2013 Wawee Thai sheng, 2015 Vietnamese sheng from the Hien Minh shop

 

both seem to include bud content (Thai tea left)

A friend not so recently passed on a few Russian and Thai teas to try, and I lost track of this version, a 2013 Wawee (Thai village area) sheng.  It's probably the most interesting version of that set too, since it will be nice to experience how storage and time changed it.  I've been meaning to retry a Vietnamese sheng version I bought some of as maocha some years back, from the Hien Minh shop in Hanoi, Vietnam, so comparison will make sense, seeing how both held up at the same time.

I don't want to go too far with backstory or speculation here; this is mostly just going to be about these tea experiences.  Storage conditions differences will throw off making any direct comparison, and I don't know how these were stored, beyond holding onto one myself for some years (the past 4).  The Vietnamese version is maocha, not pressed, and that may help even out the two year age difference, since it should age slightly faster that way, but again who knows.

I'm curious to see how these relate to discussion and my own observations about whether or not some other Thai and Vietnamese sheng versions were made in styles that are well suited for aging (positive fermentation transition).  I don't want to get to far into all that either though.  Some versions I've tried from across South East Asia have seemed a bit more oxidized early on, and a limited amount of bitterness and astringency could've indicated processing wasn't a complete match for the most typical Yunnan range.

I had thought that the Pho Nhi Song reference on the label must have referred to an area, but in writing about that four years ago I described it as Tay Con Linh area tea from Ha Giang (I think), based on reviewing documented product details then.  Let's take a look:

Of course that listing, description, and price are all very out of date now; that probably wasn't current when I bought the tea back in 2019.  It's odd that it was quite bitter earlier on; even in 2019 in my notes I didn't see much about that.  And hard to place that it seemed "grassy;" often that would relate to a green tea edge, tied to a sheng being heated a bit much during processing.  If it instead means that it had a more hay-like neutral and warm tone that's something else.

Some people might be offended that the word pu'er (puerh) is used for Vietnamese tea, or more specifically any tea produced outside of Yunnan.  I see no problem with vendors making any particular naming convention judgement call related to that, skipping it to only call it sheng, settling on hei cha or dark tea, whatever they choose.  Anyone likely to drink sheng knows what they mean regardless of that choice, and I don't get upset about language convention choices, even when someone uses "literally" to add emphasis, but to mean figuratively.

the Vietnamese tea label, not matching that product summary naming

Review:

2013 Wawee Thai sheng:  I let this version brew a little longer, towards 20 seconds instead of around 10 for the other, to adjust for it needing more time to decompress.

Bitterness is still a main aspect, even though the tea is still a bit subtle, surely due to not being completely wetted yet.  The rest is nice, and the overall balance, the other warm earthier tones, a warm mineral range and some aromatic wood towards spice and dried fruit.  It'll all be a lot more pronounced the next round, I would imagine, once intensity from being wet will pick up, so I'll leave it at that.  It tastes good; quality seems fine, per an initial impression.

2015 Pho Nhi Song Vietnamese sheng (I'm not sure what that label heading meant; I suppose it's at least possible that I'm mixing up two versions, but I don't think so):  this is much more unusual.  Bitterness level will seemingly be much lower, but it includes other interesting flavor range that stands out, a hint of dried mushroom, and a sweetness tied to something along the lines of dried fruit.  Ordinarily I don't love dried mushroom flavor in tea but I bet that will fade pretty fast, as other flavors enter in.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't there earlier, it wasn't mentioned in my earlier review of this.  There is good other flavor complexity, a sweet, warm spice range that's not unlike that in the other tea.  I think both will be nice, but it will be interesting comparing a sheng version with pronounced bitterness with one that has lost it through transition changes.

I should mention that I stored something like a remaining 50 grams worth, partly to see how it might change, and just to have a chance to try it later.  That's not really ideal; storing more together would be better.  I don't think I tried this during the covid era, so that sealed bag probably hasn't been opened in three years, although maybe I did, since I wouldn't necessarily remember.

Thai tea left, in all photos

2013 Thai sheng, second infusion:  bitterness isn't too strong in relation to the rest; it strikes a good balance.  A very pronounced perfumelike floral range entered in.  That's great in combination with the warm mineral tone already present, and the other warm aspect range, now settling into a mix of warm aromatic dark wood and incense.  There is plenty of intensity in this tea to keep age transitioning for as long as one would keep it around; it seemingly wouldn't ever go quiet, as some versions can.  Concern about it possibly being made in a style best drank within a few years of production is not an issue.  Intensity, positive aspect range, balance, and refinement are all good; this is really nice tea.  

