Quang Tom Vietnamese Lao Cai sheng, from 2023 and 2024

 

2023 left, in all photos

I'm re-trying a related version of what has been two of my all-time favorite tea versions, for the past couple of years, 2023 and 2024 Quang Tom Vietnamese sheng (from the Bac Ha District in the Lao Cai province).  I reviewed comparable versions here, a year and a half ago, and the 2023 first here, as a gift from Huyen and Seth, two favorite tea friends and Vietnamese tea researchers.  I've just bought these teas, and a third from 2022, one I've not yet tried.

Reading back through those posts the three reviews of the 2023 version and two of the 2024 (counting this one) are really consistent.  It sounds like the 2023 has deepened in flavor tone range over those two years, trading out some bright floral, dried fruit, and citrus range for more honey and warmth, but otherwise it's all pretty consistent.  

These may not be identical versions; the wrappers are different, and the compression level doesn't seem identical.  Maybe the dried and wetted tea photos will turn up other minor differences.  But the character is quite close, except these may be slightly better.  It's interesting to consider how much role variation in pressing process could have played in that.

similar; more variation in the 2023

A  big part of their story is using extra oxidation as an input.  According to Seth that may be a somewhat traditional form in Vietnam, or at least one that has evolved over time and is far from new.  One would expect that to enter in as an extra long oxidation phase during a longer wither, but in discussion with the Quang Tom producer part of it may relate to letting the tea rest after a fixing step (pan-frying), even though to me that's counter-intuitive, adding more oxidation later.  Who knows.  For sure no other material would land on exactly the same results, but maybe other inputs could cause a related positive outcome.

This is their Facebook page, and Instagram account.  I had hoped to cite some description of the tea or producer background there but it's mostly photos of tea, with very little on the area or about processing.  Seth passed on a short vendor summary, in that 2024 blog post I mentioned:

The area Hoang Thu Pho is in Lao Cai province on the east side of the Red River, which flows into Vietnam from Yunnan. It's in a mountain range called Tay Con Linh that peaks further eastward in Ha Giang (province). Son La is in a different mountain range called Hoang Lien Son with slightly higher elevation on the west side of the Red River, and also sits on the Black River, which also flows in from Yunnan. Both tea areas are owned by members of Hmong people groups.

The tea maker for the Hoang Thu Pho cake is a younger guy named Phuc who has been making tea for about six years. He is not Hmong, but he buys tea material from Hmong tea areas and wants to focus on making high quality teas.

Keep in mind this is a small to mid sized local producer, not even a medium sized factory operation.  Of course their main focus is on making tea, not marketing and distribution.  The owner discusses their business theme and values here, on that FB page.

This translated label could work as a product description (translation credit to Google Lens):

Name: Freshly Fermented Green Tea Cake (Green Tea Series) 

Ingredients: 100% ancient Shan Tuyet tea buds, sun-dried and fermented. 

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place with humidity < 70%, away from direct sunlight. 

Shelf life: Suitable for long-term storage under appropriate conditions. 

Instructions for use: Take 5g of tea and brew with 250ml of boiling water (>95 degrees Celsius), steep for 30 seconds, then pour into a cup or mug to enjoy. 

Food Safety Certificate: 04/2024/NNPTNT Phone: 0961.129.186 Address: Bac Ha Town, Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province 

Produced by: Quang Tom Cooperative, Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam Production date: 06/2023 Net weight: 350g

It's sheng, whether you want to think of that as pu'er or not.  According to Huyen the old local name for the type had translated as dried tea, if I remember right, and I've tried comparable versions sold as snow tea.  

How could sheng be fermented?  It's probably a reference to oxidation, on that label; of course automatic translation isn't 100% accurate.  It's not a conventional form of sheng.  But I know sheng when I'm drinking it.  If someone else defines categories differently then that's also fine.  It's not pu'er according to the Chinese geographical designation, limiting origin to Yunnan, so it is a little odd calling it "raw something," without including that second part of the designation.

Back in 2015, when I wrote this blog post on "Ancient tea tree high mountain Vietnamese tea" I really didn't know much about tea, or that general type.  This may seem interesting:

Sounds ok; it's a shame the review description is so limited, but if I had said more it probably wouldn't have made much sense anyway.

Review:  

2023 #1:  it's a little light; it will be early for passing on a full impression.  What does come across is fantastic.  These teas, or very closely related versions, have been personal favorites for the past two years, so that is a biased impression.  They're what I like.  They've helped change what I like most in sheng.

