Category Archives: The Junky’s Log

One Good Puerh

Posted on by Yang-chu
31 May

One Good Puerh deserves another.  hahahaha. Yesterday’s experience with the Bada had me promptly decide to check on the ’12 Dragon, CMS.  There’s a whole five-year difference between the two.  Still, they bear some similar qualities, referenced in the missive linked above.  Amidst the welter of the past year, the Puerh Junky seems to recall that the Dragon has been in his possession for a year now, perhaps slightly less.

I guess One Good Puerh is about being able to make calls about where a production is going as much as where it is.  At 500g the Dragon is a decent value provided one’s in storing and aging.  It’s certainly getting better, thicker and sweeter.  It’s lasting longer too.  Over the three days, there are moments where vanilla is starting to express.  It maintains its sweetness even as it pushes into more astringent territory.  The storage on it is very good with no detracting notes to be detected.

Then there’s that grapefruit.  It’s a certifiable Yiwu sensation, but Bada is Menghai so it’s not confined to Yiwu.  Furthermore, certainly not all Yiwu is grapefruit, thank God.  I went to the Dragon because the Bada started going grapefruit in later infusions.  I wanted to compare the two.  It’s an interesting comparison, not off mark.  There are clear differences of course.  These may be mostly attributable to age, but there’s not even a hint of copper in the Dragon.  Furthermore, the Dragon is pure Zen whereas the Bada Peacock expresses an aged Zen like a vanilla confection.

The Dragon has bling factor.  It comes from a bling factory.  In some sense I reckon it to be in league with YPH.  They’re both highly regarded Yiwu factories.  This is not contradicted in my own findings.  The best production that I’ve ever tasted is CMS. That tea is perfection, though the thought of it turns my stomach.  It’s just plain weird and perfection.  A horrible aroma, not wet-stored.  It smells as it would taste horrible, but it doesn’t.  I digress. .  .

I’m quite pleased with the development of the Dragon, CMS at its one-year mark and posted in Feb of 2021.  It certainly lives up to the brand reputation.  Now that the sweetness is really starting to express, it is drinkable now.  At such a huge size, you can also stash a good amount for aging.  Those serious about Yiwu should give this serious consideration.

 

Puerh Update: Bada Peacock

Posted on by Yang-chu
29 May

Kunming TF’s Bada Peacock is rounding into form.  Thought you might like to know.  It has nice sweetness and serious durability.  In previous sessions the Puerh Junky had noted some coppery attributes but these were not noticeable in yesterday’s session.  Could it be the gaiwan?  Time to put it to the test with the workhorse pot.

Not exactly my workhorse pot but quite similar

Dry in the the pot the Bada Peacock smells sweet and camphory.  It’s hard to place the sweetness. . . sugar, honey?  The finish on the sweetness in the taste is definitely sugary.  The camphor does not influence the taste of the broth but does make its presence known in the huigan for a brief interlude before the theme of sugary slickness and vanilla take over.

If this puerh had another name at this phase it would be Vienna Fingers.  That cookie, at least the old-school version, was the bees knees, sweet yet understated.  There are some understated notes that stand out in the huigan long after most all the others fade.  I’ve caught wind that a few have been committed to psychiatric hospitals trying to figure out exactly what those notes are.  I even heard that in a weird time warp twist that could only be attributed to the Mandela effect that Phil Collins had originally written the song as Bada and only changed it to Mama upon the pleading of his producers.  Take a listen and see if you don’t hear him really saying Bada, particularly at the evil cackle part.

Let’s leave ole Phil to his own devices and pick up at the sixth infusion where a bit of grapefruit seed bitterness along with some throatiness emerges.  It maintains a noteworthy thickness.  The minerality picks up too.  The light taste of pennies and grapefruit characterizes the huigan, along with sweetness and coppery astringency.

The sweet grapefruit taste gains steam in the next couple infusions.  Vienna Fingers become but a memory as evocations of a creatively named ’04 Yiwu Arbor from the Gratitude TF in the stash and the ’12 Dragon, CMS come to mind.  The copper notes never express as in yore, whereas the grapefruit seems entirely new.

The Bada Peacock doesn’t fall into either the Tobacco or Floral classes of raw puerh, so that makes it a Zen Class creation by default, unless we’re talking Fruity.  Zen seems about right, though fruity is a possibility.  Zen is a greater possibility, however, as there’s no fruit sensation with the the Bada, only sweetness.

Puerh Junky Harassment!

