2022 Lishan Tie Guan Yin, 2021 Formosa Tie Guan Yin

Lishan left, in all photos (much greener and lighter in brewed color)

I'm back to reviewing, covering two oolong versions from Tea Mania, a vendor based in Switzerland.  These were contributed for review, more or less, and also just shared by the owner as a tea friend (many thanks!).

Their teas are pretty solid, so I went into trying these with high expectations.  They lived up to them.  That can be a problem, expecting teas to be on the far side of above average, because if anything is missing some of the expected type-typical aspect range, and aspects that serve as quality indicators, or just isn't a tight match to preference, then it can seem all the worse, where with more neutral expectations that would just be normal.

I wanted to add a little personal update here as well.  I've just returned from living in Hawaii again for a month, staying where my kids go to school in Honolulu.  That was the second month long outing there in the last half a year, and I'll go back again in two more months, for the end of Keoni's senior year there.  It has been quite an interesting four year cycle.  Of course that education was the goal, and that part worked.  Switching over employment back to the US didn't.  Living between the two locations and cultures wasn't really intended.

I suppose because I've spent most of the last 18 1/2 years here in Bangkok, and I still spend far more than half the year here, there isn't really any adjustment to work through going back to Thailand.  In Honolulu I feel like I am adjusting for the first couple of weeks, and it could feel more natural for the entire first month.  Of course it's fantastic there; that helps.  I swam in the ocean, out to a flag about 200 meters out, at least a dozen times in a month.  Running goes better there, due to the cooler climate, just not so much this time related to an Achilles tendon problem.  

I met an interesting tea contact there this time, but left out telling that story, in part to avoid going through the permission step, and because there wasn't that much of a consistent story to it.  It felt like meeting new friends; it was nice.  Discussion was all over the place, as it should be.

No matter where I spend time with the kids things go great, so either place, or anywhere else, is suitable for that.

Back to business here; I'll try to look up listings for what I tried.

The first one I couldn't find; it's not this:  Lishan Tieguanyin  ($31 for 50 grams), even though that's also from 2022.  That's too oxidized; it really can't be the same tea.  Or maybe it is, and that just seems completely impossible to me. 

It's lighter, more like this one:  Lishan Medium Roast ($25 for 50 grams).  But that's made from Qing Xin cultivar, and it's not the right year either (from 2015).  They might buy a lot at one time and then be ok with selling it out over years.  It might be similar to this version, Gaoshan Tieguanyin, just from a different year, with that one listed from 2025.

That second one seems to be this:

2021 Formosa Tieguanyin  ($25 for 50 grams)

Formosa Tieguanyin, hailing from Pinglin and harvested during the spring season, undergoes traditional processing methods, resulting in a tea with a medium to strong degree of oxidation. This oxidation level is notably reflected in the green leaves with a delicate red edge, creating a  a beautiful amber liquor.

The aroma of Formosa Tieguanyin is robust and floral, a quintessential trait of spring teas, accompanied by subtle toasted notes that add depth to its profile. Its fragrance evokes hints of jasmine and magnolia, creating a harmonious bouquet. Depending on the quality of the water used, it may reveal a refreshing, slightly acidic note, adding to its complexity. As you savor this tea, you’ll notice a gentle spiciness and honey-like undertones in the cup, making it a truly multisensory experience.

One of the unique attributes of this Formosa Tieguanyin is its enduring finish in the mouth. The reverberation of its flavors persists over an extended period, inviting you to savor and contemplate its intricate character in meditative silence. Thanks to its traditional processing, this tea is well-suited for storage without compromising its aroma. Over time, as it matures, the aroma transforms, unveiling its own distinct charm.

Harvest date: spring 2021

Aroma: floral notes, reminiscent of jasmine and magnolia, honey undertones

Oxidation: approx. 50%.

Roasting: medium

Terroir: Pinglin, Taiwan

I'm more familiar with sheng pu'er pricing, so I won't be able to add much about the relative value of these.  Are they good for costing in the 50 cents a gram range?  I think so.  You don't find versions as inexpensive as some other types range for better quality Taiwanese oolong; it seems you pay to get versions in that category.  Up towards $1 a gram is normal, and the 50 cents per gram range for good versions is quite fair.

Maybe that's not so much, or maybe it's out of some people's budgets; it just depends on expectations.  But I doubt that you can find anything in a similar quality level in a lower price range.  There must be some decent oolong out there for less, but these have all been exceptional, well beyond decent.

I usually talk through input factors a lot more.  This doesn't discuss any differences related to Tie Guan Yin and more standard Qing Xin variations, and barely touches on the aging issue, that these are nearly 4 and 5 years old.  It works to just describe them.

Review:

2022 Lishan:  this is a bit overbrewed (ok, maybe even more than a bit); I was looking at something online and left it for over a minute.  Not ideal as controlled review processes go, but the tea will be fine.

It's a little strong, but still quite pleasant.  It will interesting seeing how a light version works out, the opposite sequence I normally experience both forms in.  Mineral tone is positive.  Feel is thick and full.  A vegetal range note is harder to place; it integrates well, and it's not negative, but it's less clearly positive.  This includes plenty of that type-typical mineral base and floral range, it's just in an unusual form for being brewed a bit strong.  

Nothing negative stands out; this is one purpose of using stronger infusions, to identify flaws better.  That vegetal range should lighten at a normal infusion strength.

2021 Formosa:  this is in a completely different flavor and character range.  It was more oxidized and more roasted, most likely.  I've always loved that effect when those two things balance well.  I think they will for this version, but again being brewed slightly strong doesn't show it's true potential, beyond highlighting that it doesn't include certain kinds of flaws.  

There's an interesting spice range in this, difficult to determine between root spice and bark spice range.  My first guess is that it spans both; it's quite complex.  One part actually is along the line of cinnamon, but there's a lot more to it.  It will help trying it lighter; that can work better for separating flavors.

Of course both have full feel and pronounced aftertaste expression, brewed a little strong.

Lishan #2:  creamy, light, sweet, and rich.  It is much better in a conventional infusion strength, but it wasn't so bad extra strong.  There's a characteristic high mountain oolong range this covers really well, a mix of base mineral, creaminess, and floral range.  I suppose this is probably identifiable as a region-specific example, and I've tried plenty of tea from different areas in Taiwan, but not enough over the last few years to stay familiar with that.  It's hard enough tracking how that goes for pu'er, which I drink much more of.  

If Tie Guan Yin is an exception for plant type for this area--which it says in a different product description--maybe the type-typical character would be harder to identify, without a lot of exposure.

