Ez Teasy (Singapore based) Qimen red / black and Jin Xuan oolong

 

I've recently met a tea enthusiast from Singapore, through social media contact, talking about tea and exchanging some samples here in Bangkok.  He's also a very small scale vendor, selling under the brand / business name Ez Teasy.  There may be no online sales site to reference, but he does have an Instagram page.  It probably wouldn't hurt to at least mention his name, but given how some people are about online privacy I'll leave even that out.

It would've been interesting comparing the pricing level of these two teas with each other, and in relation to the quality of the tea, but that's fine, it's not really necessary.  He passed on a good version of black tea, a Qimen, a decent Jin Xuan, and a couple of green teas, with this only covering the first two.

I'll skip saying much about his philosophy of tea, or other background we discussed.  The short version is that he thinks appreciating good tea doesn't have to be a difficult, complicated, gear-intensive process, requiring formal training or a long learning curve.  I definitely agree with that.  Pretty much all tea enthusiasts think that plain, ordinary, unadjusted teas have a lot to offer, in comparison with tin-presented flavored tea blends, which might stand out more in specialty grocery store aisles.  On with trying two versions of those.

Of course it makes no sense doing a combined tasting of two unrelated tea versions.  I'm in the habit of doing combined tastings mostly to save time, to get to more, and after doing that dozens of times it's a familiar experience, and doesn't take much away from focusing on one, or comparing two similar versions, which would actually make sense.

Review:

Qimen:  it's quite good, but you could pretty much guess that from the appearance alone.  It's made of buds and very fine leaves, so that it resembles some versions of Jin Jun Mei, the ones that include both kinds of content, which some people claim aren't an authentic style.  Flavor range isn't so far off Jin Jun Mei; this could be that.  That comes in a range of styles, and it would be like a more typical black tea version, than the buds-only versions that taste like beeswax and honey.

This does seem to include a bit of honey and beeswax flavor range.  It's complex enough that it's hard to specify what the main flavors are, because there is a lot going on, even though it's all integrated, and entirely pleasant.  From there one might guess about dried fruit, or focus on a mineral layer.  A warm tone is a little bit savory, not so much that sun-dried tomato comes to mind, but along that line.  Cacao would be a reasonable interpretation, even describing that as a main flavor not, or the main one.  I won't brew a stronger infusion next round--lengthening infusion time--but the tea might open up a bit, showing even more, even without being brewed stronger.

Jin Xuan:  not fully opened up yet, but there's enough intensity to see how this will be.  It's a good version of Jin Xuan.  Creaminess is the main aspect in such a version, typically, at least for a version without much for roast or oxidation, and this is nice and creamy.  Remaining range is typically sweet, floral, and rich in feel.  This covers all of that.  Vegetal range can be regarded as negative, although if someone loves that it can be neutral or positive.  This includes some; vegetal range is on par with floral tones in this early and light round.  We'll see how it evolves as it opens up.

Qimen, #2:  intensity jumped quite a bit, even though I'm using a fast infusion time.  It would've made sense to go with a lower proportion for a tea like this, to offset that to compensate for what was going to be high intensity, but of course I didn't.  4 or 5 grams would be plenty, and this sample only had 7 or so in it, so I went with that amount.

Warm tones come out stronger, good sweetness, and what I interpret as bark spice and rich dried fruit.  Cacao is still a main inclusion.  Rich feel is nice in this, and the aftertaste from all that trailing over.  This is a pretty good example of this style of black tea.  It would be hard to find better.  The only time I've had Qimen even vaguely like this was when Dylan of the Sweetest Dew sent me a few versions to try.

Then it's harder to place this in relation to my preference.  For someone who loves this style this would be fantastic, but I've always loved Dian Hong more than Jin Jun Mei, or good unsmoked Lapsang Souchong, which this is closer to, maybe especially the first.  Or it could seem to be in between the two in style, combining aspects from both (from good versions of both).  I like it, and I can appreciate it, but I might love a version of something else that's at the same quality level more.  

Lots of Dian Hong (Yunnan black) ends up being a bit basic though, lacking this kind of intensity and complexity, and especially refinement, so even though I love that style it tends to fall short of this quality level.  Which can still be fine; it's not a problem to appreciate more basic tea experience, if you are on that page.  You don't need intensity, complexity, refinement, finish / aftertaste, and all the rest at a high level.  I suspect that a lot of Dian Hong might be produced from summer harvest material that's not as suitable for making sheng pu'er, drawing on the least potential version of what is ever harvested, but that's more a guess than an informed assessment.

A hint of sourness might be the only flaw or limitation.  I don't always notice such a thing, because I don't mind it at all at that level of input, but for people more sensitive to it, opposed to it, it could seem like more of a limitation.  To me it just matches the rest of the style.

