Bi Yu and Lishan Taiwanese rolled oolongs

 

I'm reviewing two very interesting and pleasant Taiwanese rolled oolongs, from Tea Mania, a vendor based in Switzerland.  Peter, the owner, passed on these samples in a visit awhile back (many thanks).  There's a lot to say about them so I'll cite the product listings for more background and get on with the review notes section.

I might first add that I was really more into rolled oolong scope very early in tea exploration; it's essentially where I started, checking out Thai versions that were around (in Bangkok).  Variety and quality scale is pretty broad, and it's my opinion that the best versions come from Taiwan.  I tried a pretty good more oxidized and roasted Tie Guan Yin, from Anxi, China, not too long ago, but these are something else.  Thailand can make ok versions, and Vietnamese range can be better than Thailand's, really extending to the top of the Taiwanese quality range in the rarest cases, but it could be hard to find those best of the best versions from there.

Bi Yu  (15 CHF or $17.63, seemingly for 50 grams)

Bi Yu is a rare Taiwanese cultivar that descends from the well-known Qing Xin and Jin Xuan cultivars. The aroma profile of Bi Yu lies between the two parents, Qing Xing and Jin Xuan. A decisive difference is the pronounced fruitiness which is underlined by floral notes.

Due to the traditional processing, it can be stored without any loss of aroma. With increasing age, the aroma changes and develops its very own charm.

Harvest date: spring 2021

Aroma: fruity, with light, floral notes on the finish

Oxidation: approx. 40%

Roasting: middle

Terroir: Mingjian, Nantou, Taiwan

Lishan Gaoshan Wulong (30 CHF or $35.25 for 50 grams)

Lishan Gaoshan Wulong is a slightly oxidized, bouquet style highland tea from Lishan. Due to the slight oxidation the tea has a very floral and refreshing character, which reminds of the floral in the green tea, but due to the processing as wulong tea it has a much stronger body and is a much more intensive taste experience. With the slightly oxidized wulong, the leaves are not shaken as much, but are handled much more gently. This means that there are no red leaf edges, which makes the tea taste much more floral and refreshing. The infusion in the cup is also much brighter. 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 Gaoshan Wulong is not roasted and only slightly but nevertheless well oxidized. Thus the character of highland teas is 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 2020

Aroma: floral, with notes of osmanthus and honey

Oxidation: approx. 20%

Roasting: non

Terroir: Lishan, Nantou, Taiwan

Note that these are from different years, 2021 for the Bi Yu, and 2020 for the Lishan, and oxidation level is higher for the Bi Yu, with only that version roasted.  I don't speculate about those inputs in these review notes (I checked the descriptions and added them later in editing), focusing on the experienced aspects instead.  Even that tends to run long.

I've researched and written quite a bit about Taiwanese cultivars in this blog, just nothing for the last half a dozen years.  I'll also skip going into any of that, but anyone interested could search it up here.  One reference I cite in those posts covers what the older plant types and newer hybrid cultivars are.  Jin Xuan is an example of the newer range (#12 in that series), as Bi Yu must be.  Qing Xin is really a range of more original plant types, not just all one thing genetically, according to this research study reference.

this post covers more about this, with the table from this reference

Bi Yu left, in all photos

Review:

Bi Yu:  it's quite good; I expected that.  There is an intensity of floral range and mineral base that's distinctive across most Taiwanese rolled oolongs, and this expresses that.  Floral range is intense and complex.  A mineral base is harder to notice but that is what helps ground the rest, making it come across as a very complex experience.  

Intensity is good, on the high side.  I brewed this for longer than a typical infusion to get it started from still completely dry and compacted, for 30 seconds or just over, and it's not on the light side at all.  The effect is just as it should be.  

Related to regional character, tied to the origin, or the cultivar type, I won't be able to comment on what is or isn't most type-typical; I just don't drink that much Taiwanese oolongs.  I've had good versions before, but it will still even be hard to place these within the scope of the highest quality range.  It's quite good; that's all I can tell.  I may not be able to get much further than describing this as expressing complex floral range; it's not one of my things to list out 3 or 4 flowers this resembles.

Lishan:  interesting!  I had expected this to be pretty similar to the other version, but it's not.  It's creamier, and it includes a nutty sort of flavor aspect.  Plenty of sweetness and floral range too, but it's quite different.  A touch of vegetal range enters in along with the floral tone, and the rest, but it's limited, and hard to place.  That might either develop or else drop out, and then I'd have either some or no chance of describing it further.  Mineral is a little different in this too.  It's so heavy that it leans a little towards salt or metal, in a good sense.  Maybe that vegetal range links with a savory edge too, and I'm just not connecting the parts appropriately.  

In re-trying the first version after tasting this the aftertaste in the Bi Yu version extends longer.  It's really pretty close to what I expected this tea to be like.  Am I thinking of conventional Alishan character instead?  I'm not at all clear on tea production areas in Taiwan, and tea plant types also factor in.

Bi Yu #2:  I brewed these for about 15 seconds, probably long enough to draw out plenty of intensity.  I didn't have the best guess for proportion in these, having been mostly off rolled oolongs for awhile, trying only a few over the last year, but I guessed it would be a good bit, a gaiwan full, so on towards the 10 grams I might often brew at one time.  It's too much for many people's preference, but kind of familiar range to me.  It will limit getting far through a full infusion cycle of two versions.

Creaminess picks up.  Intensity would also, if it hadn't been so intense in the first round, but I think the added complexity makes it come across as stronger.  Feel is nice and rich, aftertaste range is extended and pleasant.  The main story is intense floral taste.  It's almost like that new car smell, but in a good sense, a little towards plastic of an unusual kind.  But it's heavy floral range instead, a theme that's quite familiar to anyone who has explored much above average quality Taiwanese oolongs.  

Is this an example of one of the most pleasant styles, and highest quality levels?  Maybe, at least towards that.  I've heard someone criticize Taiwanese oolongs for being too intense before, claiming that they're accomplishing that through heavy fertilizer use.  I'm skeptical that's true, but it's at least possible.  Then that leads me back to considering food issues; would we be shocked to learn that a producer is using fertilizer to grow our tomatoes or spinach?  It would be surprising if they didn't.  I love the idea of wild-grown, natural conditions produced tea as much as the next person, but I'm not hung up on it.

[later editing note]:  the product listing description places flavor range as mostly fruit, supported by floral scope, which isn't what I've interpreted it as here.  When the two themes mix in a tea it can be hard to sort out which provides more input, and what you expect can factor into judgment.  If I had read that description prior to tasting I'd have been discussing fruit tones, but without that it seemed essentially entirely floral to me.  The character would have changed a little over 3 1/2 years; it's hard to factor that in.

Lishan:  nuttiness is pronounced again.  There would be different ways to interpret that; others may not see this as tasting like nuts, and it's not exactly like nuts, just in that general range (cashews, I guess, or maybe macadamia nuts instead, or in the middle).  There is floral range as well.  

I'm not noticing even a hint of vegetal range, maybe related to brewing it so much lighter, but the mineral layer is still a bit savory.  It comes across as less full and rich in relation to the first tea really dialing up that range, but that's partly related to a comparison effect, not a gap in aspects.  I could imagine someone like either one of these more than the other, but to me the first is nicer, related to getting back to experiencing that really dialed up floral range experience again.  Pleasant mineral base, rich feel, and long aftertaste support that.

Bi Yu #3:  it would work to brew these lightly, using half the proportion that I am, and still moderate infusion times, and intensity would still be fine.  Nah; I'm dialing it up.  At least I am only brewing these for 15 seconds or so, but at this proportion that brews a strong infusion.  I think some of that relates to acclimating to young sheng intensity, which is hard to moderate, no matter how you brew it, so brewing oolongs or other teas lightly just seems thin to me.

