2023 Bulang sheng pu'er

 

In this I'm reviewing a 2023 Bulang sheng pu'er from Oriental Leaf.  This is a fairly unusual form of review, related to tasting this tea twice to get to a workable final set of notes.  I used my normal high proportion for brewing the tea the first time, around 8 grams for a 100 ml gaiwan, and it was too much, and it was hard to dial down intensity, even with use of flash infusions.  

It's odd being a sheng drinker and having intensity be too strong.  I could've just edited that out, but it works to describe problems with a tasting process, and how things go when you get them wrong.

This tea was provided by them for review; many thanks for that.

I'll cite their product description and get on with it:

2023 Bulang Buds First Flush Raw Puerh Cake ($90 for a 357 gram cake)

Spring Buds from Bulang Mountain | Dry-Stored

Sourced from the first picking of 2023 on Bulang Mountain and pressed into only 95 cakes, this silver-tipped raw Puerh delivers the rare combination of Bulang's bold character and early spring's natural sweetness — clean, bright, and built to age.

Bulang Mountain's first flush of 2023, pressed into 95 stone-mold cakes — this is what raw Puerh looks like when the material, the terroir, and the storage are all handled without compromise.

Finding the right Bulang material takes time. Bulang Mountain (布朗山, Bù Lǎng Shān) in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, is one of Yunnan's most storied raw Puerh origins. It has a reputation for producing tea with a powerful, almost aggressive character — thick bitterness (苦 (Kǔ)) that hits immediately, a bold astringency (涩 (Sè)) that grips the sides of the tongue, and a 回甘 (Huí Gān, lingering sweetness) that comes back stronger than almost any other mountain. That is the Bulang identity: force, then reward.

But this material is different. We spent a long time looking before we found it...

It keeps going from there; it's interesting checking their flavor notes: 

Primary: Fresh floral (orchid, white blossom), light grass, raw green walnut

Secondary: Sweet cream, fresh-squeezed green grape, a whisper of pine resin

Underlying structure: Light mineral, faint peppery warmth, clean vegetal bitterness that resolves quickly

As it ages: Expect the floral notes to evolve toward dried apricot, wildflower honey, and eventually light sandalwood and dry cedar — the classic dry-storage aging arc for high-grade Sheng Puerh...

I'll add more about how my impression matches this in the notes and at the end, but the "powerful" part expressed earlier on pretty much captures it.

first tasting, with too much tea in the gaiwan

Review, first tasting attempt:

the color shouldn't look anything like this; it's brewed way too strong

First infusion:  I screwed this up, leaving it sit for too long looking at something online.  The review will have to start with a too-strong infusion.  The earliest transition isn't usually much of a story anyway, but it's still unfortunate.

That's so, so strong.  There won't be much to say about it, beyond trying to see if this can say something about the much lighter character to come.  Intensity seems fine for this tea; brewed too long it's overly powerful.  

Maxing out proportion, my typical approach, probably isn't suitable for this tea.  I might write another set of notes later on using very little, more like 4 grams instead of 8.

Second infusion:  that's more like it, but still more intense and more bitter than I'm currently acclimated to.  All of that South East Asian sheng has been distinctive, flavorful, and approachable, while this is more about bitterness and intensity.  

Flavors are warmer in tone that I would expect for a 2023 sheng version.  But then if teas are stored in relatively more humid places that's pretty normal.  I recently drank some of the Thai sheng from Aphiwat, that local Chiang Mai area individual producer, and it was pretty far along for transition for being about the same age (although I forget the year version; it might've even been 2024, instead of 2023).  

I suppose floral range does emerge beyond the bitterness.  There's definitely a lot of mineral depth to this, and it's clean.  This tea could stand up to 20 years stored here in Bangkok, for sure.  But how is it now, as a more bitter and intense younger tea experience?  I'll check again next round.

Third infusion:  color indicates the intensity just isn't going drop off, even brewed fast, a flash infusion.  The flavor is strong.  It's more of a conditioning exercise, experienced like this.  It's definitely lifting the haze of feeling groggy from overdoing it at work and outside of work; after another cup or two I'll probably feel normal.  But the review will have to wait, until I try it again at a lower proportion, which I won't do today, for having drank so much tea already.  

Second review, a lot lower proportion:

First infusion:  I've again let this go for longer than I usually would, for over half a minute, again looking at something online.  I'll get this straightened out.  I added a flash infusion to it to get it back to drinkable range, and the next round will be more normal.

Flavor is good.  It's a little strong, but it balances ok, and it's still in a positive range.  Mineral base stands out quite a bit, and considerable bitterness.  I suppose floral tone fills in the rest.  As with trying it yesterday it's more age transitioned than one might expect for being 3 years old.  A tea can be darker and warmer in tone if it's a little oxidized instead, and I'd be one of the best qualified tea drinkers to make that distinction, since I drink plenty of unconventionally prepared sheng from South East Asia.  It's not oxidized; somehow this has changed a good bit in 3 years, even being "dry stored."

The mineral tone is so strong that it has its own character.  It leans a little towards coming across as smoky, but that's not it.  I suppose it's like when you drink artesian well tea, that includes a lot of mineral content, but stronger.  That actually links to one of my favorite memories from childhood, drinking from a naturally flowing well at one grandparents' house.  That water was sweet, rich, complex, and delicious.  This is a little like that.

Second infusion:  a little on the light side; that's interesting to experience, after trying it in a really strong range at first.  It had faded to a pleasant and drinkable range after a 4 or 5 infusions yesterday, but I had left off taking notes by then.

Sheng can tend to "loosen up" over the first 2 or 3 infusions, and this is in that process.  Sweetness, astringency, are bitterness are all in a decent range, but it will evolve to balance better soon.  I'll save a flavor list breakdown for next round.

Third infusion:  bitterness still stands out as a main flavor aspect, along with mineral.  It's possible to see mineral and bitterness as a taste, distinct from aromatic component conveyed flavors, which people might call aroma or flavor (a general term); people use the terms in different ways.  But in our experience the final experience form from the two inputs tends to come across as unified.  

There's still a mineral flavor input that leans towards smoke.  It's hard to separate out a vaguely floral range in the rest.  It has good flavor complexity, but it all runs together.  Blended material is often like that, a mix from different inputs, or I suppose a more narrow origin version, picked from the same garden, for example, could naturally be like that.  

The main positive or negative aspect range of this is intensity, even brewed fast, at a low proportion.  Bitterness and mineral really stand out, with some matching sweetness, enough to make it work.  For people who really value that intensity this would probably be good, and for others who can't relate not so good, until this ages more.  I've spent a long time acclimating to different sheng range, and I'm fine with it, but I do love fruity and milder sheng range best, to the extent that I'm open to versions that are so oxidized that they start to move outside of the type category.

Fourth infusion:  this is changing, with the astringency / feel structure and bitterness dropping off, so that other flavor range can stand forward more.  It's just starting though; it will probably be a more complete change next round.

It's interesting trying sheng again that seems to have pretty open aging potential.  

Fifth infusion:  apparent sweetness level might bump just a little, but I think that's probably from other range fading, letting what had been there emerge better.  I'm still not succeeding with a flavor list, beyond saying mineral stands out a lot, and the rest seems mostly floral, but not intensely so.  I'll let this brew a little longer, at 15 seconds or so this round, to see what that changes.

