Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Mydnight
 
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Default The 2005 crop.

This goes for Tie Guan Yin and some of the crop of longjing.

It has been told to me by several shop bosses and people in the
business that the 2005 crop of tea isn't very good due to the poor
weather conditions this spring (cold and rainy). I have tried the 2005
Xi Hu Longjing, and although it isn't as crisp as the 2004 spring tea,
it's quite acceptable and nice.

The 2005 Tie Guan Yin will be picked around the first of May, but
preliminary sampling has concluded that the crop isn't as good as last
year. Due to my lack of Chinese understanding of farming jargon, I
couldn't understand exactly what "not as good" means, but I'm sure it
has to do with the overall taste and 'hui gan' and 'kou gan'.

Has anyone else heard this?

  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
Kanaires
 
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I've heard the same through a Japanese reviwer, commenting that the 2005
Shi-fen Long Jing is of lower quality than that of last years.

I also believe that the 2005 Taiwan spring oolongs are affected by heavy
frosts in the early spring, which considerably lowered yield. Some stores
are actually refiring last year's production and marketing it this years'.


  #3 (permalink)   Report Post  
Kanaires
 
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I've heard the same through a Japanese reviwer, commenting that the 2005
Shi-fen Long Jing is of lower quality than that of last years.

I also believe that the 2005 Taiwan spring oolongs are affected by heavy
frosts in the early spring, which considerably lowered yield. Some stores
are actually refiring last year's production and marketing it this years'.


  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
Mydnight
 
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Indeed. I was talking with a dealer last week and he tried to sell me
some "chun cha" (spring tea) Tie Guan Yin; which, firstly was
impossible due to it hasn't been picked yet and secondly the smell was
quite unfresh. It was the autumn pick of TGY that he was trying to
pawn off as the new (xin) cha.

Taiwan tea won't be as bad due to the fact that it is grown and picked
4 times a year whereas the TYG crop is only done twice.

  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
Gyorgy Sajo
 
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"Mydnight" > skrev i en meddelelse
oups.com...
> Indeed. I was talking with a dealer last week and he tried to sell me
> some "chun cha" (spring tea) Tie Guan Yin; which, firstly was
> impossible due to it hasn't been picked yet and secondly the smell was
> quite unfresh. It was the autumn pick of TGY that he was trying to
> pawn off as the new (xin) cha.


I am very confused. Kam from www.funalliance.com has just informed me that
all of their teas are fresh crops from this year, and I had asked him
specifically about their Ti Guan Yin King! Am I being cheated?

Gyorgy




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Mydnight
 
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>From my understanding, the first of this year's TYG isn't picked until
around May 1. I'm not sure if they grow TYG in Taiwan, or if he is
getting his stuff from another source, but I'd be wary about it.

The spring teas that I know of that's been picked are Longjing, Pu'er,
and some of the other greens.

  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
pilo_
 
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hi all - anyone else been a little less than
overwhelmed with the new '05 greens?

i've only tried two so far - an emperor long jing
and some melon seed. my enthusiasm is well
under control so far......................................p*
  #8 (permalink)   Report Post  
Melinda
 
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Hi Pilo, glad to hear your input as I know you're a green fan too...

I am drinking melon seed right now but I have no previous experience with
the type to judge. Not a lot of help, sorry. FWIW, the only type of tea I've
had this spring so far that smelled particularly good to me was the Emperor
Long Jing from Teaspring. But it didn't smell as strongly as the Snow Monkey
I got from Holy Mountain at Christmas, though the Emperor did have more
depth to it's scent, in my opinion, that made up for it.

Melinda

--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it." ::smiles::

We're a knowledgeable family." -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter


>
> hi all - anyone else been a little less than
> overwhelmed with the new '05 greens?
>
> i've only tried two so far - an emperor long jing
> and some melon seed. my enthusiasm is well
> under control so far......................................p*



  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
SEb
 
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I am very well satisfied with the mei jia wu and shi feng long jing
that we got 2 weeks ago. And, yesterday we got the first pick premium
dong ting bi luo chun and well it is good!

SEb



pilo_ wrote:
> hi all - anyone else been a little less than
> overwhelmed with the new '05 greens?
>
> i've only tried two so far - an emperor long jing
> and some melon seed. my enthusiasm is well
> under control so far......................................p*


  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
SEb
 
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Gyorgy,

Our anxi supplier/friend told us that picking for TGY will start in
May. So, it is quite impossible to get spring TGY for now. But you can
get some Huang Jin Gui though and other Se Zhong.



  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
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Concur with Seb (below). This is as good a place as any to place a couple
notes. "Shi Feng Long Jing High Mountain Aged Tree" from Jing Tea Shop is
complex and curious. Leaf is deep green, with imperfections in manufacture
that suggest human hands at work. The liquor color is yellow, the leaves
sink slowly, some more immediately than others. Aroma is that of vegitation,
grass, roasting duck (sic), all this quite pronounced off the wet leaf, and
more gently from the cup. Taste follows. Aftertaste is startling in its
sweet ting, perhaps in the first and second steeps too startling and
slightly disassociated/separated from the rest of the profile. (I speak here
of the sweet quality.) Aftertaste/finish balance out more naturally in the
third and fourth steep, the ting remains -- a "citrus" note? -- and the
aroma, while less complex, is still very much there. This is a curious tea
with complexity, style, and will be a positive addition to anyone's Long
Jing collection this year. I don't know yet what Seb charges for this. It is
among the most complex Long Jings I've experienced ever.