Honey sweetness stands out, and warm floral range, probably with fruit that will develop to be more distinct.  Very little bitterness and astringency; this isn't the tea for that.  There's a touch of cloudiness to the tea, which some would see as a likely quality issue, but I don't place it that way.  It's how this unconventional processing output can work out, and it will clear up.  If I was experiencing it as a negative aspect, for example related to sourness or a musty character, that would be different.

2024:  similar but different.  It's heavier on fruit, with a hint of citrus.  Both seem to taste a lot like dried apricot.  These flavor aspect lists aren't worth much, because this is only an initial impression, and both aren't fully wetted yet.  I am already sure that these will be personal favorites.  At a guess it's not exactly the same as the earlier 2023 and 2024 versions, more evident in compression form than this early round's results.  We'll see.

2023 #2:  I kept infusion time limited, not much over 10 seconds, because these were brewing at low intensity due to not being soaked yet, not from lacking intensity (or that was my thinking, at least).  The warm honey sweetness in this is very engaging.  It starts to cross over to a beeswax flavor aspect, which you usually only experience in Jin Jun Mei (Fujian bud based black tea).  It's rich and complex.  

Depth really makes the experience, but that part is hard to describe.  I could drink just this for a month, and not miss other teas.  Other flavor range is supporting that effect, in particular a rich, deep floral range, and supporting dried fruit that is still hard to place, closest to dried apricot.  A warm tone is integrated along with those flavors.  This might taste like both honey and caramel; that could be part of the complexity that comes across as depth.

2024:  again brighter.  The citrus evolves; it stands out more.  Then some warmth and apricot range overlaps with the other, but in a sense it's quite different (and in another sense very similar).  In a way the greater complexity and more bright range makes this version seem better than the other, but that experience of depth is hard to place, and they're both great in slightly different ways.  These are close to the other versions I've drank lots of, but they kind of have to have been pressed separately.

Fullness of feel is hard to capture; these aren't like conventional sheng, with adjoining bitterness seeming to pair with astringency.  They are smooth and full instead, but not in a familiar form within oolong range.  Aftertaste trails nicely, not like the intense after-effect of bitter sheng, a returning sweetness, evolving from bitterness, but the sweetness in the liquid carries over.

note very darkened leaves in the 2023 version (left)

2023 #3:  this is still brewing a good bit darker, with some of the earlier clarity issue resolved.  Leaves are oddly dark, as if singed in places, but no char comes across.  The clean effect across similar flavors intensifies.  I didn't describe earlier rounds as muddled or murky, but this is still somehow cleaner.  Honey and beeswax still stands out, and rich floral tone and some dried fruit, but a new note evolves.  It's hard to say if it's closer to cacao or spice; maybe in between the two.  If it evolves to stand out more it will be easier to tell.  Maybe it's just toffee, the prior caramel aspect changing.

2024:  this gets better and better too.  Citrus is a great addition to the base of the rest.  It's probably closest to tangerine, but maybe how dried tangerine might come across, which I don't think I've ever tried.  Or maybe just fresh tangerine, and then warm dried apricot joins that.  It's missing some of the warm tone range in the other, but somehow there is a common base to both.  

2023 #4:  it might be that a touch of citrus is evolving in this, maybe closer to orange, and then the caramel or toffee sweetness and other flavor seems to change a little.  The brewed liquid is completely clear.  I can't notice any sourness, which should pair with a negative processing or storage input that typically relates to a moderate loss of brewed liquid clarity.  

At this point someone could free associate a very long flavor list.  I keep mentioning citrus, honey, beeswax, caramel, rich floral range, and dried apricot, and now orange, but some of that flavor depth could seem to tie to sweet potato, or to lemon cake (both the lemon and the cake part).  There's a lot going on, and both complexity and depth are good.  And feel and aftertaste expression.  This might be quite like the other 2023 version I've drank through a few cakes of, just slightly better.

2024:  the citrus note seems to gain complexity, adding bergamot range to the earlier tangerine (not so far off, but different).  Again someone could make a long list interpreting the rest.  Feel has a touch of extra edge to it, where the other is deeper and smoother.  Aftertaste might carry over slightly better, perhaps because that brighter range is suited for that.  I wouldn't call any of this effect vegetal but the extra bright range and edge bring something related to mind.  It's like just a hint of watermelon rind.  That's actually pleasant, with so much sweetness and fruit range balancing it.  Maybe tied to that some would see this as tasting partly like yellow watermelon.  Or maybe that's a stretch.