Sixth infusion:  intensity picks up, but it's not as if a list of other flavor now stands out.  Feel gets richer, and aftertaste experience increases.  The defining character range of this tea is intensity.  If someone feels like they can't get a sheng that hits hard enough, even for trying some pretty intense range, this one would cover that.  Someone on that page would probably be good with mineral range standing out quite a bit, and floral range being a main component.  It's not really a sweet tea though.  

If you drink it quite strong the bitterness evolves to sweetness after you swallow it, the hui gan effect, but the sweetness level is only enough to give it decent balance while drinking it.

Seventh infusion:  another strength of this tea is durability; it's really only coming into its own for balanced character now, and it's surely far from fading, judging from an infusion cycle yesterday.

The flavor range reminds me of a funny critique someone once made that all young sheng tastes like kerosene to them.  That's probably more related to teas like Xiaguan tuos, or Dayi's Jia Ji tuocha versions, but interpreted in a different way it could apply more broadly.  This definitely doesn't taste like kerosene, but for someone not on the page of loving intensity and pronounced bitterness and mineral range it wouldn't be good.  This takes some of that conventional sheng pu'er character pretty far in that direction.  

Chopped or broken material tea tends to be even more challenging, and Xiaguan material often has its own intense and unique character, both in terms of flavor and feel.  This isn't like that.  For a lot of tea types high bud content can lead to a more subtle output, especially if the material is all buds.  Not always; something like Jin Jun Mei black tea can be pretty intense.  But Silver Needle variations, white teas, are often at the other end of the spectrum for intensity, on the mild side.  The fine leaf material in this might make it quite strong, more so than the high buds content.  And it's surely processed in a traditional sheng form, not oxidized or kill-greened more than is typical to pull that style a little towards oolong or green tea range.

Eighth infusion:  this is as pleasant as this has been; it evolves well later into the brewing cycle.  Rich feel is the nicest it has been as well.  A lot of teas, even some sheng, would be fading some at this stage, but this is just hitting its stride.  To me one part of the flavor starts to evolve towards citrus, actual orange or tangerine, but mineral still stands out, and a vague floral designation could still apply.  It's not really a bright or sweet flavor forward tea though; bitterness stands out a good bit earlier on, and heavy mineral tone defines it more.  People could interpret this as resembling root spice, or some type of medicinal herb, but that would integrate with those parts.  

Three years old is probably pretty young for this tea.  It's probably going to get better and go through different phases over the next 4 or 5 years, and then perhaps it would make more sense again later, after a 20 or so year aging transition cycle, maybe best after 25 years.  Bright, fresh, sweet, very floral or fruity sheng tend to lose that appeal after 4 or 5 years, unless stored in such a way that it preserves them and prevents change, in cool and dry conditions.  This will probably keep changing instead of just fading.

Conclusions:

One part of what I consider after the direct experience, the tasting, is how value works out for the tea.  This is pretty good for a cake selling for under $100.  It can be hard to identify a final, objective, clearly determined quality level.  Preference issues mix in, related to how much one likes different styles and types.  Different strengths and limitations factor in, and concerns related to trueness to type.

Intensity was great; the main point stressed in the product description.  Bitterness level was fine, but also on the high side.  For whatever reasons hui gan, a transition of bitterness to sweetness after swallowing the tea, doesn't map directly to that level of bitterness, I suppose as much to the form of it.  It was only a moderate part of the experience, to me.  That mineral base flavor really carried over as a main thing you experience in aftertaste.  It was mostly positive in form, and pleasant, so that worked.

The flavor range could have been more distinctive, if the floral tones had stood out a bit more, or had taken on a more distinct form.  That kind of thing tends to tie back to material input and narrow origin area.  I don't think this was a blend of different inputs, which is one part that can limit that; my guess is that the material was just like that.  The other aspect character was too intense and distinctive, the intensity, bitterness, and mineral input, for a lot of blending to have evened out character.

It's odd that this could pass for a 4 or 5 year old tea, dry stored, or maybe even 8 or 9, since it was presented as dry stored.  They mentioned that it was stored in Xi'an, Shaanxi; I just looked up what the climate is like there:

In Xi’an, the summers are muggy, hot, wet, and partly cloudy and the winters are very cold, mostly clear, and dry. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 25°F to 89°F and is rarely below 17°F or above 98°F.

So it might have been cool and dry half the time, and warm and humid some of the rest (but 89 F is kind of cool, compared to here in Bangkok).  

For most Western tea enthusiasts dry storage is considered to be a negative factor, but to me it just depends.  If a tea is approachable, with distinct fresh flavors, then moving away from that quickly through transition caused by humid storage input is negative.  If a tea is initially a bit challenging, with unusually high intensity, bitterness, or astringency then that same degree of transition works out well, and it's as well to get on with it.  

The next question, that's harder to settle, is if different forms of transition adjust the different aspect range in different ways, at a different pace for different parts of the change (for flavor versus feel, to look at it from a high level, or related to finer level changes).  People would have different opinions about that.  Bangkok storage seems to warm flavor tones, beyond increasing transition pace; I can leave it at that.  One typical concern over evolved flavors being too heavy, murky, or musty can relate to intentionally humid controlled conditions.  Malaysian storage is often on the humid side, or that can come up in Hong Kong, but it just depends on the specific location and how conditions are controlled, or if they're not.

I've mentioned in this that I like approachable sheng the most:  flavorful, sweet, fruity, less bitter and astringent versions.  At the same time I really do like Xiaguan teas, even though those often tend to be better after 20 years of relatively humid storage.  I've been drinking a Xiaguan tea ball that's an exception, and for whatever mix of reasons it's interesting and pleasant at less than a decade old (this one, a 2018 Reunion Xiaguan 500 gram Da Xue Shan tea ball).  Maybe the origin area factors in:

...made from early spring big-leaf tea trees from Daxueshan, Mengku, Lincang in Yunnan Province.

That brings up that some people might be looking for a narrower origin designation than Bulang, for this tea.

All in all it was pleasant and interesting.  It's a great tea to own a bit of, versus just trying a sample, because there is a lot of potential for positive changes to follow, over a long period of time, or it could be good in different ways at intermediate stages.

Bangkok looking a little like Seoul, on a recent outing

out walking in some intense heat with Kalani

home life relates a lot to cats

the last temple outing

2022 Bangwai and 2021 Bulang gushu sheng pu'er

 

I'm reviewing two more of what should be fantastic gushu sheng pu'er from Tea Mania.  Again these are mini-discs, not the ideal form for brewing, but it works, and with practice it works well.

I've been trying Bulang versions some lately, but of course that range could vary.  I might seem to imply understating origin as an input to flavor and other character, even though I claim that the two connect, and that there are regional consistencies, probably more pronounced the more local the area is under consideration.  It's just that I don't memorize a matrix of past impressions, and derived general expectations.  For the Bangwai even that wouldn't apply; I may or may not have ever tried a version from there, and don't know where that is within a broader region.  I'm fine with only passing on an impression, as a primary review practice, but it seems a bit like sloppy work.  

Of course I'll compare this a little to Bulang versions I've tried in the past month, but even then not much.

