This source seems especially interesting to me for breaking new ground, related to what I've experienced.
There are some good tea shops and online sources in Thailand, but in general that's limited. Related to Malaysia, our neighbor to the south, I'm much less familiar. The tea tradition is definitely more developed there, with closer ties to Chinese culture retaining that interest. Malaysia is known for storage conditions, for a place to age sheng pu'er in hot and humid environment. An online friend there, an older Chinese guy, drinks Liu Bao, which seems to be popular. Beyond that there must be lots of local themes and preferences I'm not clear on.
I've talked to people in Malaysia before, and joined at least one online meetup centered on that regional theme. But it never became as clear to me as the tea landscape in places like Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, or even Myanmar.
Of course the potential for developed, high quality sourcing that also relates to low cost sales is interesting. Maybe that's only an unrealistic dream; these teas sell for near Western rates back in China, so the highest quality, highest demand versions aren't traveling somewhere else to be sold for less than in the domestic market. More moderate quality, limited demand, local style teas probably can be bought for relatively little back in China, but I'm probably going to run across some similar themes as in the Western market, that what is known of and demanded everywhere, including in China, is what is being brought out to sell to the Malaysian market. All the same the potential will be interesting, and the results.
Two other factors enter in. One is that I've been drinking mostly sheng pu'er for the last half dozen years or so, so that's most familiar to me. I can still pass on an informed impression of other range, like the Wuyi Yancha I'll try now, but I can probably no longer pin down a difference between a typical 30-40 cent per gram version and a 60-70 cent per gram version (to the extent that framing even makes sense; it kind of doesn't).
Tying in with that sheng pu'er production styles and origin range can be a bit broad, and themes and source areas might narrow back related to high-demand, known Wuyi Yancha types. This idea that there might be some exception to be had out there, in a market like Malaysia's, might work better with sheng pu'er. Or with Liu Bao, but that's complicated by other factors. As with many people I can tell if a Liu Bao is above average in quality or not, and can add a little about style, but again I fall short of being able to break down other levels of factors as I can with sheng. And I'm no sheng expert either, to be clear, I just drink that type of tea more.
These are normal retail range oolongs, selling for the 60 and 70 cents per gram range. In lots of reviews I might overstate how my own budget tends to not extend to that range, as if that's somehow a relevant milestone for teas being costly or not. I was just in a Bangkok Chinatown shop, my favorite one, Jip Eu, and they said that Wuyi Yancha demand stays high and the highest quality, most sought after versions retain a high value and selling cost. This shop does sell relatively inexpensive Rou Gui versions, which should be familiar ground for Wuyi Yancha drinkers. Those can be great, and it's not so unusual for quality range and production volume to make pricing vary for that type range.
I'll add the vendor descriptions after the review notes and get on with this.
Wu Yi Cliff Tea | Shi Ru Xiang RM298.00 ($70 USD, for 8x12 or 96 grams)
Shi Ru Xiang blends milky and fruity notes, with a lingering fragrance in a cooled cup. The tea liquor is rich and smooth, sweet on the palate, and finishes with a gentle mineral hint. Its tightly rolled, glossy leaves are thick and full, reflecting high-quality craftsmanship. With a long history dating back to the Song Dynasty as a tribute tea, it is still honored today — the stone inscription “Shiru Retains Its Fragrance” remains at the entrance of Jiulongke, a testament to its legacy.
In talking to the vendor later this tea type is Qi Dan, or at least that's the name it goes by in Western tea circles. That and Bei Dou are the two main, most original Da Hong Pao related tea types, both genetically related to those original plant versions (7 of them, was it?). It would be crazy to not reference what it is given that pedigree, in "the West," but in different markets naming conventions can vary.
It's also appropriate to mention that Da Hong Pao is often used to represent a style of tea now, not necessarily a single genetic origin type, and most are blends, often medium level roasted. Really higher end single plant type versions tend to be made in lighter styles instead, to let the positive character of the material shine through, not adjusting that through a processing input like roasting.
