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Mike 6/23/05

>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>> [Mike Petro]
>>> BTW, I use about 6 different yixing pots that are each dedicated to a
>>> different genre of puerh. Every one of them came from an online vendor
>>> residing in China. (Just to get back on topic somewhat)
>>
>> [Michael]
>> I'm really interested in this as I have two teapots dedicated to Pu'erh, one
>> to cooked, and one to young uncooked. The old uncooked Pu'erhs I drink from
>> gaiwans only. Please tell us your breakdown and how you arrived at it. I
>> have YiXings for different types of tea, but it hadn't occurred to me to
>> have multiples for Pu'erh.
>
> Well here is the spread and my reasoning.
>
> 1) A cool artistic wood-like pot for everyday Shu Puerh. Obtained from
> Michael Ryan. It is my second favorite pot so I use it on my second
> most consumed tea.

And a mighty fine pot it is too. You will recall that I saw it last year.
The pictures on Ryan's site made it look stupid -- to me, folks; a personal
opinion here -- but in the flesh, -- or should I say in the clay -- it
looked just right, and I like it.

> 2) A pot-bellied version of that same pot for well aged Shu Puerh.
> Obtained from Michael Ryan. Not sure that it matters or not but 20 year
> old Shu puerhs get their own pot.

Hmmmmmmm. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I no longer bother with 20 year old shu poos
unless I get a sample.

> 3) A traditional styled wide bellied pot for everyday Sheng Puerh, I
> got this one from a friend in Kunming, it is the best pot I own hence I
> dedicated it to the puerh I drink the most. It has the fastest, most
> perfect, pour of any pot I own. The clay is allegedly zhuni grade B and
> it is the work of a known Pottery Master's shop although not made by
> the Master himself.

Pictures, please. I'll bet they are alreasdy on your web site. Just point
the way.

> 4) A pot that looks very similar to #3 but does not function nearly as
> well, it doesn't pour as well and it clogs easily. I use it for
> adolescent Sheng Puerh, that is puerh in the 10-18 year range. It is
> sufficiently different enough from young sheng but is still nowhere
> near as smooth as well aged.

Ah, so you actually have an adolescent Sheng pot. That's the one I probably
miss, although, up to now, I've been using a gaiwan for these.

> 5) A small pot not much bigger than a walnut, about 40ml, that I used
> for aged puer 20 years+. I got this one from Jing Teashop, while it is
> not a Master potters work by any means it is perfect for those very
> expensive aged puerhs. Just the right size to get good steeps out of
> 2-3g of leaf.

That's what I'm looking for, and unfortunately haven't found as yet. Could
we see pictures, and/or could you describe it further? I think, of all the
vendors, Jing Tea Shop has what are for me the best gaiwans, far and away.
Seb if you're listening, save me two of those new ones with the fisher
fellow in cobalt blue, as well as a couple cups of the same size I had
ordered from you previously. [Buried message here to see if Seb and Jing
read my brilliant interspersions on rfdt.]

> 6) I have another pot that I got from James Bana at Pu-erhtea.com that
> I use for Bamboo Puerhs. They are different enough to warrant their own
> pot.

On that topic, regarding the latest canes we've been talking about and
exploring elsewhere, could you talk more about the "bamboo" quality, which,
it struck me soundly a couple days ago, was a *very* powerful element. If
that was in fact the case, I'm not sure I'm all that fond of a "bamboo"
taste component other than the quieter, less intrusive, and more integrated
and balanced versions. What say you?

Michael