Photo Set – 1980s Menghai Tea Factory (Old Ripe)

 

A different level of ripe puerh tea.

 

TOP TIPS: Starting a Puerh Tea Collection

 
A collection of old teas

20th Anniversary Celebration & Giveaways

 

Full teacakes and bricks giveaway with your purchases.

20 years is a long time but looking back time really does fly when you are doing something you love. In 2000 I became immersed in the world of puerh and age tea. It became a single-minded pursuit that opened up a new world, taking me on the path of a deeply fulfilling journey that created amazing memories, opportunities and experiences. As I approach my 20th year as an avid tea collector and trader I am celebrating this landmark by making further additions to the FREE TEA SAMPLES CATALOG.  To mark this momentous occasion I am giving away full teacakes and bricks from famous brands and regions such as Menghai Tea Factory, Douji, Wisteria Tea House, Essence of Tea, Yiwu, Gua Feng Zhai, and (+-) 20yo age teas. Each item can be identified and assessed by their respective photos. For those with a sharp eye for age and quality, this is a great opportunity to seek out your tea treasures.

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Through the Lens - Photo Collection 1

Appreciating the visual beauty of the tea leaf. A close up look at the beauty and transformation of various type/category of tea from different regions, at varying maturity of age, induced fermentation under the process of production and subsequent storage.

1990s CNNP 7581 Brick

“7581” classic ripe puerh tea from Kunming Tea Factory.

The different batches of 7581 produced can be hit and miss when it comes to quality. I find this particular batch to be one of the better ones. The age is noticeable making for a considerably more refined and pleasant experience. I enjoyed the touch of sweetness and creaminess in the brew. This is enhanced by a pleasing soft mouth feel and clean characteristics. Notes of talcum, Chinese medicine, soft wood a hint of minerality and earthy tones make up this well balanced brew. Drinking this tea feels pleasantly soothing and comforting on the body.

Educational Series - Comparative Tasting of Old & New Ripe Puerh Tea

Gong Ting (aka Golden Needle) is a special grade of RIPE that contains a high content of buds. Only select batches of ripe puerh tea is made in this way. The light brown shimmering on the teacake represents small buds that give a unique appearance to this special grade of ripe puerh tea. LEFT: 2010 Golden Needle White Lotus Menghai TF RIGHT: 1990s CNNP Private Production Gong Ting

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!

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2010 Golden Needle White Lotus Ripe (Menghai Tea Factory)

The Golden Needle White Lotus (GNWL) series represent a line of premium ripe puerh produced by Menghai Tea Factory. The production can be traced back to the 1990s when GNWL was initially sold as loose leaf tea. This would later change in 2005 when the leaves were compressed into 200g mini teacakes. Subsequent years have seen the GNWL retain its compressed form with the size of the teacake being increased to the more standard 357g weight as represented by this 2010 version.

1990s Puerh Tea Brick (Ripe) - Xiaguan Tea Factory

Food Pairings – Crispy Pork Belly w/ Age Ripe Puerh

  

 Magic happens when fatty porky goodness meets age ripe puerh tea.

Roasting the 2010 Menghai Hong Yun Puerh Teacake

 

The 2010 Menghai Hong Yun is a ripe tea that is compressed into100g mini teacakes. Inset: Roasting requires constant motion of tossing and turning to keep the little chunks of tea from burning.

Mixed Drinks - Ripe Puerh Tea w/ Honey

Whilst I am a purist at heart, in life there are exceptions and the combination of ripe puerh tea and honey (+ milk is optional) is so delicious and comforting I will happily accept a cup to slowly sip and savor. If you have a sweet tooth and you enjoy ripe puerh tea I highly recommend giving this a try. Additionally it is a great way to introduce ripe puerh to new tea drinkers. The honey sweetness provides a familiar note that most people can relate to and makes ripe puerh tea much more approachable for the uninitiated.

Brewing a cup of ripe puerh tea from an age Gong Ting teacake. The pollen from the honey gives the tea an orange hue. Be sure to brew the tea stronger if you decide to add milk.

Food Pairings – Shellfish Omelet w/ Ripe Puerh Tea

The name of the Thai food stall Nai Mong Hoi Thod translates to "Mr Mong's Fried Shellfish". The signature dishes are the oyster omelet (middle) and the mussel omelet (right). For those with an eye for detail you may notice my blue thermo in the background. A hot steaming cup of ripe puerh tea together with Mr Mong's fried shellfish omelets is a match made in heaven!

1990s Ying Kee (Old Tin Carton)

This tea was given to me by a friend over the weekend. It is an old tin carton containing loose leaf puerh tea from Ying Kee Tea House based in Hong Kong. The tea has been kept for what is believed to be well over 10 years… its history, original ownership, date of purchased, etc long forgotten with the passage of time. As my friend has a preference for other types of tea I became the fortunate recipient of this tea.

2003 Chienyun Red Dayi Ripe (Menghai Tea Factory) - NA

The Menghai Tea Factory is the standard bearer for ripe puerh tea. Menghai is one of two factories that pioneered the production of ripe puerh and first introduced the tea to the market in the early 1970s. Over the decades Menghai Tea Factory have established a reputation for producing reliable to exceptional aged vintages of quality ripe puerh. Since the start of their operations Menghai remains the biggest and most reputable factory in China and internationally for ripe puerh tea.

A Note on Menghai Tea Factory

In the following weeks I will be posting a number of teas from the Menghai Tea Factory. Before I begin with the teas I feel it is important that I provide a brief introduction on this famous tea factory.