I
think it might have been barely fragrent.

That's the only one I've had.

Melinda

"Mike Petro" wrote in
ups.com:

....

I am not sure where you are going regarding the "old trees".I dont
think they use the premium ancient tree maocha in these things. As for
the bamboo canes, there are many variables there as well. Which
botanical variety was used, what diameter was used, how green it was,
the moisture content of the bamboo, the thickness of the stalk, etc
etc. So two bamboo canes stuffed with the exact same maocha, processed
by the exact same person, over the same fire at the same time, could
indeed be very different.

If anything, I have learned to make "no" assumptions as they are all
so different. There are some varieties that are reminiscent of
incense, I dont remember why, but the aroma is unmistakable. I will
say this, one of the best cooked puerhs I have ever tasted was a
bamboo puerh, as some friends up in Massachusetts can attest to.

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net

I was referring to the bamboo, actually, and it had not occurred to me
how many factors there were to that parameter in the taste equation. It
seems reasonable that bamboos must change in taste from the time they're
edible shoots to the time when they can be used in molding tea, and that
diameter (as the most obvious clue to age) had some sort of correlation
to taste. I didn't think how complex it the whole matter was.

Thanks,
Ozzy

"Melinda" wrote in
:

The only bamboo puerh I've ever had was a stick I ordered from Silk
Road Teas about two years ago. It was cooked. When I first drank from
it, it seemed moderately good meaning it wasn't as rough as a camel's
breath (even that's not a good way to explain since those seem to vary
too but it's the best I can do) but recently I came upon the last
chunk of it (I think) and stuck the whole thing in my brewer...it
lasted for more steeps than I usually get from a cooked. It was pretty
good to me then. Not quite incense but not bad at all, it had more of
a smoothness to it than the camel's breath cooked mini tuos I have
right now, and some indefinable quality. I think it might have been
barely fragrent.

That's the only one I've had.

Melinda

Thanka dor the detailed response, Melinda, I'm learning more all the time
. Taking a tangent, do you mean the "camel's breath" mini toucha sold by
Holy Mountain? To me it's smoother than the cooked Upton's MTC, for
example...

Ozzy

Bamboo does not grow like a tee getting thicker as time goes by.
Every species of bamboo emerges from the ground the diameter it will
remain. The culm extends somewhat like a radio antennae and in about a
month or so it reaches it's full height and leafs out. What changes
over time is the amount of silica and the hardness of the bamboo.
Somewhere along the 4-5yr period bamboo for construction is harvested
when it is at the peak of it's hardness but least degraded by age and
disease. Usually this is done in the cool season so that most of the
sugars are in the underground parts.

When it is cut to use for packing tea should have a large influence
upon the flavor it imparts but in my opinnion it's primarily
packaging.

On Mar 2, 1:46 am, Ozzy please.answer@NG wrote:
"Mike Petro" wrote roups.com:

...







I am not sure where you are going regarding the "old trees".I dont
think they use the premium ancient tree maocha in these things. As for
the bamboo canes, there are many variables there as well. Which
botanical variety was used, what diameter was used, how green it was,
the moisture content of the bamboo, the thickness of the stalk, etc
etc. So two bamboo canes stuffed with the exact same maocha, processed
by the exact same person, over the same fire at the same time, could
indeed be very different.

If anything, I have learned to make "no" assumptions as they are all
so different. There are some varieties that are reminiscent of
incense, I dont remember why, but the aroma is unmistakable. I will
say this, one of the best cooked puerhs I have ever tasted was a
bamboo puerh, as some friends up in Massachusetts can attest to.

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net

I was referring to the bamboo, actually, and it had not occurred to me
how many factors there were to that parameter in the taste equation. It
seems reasonable that bamboos must change in taste from the time they're
edible shoots to the time when they can be used in molding tea, and that
diameter (as the most obvious clue to age) had some sort of correlation
to taste. I didn't think how complex it the whole matter was.

