xDustinx wrote:
> I normally rotate all the teas I have, so: Darjeeling Puttabong 1st
> Flush, Golden Monkey, Golden Needle, Green Mate, Ooooh Darjeeling, Pi
> Lo Chun Select, and Wen Shan Bao Zhong. I've been a little
> dissapointed with the Puttabong, which I got a month or two ago.
> I'm also a little dissapointed with the Bao Zhong, which I just
> receieved. Not as flavorful as the Bao Zhong I've had before, with
> almost no flavor on the second infusion. I just finished a Tung Ting
> Jade Oolong which was delicious. Fortunately I have some Bao Zhong and
> 2nd Flush Darjeeling on the way that promises to be better than my
> recent tea experiences.

I have been trying to improve my technique with lightly roasted Anxi
and Taiwanese oolongs, and finding a lot to like about the Taiwanese
ones (which I get from Hou De, mostly). I also recently branched out
into pu'er in a big way, and I'm participating in a tasting of Wuyi
yancha too, which I'm only about halfway through. The tasting has been
a real education. I asked my coffee-drinking philistine wife to help
me with it and to my delight she's really gotten into it.

One thing about the Anxi oolongs. I bought all of them (I have
probably six or seven different sorts, in varying quantities) in
wholesale markets in China. I love the taste, but compared to Formosa
tea, the leaves just look like crap when unfolded, all chewed up. I
don't know if this is a grade thing or a result of machine harvesting,
and it would be great if someone can fill me in.

So: does anyone have a recommendation for a truly high-grade
tieguanyin, that is made to the same standards as Taiwanese gaoshancha?
Available online please.

Dom thanks for starting this thread. Your enthusiasm is infectious.

Also I'd like to thank Mike Petro publicly for his incredible website.