Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Tea Session – 1980s Menghai Tea Factory (No Cover)

 
This 1980s teacake was obtained from Taiwan. The period touches on the trade friction between China and Taiwan following the historical conflict that saw both embroiled in a Civil War. Traders in Taiwan resorted to sneaking in Chinese goods by removing any obvious labels that could be traced back to the mainland. This puerh teacake and many others during the period would as a result have their outside cover removed as they were transported.

1980s Menghai Tea Factory productions are rare and the top batches command a small fortune at tea auctions. Whilst this teacake does not represent the best from the period it is a very decent example of an old Menghai tea and is still very expensive. I decided to add this tea to the - Free Tea Samples Catalog - to celebrate the start of 2019 and the launch of the new catalog. The teacake is not overly wet stored and retain sparks of liveliness amidst a dominant dark and age character. Despite its age the tea remains potent, possessing a certain vigor. It is these traits and the proven age worthiness from the lineage that makes the old production under Menghai Tea Factory (before the 2004 takeover) popular amongst tea collectors invested in long term storage.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

2019 New Section - FREE TEA SAMPLES

GET MORE TEAS WITH YOUR ORDER

I am excited to introduce the Tea Samples Catalog to the blog. As a tea lover I have always enjoyed having access to new teas and collecting new experiences to cultivate and improve my understanding of tea. I hope to deliver both under this section and add greater value to tea enthusiasts who make their purchases here. The highlights include tea from Menghai Tea Factory, Wisteria Tea House, Yang Qing Hao, Douji, Essence of Tea and many more.

Starting 2019 I am making available these teas that come from a part of my collection. The list below is an assembly of various teas from my many trips to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore in addition to online ventures spanning almost 20 years. There is a wide and diverse range of teas to be found. As I bring more out from storage new installments will appear. There are some real gems in the mix. If you have a sharp eye combine with a good sense for spotting good teas you can add considerably more to your tea order. Have fun discovering new teas!