It's very pleasant.  It didn't lose any brightness of freshness over nearly 4 years of settling (it's from 2022).  It probably did change, and if I'd been drinking a lot of oolong for the past half dozen years I could speculate about how.  Picking up depth?  Who knows.

I can't identify that bright floral range as a specific flower aspect flavor but anyone with even limited exposure with Taiwanese oolongs would already have a pretty good idea of what I mean.  It's not vegetal at all, in this form; that part switches back over, from when brewed too strong, back to floral range, and a flavor that actually seems a little like cream.

Formosa:  more pleasant, again, but of course just a lighter experience of the first round.  Those layers of warm and sweet spice really stand out.  Warm mineral and rich, round sort of feel complement them.  Sweetness is pleasant, for both of these.  Part of the warm, sweet range seems to resemble honey, or maybe that's caramel.  Or maybe both; this is on the complex side.  It's not far off dried fruit but I'm not noticing that standing out.  For being less distinct that could really be floral range instead.

Lishan #3:  maybe vegetal range does enter back in a bit, infused a little stronger than last time, but not overbrewed.  Intensity is good, but that was true when brewed quite light too.  Floral range is still pleasant, and creamy feel and some cream flavor stands out.  The mineral base is quite strong.  

This is exactly what many people would be looking for in a Taiwanese oolong experience.  It's familiar range.  I like it, I guess apparently just not enough to break from drinking pu'er all of the time to seek it out (and some black tea, but that's limited, more a main alternate).  I could drink this regularly and appreciate it.  In a limited sense pu'er seems more intense (sheng pu'er, I mean, of course), including bitterness, strong flavors, and a particular astringency.  But this is very complex and intense in flavor, and the rich feel and aftertaste provide secondary supporting experience.

Formosa:  I could speculate about another half dozen flavors being included in this, it's that complex.  But describing it as primarily in spice flavor range, a broad set of inclusions within that, and including mineral base, sweetness, and other range like caramel mostly gets it.  

It would work to interpret part as being a rich, heavy floral range, or seeing some of that towards-earthiness range connecting with dried fruit.  Maybe dried longan?  Only people who have tried dried longan would recognize how much of a compliment that is.  It's probably my favorite dried tropical fruit.  There's something so catchy about it that once you start eating it it can be hard to stop.  It doesn't stick around for long.  Of course once you think of the association it seems obvious, and accurate.  Let's say this tastes like dried longan, and set aside the rich floral part for now.

In later rounds the roast input didn't integrate as well, which is actually normal for this range of oolong.  I didn't take notes past these early rounds but it held up to brew quite a number more.

Both are really good.  Both are extreme examples of the positive potential of Taiwanese oolong.  I'm curious what the aging input contributed, nearly 5 and nearly 6 years for both.  They mellowed and deepened?  It almost had to be positive, given where these are now.  

There isn't a hint of negative aspect range in either.  That can be hard to appreciate, noticing something that isn't there.  And intensity and complexity is great for both.  If this more oxidized and roasted version isn't too costly it would be ideal for buying quite a bit of, to drink over the next decade, and then to experience as a truly aged version (which of course would seem all the more true after 20 years, not "only" 16).  

Looking back at the included price, added during editing, this is 50 cents a gram.  It could pay off to buy some to drink and some to forget about for awhile.  

I left out part of the personal backstory, about the tasting.  I had changed countries less than a week before, which didn't add too much jet lag, but I had cut my thumb hand-washing a knife earlier that morning, and went on to get stitches later.  I don't think it threw off my perspective much, but in retrospect it was a little strange doing a relaxing tea tasting between those two steps.  I didn't think the injury was so bad.

Our cats are just now experiencing exploring the outdoors, two kittens that are about half a year old now, or I guess maybe even 8 months.  That's not so distracting, more a pleasant step to witness.  They both just learned to climb trees this weekend.  I do end up getting up a lot, from a table outside, to check that they're not walking out into the soi / alley, going around our gate.  On a later day I climbed that tree myself, to help one down, since she hasn't figured out the down-climb process yet.

Life is all about those ups and downs, isn't it?  In two months I'll be a more direct part of my kids experiences, which I just hear about by video call now.  There's lots more drama when I'm not there, which I guess is partly a good sign, that I help keep it all tracking well when I am there.

Tea Mania Meishan and Lishan dark roast oolongs

Meishan left, Lishan right, in all photos

I'm reviewing two more versions of Taiwanese oolong from Tea Mania, from a set of samples provided for review (many thanks!).  As much just shared to try them, since I know that owner, but reviewing tea is what bloggers do.

These teas were exceptional.  That can mean different things; in some cases it's about a tea really matching a great version of a well-established type, or in others one can be quite novel.  These seem like one of each, with one a bit different than I've tried much of before, although the more-roasted, light style Lishan version also isn't exactly standard.  You don't see that balance of significant roast input and a lighter starting point (not very oxidized) that works this well.  But the Meishan version is really something else.  Maybe related to age?  It's from 2012, while the other is from 2019 (well settled, but the other seemed to pick up age related notes, that plum and extra depth).

I'll cite the vendor description and move on to review notes:

Meishan Dark Roast  (2019; $22.50 for 50 grams)

This Qingxin from Meishan is a well-oxidised oolong tea in the traditional style, expertly crafted by a renowned tea master in spring 2012. A true rarity among today’s Formosa oolongs, it features a distinctive dark roast that enhances its complexity. Grown at an altitude of 1100 meters in Meishan, the tea develops an abundance of deep aromatics characterized by floral and warming nuances reminiscent of Dongding tea, yet distinguished by a richer aroma and more intense flavor due to its high-altitude origin. The infusion presents a warm, robust yellow hue, free from bitterness even after prolonged steeping. Its fragrance is notably floral, with elegant notes of osmanthus and blossom honey. The lasting aftertaste invites contemplative enjoyment, revealing the tea’s intricate layers in each subsequent sip.

Thanks to its traditional oxidation and dark roasting, this Qingxin oolong uniquely preserves the cultivar’s inherent characteristics while imparting a rich, distinctive depth. The traditional craftsmanship ensures excellent storability, allowing its aroma to evolve gracefully over time, acquiring an enchanting maturity with age.

Harvest date: Spring 2012

Aroma: notes of honey, floral and toasty

Oxidation: approx. 50%

Roasting: strong

Cultivar: Qingxin

Terroir: Meishan, Chiayi, Taiwan

In writing review notes I was curious about pricing for this, since it really is so exceptional that it would be hard to identify a standard level for that.  At nearly 50 cents a gram this still seems like a steal to me.  You would typically have to use less mainstream curator sourcing to find teas like this.  Tea Mania only sells pretty good teas, so I guess those vendor types tend to not be completely distinct.