Richness really stands out this round, and the floral tone picks up a bit of warmth, taking on a perfume-like character.  Or that also reminds me of cognac or brandy, one part of that range of experience, which I've not been through in decades, since I barely drink any alcohol, a few beers a year.  

Floral tone is heavier.  Someone more capable of describing two dozen distinct floral tone inputs would be offering a different list of them this round.  More like lavender?  Intensity has been great through all these rounds, and that's the same, it's amazing.

Lishan:  those earlier aspects settle and integrate in an interesting way.  It won't really work to describe how, exactly what I mean by that.  The nutty range is less distinct as that kind of form, and a base of what seems like less clearly defined vegetal range picks up, like a green wood tone.  Floral range is still pronounced.  It all integrates as one pleasant and unified experience more than it must sound.  Decent sweetness and bright intensity makes it work, along with a significant mineral base.  Again it seems less rich in feel with less aftertaste expression, but that's mostly in comparison with the other version.

It's interesting that the wet leaf appearance is so much greener for this version than the other, and darker.  Based on reviewing the listings (later) it's from the oxidation level being higher for the Bi Yu version, but that Lishan version seems extra green somehow, so deep and dark.

Bi Yu #4:  the progressive warming transition continues; this may be drifting just a little towards a spice tone range.  It's not there yet; maybe next round that kind of shift will be more pronounced.  Again the heavier floral range is nice.

Lishan:  maybe just a touch "greener," or it could be that I'm looking for that, after the observation about the color.  I think it's actually there too.  It makes this come across as really rich in flavor in an unusual sense, not really similar to green tea character, but I suppose it wouldn't just be a stretch if someone wanted to draw some limited comparison.  The grassiness and astringency edge isn't there, but then green teas do vary quite a bit.  Maybe more like a more savory version of one, that lacks an astringency edge.

That green part reminds me of a fresh forest scent, as much as green wood, which is how I've described it earlier.  It's like that heavy vegetal scent after a spring rain.  I suppose drawing a parallel with moss might actually make sense; it's clear enough how the different themes I'm mentioning connect.  Moss does represent the greenest and dampest fresh floral tone range, integrated with heavy mineral range.

Going back and re-trying the other version after this one the warming tones in the Bi Yu might be shifting a little towards a green wood tone, more of an actual version of that, not something comparable but different.

Bi Yu #5:  I think drinking this on the hot side emphasizes a connection to spice tone, and then in a few minutes once it cools that green wood link will stand out as much.  That's a subject I don't ever do much with, variations in drinking tea at different temperatures.  

Often I'll use two cups for making tea Gongfu style with breakfast, pouring it from one to the other one time per round, to absorb more of the heat.  I'm using a larger set of cups to prepare these, so they're drinkable right away related to temperature, but not so cool.

Lishan:  more of the same, really.  It's interesting how those heavy flavors combine, not so clearly linked to nuts range now (macadamia mostly, I guess), but combining a few dominant layers.  It's pleasant for how well it all integrates and works together.  And it helps that there are no aspects that seem like flaws, which it's easy to not explicitly notice.  

The other version is just a touch sweeter, richer in feel, and includes more aftertaste experience, but that's not really a flaw, just more positive supporting range associated with the first tea.  I suppose that someone could interpret those as "quality markers," and see it as indicated as higher in quality, but it's hard for me to conclusively conclude that.  They're just different in style.

Later rounds:  these kept going and going, of course.  In later rounds the Bi Yu faded to become thinner in profile, with more emphasis on the heavy mineral layer.  The Lishan stayed quite positive, lightening up across aspect scope except for sweetness, bright floral range, and rich feel (so forest scent / vegetal range and the mineral layer dropped out, put the other way).  It was interesting for a tea to fade in the end while retaining the most positive aspect range; usually they'll pick up a woodiness, or settle on more mineral range.

Conclusions:

It's interesting not noticing fruit from the Bi Yu vendor description, it just seeming floral.  And interesting that the version really held its own with the Lishan up until later rounds, after which the Lishan continued on as more positive.  How to place that?

One might conclude that the Lishan is a higher quality level tea, or instead that the effects of higher oxidation level and roast input lent themselves to being more positive in earlier rounds, and then to the Bi Yu version fading quicker.  Maybe it's both.

For sheng pu'er, or even for other tea types, it's easier for me to place how the different types of aspects get sorted out according to somewhat conventional preferences, from discussion of teas online, or related to vendor input.  Are the heavy green forest scent / moss aspect or macadamia nut richness in the Lishan version highly desirable characteristics, or is that negative, or neutral?  I suppose preference should really dictate that, since specific flavors don't typically serve as "quality markers."  Something like richness of feel or extended aftertaste are more often regarded as universally positive. 

It would be nice if I'd kept up more contact with rolled oolong scope, and I could do better with placing these on a general quality scale, or commenting further on value.  At a guess they're quite good, matching up well with teas sold as of exceptional quality, and 30-some and 60-some cents a gram are very fair price ranges, for what they are.  For as pleasant as this Bi Yu version is that's probably a good value, as good rolled oolong goes, but then in a different sense that could easily also be true of the other Lishan version.  

Origin area is one main input to demand level, across many tea types, and you end up paying more for what other people tend to seek out and value.  Then styles and quality level can be more variable across less demanded range, so you have to be careful about what you explore, or some experiences won't match preferences and expectations.

Looking at their Taiwanese oolong page they carry a lot of versions.  It would be tough to pick and choose among them on a tightly limited budget.  Some might seem better than others, varying with preference, but at least of what I've tried of Tea Mania versions they've all been pretty solid, with no "misses."  That would happen, if a vendor is sharing their favorite versions as samples, but I was in the habit of buying tea from them every year awhile back, before I moved on to focusing on Thai and Vietnamese teas more recently, and all that I tried was quite nice.  

You do experience more misses when exploring off-main-production-area teas, and styles vary more, so you pay a price for buying teas at lower rates.  To me that variation is nice too though, experiencing what you don't expect.

How much theanine is in tea?

 

I just looked this up related to someone bringing it up in a biohacking group, of course related to taking it as a pill supplement instead of drinking tea.  Those people love supplements, the more experimental the better, it sometimes seems.  Theanine should be harmless enough, in a normal dosage range.  But what is that?

WebMD says this; they would never steer you wrong:

L-theanine is naturally found in tea and some mushrooms. As medicine, L-theanine has most often been used by adults in doses of 200-400 mg by mouth daily for 4-8 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

People in that group said that 100 mg is probably ok for a starter dose, but if they mean to take that twice a day it's back to 200.  It would depend on why someone is taking it.  WebMD says this:

Possibly Effective for:  Memory and thinking skills (cognitive function). Taking L-theanine by mouth might help healthy people stay focused. It isn't clear if adding L-theanine to caffeine works better than using either of those ingredients alone.

There is interest in using L-theanine for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Healthline said this, more in line with what those people in that group were using it for:  

It’s said to help ease anxiety, stress, and reduce insomnia.  Before trying it out yourself, learn more about the potential health benefits, as well as any possible risks or complications.

So those two not so reliable, light content health sites said completely opposite things; that can happen.  People in that group thought that it could provide different benefits, and were taking it for different reasons.

So how much is in tea, especially in relation to standard supplementation amounts?  Scanning a few sources turned up different measured amounts, but this seems kind of middle of the road for other results:

Theanine and Caffeine Content of Infusions Prepared from Commercial Tea Samples

Materials and Methods:

Theanine and caffeine contents of 37 commercial white, green, oolong, black, and pu-erh tea samples were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector.

Results:

The mean L-theanine content of white, green, oolong, and black teas were 6.26, 6.56, 6.09, and 5.13 mg/g, respectively. The same values for caffeine content were 16.79, 16.28, 19.31, and 17.73 mg/g.