Posted on by Yang-chu
23 May

Seems Puerh Junky Harassment is omnipresent these days.  Your Puerh Junkyness can’t go anywhere without being hectored by the rabble about my tinning developments.  “Yo PJ!  What’s up with the ’06 Fohai you still haven’t posted?” shouts the bedraggled woman with the big nose and colourful shawl covering her greying hair.  “PJ, hey PJ!  Are you ignoring my texts?  What the word with the Lucky 7542, DQZ you’ve had in clay well nigh two months already?  Why you ghosting me?” read the email from someone in some place called “Topeka.”  Some dude with his eyebrows tattooed, one reading “Puerh” and the other “Junky,” in a pink Dodgers baseball cap in a big red Dodge Ram rolls down his window at a stop light asking, “Hey man, you still got the Water Blue Mark in porcelain?”  How did he know that?!!

I tell ya, it’s getting hectic out there, a real cramp to my Puerh Junky anonymity.

As luck would have it, there is word on a few productions that I can share.  Speaking of luck, lets start with the aforementioned Lucky 7542, DQZ, which has been in zisha since late Feb/early Mar 2021.  If you’ve had occasion to gander this production, you’ll know that there are two storage options avail, wet and proper.  Yes.  If it’s called wet, the storage is the opposite of proper, so the objective of claying it was to do something about the detestable dank oppression.  Findings are highly favourable.

There’s zero dank in the first five infusions.  There’s a nice balance, thickness, and sweetness that didn’t previously exist because the garbage taste was too loud.  It’s about half way seasoned presently, part of the age and nature of 7542 also factoring.  It was set aside for the next day, which produced even more sweetness and pleasantness for an additional 6-8 infusions.  Clay seems to be the very best way to season wet-stored puerhs where they can actually become drinkable.  At six weeks storage give or take, the effects are quite pleasing, sufficient to make it a top-shelf offering for puerh drinkers with fairly high standards.

Since we’re on the topic of clay, it’s worth noting that the ’01 Yiwu Huangpian has received similar treatment but for different reasons.  If I were to guess, it was subjected to a period of heavy wet storage and then a very long period of dry storage.  Upon taste, the Yiwu Huangpian receives high marks for storage and taste but some finishing touches never hurt.  Claying in this case provides volume that takes a good production to the next level.

Oh yeah, the Fohai, 6FTM.  It’s coming along in the tin.  The first couple weeks it was bright, ebullient even in the vein of the Fu or the Bulang Business, which I delisted, as somehow I’m only down to one left.  Anyway, about two weeks I checked in on the Fohai, which is the old name for Menghai, and it’s changed dramatically.  There’s much more petrol, the taste is much more serious in a scotch kinda way, even though I hate scotch and find the petrol vibe far more interesting.  Findings for the Pig, 6FTM have been similarly positive.

Fohai’s Tin

I’ve been letting those productions just have their way in the tins.  I’m not taking pains to manage air exposure, for example.  I am wondering how such measures will influence their root beer potential.  The ’04 Monkey, for example, is in full root beer glory.  It’s never been broken up and all dalliances with it have only involved moving it from one ring of the storage circus to the other– and out from the cursed cardboard, sometime relatively late in the game.   The Monkey has hardcore compression, as do all the 6FTM offerings up til 2010.  The ’11 Rabbit is shockingly agey, with a petrol expression that emerges much later in its tightly pressed predecessors.

I’ve referenced a few unlisted items here. Just touch base if you’re interested in any samples.

Puerh Junky: Feels Ox

Posted on by Yang-chu
19 May

So yesterday, the Puerh Junky settled upon the Ox Tuo after considerable hemming and hawing.  It is the Year of the Ox after all, and any real quandaries should conceivably be resolved though the ox itself.  If, for example, you in your life are having difficulty in making decisions, keeping proper records, or doing the dishes, chances are you’re suffering from Ox deficiency.  Water buffalo or yak won’t do, it’s gotta be ox.  Of course, ox puerh will do. In fact, it’s probably the best antidote for a number of 2021 conundrums.

So, the Puerh Junky unwilling to tempt the fates went for the Ox tuo, something mentioned earlier, but worth reminding you of.  As far as remembering goes, I was reminded of just how doggone tightly pressed this tuo is.  Tuo are notoriously hard pressed.  They’re meant to be chunked.  For cryin’ out loud (as my 6th teacher would say) don’t fleck your tuo.  Your drinking experience will be horrible.  Just get some chunks that are about right, precision here is not the key, and throw them into your brewing vessel.

