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Michael Plant

6/24/06

> [Michael] And yesterday I saw pictures of several cakes over 150 years
> old.
>
> [Jing] Cakes? I thought that the cakes were started to be produced
> during the very late of the Qing Dynasty to "Min Guo (started from
> 1912)", before that, puerh tea was a tribute tea that was consumed by
> the royal familly only. And, the shape was the "Jin Gua (gold melon)"
> like shape that were made by puerh tea buds. Those only two pieces of
> Qing Dynasty tribute "Jin Gua" that are still avaiable in the museume
> now are barely 120 year old...I wonder what are the cakes on the
> pictures that you saw? Thanks!

I think it *was* tribute tea and in the melon form at that. I used
the word "cake" too loosely. Sorry. I'll get more specific information
Tuesday and pass it on to you.
>
> About the Keemun, yes! You can keep it for a couple of years without
> any problem. The liquor will become very smooth and its signature
> fruity (mature apple flavor for me) flavor is still yielding...However,
> if you want to store a red tea for aging, the Wuyi Zheng Shan Xiao
> Zhong (lapsang souchong) would be a better choice. Just try one from
> 1994 today, it was still very tasty...even it is a "lower grading
> (bigger leaves)" one. Slightly smoky hint with its typical dry fruit
> flavor, yummie!

Jing, are we talking about WuYi improvement or just
minimal degradation? I really like several 20 or so
year old WuYi teas I've drunk lately, a Ti Lohan
especially. Very nice, and quite different from its
newly made counterpart.

Michael