I'm reviewing two more sheng pu'er from Tea Mania, a Yiwu and a Gedeng version. Yiwu needs no introduction, and Gedeng isn't familiar, so I'll refer to the site descriptions for background (for both):
Yiwu Gushu 2022 ($100 for 200 grams)
For this bingcha tea leaves of up to 300 year old tea trees (gushu) from Yiwu were used and made into a bingcha. A certain similarity to the very-popular Lucky Bee can’t be denied. In addition to the typical Yiwu aroma, there is a well known depth and clarity from the gushu leaves and a hint of camphor.
Who are Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming?
Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming are good friends and experts when it comes to Pu-erh. Yang Ming is a local tea farmer of Yiwu and descendants from a family with a long tradition in Pu-erh making. Incidentally, our popular Lucky Bee teas are from Yang Ming’s tea fields.
I guess 50 cents a gram sounds reasonable for this type and quality of tea. It's beyond what I would spend on tea, but it seemed pretty good to me (I always add the descriptions after making notes). The only description here is a little like Lucky Bee, that character is standard for Yiwu, and it includes a hint of camphor. I didn't notice the camphor, but it did seem like normal Yiwu range to me.
Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh (note the listed version is 2020, and I've reviewed 2023) $83 for 357 gram cake
Tea Master Panda has graciously shared with us a prized gem from his personal collection: the Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh tea. Known for its profound and rich aroma, this tea, meticulously preserved, stands as a unique treasure for tea aficionados.
Arbor tea
The Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh tea is crafted from leaves harvested from Arbor tea trees, some of which are up to 100 years old, in the Gedeng region. These leaves are pressed into bingcha using traditional granite stones. While there is some resemblance to other teas of the six old tea mountains, the Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh is more herbal and full-bodied. In addition to this typical Gedeng aroma, there is a depth and clarity, along with a hint of camphor.
This makes comparison with a listed item tricky, because this is a 2020 version instead of 2023, the sample that I tried. I specifically mention in these notes that this tea is in a good place now, and I wouldn't hold onto it for another year or two if I owned it, I'd just drink it. I'm sure that it's fine as a 4 year old version, maybe better in a limited sense, and the starting point may have been somewhat similar, that year's version. Those are all still just guesses though.
Maybe the one unusual flavor note I keep mentioning, or set of them, is a "typical Gedeng aroma." Again I'm not so sure about the camphor. It seems like the kind of thing that people end up looking for, and finding often enough, and then I don't. Once in a long while something will taste like camphor to me but that's rare. In talking to another friend recently about this particular aspect he guessed that maybe people tend to place what seems like pine flavor as camphor, related to expecting it, while others use a different interpretation related to not expecting it. Who knows.
If this was identical to the 2023 version then 23 cents a gram (what that works out to) would be a pretty good price for that tea. There is a running "older is better" understanding when it comes to sheng, that a few years of age are better than none or one, and 20 years is better than 10, but to me the first comparison doesn't always work. Some teas that are approachable and pleasant right away only lose positive character, even after as short a time as two years (over that first year there is change, but typically not a complete shift).
The 2022 Yiwu was considerably more age-transitioned (changed by fermentation, really) than the 2023 Gedeng; two more years could change a lot. I'm not implying any particular conclusion here, just talking around how the inputs and outputs work out.
Preference also factors in; there would be people who tend to always love 3 or 4 year old sheng versus new, 1, or 2 year old versions, and also the opposite, in relation to more approachable character sheng.
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small discs again; Yiwu is on the left in all photos |
Review:
Yiwu, #1: these are really on their second infusion; I let the discs soak for one minute first, then tore them into pieces, then this is a second round, brewed for another minute. It's not optimum, since it will brew tea that had wetted first too strong, and not start in on the core of what is still compressed, but it's one way to jump-start the process.
Doing a lot of messing around with partially soaking them and using a pu'er knife to separate them apart is another way, or just brewing the outer part in early rounds and the inner tea only after a half dozen infusions.