Lishan Dark Roast  (2019; $31.22 for 50 grams)

Lishan Dark Roast is a medium-oxidized, medium-strong roasted highland tea from Lishan using tea leaves of the Qingxin cultivar. Qingxin means green heart. It is the cultivar with the longest history of cultivation in Taiwan, the most popular among tea farmers and tea drinkers alike, and by far the most widely cultivated. When people talk about Oolong in Taiwan, they usually refer to it as “Qingxin-Oolong”. It is the same cultivar from which the traditional, genuine Dongding is made...

Lishan Dark Roast is a medium-oxidized, traditionally processed highland tea from Lishan. Due to the medium oxidation, the tea has a honey-like yet flowery aroma, which is complemented by the stronger body and more intensive taste experience typical of Oolong tea. The leaves are processed traditionally, resulting in red edges. The reverberation in the mouth is still clearly perceptible even over a longer period of time and it is a pleasure to trace the character of the tea in meditative silence and to fathom its complex character more and more.

Lishan Dark Roast is medium-strong roasted, which adds layers of flavor including warm, nutty notes, hints of caramel, and roasted barley. But, the character of highland teas is still clearly visible. Due to the traditional processing, it can be stored without any problems and without losing its aroma. With increasing age, the aroma changes and develops its very own charm.

Harvest time: spring 2019

Aroma: floral, with notes of honey, nuts and caramel

Oxidation: approx. 40%

Roasting: medium-strong

Cultivar: Qingxin

Terroir: Lishan, Nantou, Taiwan

This is priced a little higher than the other.  Preference is what determines how much someone connects with each tea, and I've always loved a bit more oxidation balance in well-roasted oolongs.  But that other version is really something; all those layers of richer, deeper flavors, maybe related to it aging for an extra 7 years.  

This second tea is well balanced, and quality is evident, so it's also good.  And around 60 cents a gram is probably pretty standard for way better than average quality, distinctive Lishan oolong.  Maybe even still a good value, but that first version is really unique.

Review:

Meishan #1:  this brews a lot darker than the other; that's interesting.  I may or may not be able to guess why.  This is going to be too light to get much of a sense of.  I let it go a lot longer than the 15 second or so typical infusion time, maybe double that, but it wasn't enough to open the rolled form.  The first impression is good; this tastes like dark caramel, with a good bit of complex range beyond that.  Maybe plum?  As a 2012 tea, 13 years old, that aged effect could be present.  A little spice range shows up beyond that.

Lishan:  even light this is really creamy and pleasant.  Feel is creamy, and taste is sweet, and not unlike cream.  It might include a much lighter caramel note.  These are going to be pretty good.  If the other version, the first one, is as good as it initially seems it would be hard to set a fair market price for it.  Aged oolong is expensive, and it's most often what seemed to be left behind somewhere, forgotten about, but this initially seems to be something else, a truly exceptional version.

Meishan #2:  it's very unique; good luck having a vaguely comparable experience to this tea through any other version.  I'm not saying that it's that much better than a lot of other range, but this just doesn't come up, per what I've experienced.  Or maybe it often does, and I've been focusing on sheng pu'er for so long that I've missed a lot of range that's out there.

A set of complementary flavors balance against each other; there is no one or two dominant aspects.  One part is plum, but it's integrated with the rest.  Another is dark caramel, and that stands out more than most of the rest.  Beyond that a warm, sweet, earthy range tastes a bit like a light roasted coffee to me.  Or spice, or maybe it's that both are present.  A heavy, mineral intensive flavor could resemble aged leather.  In the wrong context that wouldn't be as pleasant, but in this it balances well with the rest.

Feel is really rich too.  It's clean in effect, with a good sweetness level.  Aftertaste experience adds complexity.  It's like a checklist of what can go well in tea.  There's even a cognac like aromatic layer that seems to only show up in really high quality tea versions, within a certain range of types, not so uncommon in exceptional Wuyi Yancha versions.  I suppose if someone was looking for flaws a touch of sourness might be interpreted as such.  But to me it integrates well with the spice layer, as a flavor that makes sense along with that, and it's likely to drop out quickly.

Lishan:  of course this comes across as simpler, but it holds its own reasonable well for also being a solid tea, and for expressing different character.  The roast level works well for this, perhaps a bit lighter than for the other, or maybe it's that aging effect warms the tone of the other.  This is a 2019 version so it has had time to settle.  Floral range stands out more, and creaminess.  The creamy flavor, and to some extent feel, are more balanced by other range, with the rest stronger.  Feel has good fullness and richness.  

I suppose to some extent it suffers in comparison with the other, because that other complexity is really something, so many layers standing out at the same time, along with novel and exceptional flavor range.  This is more what you would expect from a well-balanced, good quality, high roast level Taiwanese oolong.  Floral range isn't as bright and light as in light versions, but it's not completely unlike that.  Mineral depth is there; that's a typical positive balancing aspect.

Meishan #3:  I'm brewing these between 15 and 20 seconds.  They would work well brewed faster or slower; the character would just balance differently.  Intensity is fine for using 10 second timing instead, and nothing negative would probably stand out brewed for half a minute.  I just don't prefer them either of those ways.

Creaminess seems to pick up; interesting.  Dark caramel had probably shifted to a medium caramel last round, and this is lighter, more like butterscotch.  There is an awful lot going on beyond that, but it seems to integrate to a complex background range at this stage.  You get a sense of depth.  If it had included sourness last round, which would've been a judgment call, you can't detect that now.  

Lishan:  this evolves to come across as more complex, and warmer in tone.  It's interesting how they're transitioning in two completely different ways.  In a limited sense it's more like the other, but they're still kind of different.  It still resembles the typical floral range of Taiwanese oolong more, but the warm tones are something else.  Producers can set a roast level wherever they like, but this probably needed those extra years to settle to be this exceptional.  Roasting it this much might seem like a gamble, and my guess is that it's paying off more now than it would have within the first year or two.