For someone seeking a relatively age-transitioned version--for which drinking a 10 year old version wouldn't make sense--this would have a ways to go, probably not there in 5 more years.  I wonder how it was stored.  Hot and humid Thai conditions can tend to rush that process, and this is in a good place for that time-frame, seemingly not rushed by that input.  For storage in Bangkok I would expect some heavier flavor tones to have entered in, and maybe a trace of mustiness, but at least even heavier aspect range, and it would only be so much cooler and drier in the north of Thailand.  

Speaking of that we just visited the upper middle of Thailand, as far up as Phitsanulok, and it was down to 15 C there in the night (60 F), absolutely frigid for us, a great change of pace.  This cool season has been extra cool.

2015 Vietnamese sheng:  as with the other version this really shines, based on showing more of it's true character in a second round.  Floral tone picked up for this too, and the mushroom edge backed way off, hardly identifiable, if at all.  Sweetness really stands out, in a warm and rich form.  For being like this it could appeal quite a bit to black tea drinkers; it's not exactly in the most conventional range for sheng, even though those vary an awful lot and then transition in many different ways.  I'm a sheng drinker, mostly, but I really like it.  It has great depth and intensity, and I don't necessarily miss bitterness being present.

To be clear it doesn't taste like a black tea; it's just mild, complex, rich, and sweet in a way that isn't so far removed from Yunnan style black teas.  For this being so approachable you could really push it, brew it stronger, and experience a range of different effects from it.  I probably wouldn't, except to see how that might go, but the potential is definitely there, since there is no need to "brew around" any input range as to pronounced at one strength.

Thai, #3:  it's interesting that this brews a little darker than the other; I suppose it's possible that a difference in storage forms made it ferment more, even beyond that extra 2 year input.  Or it could mostly be that?  

Bitterness is still pronounced, but it keeps integrating better, as other range picks up, now even with that input.  The strong floral tone is again pleasant, again supported nicely by other complex warm tones.  Feel seems richer, as a main change, and aftertaste experience lengthens.  Again this is pretty good tea (an individual and preference-oriented judgement; what do I know of the highest quality range of sheng versions?).

Vietnamese:  a spice incense aspect stands out most now; interesting.  Maybe along the lines of sandalwood?  I would need re-training, or at least more exposure, to be more familiar with that range again.  My hippie days were a long time ago, experimenting with incense exposure and all the rest.

It's going to sound like I think the other tea is a better match to conventional form, and better, more complex and better integrated, but this doesn't give up anything in terms of complexity or pleasantness of the experience.  There's a lot going on; layers of aspects, that are well-integrated.  And it's unique; this doesn't necessarily remind me of much other prior tea experience.  The Thai version may well be better suited for another decade of transition, since it is certainly more intense, but even then I don't think that it's necessarily right that one should drink this right away because it's only going to fade.  It's quite pleasant, and in a few more years it will be pleasant in a different way.  In 10 more it might be giving up too much related to limited intensity, or maybe not.  At a guess drinking this now, or within the next 5 or 6 years, makes the most sense, but that's just a guess.

But was it better 4 years ago, when I bought it?  I'd have to read an earlier review; I'm not sure.  Probably it was just different then, appealing in a different way.  As I remember it was quite nice then.

Thai, #4:  an interesting lemon citrus aspect picked up in this.  I've been critical of a broad pattern of tea reviewing where teas are described as completely different from round to round, usually experiencing changes as incremental myself, a shift in an aspect or two, or maybe a couple picking up while a couple taper off, but these teas are both changing a good bit each round.  

Bitterness keeps fading, dropping out gradually, and floral range is still pronounced, but the overall balance shifted quite a bit.  Warm tones still support the rest, but brighter range is more a factor now.  No need to keep saying that this is good, but it's good.  Feel changed a little too; it had been rich and velvety, and that's still there, but a touch more dryness entered in.  Varying infusion strengths, not being consistent about timing, is probably causing some of that.

Vietnamese:  that rich incense spice aspect is really nice.  If it was standing more alone, not as well integrated into other range it works well with, it would still be pleasant, but the overall effect is coming from that, the way it all ties together.  

I think I'm probably understating the degree to which bitterness and a feel structure characteristic of sheng is supporting that, since some similar range stands out more in the other version.  And I'm probably scaling back descriptions details some in relation to reviewing two teas together.  If I hadn't been doing that I surely would've focused in to explain more how other inputs are building up to these two different overall effects.  For example, there is some subtle input of dried fruit in this tea still, which I'm not really mentioning in descriptions, since I've been focusing on what stands out the most.  It's a lot to take in, and a lot to write, and experiencing the contrast, the differences, stands out as one more thing to contemplate and experience.  The warm mineral range is similar in both, which I've also just mentioned in passing.  