Bangwai Gushu 2022  ($117 USD for 200 grams; equivalent to a $209 357 gram cake)

The Bangwai Gushu is celebrated for its meticulous, traditional handmade processing and the selective use of the finest tea leaves. This dedication to quality is evident in every sip, making it a treasured choice among collectors. Due to the limited availability, Pu-erh teas from the Bangwai region are released in small quantities each year, adding to their exclusivity and allure.

Ideal for long-term aging, thi tea is a tea connoisseur’s delight, known to develop richer and more complex aromas over time. Its robust character and evolving taste profile make it a remarkable choice for those who appreciate the depth and intricacy of Pu-erh teas.

Harvest: Spring 2022...

Aroma: Spicy, much Cha Qi and sweet finish

Terroir: Bangwai, Lancang prefecture, Yunnan province, China...

Tip: This Bangwai tea is ideal to mature a few years

Bulang Gushu 2021 Balanced  (the same price as the other cake, 95 CHF, $117 for 200 grams)

Harvest date: Spring 2021

Pressed: 2021

Typ: Sheng

Taste: Strong, intense and deep

Terroir: Bulang Mountain, Xishuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan province, China

There is a bitter version and "balanced" version listed, and I'm guessing that this was balanced, since it's really not all that bitter.  I guess it's possible that 4 years of aging transition changed it a lot, and it could have been, and it might be the other one, but probably not.

[later editing note: per discussion with Peter, the owner, it was probably the bitter version, which did emerge more in the late rounds (that flavor aspect).  But it was probably a good bit more bitter when new.]

There isn't much more description of the tea there, just some related background (only sampled):

This exquisite Bulang Gushu is a product of the collaborative craftsmanship of teamaster Panda and Yang Ming, crafted exclusively for us with a keen understanding of our fondness for Bulang teas. Reminiscent of the legendary 2015 Bulang Gushu, which we still fondly remember and has long been sold out, this tea promises a similar allure.

Echoing the legacy of both the 2015 Bulang and the esteemed 5-Village Blend, this Bulang Gushu shares a unique connection – it is sourced from the tea fields of a former school friend of Yang Ming.

These teas are really good, and they may well be very type-typical for this origin and general style.  It doesn't work very well for a vendor to add lots of flavor list, because in the 4 years this aged that probably changed some.  Interpretations vary so much that I'm sympathetic to vendors skipping adding much initially, even as an early snapshot.  They need to say something, but the flavor-list approach is problematic.

Review:

2022 Bangwai:  I let these infuse for about a minute, to start opening up.  Unless you really pry the tea apart it will brew somewhat unevenly, with the outside starting early, and being relatively far along the transition cycle by the time the center is even wetted.  I can accept that; it doesn't throw off results much, it just changes them a little.

Feel has nice creaminess, even though this is still too light to clearly identify a lot of flavor.  It's in a floral general range.  It's bright and clean, probably with decent complexity, and pleasant sweetness.  The effect seems quite fresh; 3 years isn't that long, in moderately dry and cool storage.  More description to follow next round.

2021 Bulang:  a warmer tone is included in this.  It also expresses quite a bit of feel, for being so light, but it's different.  The other was light in tone and creamy, and this contains some structure already, a vague hint of dryness.  There's a really catchy flavor that I can't make out yet, and good overall balance.  These aren't the kind of teas where you throw out half of the early infusion that you don't make out as clearly; they're already quite good.

At the risk of brewing them a bit strong I'll give them another minute to infuse, and while they won't be completely wetted yet by the third round they'll be brewing more normally.  Two full minutes of infusion time is a lot, for that outer layer, but to me it's not as if the time the tea spends wet (under water) is the only brewing it does; it seems to continue to extract into the moisture in the leaf between those cycles anyway.

2022 Bangwai #2:  the Bulang version opened up a lot more.  It's interesting that the topic of how hard pressed a tea coin is never occurred to me before.  And I suppose I expect dragonball shapes to be really tightly pressed too, in a relatively uniform way.  Of course that could vary.

Warmer mineral depth comes out more than I expected.  Bright, fresh, sweet, floral tones are present, but the overall character is layered, and not light and bright in tone, more medium.  It integrates well.  It's still a bit creamy, but those warm tones and slightly more structured feel change overall character.  Beyond the vague floral description, and mineral, there is a substantial richness to the flavor, matching the feel, I guess along the line of macadamia nut.  It's really clean and complex, well-integrated, so an impression of quality comes across.

2021 Bulang:  this is a little strong (where the other hadn't been yet).  Dryness stands out more, and a very different warm mineral layer.  In this it resembles cedar, or maybe an incense spice.  That catchy aspect may have been a fruitiness, that's hard to identify, along with the cedar or spice tone.

2022 Bangwai #3:  light; I dropped back time a lot, maybe too much for this version, at this level of leaf separation.  I'll pull it apart for the next round.

Flavor is still bright, clean, and somewhat complex, even though it's subtle.

2021 Bulang:  this balances really well, brewed to a proper infusion strength.  That catchy aspect is some sort of fruit, along with a spice tone.  I should be able to describe that fruit tone better than I can.  Maybe it includes floral range, a mix, that is integrated, making it harder to separate.

2022 Bangwai #4:  this is an unusual experience, how it comes across as quite complex and also quite subtle (lacking intensity, I guess, put another way).  The rich flavor might be in the range of butter cookie instead of macadamia nut, or between the two.  Bright floral range is quite limited, but it still seems to be an input.  There is a mineral layer, it's just light, both in the sense of being light in tone and also not strong.  Somehow it comes across as fresh, and refined.

Bitterness is quite limited; as a sheng drinker, who is often appreciating even younger versions, I don't really notice it.  Maybe to someone more into oolong that would actually stand out some.

2021 Bulang:  stronger, for sure.  Bitterness is much more pronounced, and warm mineral, some degree of floral, and range I'm interpreting as both spice (or aromatic wood, cedar or redwood, maybe sandalwood) and some limited dried fruit all give it great complexity, and intensity.  There's a lot going on.  For sure the bitterness was a good bit stronger 4 years ago, and tones brighter.  This has mellowed into a very pleasant and drinkable character.  

It's interesting considering how this compares to a Legend of Tea Malaysia stored 2021 Bulang, reviewed here, three weeks ago.  It has been a long three weeks; that feels like over a month.  The write-up sounds pretty similar; the same basic flavor profile is expressed.  This is probably cleaner and more refined, and slightly lighter in tone.  I'm not sure it works to guess that it's better, but in a limited sense that's probably true, at a minimum related to preference for one type of character, and maybe to some extent in general.  This definitely lacks rough edges.  That tea had a sappy, perfume-like feel and associated flavor range; this sort of does, but probably not to that degree.  That tea was really good, exceptional for the price-point, and the quality of this is probably even better.  Or maybe it's that it is made in a more drinkable style, which is a different thing.

Put another way, expressed in more detail, that probably started out as more intense, with rougher edges, more bitterness and astringency, and had transitioned more by the time I tried it, perhaps arriving at a slightly warmer tone range.  For people more accustomed to factory tea that context and style could be better.  This might ring a bell more with people more on the page of boutique-style, drinkable when young tea versions, that are clean, sweet, and balanced, but not challenging, I suppose "giving up structure and intensity," if someone sees it that way.

