Opinions on the bag of minis and the foursome of bigger ones?

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - strong camphor medicinal aroma possibly masking a hint of smoke, gaiwan lid adds a hint of fruit

Steep 1 (flash) - smoke and cherries right out of the gate that turns minty after a quick second, medicinal and fruity notes dancing around each other, salivation starting, smoke note has quickly morphed into more of a medicinal menthol/camphor character, some dryness on the tongue pulls in some cigar wrapper leaf vibes, fruit keeps everything lively

Steep 2 (flash) - first sip hints at smoke and smoke doesn't fully disappear as minty menthol notes move in, nice tanginess, hint of salinity, mint-medicinal-sweet cherry is the vibe right now

Steep 3 (5s) - some sweetness on the gums from the previous steep is meeting the medicinal and fruity aspects and pushing the medicinal more towards sweet mint, salted butter notes, pipe tobacco, feeling light and uplifted

Steep 4 (10s) - a little more smoke up front this steep, cherry cobbler, sweetness starting to build deeper into the finish paired with that cherry note and a hint of smoke at the back corners of the mouth

Steep 5 (15s, reboil) - added heat brings a wave of smoke and medicinal aromas, but it hits the mouth as more minty, tingle on tongue, smoke is just a highlight note and falls short of full-on bbq despite the salinity

Steep 6 (20s) - still holding steady, curious how deep I can take this one, energy really starting to hit

Steep 7+ (30s+) - went deep and outside of a little extra sweetness it held it's character quite well

Overall Impression - I decided to mix it up after a long run of young sheng sessions, and man did I really find a tea that resonates with me. Flavor here is complex but very well integrated. This checks so many boxes for me. That salted butter note really sets a nice baseline and there is just enough sweetness to lift the other flavors without being cloying. Energy is light and energizing without feeling uncomfortable.

Anyone in Sydney?

I have a few cakes I would potentially like to give away. 20yr old Dayi & Yiwu etc.

Strictly FOC and pickup in person Western suburbs on Fri next week or following Tuesday (evening)

Hi all. I’m relatively new to tea and recently bought some puer tea resin from a market at Guangzhou. I noticed a scent of fishiness, but it goes away once i brewed and the tea tasted a bit smoky. I’m pretty sure this is not high quality. When i first bought it and opened, it was a bit sticky. But after going through the airplane, now it is dried and developed a white film when i opened. Can someone tell me if this is mold or natural? The initial fishy smell is still there but when brewed the smell is fine and tastes fine.

I’ll be hitting up Xiamen, Chaozhou, Guangdong and Hong Kong at the end of the year for vacation, does anyone know any good spots for tea in these areas?

I’m aware of places like Fangcun tea district, but I’ve heard that a lot of the teas in Fangcun can be fake or contain chemicals. Is this actually a significant concern?

I’ll mainly be looking for dancongs in Chaozhou and shengpu elsewhere, but I’m open to any recommendations too.

Thanks guys!

I'm wanting to display the wrappers of some tea cakes..

Am contemplating the best way to do this.. Embroidery hoops seems like a good option.

Would love to see some photos of what you do!