Thanks,
Ozzy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

1. Bamboo Stick puer is a type of 'tribal' tea made by the Dai & Lahu
tribes in the southeast and south of Yunnan, originally in the regions of
Menghai, Wenshan, Baoshan, etc.
2. They have been making this tea for around 200 years, using the young
leaves from the large leaf varietals - the Dais nickname it "Maiden Tea",
the Lahus call it 'Wajihnal' (translated).
3. Traditional bamboo Stick puer was made by compressing processed Yunnan
green tea into bamboos; processed uncooked puer leaves were used later; and
cooked pu'er leaves used much later - originally the tea was called "Zhu
Tong (Xiang) Cha", the name "Zhu Tong Pu Er Cha" was used more recently.
4. The leaves used in the Bamboo Stick puer are usually single bud with 2~3
young leaves.
5. Menghai Tea Factory began its own production of these bamboo stick puer
in the early 80s.
6. Some would steam the fresh tea leaves and stuff them into the bamboo,
before baking the bamboo dry over a low fire.
7. Some would sundried the tea leaves first, and then stuff them into the
bamboo stick, before baking it dry.
8. Dome would stuff the bamboo with cooked tea leaves before baking it dry.

That's about all I know...

Danny

"Ozzy" please.answer@NG wrote in message
4.196...
"Melinda" wrote in
:

The only bamboo puerh I've ever had was a stick I ordered from Silk
Road Teas about two years ago. It was cooked. When I first drank from
it, it seemed moderately good meaning it wasn't as rough as a camel's
breath (even that's not a good way to explain since those seem to vary
too but it's the best I can do) but recently I came upon the last
chunk of it (I think) and stuck the whole thing in my brewer...it
lasted for more steeps than I usually get from a cooked. It was pretty
good to me then. Not quite incense but not bad at all, it had more of
a smoothness to it than the camel's breath cooked mini tuos I have
right now, and some indefinable quality. I think it might have been
barely fragrent.

That's the only one I've had.

Melinda

Thanka dor the detailed response, Melinda, I'm learning more all the time
. Taking a tangent, do you mean the "camel's breath" mini toucha sold by
Holy Mountain? To me it's smoother than the cooked Upton's MTC, for
example...

Ozzy

I made a mistake on the mini tuo...it was a 2003 Menghai organic mini tuo
from Yunnan Sourcing. When I think about it, maybe smooth wasn't exactly
what I meant, the bamboo seemed more floral or more flavorful. However I was
using more tea in the bamboo steeps than I was for the Menghai so that would
make a difference too. I looked at the Silk Roads site last night, it
appears they're still carrying the bamboo puer though I am not sure if it's
the same year or batch that I bought.

I wish I could be more exact for you about the difference in the taste/smell
of the two...I jsut didn't happen to be paying attention when I was drinking
the bamboo. If I can find another chunk someplace I'll give it a comparison
and let you know in more detail what I think. I don't care for smoky in tea
in general except once in a while, so I know it wasn't smoky to me.

Melinda

On Mar 2, 3:08 pm, "Melinda" wrote:
"Ozzy" please.answer@NG wrote in message

4.196...





"Melinda" wrote in
:

The only bamboo puerh I've ever had was a stick I ordered from Silk
Road Teas about two years ago. It was cooked. When I first drank from
it, it seemed moderately good meaning it wasn't as rough as a camel's
breath (even that's not a good way to explain since those seem to vary
too but it's the best I can do) but recently I came upon the last
chunk of it (I think) and stuck the whole thing in my brewer...it
lasted for more steeps than I usually get from a cooked. It was pretty
good to me then. Not quite incense but not bad at all, it had more of
a smoothness to it than the camel's breath cooked mini tuos I have
right now, and some indefinable quality. I think it might have been
barely fragrent.

That's the only one I've had.

Melinda

Thanka dor the detailed response, Melinda, I'm learning more all the time
. Taking a tangent, do you mean the "camel's breath" mini toucha sold by
Holy Mountain? To me it's smoother than the cooked Upton's MTC, for
example...

Ozzy

I made a mistake on the mini tuo...it was a 2003 Menghai organic mini tuo
from Yunnan Sourcing. When I think about it, maybe smooth wasn't exactly
what I meant, the bamboo seemed more floral or more flavorful. However I was
using more tea in the bamboo steeps than I was for the Menghai so that would
make a difference too. I looked at the Silk Roads site last night, it
appears they're still carrying the bamboo puer though I am not sure if it's
the same year or batch that I bought.

I wish I could be more exact for you about the difference in the taste/smell
of the two...I jsut didn't happen to be paying attention when I was drinking
the bamboo. If I can find another chunk someplace I'll give it a comparison
and let you know in more detail what I think. I don't care for smoky in tea
in general except once in a while, so I know it wasn't smoky to me.

Melinda- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Just as an aside, the small bamboo from Yunnan Toucha is being sold in
ITC, Berkeley for $30.00pc. (cooked and raw).
Shen