These must not have lost much intensity from shipping effect.  They've been in Bangkok for a couple of days, but I tried them within a few hours of getting them.  It's a really short flight over from Vietnam; I suppose that shouldn't be surprising.

2023 #5:  maybe the best it has been, but not different in terms of flavor range, or other aspects, the balance, intensity, and refinement just really work.  The flavor set is so catchy, the honey, light toffee, floral, and dried fruit range.

2024:  those warmer tones are changing, and the feel.  It has a little more of an edge.  Like a hint of green wood tone?  It still works really well, but it's not clearly the best that it has been.  It reminds me a little of some Darjeeling character, in a good sense.  The other version is harder to place with any kind of comparison.

Conclusions:

In discussing these with the owner, Phuoc or Phuc, he mentioned that he thinks they keep getting better through the infusion cycle.  That was after I had made these notes, which kind of mention that.  Two more rounds were also exceptional, but I can't drink much over a dozen cups at a time, and had already checked out of note taking mode.

I'm surprised that these are slightly better than I expected.  The earlier versions were already two of four favorite sheng versions (along with Viet Sun's Son La, and Aphiwat's local Thai sheng).  Of course other Yunnan origin versions cover traditional style range more faithfully, and lots of that is amazing.  I've tried other sheng pu'er that's as good or better over the past year, in terms of evaluating a quality level, but these are what I've been buying and drinking.  Lots of all of them; kgs worth.

Some sheng purists wouldn't even like them, maybe any of them.  I probably only referenced bitterness here to say that it's missing.  That's perhaps not completely true of the 2024 version, but it's so limited that to a daily sheng drinker it's essentially not there.  So why do I find these so exceptional?

It's in the aspects that I described, and more so in how it all comes together.  Mind you these cakes had just moved from one country to another; they may pick up just a touch more intensity.  And I was already blown away by how good they seem, after drinking multiple cakes of both over the past two years.  I'm down to a third of a cake of the 2023 here in Bangkok, and left just a little of a 2024 to get back to in Honolulu.  

A lot of this over the top endorsement must relate to bias; this is what I have come to love.  When tea friends from a large online tea group visited Honolulu two months ago the 2024 version might have been one of the first teas I made for them.  Or maybe not; my memory is shot, and Aphiwat's tea would've also been a suitable stand-in.  But I think it was the Quang Tom version.  This is what Huyen chose to share with me, two years ago (and Seth; they visited together).  It's shifting a long way from that 2015 kind of harsh green tea I mentioned in this post earlier.

What about the Quang Tom recommendation to use a Western / Gongfu hybrid approach to brew this (5 grams, 250 ml of water, 30 seconds, 95 C, multiple rounds)?  Sure, try that, but once you try full-on GFC brewing (8 grams, 100 ml, 15 seconds, full boiling point, only add time after a number of rounds) that might be how you like it.  It would work for grandpa style brewing too, drinking from a glass or tea bottle without taking the leaves back out, re-adding water as it gets low.

Why are some of the 2023 leaves so, so dark?  Probably charred in the fixing / sha qing.  If the tea wasn't so amazing it would seem more like a flaw.  Maybe it had potential to be brighter, as the 2024 was, but that resulting depth of warm honey, beeswax, dried apricot, toffee, and light citrus also represents a very positive and unique experience.

with deepest gratitude to Huyen, and also to Seth

they also prompted a few rounds of new meetups (Seth is on the bottom)

Gua Feng Zhai gushu sheng pu'er

the 6th round; it stayed pleasant and kept transitioning

I'm trying the last sample of a set of teas from Tea Mania, shared by the owner Peter (many thanks!).  This represents the end of a number of sets of teas I had to try from the middle of 2025; kind of an interesting symbolic turning point.  I won't mind not reviewing much for a month or two, or if it's a slow year after that.  It's a nice experience related to trying the teas, but it involves at least an hour of focus and writing, and then more editing later on.  It's not the time that I'm short on, it's using up that much focus.