2022 Bangwai #5:  this integrates all the better this round, with warmer spice tone entering in, resembling one part of the other tea.  Complexity and intensity really ramped up.  Maybe because I finally got timing right, and it's all wetted and brewing now?  It's not as if this has been challenging to brew, since results were really positive before, I'm just getting variation out of it.

Bitterness doesn't really stand out much, as sheng experience goes, but a little more of it balances nicely.  At least I can notice it.  The butter cookie / macadamia expression is nice, and light floral range, that I'm not really covering as much.

2021 Bulang:  perfume-like nature and sappiness ramp up; interesting.  Maybe because I'm looking for that?  But in that earlier review--of a different 2021 Bulang sheng--it ramped up across a number of infusions, as just occurred.  Dryness picks up a little too, but this is far from dry.  "Sappy" works.

Even though I'm in between the kids being here and the next travel step (I'll go back to Honolulu the day after tomorrow) I'm still busy, with a list of a few things to do to get ready, so again I'll cut this short.  One more round will work for catching final thoughts, or whatever I've missed.  Of course these teas are going strong, and will brew at least as many more rounds later, and of course I'll miss a couple of minor aspect transitions.

2022 Bangwai #6:  full, creamy, complex, and well-balanced, with flavors not so different than last round.  This flavor set, and other aspects, works really well for my preference.  Sometimes I'm describing a flavor range that could be fine, or even exceptional, but it just doesn't click with me as well as this does (like root-spice range sometimes doesn't).  This could even be interpreted as heavy on root spice, but it would be a light ginseng sassafras fullness, not a heavier bark spice oriented range, something more medicinal.

2021 Bulang:  brewed fast this round this is exceptional.  Intensity and complexity is great in both, and again this flavor and other aspect set seems very appealing to me.  Clean, balanced, and refined character is great.

So which is better, either in terms of general quality or a match to my preference?  Both are pleasant in novel ways.  The Bulang isn't challenging, at all, but it's more intense, and heavier in flavor range, with more bitterness offsetting that flavor set.  It's far from straight floral tones; the spice or aromatic wood tone might be even stronger, at this stage.  It all makes perfect sense together, to me.  These are in a great place for aging transition to integrate well just now.

It's all as I expected.  Really high expectations can be a challenge for a tea to be reviewed against, because any minor flaw or less favorable balance would stand out all the more.  Then when a tea is great it's just meeting those expectations; there is no exceeding them.  Even a novel flavor input or atypically positive feel aspect can only seem normal, if you go into it expecting a tea to be great.

There's a lot going on with these, so that I've cut short feel and aftertaste range descriptions.  There's some background noise as well; my wife is talking to our kids online about first week of school preparations (they just ended it, but hanging details remain, needing an extra binder or highlighter, and getting jet-lag sorted out).  I might've even added a couple more flavor aspect descriptions without that distraction.  This will do; the teas were great, as described.

Further conclusions:

Describing these as "really good" seems a bit limited.  They are, and the aspects seemed like what I've listed, but the clean nature, complexity, depth, and refinement are hard to pin down in a description.  This pricing may be more than I'd end up spending even if I had a loose budget, instead of very little of one to work with, but I get it why people open to that would drink teas like these.

It's hard to guess about longer term aging potential.  For as good as these are now I'd drink them right now, or within a year or so.  For someone with a wide open budget buying one to drink and one to age might be a good strategy.  That only goes so far, for these being sold as 200 gram cakes.  You could drink through one fast, if you weren't rationing it.  Which could work out; it's good tea.

I'm traveling now, for a month, and already miss them terribly

not exactly bonding, but at least Myra is adjusting to them being around

2011 Bulang and 2012 Mengsong Malaysia stored sheng pu'ers

 

I'm reviewing two older sheng pu'er versions, again from the Legend of Tea vendor in Malaysia (sent by them for review; many thanks!).  This should be interesting for balancing out a set of different aged versions from them and from Tea Mania, a Swiss vendor I've also been reviewing teas from.  

I'll cover their listing description, then the review, which I essentially always write before reading any description.

2011 Xiao Ba Wang Raw Puerh Tea  (Bu Lang origin, $77.70 for 200 grams, equivalent to $139 for a 357 gram cake)

The raw material selected by XiaoBaWang in 2009 is from BuLang Mountain, which is one of the six ancient tea mountains in China, and it is also one of the most famous Puer tea production areas. BuLang Mountain is located in South Asia, with a tropical monsoon climate, full of sunshine, abundant rainfall. These natural conditions contribute BuLang Mountain Tea as a legend in Puer tea.

Tea liquor tastes high sweetness, after 9 years of storage in the pure dry warehouse, it becomes thick and smooth, not astringent, not dry, and docile.

A little to unpack there:  that may well be tea that's two years older than the pressing date (which isn't so unusual), with the 9 years time-frame just relating to when the page listing was updated (in 2020, it would seem).  The "dry warehouse" part relates to natural storage, per discussion with the vendor; conditions weren't maintained at a consistently high humidity level.

2012 Xiao Ba Wang Raw Puerh Tea  ($72.96 for 200 grams, equivalent to $130 for standard 357 cake)

XiaoBaWang 2012 chose to use spring tea leaves from MengSong Mountain, MengHai County. MengSong is one of the oldest ancient tea plant in MengHai, the history of MengSong Mountain minority tea planting is as long as that of NanNuo Mountain minority tea planting.

The tea leaves are tightly knotted, bitterness melts in the mouth, leaving a lingering aroma. The palate is rich and thick, with a sweet aroma of honey fruit.

That seems clear enough.

Review:

2011 Bulang:  it's pretty subtle at this point, warm tones and not much more.  It will open up a bit and strengthen, it's just a matter of how much.  I actually used a rinse this time too.  I'll push it the next round and add more description.

2012 Meng Song:  also subtle, also warm in tone, but a bit different.  Both of these express a slight mustiness, like old book or stored boxes smell, which I don't see as necessarily too negative.  That kind of thing can transition away within a round or two, as harsher astringency sometimes does in younger sheng.

2011 Bulang #2:  perhaps brewed a bit too long, from the color, but that will move things along.  This is definitely well-aged sheng, towards the end of that process.  Breaking that down to a flavor list is never so easy.  People end up mentioning descriptions like camphor, medicinal herb, ju-jube (Chinese date), and old books, which are all reasonable and valid enough, but those can lend themselves to seeming a bit vague.  Medicinal herb could be a lot of things, and "old books" is sort of an underlying context or impression.  

This tastes a little like old books, or old furniture.  I suppose there's a sort of old tropical hardwood flavor going along with that.  Feel is interesting, with some fullness, and then also dryness.  I can't really place fruit or spice, and that list doesn't seem long enough yet, to describe what I'm experiencing.

2012 Meng Song:  there's a good bit more root spice to this, or something along that line.  It could be a bark spice.  Old books might also work.  It comes across as more intense; the other is still a bit subtle at this point.  Again feel has some structure and also some dryness.  Ju-jube might actually fit for this one; kind of funny it works out like that.