Character is warmer than I expected; this is two year old tea, but it has shifted a good bit in that time (I expect; surely this didn't start out slightly oxidized). Rate of change depends on storage conditions; I guess this wasn't stored in a very cool and dry place, which is probably more optimum. Better than here too, in Bangkok, where teas and people living here end up being heated and steamed, living daily life at 90 F / 30 C and 70% RH. Living again and storing teas back in Honolulu would be good, dropping that temperature a little.
It's floral, I guess. It has decent complexity; there's really a few things going on. Floral range is part of that, maybe even complex floral range, then most of warmer tones might relate to a mineral layer. There's often a catchy sweet note in Yiwu, which is generally floral, that I might be able to place more clearly than that, and this has that distinctive flavor aspect, or set. It's a sort of brightness, that stands out in a complex and refined character.
There's nothing challenging about this tea, as expected; there is a little bitterness, but not much, and astringency is moderate.
Gedeng: there's a pronounced fruit note in this. It reminds me of experiences with Nannuo versions before, how that has stood out in some of them. Maybe not identical to this but pretty similar. It has decent complexity too, and just a hint more edge to the feel, but it's also quite approachable. Again there's very limited bitterness, but some, which is nice for balancing the rest. For an oolong drinker maybe that's a medium level; I mean for sheng of this age that input is limited. It's too early to call, on the first infusion that's strong enough to make notes on, but at this stage I really like this version better, for how that one note makes it more unique, standing out in a background of other floral and mineral range.
These will only brew a more conventional round next time; this was while they were still opening up, saturating all of the leaf material, or at least most of it.
Yiwu, #2: evolving a little, gaining complexity, but not so different. The depth in this is nice. Flavor range is fine too, and feel, and aftertaste is positive, but there's another emergent range of it having depth that is something else. I suppose a mineral base is a part of that, one main thing contributing to it. It's nice the way that bright and sweet notes, and good complexity, integrate well with warmer and deeper mineral tones. It seems pretty good.
Gedeng: this has evolved too, again in the same direction it had been expressing last round. That one note is really nice, a bright fruit tone. I could try to describe it in relation to fruit flavors but it's not going to completely work. It's also mixing with floral range, and a mineral base, and it's not striking me as closely related to one fruit flavor. Still let's go there.
As far as I know there is no such thing as dried mangosteen, but if there was this might taste like that. You eat that fruit by chewing the fruit part off from an attached seed; there is no way to pull it apart. There's a brightness, sweetness, and complexity to this fruit tone, like that. It's not so far off some forms of dried mango, just not exactly that either.
Mango isn't just one thing, because there are lots of versions of it, as with apples, and they vary just as much, or maybe more. I absolutely love my favorite versions of mango but I tend to see the most common ones here more, which aren't as nice. Then there is the holy grail of versions, something absolutely fantastic that you run across somewhere, and almost never get to see again. I'm not saying that this tastes like the best possible mango, just going on a tangent there.
Yiwu #3: I'm brewing both of these a bit stronger than I typically would, because both are approachable and can handle it, and I want to clear through the issue of some not being saturated yet.
Being brewed just a bit stronger than I typically would warmth and mineral range comes out a bit more. Brewed more lightly the sweeter floral range would stand out more. I'll try a fast round next time to check on that. Of course I'm not still brewing these for a minute; I mean that using a 20-some second infusion time makes them stronger than I would usually prepare most sheng.
Again complex floral range stands out most, and warm mineral depth, with sweetness seeming to tie to honey flavor, that warmth. It's pleasant; it all integrates quite well. If this is some $1 a gram version, as it probably is, it's in the right character range to demand a high price, I just wouldn't buy teas priced like that [editing note: it's not, the price is lower than that]. On a relatively open tea budget it could make sense; this is complex, refined, free of any flaws, and sort of on the unique side, except for being one of the most familiar broad origin ranges (there must be many local area distinctions with Yiwu, that I'm not familiar with).