This is exactly what I, the Puerh Junky, did.  The brewing vessel was porcelain.  A couple sizeable chunks and whatever crumbs all went in.  It seemed like a lot, which it may have been but remember hard-pressed tuo are going to brew differently from your wispy Yiwus.  They’re supposed to.  Do you think when you’re out on the range with the deer and the antelope that you can afford to bother with all the knickknacks and paddy wacks of a fancy cake?  Nyet!

2010 Tiger Tuo Closeup ’19

Similarly, the time given to waking (called rinsing the tea, which is a topic in itself) the puerh is also considerably longer than it is for loosely compressed offerings.  This should be fairly obvious.  Along the same lines, the amount of time that the chunks should rest after the rinse should be long as well.  Ten minutes is a good place to start.

Inspect your leaves to gain a since of how long you’ll want your first infusion to be.  If the chunks show signs of opening then brew shorter than if they don’t.  Recognize that the intensity will build and it’s supposed to.  The formula of 10s, 10s, 20s, 30s is all wrong but is especially wrong when it comes to tight compression.  You’ll want to start out with a longer brew time, then shorten it up as the chunks open.  Don’t EVER use some wrote formula for brewing your puerh; there are too many variables to account for to use a wrote prescription.  Look at the leaves and make a call based on what the first infusion is like.  Too bitter, shorten the time, so on.

These calls all became crystal clear should you use the Ox as your guide.  Luke has the force, the Puerh Junky has the Ox.  The first infusion was naturally quite perfect.  I had a drinking vict… er partner and without any fanfare just served it up.  Upon the first sip she said rather stunned, “This is good.”  She was right.

The Ox is getting sweeter.  It starts out light in colour but as you dig deeper a darker hue emerges reflective of its true age.  It’s thick and round, fully Zen in the broth but a psychotically floral huigan that screams qualidad.  Infusions very quickly turned to flashes as the monster started to emerge.  Just a splash water calmed it.  Altogether four infusions were had to full satisfaction.  Then came the call from house music gods themselves in the qi.

 

Puerh Junky’s Glee

Posted on by Yang-chu
18 May

No, Puerh Junky’s Glee is not about schadenfreude nor is it about how well the Ox performed this morning.  It’s about Yangpinhao’s 200g raw tuo entitled Glee.  This offering was purchased in early ’16 or late ’15 back when I kept lousy records, records that I’ll have you know are probably just as lousy but which I’d like to think are far improved.

A perusal through the annals of the Puerh Junky’s Log will reveal a few meditations on this monstrosity.  Yes.  It’s become a monstrosity, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s first give a tale of the tape.

Glee is a tuo that came onto the market in ’15, when it was pressed from ’05 material.  In contrast to the tuo that YPH released in ’05, Glee has visually always been much darker.  It has also been much more Zen and astringent.  As late as ’18, it was still powerfully Zen while at the same time powerfully astringent, wickedly so.  None of the YPH offerings in the Puerh Junky’s stash or collection exhibited such overbearing and uncharacteristic astringency.

Glee‘s Zen was prototypically YPH but it didn’t seem to come with much else, till ’19 when incipient signs of root beer started to emerge.  Glee seemed to be fronting as one of those luxury productions in name only, a challenger that you drink and just tell yourself, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

It’s not you; it’s me.

Fast forward to the present, mid-May 2021.  The bad news is that Glee never turned into root beer.  The good news is that the astringency has all but vanished.  However, there’s even better news– it’s stfu noteworthy.  Not in the least Zen anymore, it’s inconceivable how material that had very little pizazz could morph into such a complex and deeply petrolated creation.

The name Glee evokes a sense of playful and fruity puerh, a ha-ha school-kid charm, easily forgotten.  That’s not where it is now by a long shot.  There’s not an ounce of joy to it now.  It’s a grizzled old mechanic with snaggled teeth in greasy gray overalls.

Curses, Puerh Junky!

Posted on by Yang-chu
14 May

Curses, Puerh Junky!  Your collection of mid-aged puerhs has ruined my tastes.  I can’t drink my young puerhs anymore.  You’ve ruined me!  You’re a villain, an apostle of unspeakable foulness, a criminal of the first order.  You’ll pay, you. . . you. . . Puerh Junky you!

Alack!  Alack!  What’s a Puerh Junky to do but sound fair warning to stand clear of the collection lest you too should fall prey to the wiles of mid-aged puerh.