Peter, the Tea Mania owner, has mentioned that it's hard to try oolong versions and get a clear sense of what is going to be exceptional years later.  They settle in ways that are hard to predict.  All of this is what I don't experience enough of to get a sense of it, since I drank a lot more oolongs of different types prior to switching mostly to sheng, maybe 6 or 8 years ago.  Even then I drank more Wuyi Yancha.  Even if I had been drinking more Taiwanese oolongs regularly my tea budget wouldn't have supported trying many teas of this quality level.  In the same way the highest end range of sheng pu'er has only been available through trying samples, I guess, and mostly some that are sent for review.

direct sunlight threw off coloration; the two were more balanced in color this round

Meishan #4:  not so different than last round.  It's creamy and warm, with good depth, a nice mineral base, caramel range (or butterscotch; it's a judgment call), and probably some spice beyond that.  People could interpret it differently.  It could taste like cacao to some, or warm floral range instead.  When flavors are this complex what you get is kind of an interpretation.  Seeing one part as a warm wood tone might make sense, or leather, which seemed to match better in an early round, or maybe even cinnamon.  To me it's closer to cinnamon than those others.  It's really clean for including some of that earthier range.

Lishan:  also not transitioning as much as before, settling into a nice character.  It's nice experiencing that typical floral and mineral base range in a completely different form like this.  I was worried that these might be a little like Tie Guan Yin versions that are really light, that are re-roasted to restore deadened flavor effect.  Of course they're better tea than that, made more intentionally, but the higher roast and lower oxidation level inputs taken together can be a little off-putting.  This isn't like that.  I suppose if someone hated the high roast effect (probably medium-high; high roast implies a tea is all but charred, and this isn't), combined with brighter oolong floral range, then maybe it isn't so good, but I think most tea drinkers could relate positively to this.  

The other tea is something else again though.  It's not just a better version of a style that I've tried before, it's something relatively new to me.  I've tried some aged oolongs, maybe a half dozen versions (in rolled style, this Taiwanese range; twisted style range is something else), but nothing that balances in this sort of way.  That reminds me; I bought a decent amount of a 1992 version that I liked, that I haven't retried in a number of years; eventually I should check in on that.

I'll leave off here, since the story seems to be mostly told.  It's a busy errand day, since I leave to go back to Honolulu in less than a week, and I'm still working through cats being sick.  I might go visit them at the vet today, where they stay, even though I was there yesterday, since it will be a busy week, and I may not see much of them. 

I visited the cats that day, and once more a day or two later, and they're back to normal, quite lively.

Greengold Georgian Kesane oolong and Phoenix roasted green tea

 

Nika of Greengold sent another set of Georgian teas to review, which I started covering comparing two black tea versions, and now I'm on to oolong and a well-roasted green tea.  Many thanks to him for these!

In that black tea review the versions didn't seem as conventional as I expected.  One was similar to one Chinese black tea in style, and the other was unusual.  I suppose trying the earlier set 2 or 3 years ago I'm not remembering how conventional or unconventional those were.  These may be a bit unusual.  I'll use the web page descriptions as an intro again:

KESANE, which is name of one of the most mysterious flower, which in Georgia grows only in Guria region. Our tea plants are surrounded by forrest which is full of this flower. According to the legend this flower is called "Forget-me-not". Our Oolong tea is made with such mystery recipe and after you taste, you will not forget it.

It is a golden tea that displays the aroma of woody, honeyed, fruity, roasted with a hint of vegetal notes. The taste is refined and full-bodied, sweetish. The taste is juicy and smooth, buttery, sweetish, with fruity sourness, spicy nuances and refreshing finish. The liquor is transparent, with a shade of a meadow honey.

PHOENIX tea is a roasted green tea, with a very strong aroma and taste, which makes it an unique product. It is made from morning-plucked fresh leaves and is being roasted on a very high temperature, that’s why is named after Phoenix.

Strong fire is the key to deliver specific strong aroma during the tea manufacturing process.

AROMA: HONEY, WOOD, FRUIT, VEGETABLE

Tea has strong aroma and flavours with some notes of cocoa, honey that gives it points of acidity and notes of aged wood. It has a sharp and delicately texture. The degree of taste balance and the predominant malt taste. It is true that in the mouth, the balance between medium acidity and medium amount of tannins make this tea honeyed, round and easy to drink that highlights the sweet flavour.

Review:

Kesane:  warm, rich, a bit nutty; I expected something else from the moderate darkness of color tones, for it to be even lighter.  There is touch of caramel flavor as well.  Feel is thick and rich too, which is atypical for a light initial round, especially if the flavor is still light.

Phoenix:  that's different.  There is a smoky input that stands out first, then an unusual type of flavor and astringency that pair together, maybe like tree bark.  This tastes like heavy pine smoke.  When you expect that it can be quite pleasant, especially when paired with suitable tea aspects, as with Lapsang Souchong.  When you are expecting a mild floral or vegetal tea, anywhere near typical green tea range, it hits a bit hard.  Mineral undertones are so strong that it tastes a bit like petroleum.

It's odd how the infusion strength differs in these.  The first isn't as light as initial rounds sometimes are but it seems like it will strengthen more in the next round, that it hasn't quite opened up, and this is really intense, even a bit much.  I'll need to use flash infusions for this tea from here on out.

Kesane #2:  it's odd how depth, feel, and richness come across as stronger in this than typical forward flavors.  The flavor is fine in it, along the line of root spice coupled with mild nut, brazil nut, macadamia or such.  A faint touch of caramel and light vegetal edge add complexity, so light that it's hard to define, but not intensity.  Sweetness is moderate but that input works with the rest.  It's odd that this doesn't remind me of any other tea version, strange that no other teas that come to mind have been like this.

Phoenix:  it balances much better for being brewed quite light, infused quickly.  Smoke input really stands out but it's not nearly as strong, and the unusual vegetal (bark) and mineral (petroleum) range have eased up.  Sweetness and feel kind of catch up; this makes a lot more sense now.  One obvious question is if people who love Lapsang Souchong would also love this, given that it's not even a black tea base paired with that smoke input.  I think that most would.

This may or may not even be a smoked tea.  It's pretty smoky though, and that input had to come from somewhere.  It's hard to identify other flavor range to round out a list.  It tastes a bit like pine, not only pine bark but also the needles.  There probably is more to notice that's being overwhelmed by the more dominant range at this point.

Kesane #3:  not transitioning too much.  A bit of autumn fallen leaves tone enters in, but that's pretty close to what I had already been describing.  I like this tea; to me this unusual character works.  It balances well, and is pleasant.  It's not far off typical shou mei white tea range, comparing more to that than to most oolongs.  It's odd trying one very light and subtle tea along with an intense one; it might work out that I like this more for the other being a bit dialed up.  