So just over 6 mg per gram of dry tea.  The caffeine values seem normal enough; measured amounts typically ranges between 15 and 25 mg/g, so maybe a little on the low side, but these are "commercial" products, probably low to medium low in quality level.  Both theanine and caffeine range might bump a little in relation to testing or consuming slightly better tea, but probably not too much.

Extraction rate could be a little clearer, but it seems to follow the same pattern as for caffeine, so for a relatively complete brewing process something like 90% may be extracted, possibly a little less:

So from there it's really down to daily intake, amount of dry leaf prepared per day, which is going to vary for everyone.  Someone could brew two rounds of tea a day and consume 10 grams, but I tend to brew 9 or 10 grams for each Gongfu brewing session.  10 grams at 6 mg / gram of extraction (which may be slightly lower) is 60 mg; not a lot, in relation to taking supplements, which again might be in a range of 200 mg per day (taken as pills), but that would just depend.

It's interesting that they seemed to test one pu'er sample and found no theanine in it.  That could be an anomaly, or it could be that they tested shou pu'er and fermentation really does transition that compound to become something else.  Here is that summary:

Those results are all over the place.  There may well be a correlation between theanine levels and buds and fine leaves content, versus older leaves, as there is for caffeine level, but you can't really spot an underlying cause input from this kind of list.  It would seem natural for there to be a divide between variety Sinensis and variety Assamica plants, but this definitely wasn't set up to isolate that input, or any other, really.  One sample of any given type doesn't even tell you with any certainty that other samples of the same type would follow the same pattern, and have a similar amount in them.

For me it's enough to have as a guess that we might be ingesting around 6 mg per gram of tea, since I'm not even sure what theanine would do anyway.  There's a vague understanding that it calms you while caffeine gives you a lift, so I guess a very mild speedball effect, but not much of one.  The effect would be limited if your daily consumption probably lands between 60 and 120 mg per day, and only that higher level based on drinking 20 grams worth of tea a day, which is a lot.

I glanced at a couple of other studies and they're in this general range, with some showing some black tea amounts that are a good bit higher (in this study example):

High levels of milk resulted in a marked lowering of the level of detectable l-theanine. Contrary to previous research, a standard (200 ml) cup of black tea was found to contain the most l-theanine (24.2 ± 5.7 mg) while a cup of green tea contained the least (7.9 ± 3.8 mg).

So their findings were way off that other scale, which is more typical of what other sources that I looked through were saying.  It can be confusing comparing amount per brewed cup with a derived amount per gram of dry leaf, which to me is easier to work with.  They seemed to be making tea from a standard 2 or 2 1/2 gram commercial tea bag, and then infusion time surely would've been a limitation to extraction, since you don't brew tea bags for 10 minutes.  The point here is more that studies vary on general findings, as that one study varied quite a bit in relation to measured amounts and individual tea versions, even within type categories (black, green, and so on).

Someone could keep digging if they really wanted to know, but it would be hard to factor in what these studies are not testing for:  theanine amounts in relation to tea plant material type (buds, fine leaves, old leaves), and related to tea quality level.  Guessing that a final average experienced result is around 6 grams per gram of dry tea seems good enough, with extracted amount probably just below that.  

We're taking in a significant amount of theanine when drinking tea, just not getting dosed on the high side compared to the range of 100 mg to 400 mg of intake per day.  20 grams of tea--a good bit to drink in one day, which probably would exceed that 100 mg theanine input level--might work out to 20 mg of caffeine per dry gram of ingested tea, or 400 mg of caffeine per day, the general recommended daily limit.  

That is on the high side of most caffeine level test findings; 15 to 20 grams per mg is probably a more standard range, with extraction potentially between 85 and 90%.  My point in venturing into this second tangent is that it seems that you can drink 20 grams worth of tea per day, related to not exceeding a standard caffeine input level.  Then a daily dose of over 100 mg of theanine might offset some negative effects of caffeine, feeling "jittery," as people understand might happen.  It's not completely clear that would occur, but then theanine and caffeine aren't necessarily the only two active compounds in tea, the only two that would have any effect on how you feel.

Ai Lao and Yiwu Yunnan black teas (Dian Hong)

Ai Lao left, Yiwu right, in all photos

I'm reviewing two Yunnan black teas from Tea Tracks, sent by the owner Jan to share and for review (many thanks).  Since Dian Hong means Yunnan black (/ red) tea in a sense these are definitely Dian Hong, but people also use that as a more limited style designation.  To me they're both Dian Hong.

Then Shai Hong, which means sun-dried black / red tea, is more or less a subset of that, or overlapping category, often used to identify versions that are backed off in oxidation level just a little, and more suitable for aging transition, deepening in flavor over a few years of storage time.  This post isn't mostly about all that; just mentioning it.

These are really nice.  I'll skip saying more and cite the vendor descriptions, what they are:

Yi Wu Black 易武晒红  (19.62 Euro for 100 grams, $21.92)

This Dianhong sun dried black tea is from Yi Wu, mainly know for it's Puerh teas. In Chinese this variation of black tea is called Shai Hong 晒红 (sun-dried red) as it is dried in the sun during processing. The tea has a great texture and a clean, a bit malty aroma. It can be brewed many times. For us it's the perfect breakfast tea.

Taste:  Full round body, a bit malty taste 

Origin:  Yi Wu, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Harvest:  Spring 2023

Ai Lao Wild Black 哀牢红  (19.62 Euro for 100 grams, $21.92)

This black tea comes from wild trees that grow in a protected forest near Ai Lao Shan. This tea has a clean taste with notes of berries. It's amazing to see what a fragrance and flavour this tea can produce without any flavouring.

It was a bit tricky to take a good picture of the cake. It's really that dark.

This tea has been pressed into 100g cakes.

Trees:  Wild tea trees growing in a protected forest

Origin:  Ai Lao Shan, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Harvest:  Spring 2023

the color difference is really something

separated out for brewing

Review:

Ai Lao:  tartness stands out first.  I dislike most tartness in black teas, but in some versions it can balance with the rest in pleasant ways.  The rest of this does integrate well with it, and is pleasant.  There are plenty of other layers to experience.  Sweetness is good, and general tone is quite rich.  

There's a typical malty sort of black tea base flavor, even leaning just a little towards that one orthodox Assam malt flavor aspect, and decent fruit tones beyond that.   Mineral is nice, a pleasant supporting aspect.  There are warm mineral tones, and also a touch that's a little sharper that's almost towards salt, giving it a savory edge.  It works well with the sweetness, fruit, and other complexity.

It's odd that this dry leaf is so much darker in appearance and then the brewed tea is lighter.  There may be meaning in that, but I don't know what it is if so.  When I first saw the dry versions I thought maybe the Yiwu was oxidized less, but for it brewing to a darker, redder liquid I'm not so sure.

Yiwu:  that is interesting.  A pronounced mineral range also stands out in this, also leaning a little towards salt.  Maybe there's something going on with my palate?  It's possible.  I had oatmeal for breakfast, along with two fried eggs, and some longkong and banana, with the banana mixed with chocolate protein powder, milk, and ice to make a smoothie.  A bit much, but a normal range; it shouldn't have thrown things off.

The aspect I described as malt in the other is a little drier in effect here, or so it comes across (nothing like Assam, but a short step towards that).  Feel structure is still fine, and sweetness provides a nice balance.  Both of these were brewed a little long; I went with lower proportion to stretch a large sample to two rounds, and they're probably about 6 grams worth (just a guess), so it's strange that is a low proportion, for me.  I tend to max out what the gaiwan will hold more often.  Brewing them longer related to not commenting that they'd really open up and brew next round, but it's hard to dial that in to an optimum level, the slowish start for all compressed teas.