Gedeng: it evolves a bit. That one note I've described as similar to a warm dried tropical fruit is changing, more into spice range now. I've tried to explain what I've meant by "root spice" recently, and it's not unrelated to that. Like sassafras root, related to root beer; let's leave it at that.
When you drink a lot of tisanes over a long period of time lots of others come up. Not if you are using Yogi tea producer sources and such, I mean if you can search a little broader and deeper. There are bark spices that are out there that are sweet, complex, unique, and distinctive, way beyond cinnamon. I went through over a decade of exploring tisanes, before I ever got into tea, over a decade ago now, so most of the names of the more interesting types I've long since forgotten. Sage was my overall favorite; I guess that could work as a recommendation.
It's interesting comparing these two in terms of in reference to my own preference. I really like that one distinctive note in this Gedeng tea, and it's quite pleasant how it's evolving, and how it integrates with a promising, complex, and refined base of other flavors. In some abstract sense maybe the Yiwu is better tea, it really has depth and refinement going for it, but this adds an extra touch of interesting character. Then I suppose others might dislike that flavor instead, and would find it off-putting. It's funny how preference works out.
Yiwu #4: I'm blasted from all this tea already; brewing it strong to get it to fully infuse really caught up to me. I ate a couple of cookies to settle my stomach and slow the drug-like effect input but I'll need to take a break after this. I suppose all that is good for someone into "cha qi" drug-like effect. It's not really my thing.
Sweetness level seemed to drop in relation to comparing this to the taste of cookies (oatmeal with cream); that's natural enough. After drinking some water as a reset it's more back to normal. The effect is different for brewing these faster and lighter, not much over 10 seconds that last round. The bright and sweet tone doesn't come out as much as I'd expect, and it's all a bit muted. At least 15 seconds would be better, maybe even 20 again.
Gedeng: intensity seems higher for this one, either related to this transition phase, or just how that one dominant note seems to carry the rest. Again it's a main input that is really a bit complex, and is shifting in form across the rounds. A catchy floral tone stands out now too, on the same level for comparative intensity. A hint of vegetal input may be creeping in, like a light green wood tone. It's odd that all that is changing while the Yiwu just went a bit quieter.
These are one year apart in production date, Spring 2022 for the other, 2023 for this. The leaf color is much darker for the Yiwu. That's how things would go, that a version being one year old enables some transition, and two twice as much, but stored dryer that Yiwu wouldn't have changed nearly as much.
For some sheng versions they're so intense and approachable right away that a few months rest might be helpful but they're really good new. I bet both of these were just fine within a month of being produced. Then a relative optimum for the first year or two of transition could be harder to place, but more challenging versions than these would be better after 2 or 3, while these may not be improving. I like where the Gedeng version is at right now, and the Yiwu is fine, interesting for including so much depth and complexity, but I don't think hanging around for another year or two would be favorable for either. They're good now.
Of course it's partly a guess but I don't think there was ever a challenging range for these that needed to settle out, harsh astringency or over the top bitterness (which some people like; the stronger the better). I just reviewed a Lincang version that was a good example of that; it was fine for people who love getting blasted by bitterness, but for me another year or two of rest will probably improve it, or maybe 3 or 4 in that case.
Yiwu, #5: these I brewed for much longer, more like a minute, not because that makes sense, but because I was answering a message online. It will be interesting to see what a stronger infusion turns up in them. For positive flavor and body / feel experience it's not optimum, but sometimes flaws can be more identifiable if a tea is brewed stronger. Or it's just a different perspective on the same tea.
Mineral is so strong in this, and a range in between wood and spice stands out. It's actually not bad, brewed too strong like this. It has great depth, and the balance still works. It seems to imply that it will shift towards a vegetal range in later rounds, but that's ok too. Nothing else like a distinct flaw turns up. Of course warmth picks up brewing it like this, feel gets heavier, and sweetness is more moderate. All that is a normal shift related to higher infusion strength.
