Okay people… the party is over…
The western facing puerh vendor Tea Urchin emerged after
production methods for gushu type teas were really set and as puerh areas began
to explore smaller sub areas (2011-2012). They offer a really clean and crisp and modern gushu-esque style that is focuses on harmonious yet vibrantly energetic puerh with
a clear flavor and profile that is never harsh. They mainly
have single estate but also very clear, simple and purposeful blends. They made regions like Xi Kong, Lao Man E, and
Wan Gong common for many a Western puerh drinker that had not known of these
profiles before. They also introduced us
to other small factories that filled gaps in there catalogue.
Since I started re-stocking my puerh 4 years ago 90% of the prices on this site have remained basically unchanged. This was especially true of their very delicious 2014 production year that has not had a price increase. In fact, with the price of the Canadian Dollar and some irregular sales you could even get this stuff cheaper than when they released it years before. They still even have that 10$ flat shipping even with shipping prices going through the roof lately! I have irregularly sampled and purchased from here throughout those years. There is even some I blind caked. However, starting in July Belle and Eugene will finally increase their prices.
I had said in the past that they have sold out of their more famous and popular productions but that there is still decent stuff to be found for more than reasonable prices. Especially the 2010-2014 productions where the price to quality ratios for these regions hadn’t yet become overinflated. Over the years I have done a poor job of posting Tea Urchin samples (see here for the ones I posted) but hope to get a few up in the next days here for those who want to get a better idea of what their stuff is really about. Even better idea would be to sample heavily yourself…
Peace
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