looking for pu'erh recs

All right, so I’m planning ahead this year. I am planning on just a handful of tea purchases this year, and I really don’t know how to buy pu’erh tea. So I’m looking for recommendations for a purchase I’ll probably make sometime in February.

So, I’ve tried a few low end shus by now, and um… They all taste to me like hay or dirt, which I’m told means they’re stale and not a good example of the tea. I want to try the ones that taste like dates, molasses and fruit. Are there any low-to-mid-range ones out there? I’m not interested in anything rare or super expensive. I want middle-range decent.

Same with sheng, so I guess… I’m looking mainly for new-ish ones that don’t cost too much but are already okay to drink.

I probably won’t buy a ton of this because I still haven’t had any I like, but I want to try something that’s good before I completely write it off.

21 Replies

Oh, and I’m likely to relegate myself to white2tea and Yunnan Sourcing, at least for the next year until I know what I’m doing. Unless there’s an unusually compelling reason to go elsewhere, like a big sale.

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AllanK said

While I highly recommend White2Tea and Yunnan Sourcing my favorite ripe puerh is available through the EBay seller Berylleb King Tea. It is the 2008 Song of Chi Tse
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2008-Yunnan-Menghai-Dayi-Song-Chi-Tse-Ripe-Pu-er-Tea-Free-Shipping-/221826038916?var=&hash=item793c02f33a

Cool, thanks.

AllanK said

I should note that Yunnan Sourcing also sells this tea, however they call it something else. You would have to match the wrapper if you want to buy it from Yunnan Sourcing. I forget what they call it.

I could email and ask too. Good to know either way.

mrmopar said

It is listed as "2008 MENGHAI QI ZI ZHI GE RIPE " on YS’s site. Should be the first Menghai tea in the ripe 2008 section.

Thanks, I see.

mrmopar said

Anytime you need to find any puerh let me know. I keep up with a lot of it, pricing, fakes that people are trying to sell as well.

AllanK said

Another ripe I recommend is any year production of Dayi’s Golden Needle White Lotus. It is about their highest grade ripe. Try to get one a few years old so the fermentation will have mellowed a bit. They are often faked. If you find one online and suspect it is a fake ask Mr Mopar, he is good at spotting fakes.

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AllanK said

Oh, you may not like my other recommendation, for raw puerh Misty Peaks tea is excellent. Yes there has been some controversy but they produce consistently good young sheng. They would also probably send you a free sample if you contacted them.

Heh, yeah, I have a sample or two on hand from them, but am unlikely to spend any money there in the future.

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mrmopar said

Allank and myself can recommend some good things. When you get some good shou you will really note the difference. If you want follow Allan and myself and you can message us if you need help.
Check the puerh thread out as it has some good notes in it.

Done! I thought I was already following you both, but apparently not.

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Rasseru said

I have bought on these guys recommendations and I have been happy (with sheng – I still dont like shou so much)

The misty peaks autumn is nice, as is the White2tea ‘2 late..’ as is the YS Huang Shan Gu shu, this is coming from someone with little sheng experience but lots of Oolong.. & trying to buy good easy examples of it – all bought from recommendations from these guys

Good to know, thanks.

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Rich select said

I’d highly recommend the Green Miracle shu from Yunnan Sourcing. It is well priced and high quality.

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jschergen said

What have you had so far that you haven’t liked? Anything from a pu’erh specialist?

I haven’t liked anything from Verdant or the one I tried from Life in Teacup. Also didn’t like the leathery shu from Whispering Pines. The only one I’ve liked so far is the Ethical Agriculture wild trea one from Tea Setter, but I haven’t tried YS or White2Tea yet, no.

mrmopar said

Yah, I am trying to get her to keep a wishlist…

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Wuyi-Wolf said

Either of the Basics Sets from White2Tea are solid …4 cakes each at 100 grams for 40$ and Free Shipping

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There’s a Pu’er TTB going around. If you got a stash going already (or if the box splits into a pu’er noob box) maybe you can get in next round.

I would just get the basics set from White2tea. Just one, maybe sheng. Grab some samples of other stuff maybe some cheap 2015 cakes since you got free shipping. Then go do another order with the other basics set and get more samples and another round of free shipping.

Mandala tea is quite good too and it be a cheaper amount to sink into as shipping is much cheaper vs. minmaxing your shipping with YS or White2tea.

I’ve heard Cang Jia Shuffle is quite good. Wild monk 2015 is super strong, but you can’t go wrong with their inhouse cakes, sheng or shou. For shou, I’d grab one of the Tea Nuggets (they are cheap! and if you don’t go with Mandala, get them at W2t), Rama Lama Bulang is an excellent deal. If you want to spend less, I’d go with Mandala first to see what else you like.

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