These are compressed as tea cakes; that's interesting.  Or rather they're chunks that indicate that shape.  I suppose I should say something about aging potential along the way, or input, if these aren't relatively new.  Aging black tea doesn't change all that much, but if a version is oxidized less to begin with, as Yunnan Shai Hong style tends to be, then initially subdued flavors can pick up more over 2 or 3 more years, and then it seems to level off some.  Or maybe that's all wrong; it's just my current understanding.  I retried a pressed Shai Hong brick I bought 7 or so years ago not long ago; it might've changed some, but it seems pretty similar to me to how it was back then. 

It would be easier to blind guess sheng inputs based on a version being 1 to 3 years old, since that pattern is more familiar, but starting points vary a lot for those, as can occur some in black tea, so it would still be guesswork.

Ai Lao #2:  brewed faster and lighter; it's interesting how much difference that makes.  There is still plenty of intensity to appreciate, it's just on the light side.  Tartness fades back to a more even and integrated part of the rest; it's not at all objectionable at this level of input.  It's hard to describe the dried fruit input that I didn't put words to last round; maybe along the line of dried tamarind, or really it could be complex, a few different flavor aspects mixing.  Rich feel is nice, for it being a bit light.

It's hard to describe why this captures why I love simple black teas so much, even though this isn't any more interesting or complex than a lot of other range.  There's just something simple, balanced, and pleasant about it.  

That simplicity is actually misleading; there are a few layers of aspect range going into making this experience have depth, so it's actually not simple in aspect range.  It comes across as integrated, and less intense than sheng pu'er experience, and also less refined than higher end oolong, so I guess to me that leads to an effect related to simplicity, even though the complexity and balance is making it pleasant.

Yiwu:  a spice note picks up in this.  Fruit is still more dominant, but it's interesting the way the two ranges play off each other.  Then warmer mineral tones and that malt-like depth balance nicely, just not exactly malt, that one aspect.  Somehow I expected the other version to be more intense and complex, and for this one to have good depth but to be subdued, and in a sense that's reversed.  The fruit seems to shift towards a berry-like range, maybe in between dried blueberry and dried dark cherry, a nice range.  There is a touch of tartness in this, if you look for it, but it's a minor supporting aspect, not the main flavor as in round one for the Ai Lao version, which dropped back to a contributing aspect in the second infusion.

I suppose I like this one more, at this point, but these are both pretty good.  They're good enough that it makes me start thinking about optimums, about how they relate to a quite ideal range, or how they could be even better.  To me Dian Hong isn't really about that, the aspects matching a certain style form, and reaching towards an experienced aspects optimum.  It's great because pleasantness and depth carry the experience, regardless of what aspects are included or not so pronounced.  It makes more sense to go on about most preferred or more ideal narrow sheng pu'er types, or oolong variations, what the best Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong is like, related to a range of styles of those, and so on.

Related to that perspective I'll continue on with describing aspects, and leave off with comparison to some type-typical or ideal form, or aspects set.  I should look up the age of these during this tasting, and try to guess more about that input.  Maybe after next round.

Ai Lao #3:  not so different.  It's a little subtle but complexity and depth is still really nice.  I brewed these for about 20 seconds, using what to me is a moderate proportion, again probably about 6 grams (which I don't weigh out), and it would work to push them harder, brewing them for over 30 seconds.

Balance of flavors is nice.  It's complex but hard to break down as a list.  I already have, and I don't suppose it has transitioned, but it's even harder to sort out those aspects now (fruit tone, warm mineral, a mild malt-like aspect).  I could relate to someone interpreting this as floral range; somewhat mixed and vague dried fruit and warm floral tones could be similar.  Feel is rich and aftertaste is fine for this tea type; they add in an experience of additional complexity.  I wouldn't judge this to include tartness in this round, brewed this way; that did fade.

Yiwu:  again there's a catchy interplay between a dried berry or fruit range and a spice note that's hard to identify, with other warmer depth really making it all balance nicely.  That warm tone, maybe covering both malt and spice, is more pronounced in this than the other version (any equivalent range; most of the actual flavors sets don't overlap directly).  The other version is pleasant, but that bump in depth, complexity, and intensity sets this apart.  Some of that you could compensate for by brewing the first a bit stronger, but it can only change character so much.

I will try these brewed for about a minute, which will probably just be normal intensity range, for them covering so much ground already in this infusion cycle.

Ai Lao #4:  a very pleasant minty aspect joins in; that's nice!  Not like drinking Red Jade, if I remember that Taiwanese black tea theme correctly, but just a hint of wintergreen, that works well with the rest.  The other intensity might be fading a bit.  That's for more forward flavor aspects; the depth is the same, the rich feel, warm mineral tones, and underlying base complexity.  This can probably be stretched for one more intense round and then it really will be on the way out.  Using longer infusions can do that, and black teas can brew out a little faster than I'm accustomed to with sheng.

Yiwu:  this is fading slightly too.  Probably as much from the power of suggestion I'm noticing a trace of mint in this too, when I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't just experienced that in the first.  To me it tastes like tea berry, which is in between berry and mild mint.  

I suppose that's a flavor that not so many people would be familiar with, since it's not something people actually consume.  I remember mentioning that flavor to my mother once, and she asked if those are even safe to eat.  I think they are, but the texture is so strange that someone might enjoy tasting them but you wouldn't keep eating them.  It's been a life's mission to pick, process, and dry teaberry leaves, since I've heard that they can be oxidized, and I may get to that soon, since I'll visit my family back in Pennsylvania in a week, for a few weeks.  I'll probably stop reviewing teas for a month.

These did brew a few more pleasant rounds, but there wasn't much more to say about them, no interesting later transitions.

Conclusions:

I did look through the product descriptions, and add them here.  Both are from Spring 2023; they've had a year and a half to settle, and change character some, but probably not much.  They both might be ever so slightly better within another year and a half, but I bet they're pretty much where they're going to be now, and it's not certain that they'll improve with a little more age.

The vendor descriptions, Jan's, say that the Yiwu is standard Dian Hong /  Shai Hong, which I've already mentioned, and that the Ai Lao includes a berry-like flavor aspect.  It was interesting how one version of fruit came out more in the Ai Lao in early rounds, which I described as seeming more like tamarind, then a different range stood out more for the Yiwu later on, which I did describe as berry.  These flavor descriptions are interpretations; if I keep trying the same teas a few times I would adjust what I notice, and how I describe it.

I guess that I liked the Yiwu better, but these are both pretty good.  I didn't explicitly say it yet here but Dian Hong is my favorite black tea type, so to me they were especially pleasant.  Others who love a bit of integrated tartness as a supporting aspect could like the Ai Lao more, but that didn't really last past the first two rounds.  For these being moderate in price someone could buy both, and see for themselves how they map to their preference.  

Related to that value the 20 cent a gram range (22) is quite fair for these; they are exceptional.  Someone could try another dozen Dian Hong / Shai Hong versions that all cost 15 cents / gram instead and find one that's comparable, but the lower quality half would fall well short of matching these, or even the average, most likely.  They're still basic character teas, in one sense, but this flavor complexity, character depth, balance, and lack of flaws can be hard to fully appreciate for what it is.

In an odd way that's what really works well with Dian Hong; if you take away some of the interesting flavor range, or general complexity, intensity, rich feel, etc. these would still be good.  Inexpensive, more lower-medium quality Dian Hong is still quite pleasant.  These are above average though.

Re-reading this during editing I've left out commenting on a couple of points.  Why was that Ai Lao so dark in leaf appearance, and why did it transition so much, changing from intense, including more fruit range, then onto being more subtle?  Wild origin tea versions can often be made from variations of conventional Assamica plants.  The purple leaf versions were this, a naturally occurring variation that ends up containing different compounds and tasting quite different.  Some wild material inputs aren't even Camellia Sinensis, or it can be hard to be sure, and accounts can vary about that.  I don't worry too much about it; the aspects are the thing.  