To add more description to that I think this tea tastes a good bit like dried Chinese date, jujube, a flavor experience that I really love, from being completely addicted to an ice, bean, and fruit Chinese desert version.  It's a little towards dried longan too, which is also in that desert.  I suppose that helps explain why I feel a connection with this tea experience, that it expresses a range that's a personal favorite.

Thai, #5:  pretty similar to the last round; the pace of transitions is leveling off.  Again I'm marveling at how pleasant this tea experience is, and how much further potential this aspect range seems to indicate.  The bitterness and bit of dryness wouldn't be for everyone, as it stands now, but for people accustomed to drinking younger sheng this is approachable and well-balanced.  It should only become more so, with plenty of complexity and intensity remaining, as that bitterness transitions to more fruit and warmer aspect range.

Vietnamese:  also pretty similar to the last round, not giving up much intensity yet, but it's possible that it is starting to fade just a little.  That warm dried fruit and spice range is just great.  Why would it be so pronounced, after just 8 years, when plenty of sheng versions are still settling out of rougher edge young character around that time, still bitter and astringent?  I can't rule out atypical processing as an input causing that, something along the lines of an extra bit of oxidation.  If it is that it didn't rob the tea of potential to be quite pleasant, complex, and interesting 8 years along in age.  It's possible the factor of maocha age transitioning (fermenting) a bit faster is part of it.

Thai version (left) slightly more broken; both vary in color some

Thai, #6:  similar, maybe giving up a little intensity, so that it's finally time to lengthen infusion time a bit.  I've been brewing these around 10 seconds, not so long, but that's plenty of time for gaiwans this full.  One difference that I didn't mention, which is evident in photos, is that the Thai tea is slightly more broken, while the Vietnamese version is completely whole leaf.  That will change the character, boosting compound extraction that is more astringent in this Thai version.  This balance of aspects works well though; it's pleasant.

Vietnamese:  warm spice, dried fruit, and floral tones make this still very pleasant, I suppose giving it an edge in pleasantness of experience at this round's stage over the other.  Both are good, this just works really well.  Earlier a heavier mouthfeel and extended aftertaste made the other Thai version seem higher in quality, but to me the overall effect those types of inputs develop is the thing, not enjoyment for the sake of any one aspect.  Stretching both of these using a 20+ second infusion could be interesting, and that would make for a good place to stop taking notes.  Of course the teas are far from finished, and an interesting late round transition could happen, but it's all a bit much to type or read.

Thai, #7:  better, a bit stronger again.  I think drinking sheng on the light side works slightly better, because intensity is usually fine with that moderated, but the way this hits is nice.  That one band of complex flavors in this is really pleasant.  The citrus I've described has warmed, now onto more of a blood orange range, and the warm tones aren't woody and spice oriented as much as towards dried tamarind range, which of course connects a little with rich and sweet orange.  Bitterness has finally eased to a secondary input, which is nice, although it wasn't unpleasant before, for someone acclimated to an even higher level.

Vietnamese:  I'm surprised that this maintains intensity and complexity as well as it does; it would've seemed more conventional for something expressing this range to narrow more, or even fade slightly.  It's not doing that.  Part of that warm rich tone range seems to edge towards maple syrup taste; that's different.  The feel isn't thinning, complexity isn't dropping off, and aftertaste experience isn't narrowing, although that was never as pronounced or extreme as it might've been.  It's good.  Again I think I like this experience slightly more than the other for this round, where the opposite may have been truer in the earlier rounds.  The other tea seems to have more aging potential, to me, but this could be really good after another 3 or 4 years to deepen in character.  Both are nice, nicer than I really expected, and I'm already a fan of this general range of tea types.

Conclusions:

I did go back and check the initial review of this Vietnamese version, in 2019.  It seems a bit patchy in terms of review form and detail level; I guess that settled to a more standard form here later on.  Given that status I can't say much about how it changed over the first 4 years in comparison with the second; it sounds different.  It would've been nice if that focused more on bitterness level, astringency, other mouthfeel concerns, specific mention of complexity and intensity, and a guess about aging potential, and likely early transition.  It sounded good then, and just different now.  Let's consider that earlier description, more about review form difference than it is informative:

On the third infusion the Ha Giang version really levels off to a very nice balance.  It's subtle, but there are interesting layers to the experience, and the aspects integrate well together.  I can see why I just didn't have luck putting a description into words; "floral, cedar, warm mineral" kind of catches it, in a sense, but at the same time completely misses it.  That warmth does extend a bit towards coming across as cocoa, and the sweetness does extend towards coming across as dried fruit.  It's the overall effect and balance that really works, but discussing mouth-feel and aftertaste is going to run into a parallel limitation.  It's quite pleasant but hard to describe why, in what ways.