Jin Xuan, #2:  Richness and creaminess are very nice; again vegetal flavor range standing out just a little more than floral tones might be the main limitation for this version.  To some that would be something of a deal-breaker, and to others I'd be splitting hairs, and this could seem like exceptional tea.  It's clean in flavor effect, and bright, with good intensity, good sweetness, rich feel (which could always be stronger, but it's ok on the scale of that), and decent butteriness.  Real Jin Xuan never tastes exactly like butter, more just a bit creamy, as this does.  I have limited or perhaps no experience with fake flavored versions.

Qimen, #3:  depth keeps picking up; this is probably as far as that could go.  It's nice the way that cacao grounds the rest, and there's so much going on beyond that.  It's smooth and clean, intense and complex, even moderately refined.  

I've been drinking through a lot of Thai origin Dian Hong style black tea that includes a comparable level of sourness, that I really love.  I could drink it every other day, and never get tired of it.  Huyen, my friend from Vietnam, visited and tried that tea, and I think liked it, but was not as familiar with the Assamica based tea range, so it wasn't as natural a fit for her preference.  The sourness seemed to stand out to her as more negative than it did to me.  I'm still seeing this as more a match to that other range, to Jin Jun Mei and Lapsang Souchong.

Jin Xuan, #3:  creaminess really stands out, but that might be staying consistent.  Warm mineral undertones seem to pick up a bit.  Those often stand out more in a #17 / Bai Lu / Ruan Zhi plant type based version.  This is as creamy as Jin Xuan typically get, but flavor range could be a little sweeter, including a bit more floral range.  It's still quite nice.  If you buy random Thai oolong in a tea shop or Royal Project shop it probably wouldn't be quite this good, even though there is surely better quality range out there.  Intensity might not match this, and creaminess could be less pronounced, even though the basic flavor range has more room for improvement.

Qimen, #4:  not really changing.  There probably was some shift in the proportion of what I've already described but you need to be really focused in to pick up on that sort of variation.  Doing a combined, unrelated tea tasting throws that off, as does background noise, and there's a bit of that in the house today.  The kids are here, and I just checked on the cat, and Eye is around preparing for something.

Jin Xuan:  more of the same.  To me this is quite pleasant, even though it's only sort of an upper-medium quality level, with lots of room for improvement.  It covers the basics well, with decent flavors, good intensity, feel, and creaminess.  It's clean, doesn't include flaws (beyond limitations), and is drinkable.  This would be a really good breakfast tea, or might work especially well cold-brewed, since that draws out the most sweetness a tea has to offer, leaving behind astringency, even though this doesn't have a problem with that.

It's interesting how one of these, the Qimen, represents an exceptional quality of a tea type you just never see, and the other is a basic, standard version, to me.  In Thailand most oolong is #12 (Jin Xuan) or #17 (Bai Lu or Ruan Zhi), although there are others, and Jin Xuan is common enough out of Taiwan.  I suppose the Qimen should be priced a good bit higher as a result; it could cost twice as much as the oolong, and that would still be fair.  In terms of how much I like both they're on more even ground.  The types and styles are completely different but I like both about the same. 

That could seem odd, since the Qimen is definitely a higher quality example, and I drink black tea as a secondary choice in relation to sheng pu'er now.  Rolled oolongs have a basic, broad appeal to me; they're easy to appreciate.  I'm not sure why I never drink them.  I guess it might be that black tea serves as a good alternative to sheng, quite removed in style, so that limiting most of my tea experience to both works well.  Of course I keep trying other things, for review, and just checking in with other teas I have around.  I've drank quite good Dan Cong and good basic Liu Bao in the last week, re-connecting with the rest of my tea collection, which I left behind living in Honolulu for 2 1/2 months.

I think black tea is probably the most suitable as a breakfast tea, but then this Jin Xuan version would also work, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything drinking sheng pu'er most days.  Some people would connect both with different climate inputs, but I can drink all three here in the ridiculously hot weather in Bangkok.  I did ice down the coffee I just drank yesterday afternoon; that's novel, but also sort of a different subject.  I sometimes drink iced jasmine green tea here, the inexpensive, basic version that comes in those dark orange tins.  But this is tangent after tangent!

These teas were really nice, distinctive and pleasant in two different ways.  The Qimen represents the best of a type and style range well, and the Jin Xuan doesn't quite as much, but both were pleasant to drink (to me).

A pleasant tea meetup with a nice tasting lineup

 

only 5 of the 7 who attended; I forgot to take the picture earlier

Friends gathered at our house again to try some teas, probably the last of a series of a half-dozen somewhat related meetups.  Three meetups were held where I live (in Bangkok, for now, in Honolulu soon), or four, if you also count a couple of friends dropping by in January (visit vs. meetup; not so different).  

