Have you ever considered how an age puerh tea evolves over time? What would constitute as a benchmark in the performance of an age puerh tea at different stages of its maturity? As a puerh tea enthusiast and collector, how you see this playing out will greatly influence how you approach the selection of puerh tea for enjoyment and storage. The charts below capture 4 general scenarios in the most basic form. What is true, false … possible or unrealistic? These are some of the beliefs and perceptions from puerh enthusiasts that I have come across.     Chart 1: The chart shows a tea t ..read more

1990s Wild Brick sheng/raw puerh comprised of big leaves HK storage   Updated notes will appear hear ..read more

  1970s Liu An Sun Yishun   With the New Year 2024 just around the corner I wanted to fulfil a request from amongst the old Liu An tea enthusiasts. I am appreciative to all your support and even badgering :) As promised, a second chance for those who previously missed out or want to add to their depleting stock.   The offer is limited to one 1970s Liu An Sun Yishun Basket and valid whilst stock last. Samples are available in 3 sizes.  Small Sample 30g US$150 US$240 Medium Sample 60g US$300 US$480 Large Sample 120g US$600 US$960 Contact me at varatphong@yahoo.com   The ..read more

Opening of Old (Red Stamp) Fuzhuan Bricks Tea truly is a wonder and when blessed with time … magic happens. Appearances can be deceiving and despite the leaf material appearing simple and coarse I find this to be seriously good age tea. I am a fan of old Fuzhuan and today’s opening and early tasting of both bricks has strengthened my appreciation. The aroma from both bricks is amazing. After being sealed for over a decade the concentrated aroma took over the whole room. The sweet and spicy scent of old Fu cha is distinctive and memorable. Drinking good age tea imparts a sense of well-being ..read more

   Old (Red Stamp) Fuzhuan Bricks The category of age tea is an illustrious one, comprising some of the rarest and most unique tea, highly prized for both the history and value they represent. In the last 3 decades age tea has enthuse the tea market with fervor and excitement, appealing to everyday tea enthusiasts, aficionados, tea collectors as well as investors. Amidst a limited and dwindling stock buyers would compete against rising prices, culminating in auction houses displaying some of the most sought after and expensive antique teacakes. To satisfy demand the age tea market ..read more

Airing Out Puerh Tea – The Tradeoff For most puerh tea drinker airing out is used for dealing with problematic tea. Damp tea, bad smelling tea, tea that requires awakening, all these conditions can benefit from a dose of airing out. The practice involves exposing the tea to external elements. A teacake (or chunks of a broken teacake) is typically laid on a dish and left out in the open air. It is a common practice that is widely used however it is important to understand the risk and tradeoff that takes place.   Airing out promotes 2 main activities, namely dissipation and oxidation. Wh ..read more

  The Art of Gong Fu Tea   There is much diversity within the world of puerh tea and we should not attempt to utilize the same brewing parameters across the board. Mastery in the art of Gong Fu tea is about coaxing out and bringing to the fore the individuality and best characteristics from each respective tea. To do this you must be able to assess and understand the tea in front of you. Identifying the best practice for a given tea requires a degree of familiarity before formulating how best to utilize the different variations in water/temperature/steeping time within the ideal brew ..read more

  I have fond memories of my time in Hong Kong. During the early 2000s the port city was buzzing with energy and the tea trade was lively. Sadly much has changed since China decided to enforce their authority in the region leading to countless protests and riots. The Covid-19 crisis would add further hardship to the city that has fallen on hard times. My early years of exploring HK were exciting. It was a period of discovery and sensory indulgence that extended to both the tea and the local delicacies. I discovered my love for HK traditional (wet) storage and the many variations offered b ..read more

Handcrafted small batch of traditional Hung Shui Dong Ding   We are living in the midst of high energy prices, and as a consequence the simple pleasure of enjoying a cup of Hung Shui Dong Ding feels like an extravagance. The warm and soothing effect that is the signature of this classic Taiwanese oolong requires a prolonged roasting that extends for over 20 hours. Revisiting this 2008 Hung Shui I am reminded of my love for this old classic. However the tea session also leaves me feeling anxious for the future as many newer versions have been disappointing. Tougher economic conditions c ..read more

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