Saturday, April 13, 2013

Yiwu MaoCha to drink in 2023


After testing the MaoCha from TeaUrchin, I coudl not help myself, but there was idea hovering at the back of my mind. How woudl such fine, clean and yet powerfull tea age? What difference will make if it will be maocha and not a cake? I do not belive in my storage condition to that point that I would invest in few tongs of  tea which is not, let say, from one of the cheapest. Anyway, I have know that I would go back to this question again and again with another fresh leaves so I was thinking about going from ideas to actions. When Eugene of TeaUrchin offered me the Maocha for friendly price (in order to make me happy and also to make space for fresh, 2013, tea leaves) I asked him to send me all what they have left. They have prepared several hundred grams of Luo Shui Dong and Manz Huan in small sample bags. Those will serve us my thank-you-for-your-support gifts for my customers.




And then there was also 500g of Gao Shan Zhai, which was, based on my testing notes, the winner of my testing. I am going to keep those leaves for myself. The idea is to let it sealed (waxed) in ceramic jar for 30  20 10years. You may say that using the wax is not nessesery. Thruth is, that it have to be there. Other wise it would be too tempting to not open it several times a year (at least), that I know. I used clean natural beeswax and label it with some basic informations.







 I was more then supriced how bulky can 500g of maocha be. I have used Mirka's ceramic jar which was made for 200-250g cakes and it was close shave. You can fit there nine 250g cakes, which makes 2.25kg of tea. Or, after light shaking, you can put there 500g of this Gao Shan Zhai. Some sources say that pressing tea was invented for better transportation and storage, and here we can see the point.

Call for expressions of interest: During April of 2023 I will open this jar and I will be happy to share with anyone around. If you are interested, please write that event in to your calendar. Just let me know that you are interested in advance (during March 2023 will be best). Cup of eleven years old Maocha from Gao Shan Zhai will be ready for you.

note: In Czech, we had this proverb (or rather pearl of wisdom): Plant a three, Build a house, and Father a son. I have to say I miss there "Stash a tea" When the three will be tall and bear a fruits, your son will be looking for his own house, you can sit quiet in your chair and break the seal on one of yours tea jars...

Thank you for reading!

15 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm interested! Meantime, I will ponder on which tea I could store up and share in 2023! Actually I haven't bought any new puerh yet this year and sort of decided I wouldn't buy new puerh this year. But I made the same decision every of the past 3 years and broke it :-p

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    1. Graet! Look forward to that tea meeting in 2023.

      About broking the not-fresh-puerh-this-year pact: It make to of us. I just usually decide to buy some during after season winter.

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  2. I'm interested too! This is one awesome idea. I've been wanting to age some yancha myself but I've never been able to figure out how big a container is needed. Now I know (:

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    1. Well, As I see it, you don't need such amount for yancha. Aging oolong and aging puehr is a bit different. You can age even 100g of yancha with success- you just would like to have good tea caddy, fill it full (just a bit air left) and close it tight. Then leave it on some dry place with good energy.

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    2. Ahh, thank you for the tips! I shall go source some good quality yancha and age it as well. When you break open your mao cha jar, I can open my yancha jar and we can swap aged teas (:

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  3. Count me in ! The Gao Shan Zhai was my favourite tea urchin puerh too, I am really curious to see if there is going to be a 2013 version...

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    1. It is going to be a great international tea party!

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  4. It should be very nice surprise, to find any "for next generation message", in it. I mean, something like in a church towers domes, etc.
    I am not so brave to invite myself to the tea party, definitely. So, be so kind Peter, and let me know, how much honey taste was top level of the stored tea. Beeswax could do his part of work, I suppose. :-)
    Btw. Great idea!
    Stan

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    1. Now I am wondering if I did not forget something on the bottom...hm, we will see:)

      You dont have to be brave to come and have cup of tea with me. Well, Yiwu should have honey taste anyway, so beeswax can just fit in.

      Thanks for stopping by.
      Best
      Petr

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  5. So excited to hear about your GSZ time capsule Petr. Count Belle and I in for the unwrapping ceremony!

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  6. Hmmm.... I think that maocha needs humidity and air to age well. I'm not really sure about this. Besides, cakes age much better than loose leaves. I wouldn't expect much from this experiment.. :)

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    1. I am not from those who lives for future happiness, so I am not afraid of the possible letdown. It is just fun_and learn kind of experiment. Jar is quite porous (it breathe) and place is also not desert dry so we will see. You are right, in most cases aged cakes give more than loose leaves. But one of my the best of the aged tea experience is with maocha from 80'. I am just curious to try it myself, are not you? :)

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  7. I will come back and read your review notes on this Yiwu Maocha!

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