Tie Luo Han RM248.00 ($59 USD, again for 96 grams)
One of the traditional four precious Wuyi rock teas. It is asexual, shrub-type, medium-leaf, and mid-season species, with a diploid chromosome set. Originally from Huiyuan Rock in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, specifically within the Ghost Cave, also known as Fengke Pit, it grows in a narrow strip along a small stream flanked by steep cliffs. The primary distribution is in the "rocky mountain" areas of Wuyishan.
Tie Luo Han tea has green-brown leaves with a gem-like luster. Its aroma is rich and lasting, and the liquor is clear and bright, presenting a deep orange-yellow color. The taste is smooth, thick, and sweet, with a strong rock rhyme, offering a fresh and sweet aftertaste that lingers.
Review:
Tie Luo Han: I brewed this as 8 grams, the entire sample, and of course for others accustomed to a different approach brewing half instead, 4, would make more sense. 16 grams is too much for a comparison tasting, but it's normal for me to "brew heavy," compensating with fast infusion times.
This is exceptional; that stands out right away. It's a heavier style, roasted more, probably with significant oxidation level input, but to me if it balances well that matches a classic form, better than modern lighter styles. Depending on the material character it can be just great, and it works well for this. Depth stands out, and it includes that aromatic, liqueur (brandy or cognac) related character. Mineral tones are very pronounced.
Beyond that the rich flavor range might be harder to break apart. It could seem to relate to bark spice range, or medicinal herbs. It tips a little towards light roast coffee character, perhaps related to a roast input being common to both. Floral range is definitely included, in a heavy, warm, and sweet scope. That bark spice isn't a close match for Rou Gui's cinnamon character but it's not completely different either.
Shi Ru Xiang: much lighter. This really is creamy; that's an interesting effect, in combination with standard Wuyi Yancha range, the rich mineral base, and warm floral tones. The general quality level of these does match with some pretty high expectations.
Floral range stands out a lot more, without the heavier mineral tone and warmer spice or dark aromatic wood base being so much of the balance in the other (mahogany, teak, or the like, which I guess I didn't get around to writing in those notes). Aftertaste is more pronounced in this version, which occurs in an odd way, so that you get a sense of a very strong aromatic range while you drink it, that carries over as the same kind of note after swallowing. Rich feel integrates with that; all of it seems to connect, in an interesting and pleasant way.
I won't be saying much more about value here, because at some level good tea is either worth more or it's not to someone on that page, but these make for an interesting experience that might justify spending more. There are good relatively direct sources out there, of course with Wuyi Origin my favorite example, since a close friend is an owner of that family business (Cindy!), and it's hard to compete with their value, but styles and types also vary. For someone with a narrow focus on limiting cost, on value in that sense, the pu'er range might fare better, since 60 to 70 cent per gram tea is on the high side across most types range. But these are really good, and distinctive, relating to high demand types; it's all that background that makes spending more potentially make sense.
TLH #2: roast input is even stronger, and cinnamon stands out even more. Or really that last input or aspect is bark spice integrated with aromatic wood tones, or maybe incense spice, but cinnamon is definitely a part of that. That one aromatic range I spoke of, like brandy or cognac, is really pronounced in this. To me that serves as a "quality marker," one interesting and desirable aspect that separates better versions. But then every desirable aspect is also a factor, and every limitation and flaw, so I don't mean to over-emphasize that.
Aftertaste experience is strong in this too, the way that rich, heavy, balanced character carries over. It's also very refined, making the rest balance and work all the better. What about a limitation; what could be different, or better, to turn all this around? Preference for another style would potentially seem most negative, but that's something else. I get it why the lighter styles are common and popular now. Maybe this is really more classic range, as I take it, and maybe that's wrong, but either way it has a different kind of appeal. Along a related line I suppose someone wanting this to be lighter, to express more rich floral range and less heavy mineral, spice, and tropical wood tone would make sense. The floral range is there, but this style emphasizes the rest.