I own a Thai sheng ("pu'er-like tea") cake that's quite odd, not even close, and that's a little different, on a couple of levels.  You wonder what's in that, if drinking a lot would be a problem, and it's more sour than almost any tea I've tried, along the lines of that one fermented Japanese tea version (Goishi cha).  This black tea is just normal tea, but it's possible that plant genetics have drifted some over time.  

Check out how dark this purple leaf sheng pu'er version appeared (on the right, reviewed here):

I doubt this was purple leaf tea (an Assamica variation); that tastes different, in a distinctive way, often including some sourness, and a distinct grape-like fruit flavor.  The point was that maybe it's a slight variation from conventional Assamica plant genetics.

In talking to Jan he mentioned that one of these Dian Hong he likes to brew Western style.  To me it goes without saying that these would be fine brewed that way, probably not really inferior, just different.  It is as well to say it though.  I tend to brew better Dian Hong Gongfu style out of habit, and then I would drink it made that other way sometimes if I owned a good bit of it.  It really doesn't take me much extra time to brew 8 to 10 Gongfu infusions (these cycled through faster since I used slightly less than I often do, really maxing out proportion), but there is something nice about brewing two rounds in a basket infuser and being done with it, downing a couple of mugs worth.  

Of course the aspect variations, the transition, I described over four rounds would all combine, which can be better that way in some cases.  To me it makes sense to keep infusion temperature pretty hot for Gongfu brewing of all types, at or near boiling, and then people could experiment with how they prefer black teas prepared, which may vary by type range, related to brewing temperature.

Comparing exceptional Vietnamese and Taiwanese white teas

 

Vietnamese tea left, Taiwanese right, in all photos

I'm comparison reviewing Vietnamese and Taiwanese white teas, a Lai Chau Deep Forest White, from 2024, from Viet Sun, and a Lishan Taiwanese White, from 2022, from Tea Mania.

After getting a bit bogged down in describing how medium level aging concerns work out for sheng pu'er in a last post I want to keep this simple.  It will be about what I think of the experienced aspects, not about aging, trueness to type, regional background differences, or anything else beyond what is in the cups.  One of these is two years old, and one is from this year, and I won't really speculate on whatever difference that might have made.

There's some risk I'll like one more than the other, then maybe I'll complicate this talking about varying preferences for aspects, but I don't want to take that sort of theme very far either.  Writing a simple review would be nice.  As usual vendor page citations say what they are:

Lai Châu Deep Forest White Spring 2024  ($29 per 100 grams)

A beautiful and unique tea from ancient non-Sinensis varietal tea trees growing wild at altitudes of 2200-2500m in Phong Thổ, Lai Châu. The people living and making tea in this area are of the Dao ethnicity.

The raw leaves used to make this tea take on shades of red, purple and green with a glossy look and every tree produces leaves with a different appearance. You can also find leaves that look different on individual trees. Picking the leaves to make this tea requires a long walk into the forest and climbing up very tall tea trees. This is only possible on days with good weather.

This tea brews up into a clear golden soup. The fragrance and flavor is stone fruit fruity and floral with cane sugar, orchid and mountain forest notes. This tea has a lingering “purple effect” common in many wild varietal white teas like this and a strong but relaxing qi. No bitterness or astringency.

I like to brew this one at 90C for the first few steeps and then gradually increase to 100C during later steeps.

Interesting, that this isn't from Camelia Sinensis.  It definitely tastes unique.  For once my flavor description of it is pretty close to Steve's.  Very similar descriptions can relate to slightly different interpretations of the same flavors, but this matches better than usual.  

I don't know about the relaxing qi; I tried it along with another tea.  I suppose it was nice not getting blasted as I do when comparing sheng versions, but that experience is nice in a different sense too.

Lishan White (25 CHF / $29.44 for 50 grams)

This white tea is also an absolute rarity and we were only able to get hold of a few grams. The tea leaves come from Qingxin bushes which grow on the Lishan. The tea has an abundance of pleasant aromas with a floral and full-bodied character. The high altitude results in a much more intense and complex aroma which is normally not found in a white tea.

Harvest: Summer 2022

Taste: Full-bodied and complex

Terroir: Lishan, Taiwan

Preparation: Per serving approx. 2g, temperature approx. 75°C,  time 1 – 2 minutes

There are a few things to unpack there.  I'd brew it hotter; why not?  It really is one of the most unique white teas I've tried, maybe even more novel than this Vietnamese version, although both were absolutely different than any versions I remember trying before.  

60 cents a gram is a bit much, but then this tea probably is a type that barely even exists.  And it's unusually high in quality level, pleasant to experience, and from a high demand production area, where above average oolongs would command a decent price.  That price seems reasonable.

Review:

Lai Chau Deep Forest White:  the dry leaf scent is very deep, rich, sweet, and fruity.  Brewed it doesn't match that dry scent intensity; I may need to go a little longer on the next round.  I did brew these for 20-some seconds, so a bit, but I can push them for 30 to 40, given proportion is a little lower than I usually use.

Sweetness and fruit is evident in this.  It's complex; it tastes a bit like peach or apricot, but there's a lot more going on than that.  It might include grape as well, but not the modern grocery store grape range, more like the older Concord type used to make juice in the past.  Or I think that was a broad type range; I'm not completely caught up on types of grapes.  Mineral range includes a touch of savory quality, and significant sweetness makes it all balance well.

Lishan White:  I was concerned this might just be too subtle to hold its own but the opposite occurred instead; there's a strong spice range in this that's more intense than all of the character of the other.  It includes cinnamon, but it may extend beyond cinnamon.  Sweetness is pleasant; that works.  Beyond that there is other range but it's hard to identify at this stage, maybe a few minor supporting themes.  I'll push both a little harder and try to add more breakdown.

Lai Chai #2:  that picks up a lot of warmth and depth.  Flavors are so complex that it's hard to get it to separate out as a list of impressions.  There's a lot of fruit, all mixing together as one theme.  Again one part is in between peach and apricot, and grape doesn't stand out as much, but a hint of citrus does.  Warm tones are along the line of dry autumn leaf.  Sweetness is good, and feel is rich enough that it adds to the experience of overall complexity.  It would be a shame to swap out those brighter tones by aging this but it has enough depth already that it might work well to; that might increase further.

It's strange how when I try a little later, after tasting the other, when it's quite cool, the grape flavor comes back.  It tastes like grape bubblegum, more than actual grapes, like the old Hubba-Bubba version, or something such.

Lishan:  it's crazy tasting this much spice in a white tea.  This could actually include some cinnamon (it doesn't; I mean the impression is that clear and strong).  Feel might be even a little richer and fuller than for the other version, kind of velvety.  Sweetness level is comparable for the two, high enough to add to overall complexity, and a good level to support the balance.

It's strange how complex this comes across, even though the set of flavors is kind of bundled within a limited range.  There might be a general floral range beyond the spice, and a touch of fruit.  Warm tones are a main part of the overall balance, that spice range, and some mineral, with floral and fruit brighter.  Then as a secondary supporting input the floral and fruit range is less distinct, but it still plays a pronounced role in the overall impression.  Spice seems to include a hint of fennel seed, other warmer, towards-savory range.  These are some pretty interesting teas.

Lai Chau, #3:  there's a depth to this that's hard to describe.  I probably mean different things by that when I say it about different teas; that probably doesn't help.  There's a good bit of fruit, shifting now to warmer tones, but other deeper warm range really picks up, from the earlier mineral base and autumn leaf aspects.  It gives up some higher end, sweeter and more forward notes related to that shift, but it's pleasant.