I'm a sheng pu'er drinker, and was just discussing how unusually high intensity might be part of the appeal of that for me, but it took awhile to really like that flavor set, and what's going on with the Phoenix version is new to me.

Phoenix:  not transitioning much either.  Intensity is moderated by using a really short infusion time but this tea is strong.  

It might come across better paired with food; some of that intensity might make more sense while alternating it with a breakfast or snack food, something rich and intense in flavor.  This might pair well with gingerbread or red velvet cake, something that isn't subtle.  Or this might even be fantastic with a conventional American breakfast, with fried eggs, bacon (especially smoked bacon, setting up a parallel between the two), fried potatoes and so on, all with a glass of orange juice.  

This might even be a rare tea alternative that a coffee drinker seeking a match in intensity might love.  It's not the same as a French roast coffee but it overlaps in a few different ways.  That intensity builds up as you sip it a few times, almost changing in effect, and becoming too much.  I could add milk to this and see what happens, even though that's blasphemy in the tea world.

I actually did that; in one sense this tasting just went off the rails.  With just a touch of sugar this would really pull together, since that softened the intensity issue, but the smoky and pine tones are still a little edgy, even with that one part sorted out.  It would fall close to a London Fog, Earl Grey with milk.  

It might sound like I'm saying that this tea is so harsh that it needs plenty of adjustment, and this commentary can be taken that way, but as I see it I'm really discussing an unusual potential of the tea.  If you put milk in the other version it would disappear.  This can balance in a novel and pleasant way, as more intense Lapsang Souchong can.  Or just drinking it with food would seem to accomplish some of the same effect, resolving high intensity, but in a completely different way.

Kesane, #4:  I brewed this a little stronger and feel includes more of an edge now, not much compared to average tea feel range, but some.  Interpreted in other ways people could see this tea as creamy, or could interpret the nut / root spice / autumn leaf range as subtle floral tones instead.

Phoenix:  this balances better than ever; it softens and gains better balance.  The flavor list still holds up, it's just not similar to earlier in overall effect with the balance of those inputs shifted around.  The challenging part eases up; it wouldn't make as much sense to add milk to this, as brewed this round.

These teas are far from finished, brewed Gongfu style, the notes just stop here.  I tried them for a few more rounds and they didn't transition that much more.

Conclusion:

Interesting, pleasant teas.  That roast level in the Phoenix was a bit aggressive but if you were expecting that, or even seeking it out, it could be quite pleasant.  If you expected a light oolong or moderate roast Wuyi Yancha it would seem burnt to a crisp.  It worked out as Lapsang Souchong works out; you have to like that range to get them, and then it's pleasant.

Oddly I feel like I could relate to these better if they matched standard Chinese or other-origin tea character.  Then that's about needing clear and defined expectations to appreciate tea character, which seems strange to me.  Did I lose experiential flexibility along the way?

The Kesane oolong works well for a mild and unique oolong range.  Maybe it reminds me a little of a gentle white tea, with the full feel and macadamia nut range flavors very approachable.  I would guess that if you try brewing it in different ways and adjust to the character more complexity would stand out, that you could get more flavor range out of it.  Probably trying it alongside a much more intense tea didn't really do it justice.

For the Phoenix tea you just have to be ok with a high roast level.  From there varying brewing approach could adjust intensity, and could shift experienced aspects some, but it's going to be smoky and intense.

Well-roasted green tea is unusual, isn't it?  Then it's back to whether a type being novel is ok or not.  It is if you think it is, if you like the aspects and character.  Aging it a year or two would probably tone down that smoky intensity some, and from there pairing with food or even adding milk would also work, as discussed in the review.  Just dropping infusion proportion would help, the amount of tea used in relation to water.  Or drinking a smoky, intense tea could be nice, if someone's preferences align with that.

Wuyi Origin blended Da Hong Pao, compared to a Chinatown version

 

This backstory should be familiar to most people, that Da Hong Pao seems to mean two completely different things.  On the one hand there were 7 or so bushes that tea plants were derived from, not genetically identical plant versions, but similar, and the later resulting teas from them are Da Hong Pao.  The two main cultivars from those plants are now called Qi Dan and Bei Dou (with more on that story here).  Then a lot of commercial Da Hong Pao could just be anything, maybe only Shui Xian, or as often a mix of other plants.  The blending idea seemed to be to recreate that original character and to create balanced, blended tea versions (so two separate goals, really).  Or maybe it just started with loose branding, copying over a traditional story to broader type inputs.

I think this is a picture of those bushes

This is a blend, the second example.  Cindy sells more original Da Hong Pao variations as Qi Dan and Bei Dou on her website, and is clear about what this is, marketed as blended Da Hong Pao.  I've been drinking a decent Chinatown shop Shui Xian lately, from Jip Eu, so the range is more familiar again.  That version was so inexpensive, one of the rare exceptions where a very low cost tea could pass for mid-range, or really is that, but just isn't priced as such.  That may be a blend of inputs too, but given that designation it's probably just Shui Xian.  This should be a bit better, more refined, more balanced, with subtle aspects that work slightly better.  We'll see.

I should add that Cindy sent this tea to me, not so much for review, but as a gesture of friendship, as I take it.  She's on the short list of my absolute favorite tea contacts, so if bias was ever going to enter in it could related to her teas.  But as I take it they're so good that they don't need help from biased interpretation to shine.  Their description of this tea:

Da hong pao blended (拼配大红袍）2021

Blending Dahongpao is not to mix different varieties together, but we select different varieties, and then complement each other according to the characteristics of the tea varieties. A good mix of Dahongpao requires skills,

Raw material: We used Rougui 肉桂, Shuixian 水仙, Jin mu dan 金牡丹  ，Meizhan 梅占, and  Chun lan 春兰 ，All the materials are from our 2021 Harvest . Baking level: 3times roasted, medium roasting style  ​About Blending: Different materials with different features all mixture together. This blended dahongpao: Zheng yan Rougui and Shuixian fix its strong body. Jin mudan 金牡丹 and Chun lan 春兰 help to enhance the aroma .Blending is a good complement of different materials.

Roasting level : the 1st time roasting : 2021.June.9th

                          the 2nd time roasting : 2021.July .15th

                          the 3rd time roasting : 2021,August 20th

This is a very fragrant Dahongpao, which has been fragrant from the beginning to the end.

that Jip Eu Chinatown shop Shui Xian; a bit more broken, but decent looking

Review:

First infusion:  yep, better than I've been experiencing recently.  How refined this is comes across fast, right after you get a flash of a sense of a few distinct aspects.  There's cinnamon in this, and faint and balanced roast effect, like a touch of edge from French roast.  I tried this prior to checking that description, and from seeing that it makes sense there is Rou Gui in this (which doesn't always taste like cinnamon, or cassia, but often does).

