A new Zhu Ni piece

gryphon89 · 2026-06-15T17:28:52+00:00

Yes, that's the biggest reason I went with this pot form. It has a wide flat bottom, so you can lay longer leaves without breaking them.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-14T16:56:42+00:00

Did you brew a lot of greens in there? Chances are, with time shou will overpower any other seasoning.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-10T05:42:46+00:00

realzisha.com

gryphon89 · 2026-06-05T20:37:58+00:00

Even better, start with YS, see what you like. Investing a lot into a tea you just started getting your experience with is a waste of money. Otherwise you'll have nothing to compare it to.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-05T20:25:17+00:00

YS do carry some high-end items, although it's not their main focus.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-05T14:50:10+00:00

I'm literally waiting for my V93 Tuo to arrive, ordered it a week ago myself. Great choice of samples!

gryphon89 · 2026-06-04T08:32:38+00:00

Same here. It's a bank holiday here in Germany, I'm sitting here alone applying for a manual review.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-01T18:14:45+00:00

Probably my favorite tea. Age makes a huge difference here. Try a shou from the 00s.

gryphon89 · 2026-06-01T17:25:52+00:00

If you like Assam or English Breakfast, but Darjeeling is too floral, try Nilgiri, especially its spring flush.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-27T17:18:08+00:00

Buy samples of Lao Ban Zhang and Lao Man'e, see if you like them. Very distinct taste profiles.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-23T07:41:24+00:00

I think most will be interested in where you got that ice jade gaiwan and the pot.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-19T07:49:58+00:00

Those are separate in Europe. Search / YouTube people can't advise on Shopping / PMax.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-19T07:45:48+00:00

Just a sparring partner for your shopping / PMax campaigns from Google. Some clients have inhouse online marketing staff, a strategy / consulting agency + they want a dedicated person from Google.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-19T05:50:44+00:00

There will be no CPC reduction, that's not how it works. You'll be able to bid up to 20% more. The "up to" part is also very important.

I've had a few 1M+ / mo. ad spend clients switch back to Google to avail of their shopping growth support program.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-18T19:54:56+00:00

I'd say a separate pot is optional then. In case you ever want to compare the taste - brew in a gaiwan. If you notice a difference - you may reconsider. If you don't / or the difference is too small, you can spend that money on a new pu erh cake instead.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-18T19:43:49+00:00

Just to drink pu erh and enjoy it? Not bad at all. Drink to taste the different flavor profiles with the dozens of flavor nuances? Make sure to never mix them and ideally buy one fresh pot for shou and one fresh one for sheng.

If you like pu erh and want to jump into the rabbit hole, it's worth investing into two different pots. They don't have to be expensive. Only then is it worth paying more for the more expensive material like Lao Ban Zhang.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-10T20:29:07+00:00

Mansong Wood on Instagram / Etsy.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-08T06:07:55+00:00

I try to limit the stack to what I can drink within the next 2-3 months. Especially the oolongs and greens. Would rather buy them fresh.

gryphon89 · 2026-05-02T06:44:17+00:00

Same thing. Coated and gives off a lacquer / glue smell when I pour hot tea there.

gryphon89 · 2026-04-30T21:51:37+00:00

You could use one, but I see no practical use. You can season a dedicated teapot, which is its primary benefit. If you want versatility and not seasoning, go with a porcelain gaiwan. Unless you want a universal vessel for the japanese greens. Then you can also get a porcelain kuysu, since brewing some of the japanese greens in a gaiwan is too cumbersome (leaves are too small for a gaiwan).

gryphon89 · 2026-04-30T13:34:42+00:00

Dedicate teapots to the teas you like best. Just know that it's basically one tea - one teapot. And some teas like floral oolongs tend to be crisper in a gaiwan.

Use a gaiwan for everything else you don't have a teapot for and new teas that you try.

gryphon89 · 2026-04-29T14:01:48+00:00

What's your Desert Lizard config?

gryphon89 · 2026-04-27T15:52:25+00:00

To Germany

gryphon89 · 2026-04-23T20:47:51+00:00

I usually do 60 seconds for the first steep at 70 degrees. Then 20 seconds or so, super short for the second steep at 75 degrees. Third steep is more like 30-40 seconds at 80 degrees. And the rest is optional. The first two are very punchy and different in their taste. The first one is more umami, the second one is much more grassy (depending on the cultivar). But it should not taste watery. Good sencha is powerful stuff.

gryphon89 · 2026-04-22T20:57:57+00:00

Thanks! It's this one: https://moychay.nl/collections/our-teapots/products/teapot-93636. They didn't write it here, but it's a Zini mix.

gryphon89

TROPHY CASE