This tea was exceptional (I'm writing this just after writing the notes).  I think every single sample from them was, in different ways.  Some vendors are pretty good about only curating what works well.  Farmerleaf is sort of like that.  Yunnan Sourcing sells everything under the sun instead, which works in a different way.  Then it would be a different kind of discussion if their in-house versions are comparable.  I stopped ordering those roughly back when I first started to, just over a half dozen years ago, not because they didn't work out, but I just kept on exploring other things, and other sources.

I bought very little tea in 2025; flying back and forth to Honolulu and living expenses in that more expensive place shattered our Thai-based budget and income.  I bought a 500 gram Xiaguan tea ball locally last year, as an exception, in a Bangkok Chinatown shop (Jip Eu), but the rest I bought was mostly just gifts.  It worked out; I had some tea around to drink from before (as my wife tends to mention), and vendors helped by providing new teas to try.  I'm ordering a few inexpensive cakes from a favorite Vietnamese producer source just now, but in general I'll probably stick to that form this year too.

I get it why people buy teas like this one I review, more towards the $1 per gram scale.  They can afford it, and it represents a type of experience you can't access for 20 to 30 cents a gram.  There's something pleasant about drinking more basic, more limited teas too though.  The ever-escalating quality level or novelty theme experience expectations can be a sort of trap.  It would never be enough.  But then if someone can easily afford to spend a couple thousand dollars a year on tea then why not; there is range beyond this expense level that might even make sense.

I was going to add that past a certain quality level of material, or the experience enabled by one, it changes the experience to be one you can just focus on.  But maybe that goes too far.  I could drink a relatively basic Dian Hong, or even some good Darjeeling, or upper-medium quality green tea, and spend an hour outside in our driveway, between the garden spaces, watching our cats chase each other around.  The tea wouldn't be as refined, and it wouldn't change as much across infusions, but the basis of the experience is internal, not from that drink input.  

Maybe trying something new is a different thing; if this had been a Dian Hong I've already drank half a kilogram of the novelty of new experience wouldn't be there.  But still, I think cultivation of being present in the moment of a pleasant and extended experience is not tied to experiential variety, as much as approach and perspective.  It should be possible to drink ordinary tea in a shopping center parking lot and have a wonderful, peaceful experience.  I suppose the parts to tend to build up to the whole though, and an ocean view or green garden spaces would work better, and better tea.  

Like this one:

Gua Feng Zhai Gushu 2021  ($154 for a 200 gram cake)

Discover the exquisite craftsmanship of teamaster Panda with our Gua Feng Zhai Gushu, a distinguished tea known for its exceptional quality. Sourced from the renowned Gua Feng Zhai region, this tea is crafted from premium Gushu material, meticulously hand-pressed into pu-erh cakes at Yang Ming’s artisanal manufactory. The dedication to traditional, handmade processing and the careful selection of tea leaves are what set this tea apart, ensuring a product of unparalleled quality.

Gua Feng Zhai’s pu-erh teas are treasured for their rarity, produced in extremely limited quantities each year, making them highly coveted by collectors and tea enthusiasts alike. The Gua Feng Zhai Gushu is particularly suitable for long-term storage, with the potential to develop richer and increasingly complex aromas over time, offering a truly dynamic tea experience.

Harvest: Autumn 2021

Pressed: 2021

Typ: Sheng

Aroma: Strong, strong Cha Qi but also mellow taste

That's a bit heavy on marketing, but at least the tea is as good or better than the spin frames it as.  It's interesting that it's an autumn harvest tea.  Flavors and other aspects could vary some, but in general those tend to be less intense than spring harvest versions.  One comment here in the review kind of ties to that, but intensity was still pretty good.  Bitterness and astringency were quite moderate, so feel and flavor stand out more, especially flavor.

This probably is a high demand local area, as this implies, or more or less plainly says.  That would be why an autumn harvest version is being sold for this pricing, which for how good this tea is seems like a pretty good value.  I end up concluding that it seems good to me now, that waiting to see how it changes in another decade wouldn't make sense (mentioned in that listing, about aging potential), but I guess that's a judgement call.

It would've been interesting to see more of a flavor list in this description, since I'd guess that it has changed some in the past 5 years.  Those descriptions always vary by interpretation anyway, as the one that follows would.

Review:

Infusion #1:  the dry tea scent was really fruity.  Fruit comes across quite a bit in this first light infusion.  It's close enough to dried mango.  I'll probably keep changing that, or adding to it, but that works for now.  