2011 Bulang #3:  it's funny how much intensity and complexity comes across in this, with it still hard to describe as tasting like much.  It has a lot of depth.  Warm mineral tones stand out, and that aged books sort of theme, more pronounced than it usually is, more of a main flavor component, versus a supporting aspect.  I've tried varying versions of aged teas that seem to just fade, and a warm depth remains, but not much else, and this isn't like that.  It doesn't work to say this is subtle, but in one sense that's true.  A faint woodiness is also present, like the deep washed-out scent of driftwood.  It's probably better than it sounds, related to how much I like it.

2012 Meng Song:  this is more intense, more conventional.  Old books flavor is also present in this, or maybe it's old furniture.  Again the rest is a bit like a spice-tone, maybe a root, possibly bark.  Interpretation as dried fruit could work, again with Chinese date working as well as any other.

Both are fairly clean at this point; that initial mustiness did drop out.  Mouthfeel is unusual for both, or maybe not that unusual related to how well-aged sheng go.  It's full in a different sense, even a little dry, with strong mineral tones seeming to match with that experience, with both carrying over.  It's interesting that mouthfeel can carry over, as is common with aftertaste.  These are definitely truly aged sheng versions, pretty far along for this being only 13 years old.

I used the broken parts of the sample for this Meng Song version; that probably affected the feel, bringing out even more dryness, which may soften over a couple of more rounds.

2011 Bulang #4:  it improves, but it's still subtle.  A warm sweetness picks up.  For people on this page this experience could be lovely, but for many others they just wouldn't get it.  I'm in the middle.  

It's complex enough that someone with the right background or imagination could list out a very long flavor and feel aspect list, and then for most it wouldn't come across as expressing much that's distinct at all.  Aged sheng can be like this.  

On the positive side this may well be a humid-stored sheng version that's now 16 years old, not 14, and for some trying a relatively fully aged version might be really novel.  It might mellow and deepen a little but it's pretty much there.

2012 Meng Song:  perhaps easier to relate to for stronger flavors emerging, and more distinct individual flavor range, rather than mostly depth and mineral, with aged books or furniture range.  It might taste a little greener at this stage (in the infusion count, related to transitions over this brewing cycle).  It's warm, and well-aged, with almost all the vegetal range switched over to warmer flavors (aged wood, spice, etc.), but the process isn't absolutely complete, it can still probably change more.  13 years is a long time in warm and humid storage conditions, but it's still not the same as 20 to 25.

Both of these express so much warm mineral depth.  It's one thing to say that, but hard to convey what that is like.

2011 Bulang #5:  it shifts a bit into spice range, maybe a subtle root spice, along the line of ginseng, or maybe some medicinal herb type I'm not familiar with.  It's funny how it lacks more up-front or forward flavors but the depth adds up to an experience of complexity, and even intensity.  It's also clean, and heavy on mineral base tones.  It's interesting.

2012 Meng Song:  this shifts, but it's within the same dried fruit / bark spice range.  It's really coming into its own at this stage, the best it has been.  Dryness fades, and fullness and richness pick up.  Trying them one after the other I do like this better, especially at this point, but the other has been improving as well, smoothing out and picking up more depth and complexity.

2011 Bulang #6:  a reference to something like a macadamia nut might help place what I've been trying to express, a nut type that is rich and complex, heavy with creamy flavor, but that doesn't taste like much, at least that's easy to pin down.  It tastes like a macadamia nut; that's it.  Some of that richness and fullness is present in this.  It might be closer to a Brazil nut, I think.  There's a warm mineral edge that's common across different kinds of tea, that's also hard to place.  Like driftwood?  Or subtle spice?  The aged books reference doesn't work as well since the flavor is so clean at this stage, but it might still cover a part of it.

2012 Meng Song:  that mix of flavors I've been describing doesn't seem like an ideal description, but it's probably as close as I'm going to get.  It shifts just a little each round, but the same set just comes across differently, shifting the balance of each input.  Warm mineral undertone is still a main part of the experience of both, and feel is unique for both.

Skipping reviewing late rounds isn't because there wouldn't be more to tell.  This covers most of the story, and it's too much for me to get through.

Conclusions:

It probably didn't help that I do those tastings on weekend mornings, and rush to get to errands.  Today it's a doctor's visit; yesterday it was something else.  For teas like these it's better to take your time, to drink them over an hour or more, letting the experience settle in.

They seemed good.  That would relate to preference, as for any tea type or version, and aged sheng is an unusual range.  It can be complex but subtle.  Maybe only the older Bulang version really seemed subtle, and even for that version that description isn't the best fit.

This reminds me of trying an aged sheng version (from Thailand) with a local contact, who was well-known in tea discussion circles back then, on Tea Chat.  He commented that it seemed about right, in the right range, and was pleasant, but it didn't work as well to describe what that range was, or why it was positive.  That might've been 8 or 9 years ago, and that tea was probably around this age then, or maybe slightly newer.  I'm not really capturing why these work out well here either.  Maybe if I'd added camphor as a description that would clarify everything.

Aged Xiaguan and other factory teas are completely different.  They wouldn't typically be this approachable at "only" 13 and 14 years old (or 16; the other may have been pressed from material that wasn't new), even stored in a humid and warm place.  Intensity would be dialed way up, probably with some aspects seeming like rough edges.

So just how good are these, and do they seem to represent a good version of "boutique" style-range teas?  I suppose that second distinction might be a bit broad to evaluate.  Styles and forms would vary too much.  To me they seem quite pleasant, like good examples of these kinds of styles, and it reduces down more to whether or not someone likes this type range of tea, transitioned through this form of storage input.  Maybe I do like the trade-off of rough edges and heavier barnyard flavors for older Xiaguan better, but that wouldn't work as well this young, no matter the storage conditions.  For this age these styles seem pretty suitable; they work well fermentation transitioned this much.

To make all that more specific I suppose it depends on whether someone likes the complex, layered, but somewhat subtle character of the Bulang, or the spice-range intensive distinctive flavor of the Mengsong version.  Again to me they're fine, they're good.  I suppose I liked where that younger Bulang was better (from 2021), how somewhat transitioned but still young floral range stood out.

Of course I can't extend all of this to any guesses about what these were like when brand new, or 4 years into aging.  It would be nice if I could, or if anyone else could.  With enough exposure some transition patterns would have to stand out, but it may not work well to guess what flavors had dropped out.

It's even difficult to specify how these relate to my own preference.  They're good, and I would like drinking each if I owned them, but nothing really stands out as something I couldn't do without.  It's nice how the Bulang expresses so much complexity and depth, even if forward flavor notes are limited.  The extra flavor intensity of the Mengsong version is nice, but that kind of root spice range isn't really a personal favorite.

Related to value it's an unusual opportunity to buy cakes of this quality and aged character for this general pricing range ($130-some, or both were really $70-some for 200 gram versions).  That's fairly standard range pricing for young sheng, at this point.  These are obviously a boutique style tea material and style.  That's not a great thing, if a tea ends up fading away, or aging results aren't positive, but these are good quality.  Maybe earlier on a quality marker could've identified the Tea Mania versions I just reviewed as slightly better, a little more complexity or depth, but at this stage, since they lack much for flaws, it's more about match to preference, instead of quality level being a limitation.  