Lishan:  this stays more consistent, evolving less.  I suppose there may be a shift to slightly warmer tones, brought on by round transition, and probably going slightly longer on the infusion time, but it's not so different than earlier.  It's interesting how flavor complexity and fullness of feel work together to make this seem complex.  That's true of the other tea version too, but in a different way, and a different sense.  

This includes fullness of feel more like oolong range can express.  There's a bright, sweet floral and mineral oriented note--a flavor set, I guess--that seems to tie it together with local origin oolong flavor range.  The other tea might be more complex, in terms of covering more flavor scope, and other aspect range, but this has a good bit more depth.  Some warmer range fills in complexity, and it comes across as quite refined.

They both brewed a few more pleasant rounds, but I left off taking notes here.

Conclusions:

These are both unusually good.  I kind of didn't expect that, since I didn't read the descriptions before trying them.  The Vietnamese version shows that interesting character in dry leaf scent, so much fruit, but the Lishan version doesn't as much.  It's interesting considering how they seem in light of those descriptions.  

The Vietnamese version does seem novel enough that it makes sense that's it's different plant type, but it doesn't include any of the sourness edge that can come up in those, even purple leaf versions, which I think are just a variant of Assamica.  Purple tea can taste a little like grapes, sometimes.

The Lishan version was really unique, complex, and refined.  White teas can lack flavor complexity and intensity, but these didn't.  Feel structure is often quite limited, but the Lishan version even covered that.  Both expressed so much depth that I didn't necessarily miss the intensity and edge that I usually experience drinking sheng more often.  

Someone could have drank a lot of more standard form Chinese white teas in the past, and like them, and feel that either of these really opened a door on new experience range for them.

Tea Tracks Zhang Jia Wan (2018) and Nan Nuo Shan (2016) sheng pu'er

 

Nan Nuo right, in all photos

I'm reviewing two more sheng pu'er from Tea Tracks, passed on by Jan, a friend who owns that (many thanks!).  

One part that looked interesting about these was how aging would factor in, since they're from 2016 and 2018, definitely not fully aged teas.  It should be interesting seeing how far along they are, and how it affects the experience at this point.  I broke normal form and checked the product descriptions before trying them, in order to avoid trying two teas together that make no sense as a tasting session set, which comes up sometimes.  They are these:

Zhang Jia Wan 2018 - 张家湾  ($127 USD, 114 Euro for 200 gram cake, also sold by sample)

Zhang Jia Wan is a village in the Yiwu mountains close to the border to Laos. This tea is made of ancient tree material (gu shu, 古树). This is an exciting tea! While it has the fruity characteristics of other Yiwu teas,  it can show a bit bolder side after a few steeps. It starts off mildly and flowery and turns into a bitter sweet fruity brew. 

After a few years of natural storage in Jinghong, in the southern part of Yunnan, it has hardly any astringency and produces a light, yet long lasting aftertaste.

Nan Nuo Shan 南糯山 2016  ($47 USD, 42.50 Euro for 200 gram cake, also sold per 25 grams)

This tea is from younger bushes in Nan Nuo Shan. Seven years of controlled storage in Jinghong has smoothed out the edges of it and it makes now a very enjoyable brew. 

It has a sweet and flowery aroma and a fruity taste. In the long aftertaste are hints of citrus. This tea has a nice uplifting energy. 

Taste:  Fruity with a long aftertaste

Trees:  Bushes （小木 xiao mu)

Origin:  Nan Nuo Shan, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Harvest:  Early spring 2016

The description of the Nan Nuo version character is just what I like in sheng; this may not be a fair test for this tea, in comparison with that one.  To some extent I can break down other quality level oriented factors, beyond my own preference, but it's easiest to describe what I like or don't like about the teas.

Review:

Zhan Jia Wan:  it's ok initially, but it's also seemingly in an odd place for transition.  Bitterness and astringency is gone, to the extent these had been present, but sweeter floral tones don't stand out either.  It's headed into a flatter sort of character, I suppose closest to wood flavor range, but that's really not it.  Mineral base is still nice, and there is some complexity, and decent balance, but early on overall range is a bit limited.

Six years along for a tea is well beyond the initial partial aging cycle, where teas vary in character some over the first 2 or 3 years, or maybe 4, but still express an altered early form.  People describe what they see as "awkward teen years" for sheng aging differently, and that really depends on the tea, and on the storage conditions.  If you want a 6 year old tea to seem younger dry storage input could be better.  If you want it to resemble a decade worth of age (under cooler and drier storage conditions) then warmer and more humid storage would be better.  I think in the long run a gradual middle ground is best, as in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but then you often need to allow for 15 to 20 years for a relatively full transition cycle to occur, and probably longer in some cases.

Yunnan storage can be fine, as this mentions.  I suppose conditions right where it was would factor in, since elevation could change temperature, micro-climate can affect humidity, and so on.

Nan Nuo:  warm mineral stands out in this too.  It's stronger; I may well have used slightly more, but it also seems to just be brewing a little faster.  I have really liked some versions of Nan Nuo origin sheng related to those being very fruity, but I'm not noticing it so much in this.  8 years is a long time for transition; even more of the earlier character range would have shifted, from lighter and sweeter floral and fruity range on to heavier earthier range, maybe not earthy in the sense of peat, but on to more spice tones and such.

I have some teas that are around that middle range, 6 to 8 years old, that I try from time to time, but it's not the most familiar range to me.  I lose track of what versions were like earlier, or in some cases what teas even are, if labeling is extra plain.  This leads back to the theme of making it hard to judge these against my personal preference; I drink medium aged sheng, but I usually like brand new or versions at or under 4 years old better.  That's for more drinkable teas, of course; I'll drink Xiaguan tuo tea when it's 6 to 10 years old to have an atypical experience, sometimes, but that's a bit harsh.

Zhang Jia Wan #2:  depth and complexity really pick up; this may not be fully hitting its stride until next round.  It's still in that subtle, somewhat narrow range though.  To me this is just how Yiwu often works out; it transitions to taste like cured hay, or mild floral range, like chrysanthemum, with good depth, and pleasant fullness and supporting mineral base, but also limited flavor range.  Then there's always the concern that maybe I've not tried the best of the best Yiwu versions yet, and that's almost certainly the case, but I've tried a lot of Yiwu presented as quite good quality versions, many of them aged to different degrees.

Sweetness is pretty good for it falling into this character type, of course nothing like in younger versions.  Feel is rich enough.  Aftertaste experience is significant, but with flavor range so limited there isn't that much to carry over.  I think pretty good medium aged Yiwu can often be like this; it can age to lose a lot of intensity.  It comes up in discussion that some of that can come back, that once a tea switches over to a different character later, after more aging transition, the effect can be higher intensity across a completely different aspect range.

Nan Nuo:  complexity and intensity pick up a little in this version in this round too (I guess that I said depth in the last case; it's similar, if still a little different).  I really want to notice fruit in this, but at most it leans a little towards dried fruit range, like apricot.  A tone that's in between warm mineral, spice, and a medicinal character is stronger; it hints towards how older, more transitioned teas work out.  

This isn't rough-edged at all, although it will smooth out some more and gain more depth over the following years.  Body is more structured than in the other version; it comes across more as a dryness.  This would probably be a good tea version to get to drink a little of now, to experience how it is, but to hold onto for 2 or 3 more years.  It's really close to having a more fully aged character; it won't take long.  For being 8 years old that seems to relate to transitioning relatively fast.

Quality level seems pretty good for both of these; it's more about where the character ends up right now in an aging transition cycle, related to how much someone would like either.  For a lot of sheng drinkers it's also about how they might like either in the future.  I probably would have liked this version more 4 years ago, as it had been at the end of its youth.  It's probably shifting towards having a new form of appeal, and it's ok now, but it also seems a bit in-between, hence that teen analogy.  