The tea already has pretty good depth and balance, even though it's just getting started.  Complexity is limited, but it's not even wetted yet.  There's a nice mineral layer base, and creaminess.  That's more common in oolong but it can come up in some sheng, in a different way.  This tastes like pear too, now that I think of it.  That might be an overall favorite aspect inclusion, for me, when balanced with other flavors that match with it.

#2:  Pear, dried mango, and mineral base is already a good start for description this round.  There's a warmer range aspect that matches nicely with the rest, but it's integrated, not easy to describe.  As always in this range interpreting it as partly floral also works.  The two themes might even connect; chrysanthemum has a nice warm, rich, floral texture, and part of this is like that.  

It's complex enough that someone like Don Mei could go on and on describing this round for 10 minutes.  Maybe it does also taste a little like butter cookie, or like a yellow cake.  Maybe seeing it as including a hint of spice also works, just a touch of nutmeg, or maybe there is a light citrus edge.  Take all that with a grain of salt; it's complex, and there is more to it, but I think the first half dozen aspects that I mentioned make the most sense as an interpretation.

It's unusually good.  Does that come across in listing the flavor aspects?  It balances well, and that mix of depth, sweetness, complexity, and overall balance is just great.  There is enough bright range to complement the richer, deeper flavors perfectly, and it's just not a heavy or challenging tea.  Feel is full but aspects like astringency and bitterness don't really come to mind.

For being a 2021 tea this hasn't transitioned that much, but probably some.  This is where more gradual, not so hot and humid storage really shines.  In Bangkok this would've been heavier and further along by now, but it's better this way, I think.  It would probably good in a different way in another 15 years, but to me it's too good now not to just drink it.

#3:  it might integrate and balance even better, even though it's similar.  Mineral picks up, and it had been pronounced before.  I guess that's part of the "depth" people claim relates to gushu forms.  And then another part, or other parts, might be harder to pin down.  One positive input could just relate to it being this good.

Fruit does stand out less, giving up space for that mineral and warm richness.  I guess that also makes the floral range seem to stand out more.  You could probably emphasize the lighter, brighter flavor range by brewing this even faster (I'm using around 10 seconds), and ramp up feel and heavier aspects by letting it brew longer.  To me this is pretty good, a nice balance.  Maybe brewing it a few seconds faster would be as good, or possibly slightly better, and over a few rounds that would get you an extra round.  I'll try it brewed fast next round.

#4:  a flash infusion is probably a little too light.  It still includes plenty of flavor, but the feel thins out.  That really fast brew pacing is more for sheng versions that are overly intense.  A spice note like sassafras shows up, tried out this way.  Or maybe it was evolving towards that anyway.  Again it's quite pleasant.  

It has worked out well to try this tea last from the set of samples Peter shared; it's really pleasant and distinctive.  It will be interesting to see what this sells for.  It reminds me of a past personal favorite from Nannuo, that probably wasn't this good, but that paralleled some of these flavors.

#5:  spice range definitely picks up, but it's broader than the sassafras was last round.  Describing it clearly isn't going to work, even in parts.  One part is that, and another is a driftwood sort of sweet and dry woodiness, like how balsa wood smells.  Then that's rounded out with root spice, more like ginseng, maybe just not quite as punchy and medicinal as ginseng (which is also subtle, in a different sense).  It has changed a lot over the last three rounds.  That really short infusion approach could also relate to slowing the transition, or trying to, to get the most out of the tea where it's at in the cycle.  

Of course these flavors link well with the pronounced base mineral tone, which isn't dropping out.  Feel and aftertaste are significant, but those can be more intense in some other versions.  Overall balance is the nicest part, the way it all comes together each round.  Usually I'm bored with writing notes by this point but I'll describe one more round, even though it will probably change some after that.

#6:  it changes less than it had over last rounds.  Mineral and warm spice tones pick up enough that it's taking on a more savory character.  Probably as a much younger tea astringency and bitterness would have been a bigger input, and these warm tones wouldn't have been nearly as pronounced.  To me this represents when partial aging works, when limited transition can be positive, even without trying it then.  

Then again I would've liked the intense bright flavors when this was quite new, even with more bitterness and astringency included.  Bright floral range and lighter fruit range probably would have stood out.  It's nice like this; these warm tones work.  The tea retaining some light and bright range makes them balance well.  Again I wouldn't wait a few years to drink this to see how all that changes; it's in a nice place now.

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.