To me those are mostly about the people joining experiencing the teas, and appreciating interacting with others, more than a formal tasting theme.  I could have said ten times as much about the teas, at the cost of most of that interaction dropping out.  Even doubling the limited information and input would shift the tone, from a friendly gathering of friends to more of an educational experience.  That's fine too, but when people first meet each other it's better if they can chat a good bit, and people joining has always included some of them repeating and some being new arrivals.  To me it's important for them to be able to express themselves, and for it to be about all of them, more than the teas.  I don't find myself as interesting because I already know those stories.

Interacting with the people was as pleasant as the teas, or more so for me, because I've already tried those teas.  But the teas themselves were exceptional, interesting for different reasons, and more of a sensible tasting theme or pattern emerged this time.  We talked more about whatever tangents came up, and our own backgrounds.  One person had traveled a lot (and many participants have been nomads throughout the various meetups), another was coming to tea from a drink-mixing background, and one was a long-term local resident working in freelance writing, with a diverse background.  So fascinating!  

Two friends I keep meeting are teachers, who alternate working and traveling, with one working on finishing a Master's thesis now.  One friend in attendance, who I've met a couple of times, is a Zen meditation instructor, although we didn't seem to get into that part so much.  That might not be an easy subject to say just a little about.  As usual people were from all over:  the US, Canada, Germany, and Italy, with a longer list of where they've also lived.

This writing is more about the teas instead; I won't summarize the rest about all that.  Mentioning what the teas were, and adding reference links, would help them see what we had tried again, and to me the sequence was interesting.  We keep trying different patterns of experiences, beyond generally moving from lighter to heavier tea character range.  This struck a balance between that kind of pattern and generally just trying what I like, with a secondary focus on the teas being novel.  It worked.

1.  Mao Feng Qimen, Chinese black tea (from Dylan Conroy of the Sweetest Dew, not reviewed, but here are other related versions reviewed):  I missed trying the last sample Dylan had sent of exceptional Qimen, and this was a good time to get to it.  

More ordinary Qimen is just another standard commercial black tea, but versions do vary.  I guess this was made from the plant type used to make Mao Feng, a main green tea type (or at least that seems to make the most sense).  It was heavy on buds, quite refined, complex, and pleasant in flavor, including cacao and a bit of soft malt.  It's not light in the sense that a rolled oolong would be, but the warm tone doesn't make it a challenging tea, and I didn't feel like starting all the way "back" at green tea or light rolled oolong, even though I have those around.  I like black teas better, and I wanted to get on to more sheng pu'er tasting this time.

not that tea, but two other exceptional Qimen from Dylan

2.  Dian Hong (Yunnan) style Thai black tea from Aphiwat, a 2024 version, from wild origin material (reviewed here, with a contact link to the producer here).  This is a tea I've been drinking regularly for awhile, and one we've tried in another tasting version, or maybe even two of them.  It's a lot like Dian Hong tend to be:  complex in flavor, expressing a lot of positive range (cacao, etc.), with good mineral depth, and good balance.  Part of the range could seem to include sourness to some (Huyen didn't really like it, or Dian Hong in general), but I love it.  

It's funny how I'm a bit put off by tartness in a black tea, but one leaning a little towards a sour range is still fine.  To me you wouldn't normally make this connection in trying this tea (seeing it as sour), but when you think about it that kind of works, and for people only adjusted to trying variety Sinensis black tea versions the difference could be off-putting, as it is for Huyen.  I just had it with breakfast, on the day I'm editing this; it's also great with food.

that Thai black tea

3.  local Vietnamese sheng (2024 from Quang Tom, reviewed here):  I love this tea!  I loved the 2023 version, and this 2024 version might be a little better.  It's quite oxidized, which is strange for sheng in general, but not so unusual for SE Asian versions.  According to Seth--mentioned in this blog many times, someone who looks into Vietnamese teas a lot, and researches them along with Huyen--that might be a normal step for Vietnamese sheng processing.  I've talked to this producer and it's intentional.

A tea version essentially in between sheng and black tea probably wouldn't age well, past just changing a little over a couple of years, but if those first years are positive enough that doesn't matter.  I drank a 2023 cake version pretty fast, and I'd drink this 2024 cake I own faster, but it's the second one I bought, and I don't want it to go as fast as the first did.  Tones are warmer than for conventional sheng, of course, and bitterness and astringency are limited, but plenty of fruit stands out.  It helps to push it just a bit to get the intensity up to the normal crazy sheng level, but you can push it as much as you want, since there is nothing negative to brew around.