Seems like the Puerh Junky isn’t the only one offering advice these days.  One piece went something like, “only buy and drink the stuff you like now, because. . . ”  I can’t remember the rationale because I fell from my chair hitting my head upon the glockenspiel and went unconscious.

Many have neither the patience nor conditions for storing puerh.  Nonetheless, it is very hard to believe that one could possibly gain any real sense of what puerh is actually about by drinking offerings under ten years old.  Actually, there’s considerable banter about a offerings with fewer than five years age.  The perception, based almost wholly on ignorance, is that puerh and aging is some type of marketing ploy.  I used to think the same, especially when it came to Yiwus.  Then I tasted some older ones and realized I wasn’t having my leg pulled.

The best way to not have that bubble shattered is to heed the Puerh Junky’s warning.  I want you to continue to cherish that 2017 you’re drinking.  The Puerh Junky is just bad news for any young collection.

 

Puerh Junky’s Spring 2021 Report

Posted on by Yang-chu
20 Apr

Puerh Junky’s Spring 2021 Report

I was chatting with a friend the other day and he informed me that the Western vendors are all offering free shipping till the new tea arrives.  I guess that’s a pretty big deal if you’re shipping from Mainland.  My offerings are here in Los Angeles, so that’s not much of an issue for American buyers who get free shipping on orders larger than $75.

I guess it’s some way to stir excitement over offerings from the spring picking.  New tea is really not the Puerh Junky’s thing.  There’s so much older tea that hasn’t been hoarded to discover that not only meets the standard but also still presents comparatively greater value.  But, these gems are disappearing apace.

Over the past five years factories have progressively been restricting their sales to preferred vendors.  Some factories, like the maker of the Jingmai “003”, have already disappeared, except for their flagship site.  The same has essentially happened with GPE.  Many of the Puerh Junky’s preferred vendors have vanished or moved into more obscure brands from famous regions and greatly scaled back their offerings.

Observing this trend, the Puerh Junky has also had to adapt.  Since Nov ’20, I’ve primarily focused on re-upping on exceptional treasures while they’re still available.  Along the way, unfamiliar productions from well-known factories have been acquired, in addition to virtual unknowns from trusted vendors.  As this project has evolved, thematic productions have taken a back burner, though I continue to be tempted by a sexy wrapper.  I still love a good wrapper, but focus has mostly settled into familiar productions and factories.

’06 Old Geezers Ripe  

As far as themes go, it is clear that 6FTM is becoming a theme unto itself.  Productions from their early years are particularly interesting from a collecting point of view, especially before their brand identity solidified.  Some of these will be listed in the coming year.

Breaking the Mold

“Breaking the Mold” is probably not the best turn of phrase when talking about puerh, but alas I’m breaking from my standard practice of holding offerings for six months before listing.  Some productions are ready now and there’s little point in having them lazing about in LA when there’s work to be done in Brockton, Bethesda, and Boise.  There’s a bevy of ripes that are already quite good.  Many have already been snatched up by insiders who rely upon his junkifiedness for the hook up.  Still, some of these have yet to be spoken for.

’06 Nannuo, LME

Here’s were a digression into the junkisophical must be indulged: price is no reflection of quality.  Quality factors less than reputation and collectability.  Naturally, these are not altogether independent variables.  The Puerh Junky provides a range of reputations and collectability, while never sacrificing quality.  Sometimes quality is difficult to discern, but where it’s immediately apparent, fellow junk… er enthusiasts should not be deprived.

Puerh Junky’s Collection and Stash

Let’s call the Collection that which is listed and the Stash that which is not.  As for the Collection, most treasures number but a few.  Chances of re-upping depend on availability and price.  If you need to score a tong then you need to contact me directly.  Otherwise, if something strikes your fancy, it’s best not to dally.

The Stash consists of productions that have yet to graduate.  They are “aging.”  The Stash also has treasures that sold out or sky rocketed in price.  These were trial purchases, testing either vendor or production.  Sometimes prices jump even before arriving.  This especially happens around the lunar new year.  Be it availability or price, these treasures end up orphans until lightening strikes or, in a fit of junkydom, I break down and pay what they’re asking.  This process can take years.  How sublime it would be for these orphans to join the Collection, but for most this simply will not happen.