My son is 15, soon to be 16, right in the middle, and teenagers can get an unfairly bad image.  Sure he's a bit silly, and can be annoying, but it's a fascinating life phase, pulling it all together as he is now.  He's still a sweet boy.  Maybe he is awkward in some ways that are similar to this tea, still sorting out what he's going to be, and what he is right now.

ZJW #3:  there is a depth to this tea that I've not done justice to describing.  Adding a lot of flavor and feel related adjectives may or may clarify that.  So far I've said that the flavor resembles cured hay, and mild floral range, probably understating a mineral input.  

I clicked through to another blog review cited on the vendor listing (might as well, since I've parted with the standard limited input approach), and that cited "mossy" as a main flavor input.  That works.  I could imagine others interpreting it as tied to forest floor, or even some variation of autumn leaf, but to me mossy works better.  It's not vegetal, but to me moss stands in between the vegetal, earthy, and spice ranges, drawing on mineral input as well.

Nan Nuo:  actual bitterness enters in, along with a varied form of vegetal input, more towards a woody tone.  Feel is much more structured and drier.  That's probably better than it sounds, but I'm still thinking that this has the potential to bridge to an interesting and pleasant aged character relatively quickly, within another 3 or 4 years.  I had said 2 to 3 last round; intensity and structure picked up a little.

I suppose there would be sheng drinkers who have learned to really appreciate medium-aged tea versions, and then they would have their own individual preferences, and either of these could be regarded as very pleasant, right now.  It could be that only one would be judged as such, and the other not, and that different people would land on opposite conclusions, liking a different one better.  

They're fine, to me, but I've adjusted to younger sheng preference, to appreciating high sweetness and floral and fruit flavor level, at the cost of that adjoining more intense bitterness and astringency.  These probably never were quite bitter teas, in the sense standard Lincang or Menghai versions more often are.  That's just a guess, of course, and I'm not the best person for that sort of speculation.

ZJW #4:  I drank a good bit of water to clear my palate after that last round, not noticing that intensity of bitterness and residual sweetness had built up so much.  I took a break then, out checking on the garden.

This reminded me of considering why I like sheng pu'er more than other tea types, in part related to drinking really good Dan Cong recently, a review I'll finish and post here first.  That tea was just as complex in flavor as almost any sheng, more so than these, with great intensity and depth, and quite good refined character.  To some extent overall intensity isn't the same across pretty much all oolongs  though, the way that sheng builds up to be such an intense experience, even beyond the frequent intense flavors and mouthfeel.  

For that sampling experience, and maybe for drinking 50 to 100 grams of a tea, that Dan Cong was just as interesting and pleasant as any kind would be, in relation to my preference, but later on I would crave the other levels of intensity.  That happens with black tea too, but for whatever reason I keep returning to black tea, as a favorite simpler form to experience in between whatever else I get to.

Back to this tea, mineral depth seems all the stronger.  That mossy description fits even better for that.  Still, sweetness and other complexity is fine, it's just subtle, more of the cured hay or mild floral flavor range.  It's odd how one might associate that with having more of an aged character than the other tea, which is two years older.  It definitely shifted to an age-progressed form a little faster, maybe related to being less challenging in character earlier on.

Nan Nuo:  mineral tone is stronger in this too, but in a completely different form.  It's more along the line of rusted metal.  It works better than it sounds, because there is other range adding depth to that primary experience input.  Aftertaste experience is pretty decent for both, but then if someone doesn't love the flavor range while drinking the tea they might not love what carries over either.  

Again I'm guessing that this has good potential as a more aged version, in not so long, within a few more years.  It might be better yet in 5 or 6, more refined, not the most intense or complex form of aged sheng, but in a range that works.  All depending on preference, of course.  

Higher quality, more boutique style oriented teas tend to be more approachable and to land in a much different place than "factory teas" after significant aging.  I just re-tried a CNNP / Zhongcha sheng pu'er version from way back when that's familiar to many, a 2007 CNNP 8891 cake, one Yunnan Sourcing must have sold a shipping container worth of by now, that I first reviewed in April of 2019.  It's finally ready to drink, 17 years after it was made, after spending 5 years in Bangkok and at least most of a dozen in Guangdong, in relatively humid conditions, just not like here.

ZJW #5:  a more distinct floral note emerges; this is interesting.  It's pretty much in the range one might expect, light and sweet, but with some intensity and complexity.  I wonder why that stands out a little more now?  Natural variation in what extracts across rounds, I guess.  But in general that sort of range would be more pronounced earlier, shifting to warmer and deeper scope later on.  Sometimes early astringency or harsher edges can wear off, but that usually happens fast, in the first few rounds, and this wasn't really harsh at all.  

Nan Nuo:  a medicinal spice range tone picks up in this version, starting to shift a little towards aromatic bark spice, or incense spices.  This is more or less what I was guessing this might show in another 2 or 3 years of aging, but I just needed to wait a couple of rounds to get to an early version of it.  It's interesting how that relates to a different mouthfeel and aftertaste range, how this coats your tongue and mouth in an interesting way.  I wonder when the product review was written?  If those notes are from this year I suppose that I just disagree with that interpretation, but if it ties to an earlier and less age-transitioned form it tells a different story, of a tea going through some changes.

Interpreting the aftertaste as including citrus makes more sense now, in reference to that product listing description.  For this changing as much as it has over the last three rounds it might shift a bit more yet.  The other version goes through a more limited and subtle cycle of changes across rounds.  Tied directly to experienced aspects the drier feel range and heavier mineral input in this version (warmer in tone; maybe less different in terms of intensity) there is aspect range and limitations to like or dislike in both, again depending on preference.  

I would expect the Yiwu / Zhang Jia Wan to just keep fading from here, retaining good depth for an extended time, but already being limited in flavor intensity.  This Nan Nuo version should shift in character; to me that edgier dryness of feel and heavier mineral could represent potential.

Conclusions:

These probably have one more shift in character to express, in this infusion sequence, but ten cups of them is a lot.  I discount, or even reject, valuing drug-like feel experience in teas, cha qi, or however one puts that, but to some extent I probably value that too, along with other intensity.  But it can also be too much, and I can never write notes on trying a full cycle of two sheng versions at the same time.

Quality seems good for these teas, and character seems in order for what they are.  Age transition might be a little ahead of normal schedule, related to some teas being stored drier, but in general that's probably a good thing.  They're not rushed for age transition as occurs here in Bangkok, where intense heat and humidity push that pace, probably a little beyond what is optimum.  The story of these teas seems to be about where they'll be in another 2 or 3 years, although it's quite possible that someone might love them at this stage.

Adding a little more about the pros and cons of partly aged teas seems in order.  One part I've stated; someone could prefer tea aspects at that stage, but others would not.  Then it's an alternative to buying fully aged tea versions, which could be problematic related to both available selection and price.  I've tried more older teas that weren't great than that were quite positive, and buying really good versions from a reliable curator vendor would come at a premium cost.  

Gambling on inexpensive medium-level aged versions, not presented as exceptional quality, has also not landed on great results, typically.  That one CNNP 8891 cake was pretty good, when I last tried it, but it probably wouldn't be ready yet if held in dry storage.  I really meant buying inexpensive cakes; that CNNP would be more mid-range.  These teas are of better quality, and a different style range; it's a different kind of case.  I personally don't love aged Yiwu enough to justify the cost of one, but others do, and the Nan Nuo version shows a lot of promise.  If it does age-transition to become exceptional, over however many years that takes, it's value would be significantly higher, and it may not take that many more years.

These are part of a Tea Tracks pu'er sampler set; I guess trying different versions to see what they think would make sense, versus buying one of these based on someone else's impression.  There are black teas in that set, which I think Jan passed on samples of; those should be interesting too.