I was hoping that more of a connection with the Tea Mania 2017 and 2018 versions would turn up (from Bulang and Hekai), but those are at the opposite side of the aging range, and I can't guess about what will lead to what to that extent.

visiting One Bangkok, a new mall

it's a good place to catch a movie.  if you've been considering seeing Fantastic Four you should go; it was great.

Tea Mania 2017 Bulang and 2018 Hekai gushu sheng pu'er

 

2017 Bulang left, in all photos

I'm reviewing the oldest of the Tea Mania sheng pu'er samples (sent by Peter, the owner, for review; many thanks!).  At these ages these won't be truly aged sheng versions, so this will be about where they are in that process, and how intermediate stage sheng work out, what being part-way through a fermentation cycle is like.  It would vary by the tea version, in relation to the starting point, so this should be interesting.

I'll start with the vendor's description of these:

Bulang Gushu 2017, (357 gram cake for $188 USD)

Experience the excellence of our Bulang Gushu, a remarkable tea born from the collaboration of Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming. Crafted exclusively for us, they have meticulously captured our deep appreciation for Bulang teas. Stored for seven years in Xishuangbanna, this tea has matured beautifully, becoming wonderfully ripe and developing a subtle hint of camphor aroma. It evokes memories of the legendary 2015 Bulang Gushu—a favorite that has long since sold out—offering a similarly captivating allure.

Building upon the legacy of both the 2015 Bulang and the distinguished 5-Village Blend, this Bulang Gushu holds special significance—it originates from the tea gardens of Yang Ming’s former schoolmate. 

 

Hekai Gushu 2018,  (200 gram cake for $88, equivalent to $157 for a 357 gram cake)

These leaves, from the venerable 300-year-old Gushu trees of Hekai Shan, were skillfully processed into 200g Bingcha cakes at Yang Ming’s boutique tea factory. The tea distinguishes itself with a signature Hekai aroma, enriched by the deep, clear essence of the Gushu leaves and a subtle camphor nuance. Ideal for long-term aging, this tea’s flavor is designed to evolve and refine over time, embodying the essence of Hekai Gushu.

Funny camphor is almost the only flavor referenced in these; I wrote notes for the next review already and joked that maybe it would make more sense if I described them as tasting like camphor.  Typically that's a reference to a sub-tone that's not all that close to the camphor that stands out in balms or Thai scent sticks.  Or maybe people really are tasting that, but I tend not to.

Review:

Bulang #1:  warmer aged tones stand out initially; I suppose that's a good sign.  Per usual this will need another round or two to get going.  A flavor range along the lines of tobacco stands out, or that could be incense spice, or old furniture, antique tropical wood [or per the intro section theme, maybe camphor]. Brighter floral tones have probably evolved away.  Some bitterness remains, but this is approachable.

Hekai:  much brighter and sweeter; interesting.  A jammy sort of flavor stands out this early on.  It's towards a blueberry or black cherry jam.  There is some warmth to the character range, but not like in the other version.  A savory note rounds out that sweetness and cooked fruit range.  This should be interesting.

Bulang #2:  that first description still works: there's an interesting mix of complex, warm flavor tones.  It picks up a little depth; maybe a touch of marshmallow joins the rest.  Of course I wouldn't expect most people to make that association, especially within that context of warm tobacco, tropical wood, and incense spice tone range.  Feel has a bit of dryness, and plenty of structure.  That's not overly pleasant in this, and not negative, but it may relate to it having complexity that could support additional transitions, to aging potential.

Hekai:  root spice tones are dominant now, with a bit of fruit remaining.  By that I mean along the line of ginseng, so an alternate interpretation of herbal medicinal flavor would be saying the same thing.  Maybe it relates a little to sassafras too, tasting a little like root beer, just not much.  The lighter tone is nice, the brightness.  It matches well with the sweetness, and that flavor complexity.  Brewing both of these fast should work now; they're intense enough for that to work well.

Bulang #3:  to an extent intensity dropped back for trying out an infusion of less than 10 seconds, but in another sense this is still quite complex.  Feel stays full, and one part remains behind in aftertaste expression.  The warmer tones are a little less intense but it's still complex in that same way, still covering that same range.  There isn't that much floral range to speak of; that seems to have largely evolved away.  Bitterness is present but very moderate.  I suppose this is the kind of tea that match to preference would determine placement for, that some people would love this, and others not like it.  

It's not exactly at an in-between age that doesn't make sense, but it probably would have seemed more positive a few years ago, and will balance in a different positive way in a few more.  So in a sense that's it, but it still balances reasonably well now.

Hekai:  this definitely seems to make more sense at this current age.  The warm tones, good sweetness, and root spice all work together well.  It seems like another half dozen years of transitioning in the same direction might be quite positive, but it works well now too.  Feel is a bit richer and fuller, while the other includes a dryness that takes over what you notice.

It's interesting considering fermentation level; are these less transitioned than the 2021 versions I've been trying that were stored in Malaysia, and if so, how are they different?  Yes, to the first part. 7 and 8 years of transition doesn't add up to the same degree 4 or 5 did for those other teas (from Legend of Tea).  Change has been slower, more gradual.  I suppose heavier flavor range doesn't enter in as fast, instead of the level being a linear distance or amount sort of thing.

Bulang #4:  it's changing, but only related to the proportion of what I've already mentioned.  I suppose that it's softening, in a sense, with the flavors becoming warmer and richer.  Feel is also softening; that dryness is dropping out.  I suppose a green tone may also be picking up a little.  

This is a sort of in-between age theme, just not in a form I'm completely familiar with.  Warmer transitioned tones picked up quite a bit, with what I assume was earlier floral range shifting to now be expressed as green wood, earlier on more in the range of warmer aged tropical wood.

Hekai:  that spice note is catchy.  Maybe within a year or two this might make less sense, being more in-between, divided between where it is now and where it's headed.  For as gradually as these seem to be transitioning it might be a long wait to more fully aged character, possibly relating to another decade, depending on where it is stored next.  It would be a real shame if it just faded.  I'd guess that it won't, that it's intense enough now, even for dividing character across a significant range, that it will retain decent intensity for that longer term. 

Kalani helped take this picture; I usually leave the toast out of it

Bulang #5:  depth is good; a charcoal sort of mineral range picks up.  It stands out more than the green wood range that has evolved.  Tobacco still works as a main flavor interpretation.  

Hekai:  that interesting spice tone stands out, but some green wood range is fairly pronounced now too.  I think these aren't at the best stage for drinking just now, probably better younger, or much more aged.  They're pleasant, and clearly good tea, intense, complex, and balanced, but this fermentation level isn't a natural optimum.  I'm not sure what I expected, looking back.  Whatever storage they experienced--in comparison with the other two I've tried, and in general--doesn't push the pace of transition, so they would be right in between newish and aged.

Infusion #6, both:  more of the same, just slight differences in aspect balance.  To me both are at an age where it could be interesting trying them once a year to see what changes, but they're just not there for transition to a place that makes the most sense.  

Then the problem is that if you buy a small cake, 150 to 200 grams, if you try it even once a year for a decade it's mostly gone by the time it gets to where it's going.  I've bought two cakes of the same tea for this purpose before, to keep trying one, and to have one for later when it really does make more sense.  But are these a great prospect for that?