My perspective, standard review form, and content scope have changed some since then.

I don't have more to say about the specific origin of this Thai version either.  Alex Phanganovich passed it on, and contacting him might work to check on if he has more, or even just to figure out what this is.  If it's from one of the main producers there could be another place to find it, but if he is trying to sell some I don't really want to oppose that by flagging a different source.  One of the better known Wawee producers uses that origin area name as their company name, but there are plenty of others, and the younger Thai sheng version he shared was from material from that area that was processed elsewhere.  Oddly in looking up that link that post identifies a second name for him; Alexey Zykov.

meeting Alex in 2020; Thailand had a nice long pandemic break in that year

I thought both teas were exceptional; surely that comes across in the post content.  Either would be great to have more of to check on further transition potential.  It's funny how for some more "factory style" oriented sheng even after 15 years it's normal to discuss how approachable they are, and how much further they should go to become more ideal, and this experience was the opposite.  They are "there" now, they probably will just keep changing in interesting ways, especially the Wawee / Thai version.

they grow up so fast

cuddling with cats has been a priority this break visit, before they go back to Hawaii for school

Thai OB white and Honey black teas from Alex Phanganovich

 

A few weeks ago I mentioned meeting a local new contact and friend, Alex Phanganovich, and having tea at the swim lesson my kids go to.  We first met at a Monsoon hosted talk about tea, ecological preservation, and biodiversity, presented by Alexey Reshchikov.

not the best shot of him, looking away

I'll keep this simple today.  I'm a little burned out from doing a two-day trip to Kanchanburi, way too fast to get out there and check out that "Death Railway" WW 2 prisoner theme.

It will help that I'm not trying to market these teas, or make firm claims about what they even are.  Alex said that both are from Thailand.  He isn't exactly a tea vendor but if anyone is interested in unusual Thai teas, or just discussion, he's up in the Chiang Rai growing area now. 

Tea Side is a good standard vendor for sourcing the normal range out of Thailand, or even beyond that; that seems relevant.  For just branching into South-East Asian tea range, and trying novel teas at a great value, Hatvala is worth looking into.  Enough on the commercial themes.

One tea was described as a white tea version of Oriental Beauty (which is odd), and the other as Honey Black tea.  As I recall that is usually used in relation to being a certain cultivar source and processed black tea type in Taiwan.  White tea Oriental Beauty from Thailand contains at least two different type convention contradictions, the category and origin, and probably a third related to plant type used.  It may not even be white tea; I'll focus more on an impression than trying to pin down any inputs or putting it in any boxes.

I doubt Alex has enough of these still around to share more, but you never know.  Again, at least on my side this isn't marketing, which to me takes the pressure off related to confirming or passing on details.

I don't recommend combined tasting black and white teas, side by side, but if you want to why not.  It takes some practice to not get thrown off by the contrast in style, and to some extent I still would too.  Reviews with contrasting teas focus more on flavor aspects, and tasting just one to two very similar types would go into feel and aftertaste range more, and probably get further with finer level flavor description.

Review:

OB White:  It's quite pleasant.  A nice hint of cinnamon joins other lighter, brighter, and sweeter range.  Maybe more than a hint; it's about half cinnamon, at this stage.  It's cool the way the rest is a bit warm but also light and bright.  I suppose it's mostly floral, with part seeming like fruit, but no dominant citrus tones stand out, as can occur with OB versions.  It will be interesting to see how it evolves, how it's different in another two rounds.

Honey black:  first impression:  strange.  It shares some common ground with that Taiwanese "honey black" theme, to the extent that is just one thing, and I remember it.  Sure that tastes like honey, but beyond that there's a way that a somewhat standard black tea range comes across that defines that, not malty like Assam, not mineral intensive like Ceylon, not fruity, floral, citrusy, and sophisticated like good Darjeeling.  Novel mineral is one layer to it, but it's about the warm earthy range tone, in a range 10 different people would describe in 10 different ways (like leather, root or bark spice, some variation of wood, roasted chestnut towards dried fruit, and so on).  

Often coming across as generally very positive, but also slightly limited in range, is part of the theme for those Taiwanese black teas, at the moderate quality level of versions I tended to try.  Versions being more consistently positive across complex character range, and quite refined, only happens with the best examples.  It's the same with all teas; buy a standard Da Hong Pao or Rou Gui and it would be nothing like the Wuyi Origin versions I keep reviewing.  This tea being this broken would limit results; that always bumps up astringency and makes results less positive.  It's not astringent at all though, due to the starting point, that not being a main part of the character.

