This is kind of an unusual tasting theme; Steve from Viet Sun sent some extra samples with my last order and wrote sheng instead of black tea on the Ha Giang version, so I'm comparison tasting across tea types. I can taste two completely different teas together; it still works.
It can be interesting tasting contrasting teas, to see how it goes, and this makes more sense than it seems in retrospect, related to these teas' styles. A flavor description or two will drop out doing that, for trying to cover diverse tasting range, and there is no comparison baseline for finer effects, eg. noticing that one has a thicker feel or more aftertaste expression.
Hà Giang Black Spring 2024 ($20 for 100 grams)
This tea was produced from old and ancient trees growing at 1200-1300m in elevation in the Cao Bồ commune area of Hà Giang.
Cao Bồ is about an hour and a half drive from Hà Giang city.
This is a tippy tea harvested with a 1 bud-1-2 leaves standard so you can expect a highly fragrant brew.
A cocoa and warming spice, honey fragrance emerges after the first rinse. Complex warming spice, honey, malty cocoa flavor with nice minerality. Rich mouthfeel and lingering sweetness in the throat. Nice clear headed and energizing qi effect with a rich, lingering effect in the mouth and throat.
Tủa Chùa Spring 2024 ($53 for 190 gram cake)
A tea from the most sought after gardens in the most sought after tea area in Vietnam, Tủa Chùa in Điện Biên province. This area can be difficult to source tea from due to the high local and international demand but we were lucky enough to get a bit.
This area has some of the biggest tea trees in Vietnam and many are allowed to grow tall. This area is close to Laos and has a different climate than many other tea areas in Vietnam giving teas from here a unique profile. The weather here in spring is typically hot, dry and sunny and this year especially so. It only rained for a couple of days during March and April and the tea output was reduced drastically compared to previous years. This dry weather resulted in a drop in the amount of harvestable leaves but an increase in strength.
This area is known for its signature orchid/ citrus flower fragrance with a citrus, deep forest almost tobacco range of flavor. This tea brews up quickly into a rich golden brew. This tea is very high intensity in every aspect. Medium bitterness and astringency with heavy sweetness. Expect a strong qi and a rich floral huigan that will start to build after a few cups.
Steve had mentioned that tea from this area was especially well-regarded, as this mentions.
Review:
Ha Giang black tea: flavor includes plenty of cacao initially; that's nice. It seems there are significant fruit tones too, which will probably develop further, or I suppose could transition away as other aspects enter in. This early I can't compare it from memory to the other I recently reviewed. For once I really have used a lower proportion to make getting through 5 or 6 rounds possible (5 or 6 grams instead of 9, maybe); I'll need to brew both for a bit longer next round to compensate, for 20 seconds or more instead of 10 to 15.
Tua Chua: this does express a good bit of floral range right away. Another part reminds me of melon. Bitterness has yet to get started; the whole effect should shift by next round, as intensity really ramps up.
Ha Giang black 2: malt picked up quite a bit. I often make a distinction between the dryer, mineral intensive malt found in Assam and the typically sweeter, milder, richer malt tone in malted milk balls, or in some Chinese teas. This includes both. Cacao is also pronounced, and an underlying fruit tone comes across, harder to identify now for malt standing out more. Feel structure is full but not at all rough or challenging. Aftertaste experience enters in after you swallow.
For someone seeking out a complex, rich, and mellow black tea this is perfect, a little milder in tone than the 2023 Lao Cai I've been drinking. Per my personal preference the 2024 Lao Cai is just amazing; it has a bit more astringency edge but complexity and intensity really stand out. For anyone really into black teas the final choice might be clear enough; buy both. 100 grams isn't that much, so it might be back to decision mode about which to buy 250 grams of instead.
Tua Chua: really intense floral range enters in; this is perfume-like. No need to worry about it being too subtle, having problems with intensity standing out in comparison with a flavorful black tea. For anyone into isolating and describing floral range I'm sure this flavor profile would make for a list, for 3 or more individual aspects. For me it will have to stand at "complex and intense floral range."
Feel is relatively soft and full, and bitterness is present but limited. This has good intensity but not that sheng edge, the challenging forms of those. It is one of the most floral intensive tea experiences I've ever had though, for sure.
Ha Giang #3: not transitioning so much. The fruit seems to be emerging more, along the line of dried dark cherry. It's also a little like the bael fruit tisane that's popular in Thailand, which would be familiar to less people. Feel structure is still rich and full, but lacking much of an astringency edge. To me that's as good a thing as it is neutral, but I suppose for drinking this with some foods it could come across a little light. Cacao is still nice in this, like a bit of dark chocolate edge.
Tua Chua: intense floral range, again. Bitterness expression picks up brewing this a little stronger, lending it more of an expected balance for sheng experience. It's on the opposite side of average bitterness, very light. For someone who isn't a sheng drinker that would probably still seem moderate, in comparison with oolongs typically including essentially none of that, but in comparison with most young sheng it's hardly there at all.
This would surely be a great place for people not yet fully adapted to sheng to get started. The rest of the range would never seem all that sweet or floral in comparison, so it might relate to setting a problematic form of baseline, but it's definitely approachable. I was going to say all this related to another Vietnamese sheng I've been drinking, but I'll return to that theme in another post.
Ha Giang 4: for all the more these are transitioning I think I'll end note taking here. Warm tones pick up. It's divided between a warm mineral range and other scope that could be harder to place, like a faint edge of coffee, or slight roast input. It's odd that held off until round 4 to show up. I brewed this a little long; it seems likely that pushing this tea would change the effect and aspect character, as just happened. Later round infusions can be different for the earlier flavors dropping out, and a different set entering as you brew teas longer; I suppose that's part of what it is.
It's no less pleasant, just different. Brewed stronger to draw out more of that this might work better with food, standing up to a rich breakfast food like a chocolate croissant.
Tua Chua: sweet, rich, complex, and very floral, kind of the same. That floral range is so broad that it could be seeming to be extended by tones that are actually fruity instead. It might taste a little like dried longan. A warm depth to this also adds to the experience of complexity, rich flavor like a butter cookie.
I suppose for match to preference it's down to how much one appreciates that range, and relates to the lack of bitterness and astringency edge, here replaced by a depth and fullness. People more into oolong might love this more than many sheng drinkers, who can actually like that intense bitterness that can define a tea experience positively, in some cases, for some people. I like softer and flavorful teas, even though through an extensive degree of acclimation I can appreciate a broad range of sheng.
Sometimes I'll even crave drinking some 10 or 12 year old Xiaguan tuo tea, a full 15 years before it's relatively age-transitioned, and ready to drink per a more conventional preference, which can be a little rough. That aging transition speed is only true for storage in very hot and humid conditions; in more moderate input storage 30 years would be more appropriate for that general style.
Both of these teas were very nice. It's kind of nice drinking teas that I really like without being blown away or challenged by placing them. These are what they are; rich, sweet, complex, and not edgy or challenging at all. There are no flaws to unpack, and not all that much for limitations, beyond aspects that aren't present, normal astringency range for both types.
Both brewed a few more really nice rounds, even though I was pushing the leaf harder than usual using longer timing to compensate for a lower proportion. Neither expressed any remotely negative aspect range through the whole transition cycle. They're solid.
A family photo sending off a visiting aunt at the airport. I hate airports and goodbyes, but it's a nice picture of everyone.
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