I'm not sure.  I can't really judge in relation to an in-between-age snapshot related to later direction and aging potential.  I haven't tried enough versions over a long enough time-frame to tell.  Even if I had been through that experience a few dozen times it may not be enough.  Different factors could always be entering into play, related to different storage conditions, different inputs that tie to aging potential (like origin, tea plant age as one factor, or processing style).  It would be easy to experience the same types of patterns over and over, and to skip entire ranges of inputs and outcomes.

Still, I should be able to guess, right?  Something must trigger some pattern recognition.  Not really though.  I've experienced more of factory tea themes, related to relatively fully aged versions.  Related to gambling on lower quality, more inexpensive cakes--which is easier, in terms of budget allocation--I'm more familiar with what tends to go wrong.  These aren't just fading; they avoid that limitation.  They are picking up a woody character, but that can be expressed in a different form that never does fade, a warmer, cured hardwood sort of tone.  As I take it this vegetal range these express will change over, I'm just not sure to what.  

So potential is good?  Maybe, I just can't really conclude that either.  It's promising that they are clean, complex, intense enough, and well-balanced, even though they are at two different places in intermediate aging transition stages.  The quality seems quite good, intensity is more of a concern, if they'll fade over the next decade, and then what aspects will be like once they change over.

Myra visiting early in the session

Legend of Tea 2024 Mengsong sheng pu'er

 

I'm reviewing a third tea from the Malaysian vendor I've covered not long ago, Legend of Tea.  These teas were sent for review (many thanks to them).

This theme is one I've been looking forward to, checking out a sheng pu'er version they sent.  I'm trying out reviewing it completely blind, only knowing that it's sheng, with all of the label in Chinese.  It's pretty good, but I'll let the review itself cover that.  Value is really good; I'll add more on that after I cite the vendor's description, following:

2024 Xiao Ba Wang Raw Puerh Tea

As a timeless classic from Legend of Tea, "Xiao Ba Wang" has upheld its reputation for 19 years by consistently selecting high-quality, cost-effective materials with good craftmanship to deliver premium tea at an affordable price for all to enjoy.

This year's Xiao Ba Wang is sourced from ecological tea trees in the high mountains of Mengsong Da Man Lü, this sheng Pu-erh boasts a fresh, sweet aroma complemented by the distinctive alpine forest fragrance. Its naturally refreshing profile is soft, sweet, and intricately layered, offering a gentle yet rich tea-drinking experience. Each sip reveals a long-lasting sweetness with a refreshing, full-bodied aroma that lingers delightfully.

This is listed at $25 for 200 grams, so it's moderately priced, on the low side for Western oriented in-house teas (under $50 for a standard 357 gram cake; you don't see that in the main Western outlets, unless it's for "factory tea," nothing of this general type).  

It's quite good for that price, the quality level (I try the teas before adding website content).  I'll say more about that in the review, and cite more about the listed vendor background here:

What is High Mountain Ecological Tea?

High mountain ecological tea is cultivated in pristine, pollution-free environments far from industrial influence. Grown at elevated altitudes in eco-friendly tea gardens, these tea trees thrive in an ideal natural setting, surrounded by year-round clouds and mist. The significant temperature difference between day and night enriches the tea leaves, producing a clear, sweet broth with a distinctive mountain flavor and lingering sweetness.

At first sip, the tea is sweet and soft, with a full-bodied aroma that unfolds in layers, delighting the senses and enriching the palate. The sweetness and smoothness spread gradually, leaving a deep, long-lasting impression in the throat. Xiao Ba Wang beautifully combines the freshness of nature with the warmth and precision of handmade craftsmanship, offering a unique balance of strength and softness that is truly unforgettable.

I take everything every vendor says with a grain of salt, but it would be nice if all of that were true.  The tea is good; you would expect positive results like that from this sort of source context.

Review:

#1:  a little light; that's how first infusions tend to go, when you don't stretch the timing to offset that, or use a rinse to speed that along.  So far it's nice.  Sweetness is still moderate; how that balances might be a main input to my own preference.  It's clean in presentation, no mustiness, off flavors, harsh astringency edge, and so on.  There is already some mineral tone coming out.  I'll save the flavor breakdown for the next round, but it seems nice, as if a few things will stand out, including some floral tone.

#2:  depth and complexity pick up.  Bitterness starts, but that's still moderate.  Mineral undertone is pronounced, of course in a light mineral range, nothing like in Wuyi Yancha or other roasted oolongs.  Flavor seems to include floral tones, and a creamy sort of feel is adjoined by a touch of creamy flavor.  Sounds like oolong range, doesn't it?  But the feel structure of this is sheng, and the included bitterness, even if it's not challenging.  

Warmer tones are hard to identify.  They could be interpreted as a savory edge, along the line of sundried tomato.  Or it could be interpreted as an herbal tone, even towards a green-wood edge, but to me more of a savory aspect that includes herbal range.  It's not exactly like pine, but not so far off that.

So what would this be, judging by just this?  Hard to say.  I don't have a catalog of distinct flavor profiles for broad and narrower Yunnan origins mapped out in my experiential memory.  It's not as smooth, floral, sweet, and "round" as Yiwu tends to be, but being approachable with some floral range it's not completely dis-similar.  The pine note reminds me of Jing Mai, but it's not clearly pine, to that same extent.  It's not edgy, intense, or challenging enough to be from standard larger areas like Menghai or Bulang (with intensity and complexity more the Menghai theme, and distinctive bitterness that could be paired with pleasant sweetness from Bulang).  So I don't know what it is, and probably won't.

#3:  bitterness ramps up a good bit; this is closer to where it's going to be, and may even lose some of the bitterness and challenging edge over a round or two.  But it's not really heavily astringent, or all that bitter, as more bitter versions tend to be.  That's significant, but it balances with the rest.  At this point it's the main part of the experience, so I mean balanced in the sense of still standing out most.

Sweetness isn't bad; it works.  I've become accustomed to fruity, approachable, complex South East Asian sheng versions, and this isn't that.  Aftertaste extends well beyond drinking the tea, and feel structure adds to complexity.  Flavor range isn't as distinctive as it might be.  Mineral tones stand out a lot, and some floral range, and an herbal / vegetal edge, more herbal than vegetal.  It's not unlike how ginseng root comes across; a bit vague, but also complex, with plenty going on.

#4:  more of the same; it isn't changing quickly.  Aftertaste and bitterness may both dial up slightly.  Intensity is definitely good, and again the balance and overall effect is nice, the lack of flaws.  Flavor range doesn't extend to anything so interesting, but it comes across as good tea, pleasant and intense.  

I think I'm feeling the effects already.  It just worked out that breakfast was light on carbohydrates (starch in particular), which seem to delay stomach processing of tea compounds, and protect from negative feel issues.  For me that's a good thing; I don't need to be getting stoned off tea.  But this seems to have significant effect, for people on that page.  

This may be a good quality version from an area known for being challenging, with this pronounced bitterness and feel structure only this approachable because it's whole-leaf material, and perhaps not low elevation / high fertilizer input grown.  People claim that older plant material has a greater depth to it, more mineral range, with extra aging potential, and that more wild origin material tends to pick up interesting flavor range from the environment, and to often be more approachable, while still complex, which could vary.  I suppose there's probably some truth to all that, it just doesn't help identify this tea.