The "strange" part is something else.  It has a funkiness to it, not exactly musty, but maybe closest to that range.  There's a decent chance that whatever that was about will be "burned off" in this first infusion.  I don't think it was a storage-input flaw, probably just an odd part of the character of this tea, tied to how it happened to change through oxidation.  But what do I know.  

It might include a trace of cinnamon too.  Along with the mustiness there's a hint of sourness.  To some this would be a huge flaw in the tea that really puts them off; to others just a normal part of experience very novel tea types, well-balanced by the other positive aspect range.  To me this tea will only really fully show its character on the second infusion, so I'll leave off further description until that.  The other tea will develop but it was obvious what it is like in the first go, to help place what I meant by that.

Second infusion:

OB:  more of the same, just becoming a little richer and deeper.  Cinnamon still really stands out.  There is complexity beyond that cinnamon range but the rest is really subtle.  Pushing this tea a bit more would help with that; I'm brewing both on the fast side, and the black tea version will extract faster for being black tea, and for being broken leaf.  It's pleasant brewed light still.  Probably intensity across a broad range just isn't a strength of this tea anyway, but a check on that brewed for closer to 20 seconds next round will help clarify that.  It's quite pleasant, maybe a bit simple, but pleasant across the range that is there, with some feel depth making the experience broader.

Honey black:  the unusual strengths and weaknesses of this tea make it an interesting experience.  At least it's not boring.  There's that honey sweetness and standard "honey black" flavor range, all quite positive.  Character related to astringency isn't bad; it's not edgy or negative.  Then there is a funkiness to it that's hard to describe, probably mostly or at least partly related to drinking this as such a broken-leaf version.  Some of that would probably seem more familiar if it wasn't that teas like this aren't typically prepared that way.  There's a good chance that this one wasn't either, that I'm trying the bottom of the bag for a very large batch, and the top, or the rest, looked more like I would've expected.

I think just as a more whole leaf version this would come across as much cleaner in character.  It's not musty, or as sour as initially, and even a trace of off mineral or mushroom would drop out a lot of the positive overall character, if there had been any present, but there's not.  

I wouldn't buy a tea like this one, but to some extent that depends on personal preference for type.  Five years ago I think I would've (and a search by name turns up reviews of two versions in this blog), and I've shifted into loving Dian Hong range more (Yunnan black), and am more open to good Darjeeling and Nepal black than this.  I never really "got" Ruby / Red Jade as another standard Taiwanese type (the cultivar name; it can be processed in different ways), that mintiness or eucalyptus flavor.  It's just preference.

That makes me wonder what tea plant type the "honey black" version from Taiwan is made from.  One vendor's description:

Very precious since only the tea bitten by Jacobiasca formosana can be made into Honey Black Tea.

Honey-like taste with slight sweet.

No pesticide in the tea plantation having Jacobiasca formosana, natural organic team.

Only being harvested once a year in summer in Taiwan.

The tea stored for more than one year give better taste.

Other vendor posts are essentially identical.  A blog-type review (through Tea Masters, written by Kevin Craig, who had reviewed teas as Tea Journeyman) mentions a cultivar type (which may or may not be universal):

This tea is generally made from the harvested leaves of TTES # 13 cultivar bushes (Tsuiyu), and are grown at around 500 meters altitude (1,600 feet) in Nantou County, Taiwan. The leaves are allowed to oxidize over 50%, then given a heavy roast. The Mixiang Hongcha is another of Taiwan’s bug bitten style of teas, so I expect to smell and taste honey in the tea.

Third infusion:

OB:  creamy, with notable cinnamon, and pleasant other depth, so not different.  If this really is a white tea one might wonder, why?  It's possible to draw out even more flavor complexity and intensity by making a similar oolong version, so why not do that?  Then again maybe one of the inputs is different, leading to this white tea version being more positive than an oolong would be, made from this material.  That seems unlikely, but the point is that me guessing would only get so far.  

I do like it.  The heavy cinnamon range and other non-distinct complexity make it pleasant.  Prepared as an above average quality oolong it would seem that it would be even better.

Honey:  I like this tea too, but it's another story of limitations cutting short achieving the true potential.  All the positive aspects of a honey black tea are there, the unique flavor complexity, approachable nature, interesting balance, overall novelty.  

