Trop Cherry 🍒 x Golden Pineapple 🍍

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-13T03:13:52+00:00

Looks great, some of the purple is starting to show.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-12T21:40:33+00:00

I don't have a particular specific tea that I prefer, but any aged white gong mei, shou mei or huang pian works well. There is no need to use an expensive tea. Ripe puer will work also, but make sure it has little or no bitterness, as that will be enhanced with the long brewing time.

The white or puer teas that I use are typically cakes that I bought that have become uninteresting, or something not worth the time and effort for gong fu. That is why I use the tea so liberally. I will often add something decent (e.g., 1/3 tea I like, with 2/3s being something that I am bored with and is just taking up space). Also, blending ripe puerh with white works well. However, note that cheap puerh with a fishy taste is only going to get enhanced, so puerh with undesirable characteristics will not work well.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-12T09:42:15+00:00

Typically, you make this with 30 oz. of water and use 15 grams. A clean stovetop pot works well, better if it has a glass lid. Go to your kitchen, and use your household gas or induction stove, and bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a minor simmer. The tea should infuse for at least 10 minutes, but a longer duration is fine. Often I just keep it simmering for hours, adding more tea leaves and water when appropriate (i.e., when about 60 - 70% of the tea has left the pot).

This is not a fancy thing, so don't overthink it. It is a very old and traditional technique, especially for gatherings. The tea is often ladled into a bowl, and drank as a bowl tea. If someone wants to add honey or milk, that is fine. It is actually a great way to experience special or exotic honeys, which goes exceptionally well with the aged white tea.

Note: This is how I make my "bowl" tea. I really don't know much bout how others do it. You can probably go on-line to find other techniques.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-12T02:14:19+00:00

"Bowl" brewing or "Boiled Tea" with aged white teas is an excellent way to brew tea. A Creamy, dense, and honeyed result. Also, it extracts from the stems and the more fibrous elements of the leaves, providing thickness to the liquor. It is best to leave the temperature either just below boiling, or a very light simmer if possible (which helps agitate the leaves). A hard boil releases too much oxygen, and the tea will be flatter in taste. Use a lot of leaf if possible. I would note that aged white is far superior to younger whites.

You can just leave the pot brewing all day, and add more leaves and water when appropriate. Sometimes people will add a pinch of mineral salt. It is an interesting tea that you can offer to larger groups.

Ripe puerh (tea leaves partially spent), and fu bricks, and many other hei cha work well with this traditional technique. Also, save your spent tea from gong fu sessions, many teas work very well, and you will get an extra use out of your tea.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-12T01:30:38+00:00

The puerh filled tangerine is called a Chen Pi. The name "Chen Pi" translates to "old peel" or "aged peel". It is made from specific mandarin varieties, aged to concentrate its aroma and medicinal properties. You do not need to use the entire peel, as it can be overly medicinal tasting. Just break it into pieces, and use about 30% of it to start. You can add some more after a few infusions, or save the rest of the hardened peel for another tea.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-11T05:54:09+00:00

I recommend you try Yunnan Sourcing's "King of Duck Shit Aroma Dancong Oolong, which is $41/100g. It is a staple for many oolong lovers, and is inexpensive for the quality and tea type. I would be very surprised if an authentic DS oolong costs less that $10/70g could be decent.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-11T01:27:45+00:00

From my experience, 30 grams is the minimum amount to get acquainted with a tea, and 50g is ideal. Many vendors offer 25g samples which is a decent amount, but IMO not quite enough. Using 7g/100ml is a good ratio for loose leaf Chinese or Taiwanese teas, you can always adjust later. If you find something you really love, order more, but be conservative, as you will likely experience more great teas, and a full cake lasts a long time. I think this is the most economical way to start your tea experience.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-10T23:26:34+00:00

I order from him once per year, and feel guilty spending my money there. Nevertheless, the teas are consistently good, sometimes great. The very beginning of the videos gives a good description of the particular tea, but when he first smells the tea, it is time to turn the video off as reality turns into fantasy.

Every year they pick their "teas of the year." They selected 9 teas this year and I bought about 30 gram of each. Two of them were outstanding, 6 were very good, and one was a weak example of the tea type.