Gedeng: a green wood tone is a little too strong in this; it doesn't work quite as well. I suppose an overbrewed round is more about seeing how it will go anyway. That one vegetal range is a little harsh, but nothing else seems like a flaw.
Yiwu, #6: back to sweet, lighter, more balanced, full in feel, and refined this round. There is a vegetal note creeping in, maybe to both of these. Someone brewing these lighter could be experiencing the same general transition level (between rounds transition) at 7 or 8 infusions along, or more; trying to get the discs / coins to open up and brewing a round extra strong really speeded things up. Carefully separated tea from a tea cake brews better; it is what it is.
This is fine at this round though; character is nice, balance of aspects is good. The broad floral range input is even less distinct, now combined with warm mineral and some vegetal range picking up. Sweetness comes across as more limited. It still seems refined though.
Gedeng: of course it's much better, brewed appropriately. It's harder to place how the fruit that had transitioned to spice range is coming across now, which always had been mixed with floral range, and underlying mineral. It all integrates. Feel is nice; it's picking up a liqueur-like quality, that matches with some of the aromatic flavor range, or seems to.
It can be hard separating preference from quality level determination in this. I really like this style and set of aspects, and it seems like pretty good tea, but the two kinds of impressions mix.
I think I'll leave off taking notes here. For pushing these teas a bit hard the transitions from here would represent more of what would typically occur in the 8th or 9th rounds, or maybe 10th or 11th if someone brews tea lightly, which isn't going to be as positive as earlier rounds for these teas. I wouldn't say that I've botched the brewing for these, but limitations enter in related to brewing tea discs, as with dragonballs.
That could be positive instead of negative for using a grandpa-style approach; the tea would really hang in there for lots of rounds brewed while left in a tea bottle or jar. To me it would kind of be a shame to brew these teas this way, for being as good as they are, but if someone had a good bit of them and liked that approach then it would be fine.
Conclusions:
It's all already kind of there in the review notes part, but I can add some summary. I liked the Gedeng version more. It was interesting and distinctive, and the novel flavor aspect--a set of flavors, that transitioned--really worked for me.
The Yiwu was good too. In some ways as far as quality markers go (aspects I see as identifying how good a tea is), overall balance, complexity, and depth it may have been a little better. The Gedeng version was pretty good too though; it didn't have flaws, or thin spots in character. I probably liked it more for being a year younger, for not transitioning as much.
Other people would already love Yiwu character, and would get hooked on minor character aspects that probably do actually tie to the gushu / plant age theme. I'd probably just buy the Lucky Bee version instead, the newest one they sell, which seems to be 2022. It's $53 for a standard 357 gram cake, 15 cents a gram instead of 50. Or as I've mentioned before Tea Mania sells a sampler set; that's one way to see how you think it all works out for their types, quality level, match to preference, and value. Then there's always the complication of meeting a cut-off level for free shipping, but most people don't have a problem with sorting out what else to add to a cart, it's the opposite that's more problematic, narrowing that down.
I've been trying different pu'er lately this year, back into broader range exploration. One of the nice things about Tea Mania was always that value stood out, that the teas were always really good for the selling price. I tend to avoid 50 cent to $1 a gram products but this really applies to everything I've been trying from them. It's all pretty good tea, especially related to how that compares to the price. I've been trying some teas selling for more that weren't as good. In these reviews I tend to not dwell so much on value, only implying that it's a concern when it comes up. Personal value really relates to match to preference, in the end, more than an objective quality level, so it can be hard to say that a tea isn't worth it.
You can sometimes identify a market price, sort of, but a version has to be a really standard form or type to enable that. It might've come up as implied in the vendor description that this one version was standard, pleasant, good quality gushu Yiwu, as if it could be compared to a norm. I don't think they meant it that way, though; I think it was more a limited comment about flavor profile.
It doesn't work well to taste a tea and peg an objective quality level, degree of match to standard type, typical market price, and comparison of that version to other vendors' alternatives. Maybe some people can do some of that. I comment on some of those things, not all of them, but I generally keep it a bit limited and vague because you can only go so far with it.
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