There's a longer flavor-list of aspects I could be saying more about, probably offset and made harder to identify by the broken leaf adding more mild astringency and dry earthiness.  The slate-mineral undertone is actually positive, mixing well with the honey, cinnamon, and mild dried fruit range (to try to put a name to it), but there's a bit more countering that, more towards the smell of a galvanized pipe.  It's not a flaw, a limitation that's bad, but not positive either, and not something that makes the final effect better.

Conclusions:

It seems that there are two ways to interpret what I've said here.  One is that both are novel takes on established types, positive in the same ways, interesting and pleasant, good for covering most of that standard range and for being a bit different.  I've literally said all of that.  Or someone could focus on what I've said about limitations, and could only want to try the "best of the best," or highest forms of standard types, and all of this could sound like condemnation, accusing the teas of not quite getting there.  I think others' tasting experience would probably also head in those two different directions, based on their pre-conceptions and biases.  These could seem like really positive, interesting teas or else like complete misses.

I think it's important to stay open to experiencing a broad range in teas, but that's just me.  Doing the opposite definitely works too, narrowing what you like to very few types.  Or even a single type range, and only ever experiencing very good versions of those, higher and higher quality levels.  On both sides that could be interpreted in different ways.  On the broad-themed approach someone could explore geographical origins, or even stay open to blends and flavored teas, jasmine or lotus flavored versions, masala chai, and so on.  On the narrower end someone might only drink a limited sub-set of Dan Cong, or Taiwanese oolongs, or sheng pu'er from a few villages within a narrow age range.

It would make sense to write about trying the next three rounds of these but I won't.  On the next round warm richness comes out all the more for the OB, but distinct fruit and other range is still limited.  That same honey and fruit / spice complexity is present in the Honey version, with a hint of dryness and mineral that doesn't match the standard throwing it off just a little.  Both are good.  Both are off the general standard type a bit.  For being from Thailand the match is actually pretty good, especially if you factor in one being a different tea type (category) and the other a bit broken.

I never did develop how this OB is different related to being "white."  That would just add more guesses and discussion, not explanation.  It's probably a bit more subtle, developing light brighter flavors versus warmer tones.

meeting up at a local shop, Jip Eu

light and sound show at the Kanchanaburi bridge; too much sound, really

in memory of a lot of people who gave everything to protect everyone else

Myanmar sheng "pu'er-like-tea" gushu from Alex Phanganovich

 

I met a nice Russian guy recently at the Monsoon biodiversity study themed talk at a local Monsoon Tea shop.  Not Alexey Reshchikov, I don't mean, that researcher who presented there, although he definitely fits that description too.  There is a post in the works about that event, and forest biodiversity research.  Since that outing Alex and I met again at my favorite local tea shop, Jip Eu, and swapped some teas, and again between this tasting and the final post edit.  I'll try some of a tea that he passed on now, a Myanmar origin gushu sheng (which isn't pu'er, but it's made from the same plants in the same way, just one country over).

The gushu theme brings up some associations.  Of course it means old tea tree, and as I recall from back when I tried to pin down terminology more the age cut-off for the type can vary (normal usage; there probably is one clear convention).  Alex didn't play up the "wild" origin claims related to this, but if a tree really is over 100 years old it tends to not be growing in a plantation context.

There was a time when I thought I could identify aspects that were common to old-plant source sheng, more so than now.  The problem is that there are so many inputs related to final sheng character:  age of tree plant (it would make a difference), plant type, growing conditions (rainfall, soil related, sun exposure, etc.), and of course processing makes a lot of difference.  Storage changes a lot, even within a few months, but to a limited extent you can sort of "look back" to where any given aspects set probably started.  With that many variables it would be easy to get parts of it wrong, related to guessing out all causation, why a version is like it is.

I had thought that gushu sheng tended to be more intense in a limited sense, with more mineral undertone, often not quite as astringent, and potentially even slightly mild in flavor, again in a limited sense.  I thought that mouthfeel and aftertaste varied in characteristic ways, but then again the inputs all kind of mix.  I don't "get" feel effect, cha qi, enough to have ever been clear on that part.  The "wild plant" genetics issue complicates things, and variations in processing styles also do.  And trying teas presented as gushu that aren't really from old plants could throw things off; you can't identify clear patterns if your basic data set is corrupted.  

Now I tend to just not overthink things, going with whatever the experience is.  It helps in this case that I can't spend $1 / gram on teas I drink, so the subject comes up less frequently, and I don't have as much "skin in the game" as I might.

This is an odd case for me having tried this tea before, that day in the shop.  My reviews tend to never work out that way.  It's not because I think the more blind tasting is somehow better, although there are pros and cons to that, as there are to comparisons versus single tastings.  It's just how it seems to go.  If I buy a cake of something I could just as easily taste it a half dozen times before reviewing it, I just don't.  For samples there often is only two tries to work with.