Hoping and Praying

Puerh Orphan Sample Annie

If you think I’m breaking up these cakes, then you’ve been drinking to much!  In a grand gesture of junkaciousness, however, I can part with a few samples from my own cake.  We’ll call these Orphan Samples.  They’ll be arranged in interesting sets unified by a theme like year, factory, or region; I’ll confabulate something.  If a treasure from the set appeals to you, you may directly inquire further about availability.  Orphan Samples are identical to regular samples, i.e., 15g, except very few are being offered, and the specific intent is to find a home for orphan cakes, as opposed to providing general edification and enjoyment.  Since you’ll have sampled for yourself, there is zero need to leave anything to question about quality or personal appeal.

Final Word

A final word of thanks for reading and enjoying these missives, however epi- and rhapsodic.  In the coming weeks, beyond new listings, be on the lookout for blog postings on the back story of some of the more vaunted factories offering these treasures.  I understand that the world of Chinese puerh factories is enigmatic for those with limited access to Chinese. Nonetheless, arming yourself with a bit of context provides at least of modicum of rationale for being the Puerh Junky that you are.

OG Gangsta Appraisal

Posted on by Yang-chu
puerh tea brick
06 Apr

Here’s feedback from my first Germany order regarding the OG Gangsta. . .

I like it a lot even though I am brewing it in a porcelain gaiwan. But for me the astringency really came out only after the fifth or sixth brew. Seeing you only gave it an average mark I am anxious to see what else you have in stock 😉

I have only been drinking puerh for one and a half years or so but I would say this is the best one I have ever had.

Those who know, know.  The OG Gangsta doesn’t claim its name for nutthin’.

 

 

Puerh Rating: LME Spring

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Apr

The Puerh Junky Rating System (PJRS) takes on the LME Spring.  LME is a factory that started to raise its profile around ’14, but whose older productions had hidden under the radar till 2020.  This factory of late has gained attention as the high-profile productions have vanished from the market and the value seekers continue their pursuits.

LME Spring is highly representative of aught productions: generally high quality, traditional processing, and atomic compression.  The year ’07 was likely the apex of atomic compression, as a thought occurred that cakes shouldn’t bear the same pressing characteristics of tuo and many bricks.

Compression invariably affect how an offering will brew.  The LME Spring brews with fantastic consistency and duration.

After three rounds the total was as follows:

  • Aroma          14
  • Clarity           11
  • Sweetness   10
  • Viscosity       10
  • Astringency    9
  • Huigan         13
  • Qi                 15

Reflections

The LME Spring is an incredibly sophisticated raw puerh cake without the sophistry of water cooler hearsay.  Even though the wonderful floral notes are quite obvious, it appears to be a Zen class production heading toward root beer.  The flowers come through in the huigan, which is nearly perfect.

Speaking of perfection, the qi score is.  There probably aren’t any other productions that score perfect on qi and certainly none at this price.  It also possesses a phlegm-cutting attribute.  Along with the flowers in taste, there’s serious Malt O’ Meal notes, with some salivary friendly sour notes.

Conclusions

The LME Spring is for those who enjoy the marriage between floral and Zen productions.  The durability alone makes this an extraordinary offering, given its qi it’s essentially a steal.

Puerh Rating: LME Spring

82/105 B

 

Puerh Junky’s Floral Hypocrisy Exposed!

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Mar

Puerh Junky’s Floral Hypocrisy Exposed!  Our sources have uncovered gross Puerh Junky hypocrisy.  These are grave offenses in eyes the puerh faithful.  He has been running an ostensible root beer racket with brazen aplomb, but we have discovered that aside from his ripe forays in placation of his wife’s morning pleasures, that he actually isn’t as averse to florality as commonly presented.

Our unnamed sources have reported to us today on the 24th Mar that he has been dallying with floral Yiwus, CMS (Chamasi) to be exact.  We’re talking about the Dragon, CMS to be exact, which this morning pulled off a stunning performance.

Our sources have revealed that his Puer Junkyness was tasked to unveil Yiwu and resorted to introducing the recently listed Dragon, CMS.  Little did he know that his tasker was our undercover agent.  All of his feigned humility and uncertainty vanished from the very first infusion.  The Puerh Junky himself acted surprised.  He noted a sublime florality, and then started making excuses stating nonsense about Shanghai refinement and the absence of rough edged that the upper crust of China seek out.

For his part, our agent endeavored to keep his wits about him, despite was was an obvious full-body qi effect.  He reported, to his credit, that PJ’s floral recriminations needed to be balanced against Zen.  These are matters that our agent is just learning about, though his atunement to cha-qi is keen and her did his best to remain skeptical through his inebriation.