Seb, more details to follow off-group. I also drank your MJW LJ HMAT, but
won't comment in any detail until I've given it a second try, hopefully
later today. It was the better formed of the two, and the more delicate all
around. Morning, however is my tea tasting time, and to do justice to any
subtlety it has, I'll need to approach it earlier. Please do respond to my
comments here though on the Shi Feng. Also, what's this "High Mountain Aged
Tree" thing? I never heard of aged tree associated with Long Jing, but
maybe we're looking at the primordial trees of Long Jing manufacture. Please
tell us more.

BTW, as you've all undoubtedly guessed, I've got samples from Seb and Jing.

Michael


4/25/05


> I am very well satisfied with the mei jia wu and shi feng long jing
> that we got 2 weeks ago. And, yesterday we got the first pick premium
> dong ting bi luo chun and well it is good!
>
> SEb
>
>
>
> pilo_ wrote:
>> hi all - anyone else been a little less than
>> overwhelmed with the new '05 greens?
>>
>> i've only tried two so far - an emperor long jing
>> and some melon seed. my enthusiasm is well
>> under control so far......................................p*

>


  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
Gyorgy Sajo
 
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Thank you (and Mydnight) for clearing it up for me. I have confronted Kam
with your replies, and he admitted that he was wrong and has already
corrected his site, including an apology for the misinformation. Now he
announces that the new TGY will be out May 10th. Does it sound more
reasonable?

Gyorgy

"SEb" > skrev i en meddelelse
oups.com...
> Gyorgy,
>
> Our anxi supplier/friend told us that picking for TGY will start in
> May. So, it is quite impossible to get spring TGY for now. But you can
> get some Huang Jin Gui though and other Se Zhong.
>



  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
SEb
 
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Default

Michael,

> Please do respond to my comments here though on the Shi Feng. Also,

what's
> this "High Mountain Age Tree" thing? I never heard of aged tree

associated > with Long Jing, but maybe we're looking at the primordial
trees of Long Jing > manufacture. Please tell us more.

The aged tree of Long Jing is for those old trees that are growing on
the high mountain, which are several decades years old. These type of
Long Jing trees can grow pretty tall, some of them can be higher than a
human being. So the local tea farmer call them aged tree. Some of the
aged trees would be cut at some point due to some reasons such as,
blocking the main path to the mountain, plant diseases and insect
pests...for the ones that got cut, the local tea farmer will call them
"aged tree with new bush". Normally, 5 years after, the harvest of the
"aged tree with new bush" will be sold for an expensive price as the
original tea tree.

Also because of their location is very hard for the tea farmer to
fertilize, They get their food and drink all by themselves, pure
organic tea. So the harvest from the aged trees are quite limited and
the leaves look thinner and weaker than the young trees that are
planting at the low mountain or tea gardens. Their appearance is not as
fine as the younger ones. However, the taste of the tea is more pure,
mellow, the fragrance is more subtle but real. And the other thing is
they are heavier than the younger and fertilized trees.

Hope this can explain a little bit.

Jing

  #14 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
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Default

4/27/05


> Michael,
>
>> Please do respond to my comments here though on the Shi Feng. Also,

> what's
>> this "High Mountain Age Tree" thing? I never heard of aged tree

> associated > with Long Jing, but maybe we're looking at the primordial
> trees of Long Jing > manufacture. Please tell us more.
>
> The aged tree of Long Jing is for those old trees that are growing on
> the high mountain, which are several decades years old. These type of
> Long Jing trees can grow pretty tall, some of them can be higher than a
> human being. So the local tea farmer call them aged tree. Some of the
> aged trees would be cut at some point due to some reasons such as,
> blocking the main path to the mountain, plant diseases and insect
> pests...for the ones that got cut, the local tea farmer will call them
> "aged tree with new bush". Normally, 5 years after, the harvest of the
> "aged tree with new bush" will be sold for an expensive price as the
> original tea tree.
>
> Also because of their location is very hard for the tea farmer to
> fertilize, They get their food and drink all by themselves, pure
> organic tea. So the harvest from the aged trees are quite limited and
> the leaves look thinner and weaker than the young trees that are
> planting at the low mountain or tea gardens. Their appearance is not as
> fine as the younger ones. However, the taste of the tea is more pure,
> mellow, the fragrance is more subtle but real. And the other thing is
> they are heavier than the younger and fertilized trees.
>
> Hope this can explain a little bit.
>
> Jing
>



Jing,

Yes, it definitely does. Thanks. This is quite different of course from what
a farmer in Yunnan would mean regarding a large Yunnan leaf tree destined to
become Pu'erh. Up to now, I had thought that the area around West Lake was
flat, so the idea of mountain is new to me in this context. Just how high is
the high mountain aged tree grown?

Also, I would hope that the trees, having proved that they don't need
fertilizers, would be left alone even if the farmers could get the chemicals
to them. That is, I would hope that it isn't just the inconvenience that
stops the farmer from adding chemicals.

Michael

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