Experts Reviews

  In the mail yesterday came a large box of puerh samples care of Hobbes of the famed Half-Dipper. Basically, it is what was leftover from every sample he has tried over the past 3 months or so. If anyone follows The Half Dipper they know that Hobbes samples a lot...

This is the second of two pu'ercha samples kindly provided by Daniel, of Vancouver's aptly-named Chinese Teashop. Like the other sample (which was a 2005 Yichanghao), this comes from a brand that I have come to appreciate for making solid tea. While it may not stop the clocks, the brand...

This silver needle white tea comes from Daniel at The Chinese Tea Shop in Vancouver. It is a very early spring pick from an unspecified region of Fujian. The dry leaves are fresh, floral, and sweet with a slight tangy, earthy grape pungentness to them. The floral scent is almost...

One received this sample when in search for old puerh. It was kindly sent with other puerh samples from Daniel of Vancouver's famed The Chinese Tea Shop. According to his webpage it took a long time to acquire this tea, which came from an old source. It has been charcoal...

One usually doesn't consume much shu puerh, indulging only occasionally during the hot summer or once in a while for meditation. Today one has a craving for some old shu. This sample was gifted by Daniel at The Chinese Tea Shop in Vancouver, who stocks a nice variety of cakes....

This sample was sent compliments of Daniel at The Chinese Tea Shop. The dry leaves have a faint sour fruit odour to them as well as a very unnoticeable dry storage smell. When the water is boiled it makes its way over the dry leaf, embracing it, rising it. Then...

My erstwhile chum, Yichanghao. Yet perhaps not entirely erst, for you keep on delivering solid, reliable treats at a very decent price.Ladies and mentlegen, I give you the 2005 Zhengpin The dry, dusty, shoelace looking leaves of mainly brown were placed in the warmed teapot and rinsed. The first infusion...

A sample of this fine Lao Ban Zhang cake was gifted by Daniel Liu of The Chinese Tea Shop. He provides excellent background on this tea and on Ban Zhang in general on posts on his vendor blog (see here and here). Especially interesting is his commentary on Lao Ban...

Over the last few weeks one has consumed Fu Zhuan Cha on an almost daily basis. The decades old bricks which one has consumed over the last five years or so are dwindling. Thankfully Daniel of The Chinese Tea Shop provided a generous sample, this dry stored 1995 Fu Zhuan Brick from Yi...

Its becoming apparent that the more I drink Daniel's tea, the more I learn what exquisite tea is supposed to taste like. The 1990's "Iron Mold" Pu-Erh is no exception. I realize now that the age factor for tea plays an incredibly crucial role in how the flavor and essence...

Since the beginning of my tea excursions I have always strongly favored Oolong teas as they are, in my opinion, one of the finest varieties. Even the smallest sip may bring intense and pleasurable sensations to the mouth and mind. That said, the perfect Oolong tea for me is predominantly...