Tea Mania Da Wu Ye Dan Cong oolong

I'm reviewing a Dan Cong sample passed on by Peter, the owner of Tea Mania, on his visit here not so long ago.  I expected this tea version to be pretty good but it exceeded my expectations.  It's this:

 

Da Wu Ye, 2020,  $28 for 50 grams

Da Wu Ye is a little known Dan Cong oolong from Fenghuang. That’s too bad because Da Wu Ye is one of our favorites. It is characterized by its particularly fruity aroma which is underlaid with a subtle fragrance of flowers. This type of oolong is also called Phoenix Dan Cong and can be infused several times.

Dan Cong Oolong is grown on the slopes of the Pheonix mountains around the city Fenghuang together with other crops and is partly wild. Through this high biodiversity are pest naturaly controlled and the use of pesticides is unnecessary. The Phoenix Mountain range extends between a height of 300 and up to 1500m. The climate with an average temperature of 22°C is considered mild.

Tea production in Chaozhou has a thousand year old tradition and the historical knowledge of the art of tea is passed on from generation to generation. This tea is grown by the family Cha Xiang Si Hai from Fenghuang and thanks to a centuries-old knowledge processed to a superior oolong. The whole family is involved in the harvest and also in the entire tea production. The tea is still traditionally processed like in times of Lu Yu: The leaves are withered and dried in bamboo trays and then roasted over charcoal fire.

Through the high oxidation and the strong roasting is this Dan Cong good storable and particularly interesting for connoisseurs who like to mature vintage teas.

Harvest: Spring 2020

Taste: fruity and flowery-fresh

Oxidation: approx. 50%

Origin: Tianzhukeng in Fenghuang, Chaozhou, China

I don't go into detail on it in the review, indirectly mentioning it, but producers will sometimes age oolong versions with a slightly higher roast level, because that can fade in a more optimum way over time.  Not for 5 or 10 years, nothing like a sheng pu'er transition; the teas settle over a few years.  I think that's one part of why the balance of this version seems pretty close to ideal right now.  

Review:

First infusion:  just wonderful, fruity, intense, smooth, refined, with great depth.  And this is just the first round.  Dan Cong is a special category range to me, and good Dan Cong is almost a different kind of thing than just decent Dan Cong.

Floral range is strong; this has that perfume-like quality that marks out better Dan Cong versions.  It also leans towards the flavor of a very ripe peach.  Astringency input is quite moderate.  That may be due in part to this being four years old, to aging a bit, but then the harsh astringency that people sometimes associate with Dan Cong has more to do with average or below average quality versions.  My guess is that lower elevation, higher production versions are pushed a bit for output, requiring use of more chemical fertilizer input, which doesn't help the overall character.  But I really don't know.

Oxidation level and roast input are so well balanced in this that it's hard to even notice those parts.  It couldn't integrate any better than it does; it also couldn't express more refinement or depth.  It makes you wonder just how good this is, on the scale of all that's out there.  I couldn't say, but I'd guess that it's pretty far up that scale.  Sweetness is perfect, feel is rich, a pleasant fruit and warm floral range hangs around after you drink the tea.  It's complex but it comes across as simple, because it's all so integrated.

#2:  Intensity picks up, even though I brewed this quickly.  It's odd not having negative character aspects to brew around, but flavor intensity itself potentially being higher than optimum, needing to adjust brewing time to limit it related to that.  Floral range is something else this round.  It's complex floral scope; the right person could list a few flower types that go into it.  I would guess that orchids and lavender stand out, but taste-memory of floral tones isn't one of my strengths.

So why don't I drink more Dan Cong?  I don't buy tea that costs over 50 cents a gram, due to budget limitations, and this really should run a good bit higher than that [later edit:  it's right about that; a pretty good deal, for as good as this is].  I can get more moderate quality versions here in my favorite Chinatown shop (Jip Eu) at pretty standard specialty tea pricing, maybe $15 for 100 grams.  

Also sheng pu'er ruins me for oolong experience.  I think it's due to the intensity being dialed up for that type in a different way; flavor hits hard, feel is intense, sweetness and bitterness balance each other, and there might even be a cha qi / body feel theme that I tend to discount, but probably really do appreciate, on some level.  

This Dan Cong experience is probably more amazing because it's been awhile since I've had Dan Cong, probably longer since I've had a really good version of it.  But if I drank this a half dozen times I'd probably crave that other intensity.  It's like anything else, that if a little is good more is better; the rush from intense exercise, food experience going further and further, movie taste turning to more and more intense characters, more developed stories and action.  

It's probably all a bad habit, on some level, always wanting more.  Varying forms of resets could offset developed tolerance, that causes this pattern.  I do keep food experience simple; there's that.  I'm concerned about maintaining my body, so I eat a plain but balanced input of fruits, vegetables, grains, limited meat, dairy, eggs, and some nuts and seeds.  But then even trying to be healthier and healthier could get a little out of control.

Infusion 3:  brewed faster, under 10 seconds this time, even though this must be about 6 or 7 grams, it's also pleasant lighter.  Floral and fruit range is still intense.  That would offset astringency input, if there was more of that.  It's down to rich feel, which works.  Aftertaste still comes out, even brewed light.

It's hard for me to imagine anyone not loving this.  For lots of tea versions I get a bit tripped up explaining how I either do or don't like an aspects set and overall experience, but others may or may not.  I guess if someone acclimated to a limited, heavier, more challenging range maybe they just couldn't relate.  If they mostly drank shou pu'er maybe it would be too light, and too sweet.  Who would mostly drink shou pu'er?  It can be fine as a main preference but not as a main basis for a tea habit.

Again oxidation and roast inputs are so well balanced in this that they're invisible.  Of course it should balance exactly like this.  I wonder how it would've been different 4 years ago?  Maybe it included a touch more edge, and forward intensity stood out, now swapped out for that plus depth?

#4:  I'll brew this a little longer and let note taking go.  The point of these posts is to tell the main story, not all of the story.  It could transition a little but I doubt that's a main theme for this tea version.  For sure the quality level will hold up, and it will be worth it to keep stretching rounds as long as they keep up.

Stronger flavors are drawn out brewing it stronger (approaching 20 seconds).  Not just more intensity, but depth of warm mineral and richer aromatic spice range extract, and feel gains some structure, maybe even a limited edge.  For a sheng drinker not much edge, but it gives it a different form of balance.  

I've spoken in the past about a liqueur-like quality that some better twisted style oolongs express, along the lines of cognac, and this exhibits that.  I see it as a "quality marker."  All the aspects in this are quality markers; it falls into a great balance, with good intensity in all the right spots.  I could write a few poetic sentences on aftertaste experience alone, but it's hard to capture, even using symbolic language.  

As I walk out in the driveway here, filled with walls of plants, and fragrant flowering tropical vines, at certain times of the day, when rain input is right, the scent is so strong that you almost feel it in addition to smelling it.  It's a bit like that.  My mother-in-law, the owner and creator of these gardens, after her earlier family started them generations ago, sees that sweet floral intensity as too strong, as unpleasant for being too much.  I really don't; the plants have their own reasons for expressing themselves with so much intensity, and that's a marvel to me.

you can't see it in this but the plant in the front-center is loaded with chili peppers

In conclusion the tea is great.

It's odd saying it but for about 50 cents a gram this tea is also a great value, or so it seems to me.  You could probably buy plenty of other versions from curator vendors, going on and on about how special, complex, refined, and rare their Dan Cong versions were, and not experience tea this good. Some aspect in it could be dialed up just a little, here or there, but the refinement, complexity, depth, and balance are really something.

To play the devil's advocate, to turn that around and consider possible limitations, no individual aspects are all that unusual in this, and it's not that far off normal Mi Lan Xiang character, so I could imagine someone seeing this as better than average but still ordinary.  In a sense I would even agree.  It's how it all balances that really makes the experience, how every part is really nice, and they combine well together.