SRX: again it's creamy, floral, balanced, and refined. This is surely the best Wuyi Yancha I've tried since regularly tasting Cindy's teas awhile back, some years ago. It's harder to say if this version is better than the first version. The styles are just quite different.
I hadn't mentioned caramel before, and that input seems to help tie the creamy range together with the mineral and rich floral range. But then caramel is warm, sweet, and creamy, so in a sense it's just a restatement of the rest. I don't notice more to add that I didn't already express.
TLH #3: I drank water between rounds to clear my palate, and it was funny how strong that "rock taste" was while drinking water. Sheng pu'er drinkers are familiar with a related effect, of tasting sweetness when drinking water in between rounds, as the aftereffect slowly clears.
This isn't really transitioning yet, and I don't want to keep repeating the same description. It will probably shift some, after another 3 or 4 rounds, but related to using a lot of tea, flash brewing, and this being so good it won't fade or shift quickly. Integration of the parts and balance stand out, and overall intensity. This is a really novel experience. As a sheng drinker you adjust to "giving up" intensity when drinking other tea types, but for some it's just a different kind of intensity balance.
SRX: this is similar; it's not really different, perhaps maybe only evolving to integrate a little better, with intensity picking up, even though it was already integrated and intense before. It might seem a little warmer in tone; maybe I let it brew slightly longer?
It would kind of make sense to brew half as much dry tea material for these. You don't need to push them to get intensity out of them, and being able to refine results by adjusting timing, instead of just doing fast brews, might give you another input to work with.
It's skipping part of the job but I'll leave off taking notes here. Six cups of these is already a lot, and my attention span is diminished by the neighbors literally tearing down one of their buildings just now, in a house complex we live right beside. I bet that's not going to go quickly; they're a week into it, but it's a large building.
In later rounds the teas held up well, but the heavier roast level input in the Tie Luo Han fell out of the same well-integrated balance toward the end, standing out more. The Shi Ru Xiang stayed consistent, transitioning some, but holding up well to a long infusion count.
Conclusions:
These teas have been fantastic. The quality level is beyond the range of what I can easily critique, and styles are varied, distinctive, and quite pleasant. They've exceeded my expectations. But just how good are they, compared to the rest of what is out there, and how good is the value, since the cost is considerable?
They're good enough that it's hard to say. I think plenty of curator vendors would sell similar quality and style products for more like $1 a gram instead, but that doesn't help narrow it down. The best possible value, most direct sources online might sell equivalent versions for a little less, but not that much less, given how good these are.
It would help if I'd been drinking really good Wuyi Yancha more often for the past half dozen years. I do keep checking in with that range, as vendors pass on samples, or a local shop does. I drink far lower quality versions from time to time, as I buy them for local monks and get a pack for myself.
Maybe more than the quality being at the absolute highest level, which is hard to judge, because there is always room for some incremental improvement--a slightly thicker feel, longer finish, etc.--these stand out more for being two very interesting variations. The Tie Luo Han is made in a more roasted, and probably more oxidized style, which I take to be an older classic variation. It's possible the extra processing was used to cover up a flaw that might be hard to detect now, but probably it was just a style choice, how that producer wanted to make it.
The other version is something I probably have never tried before; it doesn't ring a bell. That's harder to place, but since it was so pleasant that the unfamiliarity seemed to be a good thing.
It might seem like I'm less critical of selling price for these than I typically am, given the 60 to 70 cent per gram range. The quality and distinctiveness was one part of that, and the high-demand general type. My expectations tend to shift depending on origin location as well, to a limited sense in terms of production and where a vendor is located, and Malaysia I can't really place. Tea sold out of the US tends to be expensive, and local options in Thailand often cost a lot less, but then some things you buy here aren't like that. At the higher quality end tea sales are somewhat inconsistent here (in Bangkok, and Thailand in general).
All in all they seemed fine for what people interested in these types and open to this price range would be looking for. It will be interesting trying other teas from them that represent a different kind of value, selling at a lower cost price-point.
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