#5:  still not evolving so much.  The earlier set of descriptions was already broad enough, and only the balance of the range mentioned keeps shifting.  Floral tone really isn't so pronounced, compared to the rest.  There might be some moderate fruit range evolving, along the line of grapefruit, probably a relatively sweet version of that.  Herbal / medicinal range stands out, but not as much as bitterness and the mineral base.  I'll look up what this is, out of curiosity, and leave off the notes here.  

I checked; it's from Mengsong, presented as high mountain, natural growth origin teas, maybe not forest tea, but from a diverse environment (as I interpret it; I've pasted most of the description there).  I've reviewed teas from Mengsong but again I don't memorize a matrix of origin-related character types well.  It is interesting how the flavor range I struggled with describing, saying it was a bit like pine, or maybe ginseng, possibly herbal or vegetal in some way, they describe as "distinctive mountain flavor."  That works.

Conclusions:

Just wonderful, for a tea presented as a moderately priced version (low, really, using Western outlet standards).  It's a throw-back to when Yunnan Sourcing was still trying to keep their Impressions series as a moderately priced offering.  Maybe they do release a modest quality version still, but last I checked most branded as such had moved on to higher quality, more distinctive specialization, and a higher price range, the typical $70 to 80 a cake that now represents the low end of in-house pricing.

Some of my reluctance to be open to that $80 to $140 current range is that I just don't have the budget to be buying and drinking that.  That's enough of an issue.  Then I also remember when the standard range for pretty much all cakes was $30 to 50, with some outlets pushing "white label" more exclusive pressings up closer to $1 a gram.  I tried some marketed as such, and never bought any.  To me buying a $100 tiny 100 gram cake is ridiculous.

Tea quality got better, over the last decade.  A middle of the range $100, 357 cake is now probably better than most of the range available a decade ago, or closer to that exclusive pressing version than factory teas, or the then-rarer in-house versions.  At the same time vendors working off a standard mark-up benefitted greatly from selling $120 cakes instead of $40 versions, so they embraced, or even led, the customer demand for better and better versions.  

"Gushu" was all selling for $1 a gram 5 years ago, when pricing was still going up.  Some surely was from older plant sources, but who knows, really.  Or from more natural growth gardens, as this is presented.  You could see from the pressed cake that chopped material had given way to more whole leaves, which is now more the standard form, outside of "factory tea" versions.

It's hard to place this version within the broad range.  One critique one might apply is that it was clearly high quality material, but not necessarily as distinctive as it could be.  With a bit more sweetness and floral range, or more distinctive bitterness, or other flavor range, feel, or whatever it might include, it would stand out more.  It's good though, reasonably balanced, clean, somewhat complex, and pleasant.  For this price it's probably better than it should be, and better value than you could find in the half dozen or so standard Western outlets.

It led me to looking at whatever else they sell, and a lot of the rest of their range is even more value oriented.  They tend to sell what looks like blended material pressings identified by year, by the Chinese zodiac sign that year.  To me this looks a lot like the Yunnan Sourcing standard themes.  Here's an example:

Year of Snake Raw Puerh, 357 grams, $14.82

Year of Roaster Raw Puer, 357 grams, $19.998, from 2016  (rooster; I kept the typo)

Those two cakes could change how someone is exploring sheng, or could just be extra daily drinkers to check out for someone years into the type preference.  Or they could be bad?  Low cost, low-medium quality sheng can still be positive, just not in the same ways that spending over $100 on a cake tends to work out.  You often give up aging potential.  But then you really need to try a tea aged to be completely sure how that's going to go, even after you are familiar with typical aging transition patterns.

That last one is a 2016 cake stored in Malaysia; it's hard to summarize what that might mean, if someone doesn't already know.  It's known for being a place to age tea quickly, the opposite of dry and cool Kunming storage.  9 years in Malaysia could represent a similar fermentation level to 15 in Kunming.  For a $20 standard sized cake!  That's unheard of in Western outlets, maybe beyond gambling on very mixed results through a vendor like King Tea Mall, a reseller who passes on whatever happens to turn up.

They do sell what is presented as more standard, higher quality, desirable origin specific teas.  Here is an example:

2009 NanNuo Ancient Tree Tea, $86.58 for a 357 gram cake

I've had fantastic experiences with the few Nan Nuo versions I've tried, and no average or below average results.  Here's their write-up for that tea:

NanNuo Ancient Tree Tea is a slightly domineering tea. The tea liquor entrance has a significant bitterness, which quickly dissipates and turns sweet, bitter with sweetness (just like Musang King). Since ancient times, NanNuo Mountain was a very famous ancient tea mountain. Meanwhile, there is also a key source of raw material for high-quality puer tea. There are abundant resources of ancient trees, which has made today's NanNuo Mountain a quality assurance reputation.

It's probably not that bitter at this point, 16 years later, stored in Malaysia (presumably).  But you don't have to trust their judgment, or sourcing aptitude, since they sell samples of lots of their sheng range (I didn't check if it covers this one; it doesn't, so for those more distinctive and costly cakes you would have to trust them).

For people open to gambling on an $87 cake that's an interesting option, 16 years old and from a desirable origin area.  Ordering other versions first could work, and what samples are available, to get a sense of their range.  

All of this isn't really intended as a sales pitch.  It's completely familiar background for people well into sheng exploration, or maybe not clearly thought through for people just getting started, or not yet started.  It's how you tend to evaluate new sources, and to decide what else to buy.  If a cake is in the $20 range sampling makes a lot less sense; you just try that kind of thing, and see how it goes.  Maybe not by buying a vendor's whole selection range, in case it doesn't work out; you'd mix buying a few types.  Having tea around that you don't like can be awkward.

But then if you aren't familiar with aging transition patterns that shifts things.  Some tea character / aspect starting points have plenty of potential, and some don't.  There's nothing like trying the same tea a couple times a year for 6 or 8 years to see how it is changing.  It can be awkward doing that if it seems great after 8 or 9 years, and then you run out of it, and can't buy more.  I sometimes buy a second cake of what seems most promising, then at least I'll have some after the exploration phase, even though a single cake isn't that much.

I'm not sure how this cake would age, what it would be like in 10 or 15 years.  Even more intensity might be a good sign, to build in potential for change.  They sell versions from this line going back to 2010, but those are from different identified origin areas, so not at all identical teas.  Versions from 2010 and 2011 are from Nan Nuo and Bulang, and sell for $81 and $78, which really could be a life-changing sourcing option if those are very good material teas.  

Now I wish that I could spend a few hundred dollars exploring those.  But I live in Honolulu part time on a Bangkok salary budget, and spend more on airfare than makes any sense at all, so I'll make due with what I can afford to try.  It could be interesting seeing what their lower end range is like.  One last tangent note:  they mention "dry storage" in one product description, for that 2011 tea:

The raw material selected by XiaoBaWang in 2009 is from BuLang Mountain, which is one of the six ancient tea mountains in China... Tea liquor tastes high sweetness, after 9 years of storage in the pure dry warehouse, it becomes thick and smooth, not astringent, not dry, and docile.

Dry for Malaysia is probably hot and humid for Kunming; it could all be relative.