the_skua

2008 Xiaguan "Golden 8100" from Xiaguan Tuocha Co. Ltd.

the_skua drank 2008 Xiaguan "Golden 8100" by Xiaguan Tuocha Co. Ltd.

Cleaning out the sample closet, I polished off this example recently. My opinion of this tea has declined even further. The interior of the cake is really rough and finely chopped. The first few steeps are cloudy! A touch sour, with a bit of ash, and some aged mesquite bark. A yellow color, thankfully, but heavy on the forward and back bitterness. The more pu’er I drink, the less interested I become in these heavily cut, strongly processed big factory names.

2010-09-24 09:31:29 -0400

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deftea 2010-10-01 18:35:06 -0400

Usually I wouldn’t remark on a tea I didn’t like. But I realize now how helpful a negative review can be to others. Thanks for this as well as your other puerh reviews.

the_skua 2010-10-05 20:37:59 -0400

I try to stay away from being needlessly negative, but think it’s important that positive reviews are balanced with negative ones. The scores do add up and it helps the cream rise to the top. Plus, there are so many teas to choose from, I find negative reviews very helpful to steer away from things I may not want to direct my monies at.

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Exploring the world of fine Chinese and Japanese teas, my favorites include: sheng pu’er, moderately roasted oolongs, gyokuro, shincha, and high quality, artisanal whites and greens. I don’t subscribe to any particular style of brewing, but incorporate elements from traditional techniques to brew the best tea possible. I also seek to share the joy that tea brings me with others, but am really rather introverted.