This tea starts out really bitter, then that eases up after a few infusions, and really keeps mellowing out beyond that.  At one time I thought Myanmar sheng was like that in general, but I've since tried versions that aren't.  I think it relates to a plant type input difference, as with Lao Man E, but I don't know that.  Maybe I was more interesting to hear out when I thought I had more answers.  On with the re-tasting then.

Review:

First infusion:  brewed quite light, but still very bitter.  That's just getting ramped up too; the next round will probably be much more bitter.  I've made my peace with sheng versions being bitter but on the extreme side of that I don't like them as much.  The intensity and overall character is pleasant, beyond the bitterness, if that's not seen as an issue.  Related sweetness is nice, and flavors are clean, and overall balance is good.  I will surely like the range of effect after the third or fourth infusion better, once that intense bitterness plays through.  It's odd how it dropped out in this, the degree to which it did, in that earlier tasting session.  It's normal for some sheng to "loosen up" and be more approachable after 3 or 4 rounds but not so much for them to completely change character.  Transitioning a lot can come up though.

Maybe "bitter" is too vague; it comes in both degrees and types.  This isn't nearly as strong as I expect next round will be, but the actual taste is like biting into the flower from a dandelion.  Not as medicinal as taking an aspirin, but as pronounced in sharpness of the effect, just a little more vegetal.

Second infusion:  intensity picked up.  I went just over 5 seconds for brewing time, not short at all related to expected outcome, but I want to keep this part of the cycle moving.  It's actually slightly better for other range picking up, even though the bitterness did too.  Some vague warm tones increased, mineral range, and beyond that.  I suppose a warmer floral tone is the best description for that, with the sweetness of the dandelion (one other part of the floral experience) being joined by warmer toned floral.  This still needs two more infusions to be where I'll actually like the flavor.

This is a good place to re-visit how some people wouldn't focus on flavor at all, more on the body effect, or at least valuing mouth-feel and aftertaste a lot, the overall experience.  It might be possible for me to change lifestyle and become more in tune with the drug-like effect of teas.  Sitting at a desk for a work-week seems to not help, the mental sluggishness that goes with that form of unnatural experience, and the effect on your body that pairs with it.  I exercise a little to offset that, running, mostly, and had been doing yoga, but my instructor is back in India for now.  Meditation would probably help.  During the pandemic I had been meditating for 20 minutes most days, a fruit of recovered time from my commute dropping out.  Maybe I felt a little clearer then.  

Yesterday I went through an odd experience that is dropping my energy level a little this morning.  There are political protests in Bangkok now, related to people claiming that the last election wasn't fair.  The military oriented government just shut down the train system yesterday, during the Friday rush hour, to prevent access to those protests.  I walked 8 to 10 km through crowded streets and rain to get home (5 to 6 miles, for Americans).  I'm feeling it.  

Ordinarily grabbing a taxi would make sense, and it probably was possible to walk a mile or two directly away from the disruption, and then take an indirect route home, but I'd planned for my wife to pick me up in the middle, and complete gridlock extended to that area too.  Bad traffic is normal here but it was strange seeing block after block of cars just parked,  for miles.  The government had shut down some subway access too, and local bus service, intentionally crashing the public transit infrastructure; not so nice of them.  Luckily I like to walk.  This will just delay a run I would've probably did today.

it did take about that long

Third infusion:  coming together nicely; the next round will probably be more where I enjoy the aspects.  This is brewed for about 5 seconds, fast enough to be light, but even shorter would work at this proportion.  It's just a matter of habit to always brew the same tea proportion (a high one), but I could vary that.

It gains a little more depth, with that bitterness softening and integrating.  It doesn't have a strong floral punch, or a lot of sweetness, or intense flavor beyond those ranges, but that's not so unusual.  It could be gushu, or maybe it's not; I don't think I'd know.  Aftertaste intensity isn't really what I would expect for that.  Bitterness trails on after you swallow it but the general effect is a bit light.  Mineral depth is notable but it could ramp up more than this.  Really judging how the bitterness ties to the rest is what evaluating this tea is about, and quite-bitter sheng isn't my thing.  Personal preference isn't a necessary condition for evaluating a tea but it doesn't hurt if it works out to use that as a yardstick.

