Tea Session - Old (Red Stamp) Fuzhuan Bricks

Opening of Old (Red Stamp) Fuzhuan Bricks

Tea Session - 1980s 1990s OLDIE Collection

 

 

Happy Holidays and my best wishes to all for the upcoming New Year 2021. I could not think of a better way to close out the year than with a tea session and on this fine occasion I am delving into the 1980s-1990s OLDIE Collection. 

Tea Session - 1960s Liubao (HK Storage)

The age appearance of the 1960s Liubao tea

The history of Liubao can be traced back to China’s Qing Dynasty. Many sources credit the production of liubao tea as being the origin for the practice of “wet pile fermentation”. This process would transform the tea’s astringent character through warmth and humidity, inducing a unique course of fermentation that would result in a soft and mellow tea. The process of wet fermentation would later be carried over to puerh tea and altered leading to the production and emergence of ripe puerh tea in the early 1970s.

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.

Tea Session - 1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Making inroads into this hefty 1970s Fu brick (3kg) reveals a higher concentration of Golden Flowers (aka Jin Hua). This mold is responsible for giving Fu tea much of its unique character.

Tips for a Tea Session - The Usefulness of Huang Pian

Huang pian consists of lower grade large tea leaves that are broken, yellow and at times not too well processed. For this reason the humble huang pian is often overlooked by tea enthusiasts but this soft and mild mannered tea has many practical uses that can contribute towards the greater appreciation of tea.

Experimenting with Water – Discussion

For those interested in reading more on others experiences with different sources of water I recommend going to Teachat’s forum on this topic – Experimenting with Water. The exchange gets heated at times and covers broad and wide ranging opinions and practices by passionate tea enthusiasts. It is a fun and informative read for tea lovers with an interest to experiment and with the goal towards getting the utmost from their tea session.

Healing Sounds that Touches the Soul by Drukmo Gyal Dakini

 

This young lady Drukmo Gyal Dakini creates beautiful music that is a part of traditional Tibetan culture that uses sounds to heal. The sounds are unique and leave a powerful impression on the body and mind. It is a wonderful accompaniment to meditation and to a tea session.