Sweetness stands out, and underlying mineral.  From there flavor is really complex, seemingly involving some cocoa too, and probably a touch of fruit, along the line of elderberry.  It's a lot going on but it links together and integrates.  This tea is barely wet yet and mouthfeel and aftertaste are already quite developed.  A pleasant echo of all of that stays with you after you drink it, not the minutes-long powerful sensation from some sheng pu'er, but it trails off slowly.  It's nice.

That other Chinatown version I mentioned had a few positive aspects that spanned considerable range and worked well together, with no significant flaws.  These parallel each other in some ways, because that's all true of this tea too, it's just a broader set of positive aspects, and it integrates even better.

Second infusion:  depth kicks in; that Shui Xian was pleasant for including mineral tone that tasted like ink (to me), and this now includes a lot of that.  It has more other range and depth, but that one aspect is really close in form and level in this.  It's mineral-like ink that leans a little towards brandy, very pleasant in form.  In this it's nice that the pronounced cinnamon and milder cocoa is filling in complexity beyond that, with roast level really nicely balanced.  The other wasn't so far off this for roast input, which is atypical for inexpensive versions.  Those are usually off in terms of roast, low so that it doesn't provide a balancing input, or more often slightly burned.

It's nice the way that this really coats your mouth and fills in a lot of range of experience.  The aftertaste is much more pronounced than in that lower quality tea.  There's a floral aspect that comes out mostly in the later part of the aftertaste experience.  Both would be fine with a cinnamon roll but this is better suited for appreciating on its own.

Third infusion:  this keeps transitioning; that's different.  To some extent it's about the balance of what I've already described changing in proportion, which alters the effect, making it hard to describe.  I think even very subtle shifts in infusion strength would alter that proportion quite a bit, and that's probably part of what I'm experiencing.  The roast coffee edge stands out even more this round, and the inky mineral range, with both taking over the more subtle parts just a bit.  A flash infusion would probably be quite different, dropping back the heavier range and focusing in more on lighter and sweeter components, maybe with cinnamon, cocoa, and the floral range seeming to bump up.  

It's nice that all these aspects are so positive and balance so well that I'm not seeing minor changes as better and worse so much, just different looks from the same tea.  It's nice how intense this is this round. To be clear I brewed this for 10 seconds or less, so I'm not talking about what happens when you focus online too much and accidentally double that timing.  It would probably make sense to use two thirds as much tea for this to make it easier to dial in shifts in timing, or that could be true in general, that pushing it for proportion always involves a trade-off like that.  It's habit to brew at this high proportion, more than seeing it as optimum.  I don't see habit as such a bad thing though.  Our intuition tells us to head in a certain direction related to outcomes from prior experience, along with some randomness and mixed bias creeping in.

Fourth infusion:  cinnamon is a lot stronger in a very light infusion.  Brewed strong enough this might not taste like cinnamon at all. It's cool the way that the inky mineral range drops back to supporting that, but doesn't drop out when brewed very lightly.  Aftertaste experience is faded to the point of almost being gone at a very light infusion strength.  This tea would probably brew 20 very pleasant infusions made this light, I'd expect.  For most bumping timing up to 8 seconds or so would be better, or dropping proportion back so that something similar resulted between 10 and 15 seconds instead, at least at this part of the brewing cycle.

Fifth infusion:  this is so nice back at what I consider a normal infusion strength, balancing really well.  A floral tone supporting the rest seems much stronger now, with all the other list I keep mentioning giving way to that.  Better Wuyi Yancha exhibits a liqueur-like effect, something that reminds me of the scent of perfume, and this moves on to include more of that.  It almost seems like something that manifests out of a set of other aspects, or maybe it is just more aromatic range I have trouble describing, at the edge of what can actually be tasted.  

It's an understatement to say that this tea comes across as well balanced.  For mixing a lot of inputs in some cases, for some blends, overall effect can seem muddled, and you give up stronger experience of a narrower set, but it's also possible for everything to take its place and combine together, versus getting mixed and lost.  It's probably partly the difference related to mixing teas to work around flaws in some and using better material that contributes different positive range.  Those two wouldn't be completely distinct; probably these individual inputs wouldn't come across as nearly as complex and balanced.  A lack across part of a range could be a flaw, in a sense.  But it would be different trying to drown out a negative aspect.

Sixth infusion:  more of the same.  The slight shifts aren't worth going on about; a lot of complexity keeps changing in balance.  Probably after 2 or 3 more rounds it will thin a bit, and some of that range will drop back, and it will stay pleasant but narrower for a few more rounds.  I'm just not patient enough for a dozen round review, so I won't mention those details.

Conclusions:

Just fantastic, as expected.  It is interesting comparing a really good blended Wuyi Yancha with a recent and repeated impression of a pretty good one.  For a tea to have with food the difference scales way back; both would be ok.  For drinking a tea as the main part of an experience this is more suitable.  You could still just have it with breakfast, of course.

I find myself drinking through lower quality teas I have around faster because of that distinction, that I need to have something quick 5 work-days per week, and tend to drink something as a pick me up in the afternoons that I also don't focus on.  It would be possible to re-structure life to pay more attention to immediate experience, and to allocate more time.  For me I'm not a morning person, so it just wouldn't be practical prior to 9 AM, and I suppose to some extent I only have so much focus to work with every day.   

That connects together well with another theme I'm writing about in another post draft, about how I just ordered a lot of tea, almost all sheng pu'er, based largely on what I could buy that's the best and most interesting in spite of being low in cost.  My tea budget also drives that; my wife was shocked enough to learn of a moderate sized tea order expense.  It's nice that I can keep trying interesting, diverse, high quality teas related to this blogging theme, vendors sending it for review, and still buy modest quality teas in much greater volume that I mostly drink day to day.  This tea costs 50 cents a gram on their website (for the 50 gram amount; down closer to 40 at 250 grams), and it's definitely worth that.  There is plenty of Wuyi Yancha out there not nearly this good selling for more.  

Maybe I shouldn't say what the range for inexpensive but decent sheng is?  On the order of a third of that, which would vary for "how decent" someone is talking about, and their type preference, and vendor source.  You definitely notice the vast difference in tea quality, and there are tradeoffs related to most or less preferred storage conditions input, but one catchy part of sheng experience is that the tea you buy and experience this year will be quite different in two more years.  I think beyond preference for aspect range and the trendiness of sheng pu'er preference that transition is a lot of the rest of the appeal.  