Fourth infusion:  this is more in a range I like, with the rest ramping up while bitterness drops off.  Probably one more round will be even better, with that transition that much further.  This includes warm mineral and floral range, along with bitterness, but the balance is still tipped towards that one aspect.  It's nice how much depth joins that, and overall intensity, and how clean the overall effect is.  It picks up a richer, "rounder" feel.  Aftertaste gains more duration and intensity, and it's less of just that one note coming across.  I'll break down next round to more of a list, given how I'm saying the transition stands.

Fifth infusion:  just as the tea is getting to where I like it more I'm losing attention span for making notes.  It still lacks some of the range that makes sheng really work well for me, the sweetness, floral and fruit complexity, hints of spice and such making flavors interesting, rich creamy feel adding depth, etc.  It's pretty good tea, it seems, but much better if someone is ok with bitterness playing a dominant role in the experience.  Which I don't love.  It's more balanced now, more complex, so there is more to appreciate, but mineral and very mild floral tone fills in along with the bitterness.  A neutral sort of fresh cut wood vegetal range adds more beyond that, but it's mostly the experience of depth, not so much that being positive, or leading to a great overall balance.

I think this does contribute a bit more heady feel than I usually pick up.  I eat along with teas in order to cut that range back, because I'm not into drinking tea as a drug-like experience, but I get it that many people tend to be.  My life's ordinary mental or physiological experience balance is fine, so I don't crave shifts in it.  If I want to relax I just relax; if I want to feel excitement or energy I do something exciting.  My kids are all about being on that latter page; I could go chase one of them around.

That reminds me of a funny micro-game my daughter has taken up playing.  She's on the agile side, a natural dancer, and has long since loved games where she just vanishes and hides.  Her latest twist is that she hides right behind me, out of my field of vision.  It sounds like it wouldn't work, and it doesn't when you know it's coming, but if I'm not thinking of it then it can, and she can mirror my movements.  I can't tap into quite that level of ongoing spirit of play, but it's literally going on around me all the time, so I can, through them.  For this moment zoning out seems nice, recovering from the long march home, and enjoying the ever-present monsoon rain.  I should probably be drinking a black tea.

yesterday's game was rolling them up in blankets like a burrito

Sixth infusion:  the best it has been, per my preference; I think it will level off for a few infusions like that.  The bitterness has eased up substantially, and that cut-wood tone is giving way to more mild but light floral range.  The balance works better.  I'm still done with taking notes, tired of writing.  You can imagine how I'd enjoy these next few rounds even more, and then stretch it out for a few more after that.  

It's good tea.  It's not a perfect match for my preference, and doesn't strike me as really high quality tea, the kind of version that really stands out, but it might be gushu, and it definitely has good intensity, clean character, and balance.  

Pairing that much bitterness with no traces of negative flavor or other range isn't a given; just a touch of off mineral or fungus would ruin this effect, or the wrong kind of smoke input would.  A little more sweetness would also improve it by the same amount; it is what it is.  To be clear I think my personal preference for type limits this more than the general quality level.

Conclusions:

Trying a different Myanmar sheng helped place this, a version from Chawang Shop that I reviewed awhile back.  Glancing through that review I think I like it a lot more now; it might've needed more time to settle after shipping in April, or maybe it just developed a bit for ramping up to this humidity level.  The short story is that it wasn't overly bitter; it balanced sweetness and floral tone, and overall flavor complexity and moderately full feel with a bit of bitterness.  At the same time the range it covered was also a bit limited, and all of those positives were only relative; it was good but not great. 

I'm not sure which tea was better in terms of some objective quality level.  Thickness of feel and aftertaste can serve as markers for identifying that kind of thing, or overall intensity, and sometimes a strong base mineral tone is present in gushu versions.  

That one bitterness note being so dominant in Alex's version made it hard to really appreciate the rest as much.  In those later rounds, even past the ones I made notes for, some creamy feel and a touch of lemon flavor stood out a little more.  Positive later-round infusions are a good sign, and it's more to enjoy.  It does kind of work to keep track of how many rounds a sheng brews, that are positive in character, and use that as a quality marker, but me not paying much attention or making notes for late rounds throws that off.

It doesn't seem like this ends with tidy conclusions; the teas were what they were.  Myanmar sheng is usually pretty good, relatively speaking, and these count as that.  This Kokang version also works as an example, which I didn't get around to mentioning here.  There is really positive other range, or greater depth and refinement, that the best Yunnan versions can exhibit, but that doesn't detract from how pleasant these two teas were.

Alex will move to the Chiang Rai area soon; stories about tea harvests and such should turn up as a result.  If you have leads for what to check out there pass those on and I'll let him know.  This blog doesn't have a "contact" section but the related Facebook page would work for that.

visiting with Alex at swim class; that avoids cutting a tasting short to go there

he met Kalani there; that doesn't come up too often