Tuesday, January 27, 2015

1998 Xiaguan Yi-Ji Tuo







During my trip to the Malaysian tea expo last month, I spent the bulk of my tea money buying these 98 Xiaguan tuos.  I purchased 4 bags containing 5 100g tuos in each bag.  You will noticed the 'yi-ji' or 1st grade description on the bag as well as on the individual wrappers of each tuo.  Xiaguan today produces many pu erh tea and many of their tuos have descriptions like jia-ji, te-ji meaning special grade and top grade, which is a bit mind boggling.  Nevertheless its lots of fun sampling through these Xiaguan teas. 

I shall go easy on this purchase and will refrain from opening and drinking these tuos.  I only have some tea that are pre year 2000.  I was just thinking…... if I store away this tea for another 3-4 years, the tea would be a 20 year old tea.  A very tempting proposition but knowing me,  I would have consumed the tea by then.

I can understand why my malaysian tea drinking friends are going gaga over this tea.  This tea has aged well with good strong taste and aroma.  Nice hints of sandalwood and camphor with a nice sweet finish.  This tea brews well and can easily go 12 infusions.   A happy tea.   I believed that this lot of 98 Xiaguan tuos will have been totally bought up by my tea friends by now.  









4 comments:

Cwyn said...

So you tasted the tea from your friends and have not opened your own yet? I see your plan: drink up your friends' Xiaguan tuos and then they will beg you to sell and you can name your price, very clever. ;)

wilson said...

Thanks for the suggestion, Cwyn. What a great idea……Wait a minute! I realize my tea friends are using this move on me!

Unknown said...

Congrats on your find, Wilson.

I have a nice collection of XG tuos myself, can't get enough of them, especially older ones (surprise!). They and the iron bings definitely take some extra input to age well but they're well worth the hassle IMO. I've had some old tuos that give a lot of way more expensive leaves a serious run for the money.
Happy hunting :)

wilson said...

hello ken,

can you email me and if possible share pictures of your old xiaguan. It would serve as a reference for readers and new xiaguan collectors from buying fakes. Thank you