Just related to how positive a tea experience is this Wuyi Yancha really holds its own, with anything else, with considerable allowance required for personal preference.  In general less acclimation and preference development shift would be required to enjoy this; a lot more people would "get it."  It might not be the next natural step to follow drinking Harney and Sons blends but it is a next natural step after appreciating more mediocre Chinatown shop Wuyi Yancha, which can also be really nice, just in a different sense.

Osmanthus black and Shui Xian oolong from Jip Eu (Bangkok Chinatown)

visiting Jip Eu that day

A few weeks ago my wife and I were doing a rushed version of Christmas shopping that included a quick pass through Chinatown, so I stopped by my favorite shop there, Jip Eu, mostly to buy tea for gifts.  I bought 6 packs of an inexpensive Shui Xian, all but one to give away, and a spare Xiaguan tuocha there, and some Thai oolong and a couple of Dayi tuochas elsewhere, at Sen Xing Fa.  

Kittichai (the shop owner) gave me a tea there as a gift, an osmanthus black tea, which I'm reviewing here, along with the Shui Xian.  Very kind of him!  Those guys do feel like extra family to me, and I would probably visit them even without buying or drinking tea.  Maybe it feels slightly less like that for me only seeing them a couple of times last year, but that's how the covid era goes, Bangkok keeps shutting down and opening back up.  I don't work out of my office, almost ever, so stopping by Chinatown while on that side of town doesn't combine together.  I suppose I could be biased about their teas, liking what I would prefer to like; it's worth considering.

One might wonder what else is in Chinatown as gifts for kids.  There is a toy area of the wholesale shops there but my kids are both moving on from Legos and dolls and such.  We did buy some of those educational toys, about setting up a demo water filter and a seed sprouting kit.  Some extra clothes and such were most of the rest, some hair accessories, and we picked up a half a kilo of chrysanthemum due to almost running out.  It wasn't one-stop Christmas shopping; another trip to a department store and going to a sporting goods store later that day rounded it all out.  They do have online shopping here but we are slow to move to that (my family, and that also works for Thailand in general).

On to how the teas worked out.

Review, Osmanthus black:

first infusion:  really nice, although that interpretation depends a little on how one takes tartness.  Floral tone stands out most, leaning a lot towards fruit, along the line of roselle (hard to describe, between rose petal and cranberry, I guess).  Smooth, warm, rich tones fill in beyond that; this is definitely not an edgy version of black tea (astringent, or harsh, or flawed in any other way).  That roselle tone, which really has to be osmanthus, given what this is, includes a bit of tartness, or I suppose that's just as likely coming from the tea, but seems to link to the floral range.  Black tea contributes really mild mineral tones and other warm toffee like sweetness.  Probably floral will fade in a second infusion and wood tone will pick up, maybe even warmth like spice, which should also be nice.

Where to go from the basic flavor list for discussion?  The only other flavored black tea I ever tend to drink, besides Earl Grey, is jasmine black tea.  That's probably my overall favorite flavored tea form, the way that input can integrate in a good version.  Osmanthus is pleasant too, sweet and rich, floral towards fruity, not disagreeable in any way, and well suited for blending with tea.  

One might've tried mild osmanthus oolong and edgier, intense jasmine green tea, or strong versions of jasmine white, and think that jasmine has too harsh an edge, but that's most typically coming from the green tea.  How it works out for white is a bit strange; that tea has to mild, if it's white, but jasmine input can get to be a bit much.  I suppose at some point the balance is determined by the level, and producers making adjustments by mixing actual flowers (versus layering tea and flowers to add flavor), or adding chemical agents to extract flavors is something else.  What is the word I'm leaving out here?  Along the lines of solvent.

Anyway, this isn't as good as the best jasmine black tea I've ever tried but it is quite good.  For someone with more of an osmanthus preference that opinion could easily be reversed.  It's probably as well to say more about the tea base after a second infusion, since heavy floral input extracted relatively quickly this round, and dominates the flavor range, which isn't so bad.  I tend to brew Western style on the heavy side, using a proportion that works well for three infusions (maybe 4 grams for a 12 ounce cup, but I don't measure either, so I don't really know).  In this case, for flavored tea, the first two infusions will be quite positive, but very different, and the third might well be pushing it.

second infusion:  maybe a little better, for the black tea input ramping up.  The floral and fruit range didn't change much, just fading a good bit, but the tea input did.  It has nice toffee range sweetness, and a bit of a savory edge to it.  I have no idea what tea this is but it's not like the Dian Hong I drink most of.  I suppose it's closer to Wuyishan Fujian black tea I've been having, or it could be something else altogether.  

It kind of doesn't matter, exactly what black tea style this "should" be like.  It's suitable for a flavored tea base, mild and rich, maybe just a bit non-distinct to stand alone, but it would be easier to determine that trying a plain version.  Mineral tone gives it more of a positive base effect, along with the mild towards wood or spice range aspects.  If it's fruity or floral at all it's not possible to separate that from the osmanthus input.  It's good.

 

Review, Shui Xian oolong:

first infusion:  this won't be the fairest appraisal of this tea because I'm using the end of a bag that I separated out as two separate parts from an original paper wrapper.  I've drank this a few times and it's quite pleasant, but that form was more whole leaf than this.  Since I took out the top half to put in another bag just thinking it all through better earlier would've resulted in using the most whole material, instead of the most broken, but I'm not that clear minded first thing in the morning.  Or even now, at 11; there's a narrow window in the afternoon where I'm more optimum, maybe between 1 and 3.  My kids and I sometimes joke about how I'm not a morning person or an evening person, and it's not just a joke.

This has a really nice inky mineral base and strong woody sort of flavor, like tree bark, towards spice.  There's a Chinese name for that I'm forgetting; I'm not good with memorizing that list of main tea terms.  It makes you sound so much more knowledgeable and authoritative too, like you are speaking for an old tradition.  

This includes some cinnamon as well, more than I would expect for Shui Xian.  The flavors are really intense and clean, with what I take to be good input from a roast step, and a great level of oxidation (probably mixed, since they blend inputs to get to the most positive outcome in these sorts of teas).  It all works better than it should.  I've tried Cindy's Qi Lan again since drinking this and the character overlaps a good bit (Wuyi Origin's, really good tea, a version from a different quality level).  To say this is more rustic or rougher edged implies more of a difference than I'm really experiencing, since that degree is so limited, but I suppose that's it.

