OK Michael, quit teasing ;-)

Tell us more about this 30 year old black, and the cool local shop. I
am culture challenged in that my little town offers nothing beyond
teabag peddlers. Hence my affinity for online sources... The nearest
Chinatown is about 800 miles and the nearest Asian community is about
60 miles away but they offer little more that just an Asian market and
teabag style puerh. Whenever I travel I always go out of my way to
visit tea shops when I can. When I lived in Somerset MA I would go
into Boston's Chinatown but never had a lot of luck finding the really
good stuff.

I would appreciate any local shop recommendations, particularly those
that know about puerh, that RFDT readers could offer. Maybe I can work
one of them in to my next vacation...



On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 11:10:30 GMT, Michael Plant >
wrote:

>Ole /2/04
>
>>> BTW, I'm drinking Bamboo Fragrance Green Pu-erh. (Some might
>>> say, "uncooked pu-erh.") Very very nice. From Silk Road Tea. There,
>>> that's for relevance.
>>>
>> Did Pu-erh just once, and it was - eh - very special. Don't expect much
>> from the local teastore anyway. Later this month I'll start online shopping,
>> so perhaps I'll find something out there.
>
>Yes, I think in the case of Pu-erh you especially want to get quality. I
>recommend -- not that you asked me -- starting with a vendor you can talk
>with -- by e-mail at least -- and discuss the specific qualities of the
>teas. This afternoon I drank a thirty year old "cooked" pu-erh, which was a
>wonderful tea. One of its special qualities was that in the first few
>"steeps" it was earthy and bold. Around the fourth steep it started to
>become sweeter and sweeter without losing the earthiness; more balance and
>style came in later, in other words. BTW, this is a tea from a local
>merchant who doesn't sell beyond her little shop and tea drinking place.
>Pu-erhs of this quality are available from many places. Mike Petro, Livio,
>and others can guide you to European vendors. Hope you find a good one for
>yourself.
>
>I'm drinking Wu Dong Bai Yie Dan Cong this morning and I feel as though I've
>been forged and reborn. I'm listening to Zaire popular music from 30 years
>ago. This is, as many know and all should, the best music the world has yet
>produced. It goes perfectly with Phoenix Oolongs of any stripe.
>
>Michael


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply