Here are my close friends. I bought the far right one with me when I first arrived in Xiamen from Shanghai. This was one that Wan Ling purchased new for the Cha Dao class so that the attendees had pots to practice with. I find it is a great shape for Pu Er as it has a wide mouth and is not so squat that it is difficult to clean. Its capacity is also ideal for my use. The pot has come on tremendously since we got it. The colour has developed into a rich dark brown with a vibrant shine.
Previously I had always used a gai wan to prepare Oolong's such as An Xi Tie Guan Yin, however talking to a local tea shop owner here in Xiamen my mindset altered. He was almost shocked to hear that at home I just used a gai wan. His view was that in the shop then a gai wan is must but for yourself and close friends then a Yi Xing pot (or pots in his case) is a must.
The left most one is a little bit special and as such was a lot more expensive, but it is clear to see that the zi sha is of a much higher quality. This is an entirely hand made pot. I have reserved this one for only high grade Tie Guan Yin. The colour is yet to alter though that loved, used lustre has come though. It is remarkable how much 'life' comes from the pots with in a short space of time of use.
The middle pot I bought purely out of interest and as an experiment. I am interested to see how much this pot alters its colour. When we (the royal we; thank you again Wan Ling xxx) bought it the colour was almost white and quite dull. I have been using this pot for all Tie Guan Yin I have prepared since getting it. The colour has transformed in to a warm, goldern cream and increasingly has a good lustre to it. I look forward to seeing how this pot looks in a few more years. I hope it is as goldern as the tea liquor I am looking at now.
Question, should I name my pots???