This tea most definitely punches above its weight.  If you bought this for $8 for 50 grams it would seem like a good buy, as standard tea versions go, and I paid $3 for what could've been 100 grams (I think it was that).  Packaging was entirely in Thai (maybe with some Chinese mixed in), and I didn't have it translated, and was in a rush when I bought it.  It's odd how this tea is a great value whether it was 50 or 100 grams; it usually doesn't work out like that.  For $6 it still would be (200 baht instead).  It goes without saying but twisted style teas like this taking up a lot of space in a package is what makes it hard to determine amount; it was mostly whole leaf, and again this is the end of the "bottom" half.

That's the opposite of how that would almost always go in buying random Wuyi Yancha, to some extent even there at Jip Eu.  Very inexpensive teas can be drinkable, positive and interesting, but not this good, with this degree of balance, intensity, pleasant aspect range, and lack of flaws.  I suppose it just so happened that they bought Shui Xian versions with limitations that merged to become really good by matching up.  An inexpensive version like this should be a "daily drinker," the kind of tea you would have with breakfast but not focus on in a session as the main theme, but it could stretch and cover both.

To put that in perspective Cindy's (Wuyi Origin's) Qi Lan sells for $17 for 50 grams, and to me it's a good value for that.  It's better than this, but the character overlaps, and this tea should have notable flaws that it doesn't have.  For that tea slightly cleaner and more intense flavors and better feel and aftertaste would all mark it as being different, with general flavor range not as different as would be normal.

for outdoor tasting level of sunlight can affect images a lot

Second infusion:  so nice, that intensity, and again the cinnamon with inky mineral and an aromatic tree-bark version of being woody, pretty close to spice range.  I should get back there and buy a few more of these packs.  I did buy 6, but only one was for me.  Three others went to monk friends, and two to local shopkeepers, one the family Happy is a part of, that local cat that I love visiting with.

Another aside:  our cat, Myra, just changed from being an inside cat to more of an inside-outside cat, spending days outside, then visiting some inside and nights in a pen (cage).  She's been adjusting to those other environments for over a month, but just made the switch in the last week.  Kalani said that she's so proud of her, that she can do it.  She ends up exhausted at afternoon nap time, when she gets a lunch, and in the evenings, after she spends all day exploring.  Later I guess she will just head up to the roof spaces to hang out, like the other two cats often do.

I didn't edit these pictures; my "new" Huawei phone does ok, a new but a dated P20 model

Not much to add about this round or this tea.  A bit of a heavy earth edge is as close as this gets to a flaw, a bit towards a roasted coffee tone.  Even that is nice, to me.  You can't really spot the quality limitations without being familiar with the intensity, feel, and aftertaste experience of better versions, and I suppose prior to adapting to prefer those they wouldn't be that much of an improvement.

third infusion:  flavor deepens; inky mineral picks up and cinnamon fades a bit.  This will shift in character, and probably not be as positive as higher quality versions after 8 or 9 rounds, but it's kind of holding its own now.  I tried this with an orange cake a couple of weeks ago and the way that heavy mineral and towards-spice tree bark flavor matched up was just fantastic.  

From trying it a number of times already I already know it's not going to fade away quickly, as can occur with some modest quality Wuyi Yancha versions.  The depth in this indicates it's not like that; lower quality versions can have good flavor if you push them through early rounds, but they can't back it up with the same kind of complexity.  A touch of cardboard flavor range often also gives up lower quality versions; this doesn't include that.  Roast input is typically heavier in lower quality versions too, used to cover flaws, and to integrate blend inputs together that don't completely match.

Conclusions:

Two really nice teas!  I don't know what the osmanthus black sells for, although I suppose they probably do sell that, but it's a lot better than a standard grocery store blend would be.  It's a full quality level better than anything Twinings would sell, probably at the top end of the range for high profile French vendor blended teas.  You might be able to buy something comparable at local TWG outlets for five times what Jip Eu sells this for.

I mentioned this experience in a post about oolongs in a Quora Space about tea I developed, Specialty Tea, and someone on there commented that it's always nice finding an inexpensive gem of a tea version.  It's almost not about the expense, because if I'd spent two or three times as much it wouldn't have changed much.  It's that I'm drinking much better tea than I expected to, and the people I bought it as gifts for are.  I've got other Wuyi Origin tea around, so I can have some when I feel like good Wuyishan oolong, but I can use a pretty good version as a daily drinker through this, for rushed breakfasts and such, or experimenting with grandpa style brewing.  I mostly use mixed tisanes along with sheng for that now, sometimes just with chrysanthemum.

If others reading this want to visit Jip Eu they might wonder what types are best there, beyond inexpensive oolong and floral flavored black (which they almost don't carry any of).  They stock good Wuyi Yancha, that other quality range I mentioned, but it helps trying versions with them to match style to preference.  Slight variations in oxidation, roast level, plant material input, or general style can vary outcome a lot.  I've written about buying a couple versions of aged sheng there, not necessarily rare and high cost versions, but those were sold as CNNP / Zhongcha and old Dayi, so not really random stuff.  Half the time I go in there I restock an older Tulin tuocha version, a nice basic aged tea, not so far off Xiaguan range.  

If you bring up aged sheng that automatically raises authenticity discussion, and to me the heavier range fermentation effect of teas being stored in Bangkok is another main consideration.  They are kind of like Malaysia stored teas, but I at least think I can taste a difference.  Again visiting and tasting pins down what you'll get, and match to preference.  You just can't buy aged sheng or supposed good Wuyi Yancha without at least having a really good idea of what a vendor sells, and how they tend to describe versions, and what Jip Eu sells isn't supposed to represent a consistent, narrow range.  Tasting a tea first is ideal, and they're open to try teas with you.  You need to be patient there if you only speak English; that will work, but 100% of discussion content won't come across in both directions. 

I've bought pretty good mainstream commercial Dan Cong there a few times; that's an odd thing to come across.  Relatively moderate cost Dan Cong is usually so edgy that you end up balancing really fast brewing with not extracting enough positive flavor, but that wasn't like that, or as good as the more typical 50 cents a gram range versions either.  I've even bought Thai versions of black tea that were nice, and jasmine green (which I usually don't like, but did), and local, wild origin, very unusual sheng ("pu'er-like tea," in relation to that Thailand origin).  

One thing I almost never experience there:  trying the same tea twice, even varying year versions.  If you walk in and walk right back out with some tea, as I just did, you aren't approaching shopping there correctly, in general.  It worked that time though, a perfect time for it to, since the tea was for gifts.