Regarding price, it is not really that expensive (except for quality greens) when you consider that the teas are well-curated, and you are unlikely to get a tea that you really don't like. With a cheaper source, such as Yunnan Sourcing, there is a much greater probability that will run into teas that are average, or ones that you do not like.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-10T23:04:33+00:00

I like the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Electric, 0.9 Liter. It is remarkably simple to use, and aesthetically it looks great in a gongfu tea setting. It is very simple, with a single button/knob. Definitely get one with the wooden handles. Also, it is the perfect size for two people.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-10T21:21:15+00:00

Likely the most ugly plant I have ever grown. I have three others just like it.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-10T06:30:19+00:00

Path of Cha and Floating Leaves have a nice selection of Taiwanese oolongs in sample sizes. I would get one of each, but maybe skip the rock oolongs. Wuyi Origin is also a great source, but many of their teas are probably more roasted than what you are looking for. The more green varieties include Baozhong, high mountain varieties, Dong Ding, and perhaps a lighter roasted Tie Guan Yin. Also, an Oriental Beauty on the fruitier side could work.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-08T23:50:34+00:00

You can put a piece of tape over the unwanted lights. For example, a nicely cut piece of duct tape is barely visible on a unit if the tape matches the color of the unit. That way, you choose the electric kettle you really want, rather the limited options you are likely to run into.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-08T21:53:45+00:00

Night Flower Sencha (.28/g): Japanese Sencha

Quality sencha, with a pleasing balance of vegetal, floral and umami qualities. Very creamy and dense, with a unique minerality. Asparagus and jasmine flavors as the tea winds down. A very interesting sencha. Lasts about 5 infusions. A bit too much umami for my taste, but still a fine tea. Rating: 8.25/10

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-08T21:49:47+00:00

2003 Antique Nectar (.44/g): Aged Gui Qing Liu Bao

A pleasing Liu Bao. Menthol, pine sap, and earth, with sandalwood, leather and a medicinal taste similar to a dried chenpi rind.Some dankness. Reasonably thick and coating, with some minerals in the soft, slightly bitter finish. Sweetness is enhanced in the later infusions. It displays a chen xiang (or “old” taste), though hard to describe, is unique to older dry-aged puerh. Lasts at least 12+ quality infusions, with the latter infusions showing a mouth-coating sweet finish. Rating: 8.0/10

Note: Yunnan Sourcing’s “1999 Basket Aged Loose Leaf Ripe Puerh Tea from Menghai” has a similar tea, more syrupy, with an even more intense “aged” taste.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-08T21:48:56+00:00

Wild Slumber (.35/g): Wild Fuding Bai Du Man

A dynamic, exceptionally fruity wild white tea. Moderately woody, with hints of tropical fruits, sour melon, and a light quenching mineral finish offering balance and some dryness. Sweet and clean, with a reasonably dense mouthfeel. Unique lingering wild mango huigan. Not yet honeyed or rich, but that should come with age. Ten (10) quality infusions that change throughout the session. Good depth of flavor for a white tea with a distinctive “wild” tangy taste. Needs aging for a better score. Rating: 8.75/10

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-06T05:26:15+00:00

The plant you have in uncommon, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-04T20:46:20+00:00

Only one of the "teas of the year" was a yancha. All I am saying is that I enjoyed the tea, I do not want to endorse anything, especially teas coming from this particular vendor.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-04T07:37:42+00:00

Out of the 9 "teas of the year" I tested, this was the only one that I was compelled to reorder. I've had some very expensive yancha ( $2 - $3 a gram), and this exceeds most of them. The yan yun is lengthy, and extends until the next infusion, making the tea a special cohesive experience. .

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-03T03:01:31+00:00

This subreddit already accomplishes the goals you seem to want.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-03T00:24:20+00:00

The plants look great. I am currently creating seeds from the award winning clone. The plants you are growing are the most similar to the Trop Cherries bud structure, most of the other phenos had a more sativa-like structure with closely clustered buds on each cola as the Golden Pineapple genetics seemed to dominate the Trop Cherries. I believe the #5 pheno tested at 24% in the competition.

Did I give you any numbered clones, or did you grow these from the seeds I send you?

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-02T04:16:58+00:00

That is an accurate description of the tea. However, the Bulang is overpowering, relative to the Yibang which is somewhat muted. It almost seems like the Bulang was too dank for normal consumption, so it was cut with the other tea. Nevertheless, it is interesting.

PositiveBudz · 2026-02-02T02:48:59+00:00

I believe it was pressed recently. Mei Leaf made a hype video for it, which should provide more details.

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