[Mike Petro on what to look for in a good storage candidate cake]

some snipping

> To further complicate matters it appears that 2005-2006 maocha is not of
> the same quality as maocha from years gone by. China's newly affluent
> families have created such a demand for puerh that almost any maocha is
> being used regardless of quality. The standards appear to have been
> lowered. There is even speculation that the puerh bubble will crash in a
> year or two. To sum it up, 2005-2006 cakes may not be the best choice for
> aging.

I rely on you for such information, and thank you for
sharing it with us. Meanwhile, another question: Mao
Cha comes in any number of "grades" ranging from one
to perhaps 20, and also letter codes that indicate
qualities better than "1." It is my understanding that
those cakes most amenable to good development over time
would be cakes that are *not* produced solely from leaf
of the highest quality -- according to the scales -- but
rather from leaf that mixes "higher" and "lower"quality.
(This does not contradict your statement about 2005-2006
leaf, but I think it bears discussion.)

Also, those cakes made from one single certified ancient
tree -- please don't run out to try to find one -- would
most likely maintain their quality each year, regardless
of how the mixed leaf cakes fluxuate, would it not?

Michael