Cheap, sensible, ridiculous: three Rou Gui prices side by side

[Breath-Breakfast]

Question or objective: identify where price stops improving the cup for me
Tea category: yancha price comparison
Exact product: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025
Vendor: Red Pine Tea
Origin: Wuyishan, Fujian
Cultivar, if known: Rou Gui
Harvest season/year: spring 2025
Processing or roast: three medium-roasted lots
Cake/batch number, if relevant: cake/lot noted above where applicable; otherwise N/A
Purchase/opening date: purchased 2026-07-06; opened 2026-08-06
Storage since purchase: sealed original pouch inside a dark cupboard
Style: gongfu side-by-side
Vessel: three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans
Vessel material: porcelain
Nominal and actual filled capacity: 80 ml filled each
Filter or strainer: lid gap
Kettle: basic variable-temperature kettle
Vessel preheated: yes
Dry leaf weight: 6.0 g each
Water volume: 80 ml
Water temperature: 95°C
Water source or mineral profile: same filtered water, 65 ppm
Rinse: 5-10 s where noted by the recipe; otherwise none
Infusion schedule: 8/10/15/25 s
Agitation: none
Was each infusion completely decanted?: yes
Aroma: increasing spice clarity with price
Sweetness: medium all
Bitterness: low-medium
Astringency: medium
Body/texture: full
Flavour: cinnamon, stone fruit, roast
Aftertaste: premium longest
Number of satisfying infusions: 6 each
Exact problem: budget/mid/premium comparison at matched parameters
Desired result: identify where price stops improving the cup for me
Variable changed: price tier / lot
Previous value: budget
New value: mid and premium
Result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price
Dry-leaf photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Liquor photograph: available in the author’s notes; not embedded in this archive
Wet-leaf photograph: not attached yet
Video if pouring or drainage is relevant: not relevant

This is not a first-impression post. I have enough sessions with this tea now to know which notes survived the excitement of opening the bag. The most useful controlled change was price tier / lot: budget versus mid and premium. mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.

I am mostly interested in comparable reports: same harvest or style, similar water, and more than one session. If your experience is from a very different setup, please say so.

[Masala Soil]

Long-term report
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: repeated sessions over time.
Change: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward identify where price stops improving the cup for me if that variable is causal.
Observed result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Safety 81]

Same tea/batch
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: firsthand use of the same Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 in a closely matched setup.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Original-poster update
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: follow-up on the author’s own Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.
Limitations: I would stop if the change removes the aroma you are trying to preserve.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: side-by-side or repeated one-variable test.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Safety 81]

Vendor/order report
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: completed order/report with dates and destination disclosed.
Change: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward identify where price stops improving the cup for me if that variable is causal.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Masala Soil]

Comparable tea
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: firsthand use of a comparable yancha price comparison with similar parameters.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Safety 81]

Same tea/batch
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: firsthand use of the same Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 in a closely matched setup.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Masala Soil]

I have no useful data, only solidarity with the part where one change creates three new questions.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Original-poster update
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: follow-up on the author’s own Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.
Limitations: If your actual filled volume differs from the stated volume, the ratio may be the bigger issue.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Controlled test
Direct recommendation: weigh the actual filled water once.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: side-by-side or repeated one-variable test.
Change: weigh the actual filled water once.
Expected effect: your ratio will become comparable with other reports.
Observed result: not tested on this exact setup yet.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Original-poster update
Direct recommendation: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: follow-up on the author’s own Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025.
Change: repeat the session with mid and premium.
Expected effect: the cup should move toward identify where price stops improving the cup for me if that variable is causal.
Observed result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.
Limitations: My result is from a small number of sessions, so treat it as evidence rather than law.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Breath-Breakfast]

Original-poster update
Direct recommendation: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Applies to: Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025 / yancha price comparison in a setup close to three 90 ml porcelain gaiwans.
Evidence: follow-up on the author’s own Rou Gui trio: Daily Cliff / Middle Path / Old Wall 2025.
Change: repeat the same recipe on a second day.
Expected effect: a repeated result should be easier to trust.
Observed result: mid tier gave most of the premium aroma at half the price.
Limitations: This may not transfer to a heavier roast or a very different vessel size.
Commercial relationship: none.

[Masala Soil]

The phrase “actual filled capacity” has ruined at least two of my favorite excuses.

[Author]

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