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[LFGoosh] 2007 Yaba Naka Gushu Review

As hypocritical as it is (given my habit of hanging shit on the whole tea-as-drugs thing), getting to know the 2004 Yangqinghao Tejipin really piqued my interest in regions with  reputations for intense qi – among these would be Naka, by all accounts. I’ve also been toying with the idea of stepping far outside the … Continue reading [LFGoosh] 2007 Yaba Naka Gushu Review

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The Semantics of Sheng – Age and Maturity

A topic that surfaces regularly when I discuss tea with friends is the way we are forced to construct a shared vocabulary, and the difficulties that brings.  Appreciation of tea is already an exceptionally-subjective activity – mixing in the experiential isolation and vast variation in breadth of experience that often exists between pu-aficionados in the West only … Continue reading The Semantics of Sheng – Age and Maturity

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The Gospel of James

Be patient therefore, teafriends, until the coming of the patina. See how the steeper waits for the precious fruit of the leaf, being patient about it, until her pot receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the patina is at hand. Patience is a … Continue reading The Gospel of James

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A Disturbance in the Force

Look hard enough at any scene where experts and amateurs congregate around a subjective experience, and you’ll find a conflict simmering beneath the surface between new(bies) and old(-timers), articulable facts and the knowledge and awareness that comes only with extensive experience and exposure. This is something that relatively-green community members like myself have to be … Continue reading A Disturbance in the Force

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見茶是茶， 見茶非茶，見茶又是茶： Seeing Tea As It Appears, No Longer Seeing Tea As It Is, Seeing Tea As It Is Once More. – Personal Thoughts

In this post, I would like to quickly discuss the limited opinion I’ve formed on modern teas through discussion, research, and tasting I’ve done. I believe that modern tea has been produced in such a way that it will hit a drinkable age much earlier than “classic” teas known to the puerh world. Included below … Continue reading 見茶是茶， 見茶非茶，見茶又是茶： Seeing Tea As It Appears, No Longer Seeing Tea As It Is, Seeing Tea As It Is Once More. – Personal Thoughts

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Sip Straight To The Soul: The 5 Characteristics of High-Quality Big Tree Tea – Translated Article

This and another post on plantation teas will be my last Ulumochi translations for a while. Original article here. It has been a pleasure discussing tea with him briefly, he has contributed much to the pu’er community in Taiwan, and is someone I believe Western audiences may benefit from as well. In Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, … Continue reading Sip Straight To The Soul: The 5 Characteristics of High-Quality Big Tree Tea – Translated Article