2023 was pressed a little too hard (left), but the 2024 form is perfect

4.  Viet Sun Son La Vietnamese sheng (2023 version, reviewed here):  I really like this tea too; it's also the second cake I'm on for this same version.  I don't mind the repetition at all, or that I've been drinking Thai sheng from Aphiwat over and over as well.  I try plenty related to the blog review theme, and it's nice drinking favorites beyond that.  It helps keep my tea budget moderate too, but this cake is in the normal price range, I think, probably listing for around $80 now ($77; I checked during editing).  I bought it for one price increase less than that a year ago, and also the year before, so I think it's worth it. 

It's a bit more challenging than the first sheng we tried; it includes conventional sheng bitterness and astringency, just not the most ordinary flavor range.  To me it expresses more fruit than floral tones.  It made for a nice tasting sequence already, bridging from two types of black tea onto a hybrid sheng, then one that's more conventional, but not necessarily completely standard related to most Yunnan forms.

the Son La Viet Sun cake

5.  Man Xi 2008 sheng pu'er sample:  (finally back to using that second term)  I don't know what this is, or who gave me this; I grabbed about 20 teas from samples or favorites that we might try, and aged sheng somehow fit at this time.  Another I almost brewed instead was slightly older "factory" tea, a numbered CNNP or Taetea version (if I checked the number again I'd know; if it ends in 1 that's CNNP / Zhongcha and 2 that's Taetea / Menghai Tea Factory), as Google's AI explains:

First two digits: The year the recipe was developed

Third digit: The grade of the raw tea leaves, or maocha. The scale ranges from 0 to 9, with 0 being the smallest and 9 being the largest

Fourth digit: The factory that produced the tea

For example, a tea cake with the recipe number 7542 was developed in 1975 and made with fourth-grade tea leaves by the Menghai Tea Factory. The Menghai Tea Factory is one of the most famous producers of Pu'erh tea in China. 

Somehow it seemed likely this would be more of a boutique range version, which can be interesting, and definitely more refined.  It was like that.  I know no background related to this version or that area, but I'll cite a source describing another tea that might parallel it, or it might not:

Our 2007 Organic Manxi Mountain Raw Pu’er Cake uses sun-dried Shaiqinmao tea leaves (Yunnan big-leaf variety) from ancient tea trees grown on the organic tea plantations of the Manxi Mountain area. It is produced by Fuhai Tea Factory in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.

The Manxi Mountain area is located at the Sino-Burmese border in the district of Daluo Town, Menghai County. It features a large group of very old large-leaf tea trees, planted by the Blang people over 500 years ago.

People keep buying aged sheng to find versions like this one, unless they really need super high complexity and intensity, as factory versions exhibit, if they don't mind rough edges that can go with those others.  Or this more refined version is another type of offering, more subtle, but potentially still well-balanced, or other 25 year old teas in a broader range might have settled but haven't faded.

Some aged sheng does just fade, if the type isn't suitable for this 17 year old, relatively transitioned range, but the intensity in this was ok, pretty good.  Not necessarily on the high side for intensity; it was quite drinkable and refined, but also a bit subdued.  Tones could've been a little warmer; maybe it hadn't been in wet storage for a lot of that time, which tends to emphasize that.  

For us not really focusing in on those teas as much as we might have I don't think most people picked up on just how good this tea was (although one person mentioned it), but that's all relative anyway.  I thought it was a bit exceptional, based on patterns of my own expectations, related to prior experience.  But then I also commented how I liked a 2006 Xiaguan 8653 version more, one we tried together two weeks ago, even though we all agreed it had a strong "barnyard" taste.  A clean version of that, mind you, like horse saddle, not like aged barn or manure smell.

that cake, which I really like, commonly sold in lots of outlets (the Xiaguan, not Man Xi)

6.  Oriental Leaf Fu "brick" (cake) hei cha (from 2020), with golden flowers (reviewed here, with the vendor page here; I think this was the Fengqing version, not the Lincang origin one):

This was quite a shift, moving from pretty good aged sheng on to novel hei cha.  That adds a lot of rough edges and rustic tone, but this tea type is pleasant, and interesting.

The golden flowers input is positive, and pleasant, while definitely unusual, related to most other tea experience.  It's hard to describe; it's a little like yeasty, fresh baked bread, just not exactly like that.  Maybe it leans toward floral and spice range at the same time, while based on warm tones.  While trying the next round, the one after this, I kept this tea brewing to try a really strong infusion version, and that was completely different, still approachable, but almost shockingly intense, heavy on mineral layer and those other flavors.

lots of mold on that Fu cake, which is considered a good thing

7.  1991 Thai (Wawee) Liu Bao:  (from a friend, so there is no link or review of this) aged tea is interesting, how it picks up depth, and smooths out any rough edges that were ever present.  For powering through a half dozen teas prior to this, and not slowing the pace, probably that novelty and depth didn't really come across so clearly.  

This seemed like pretty good aged Liu Bao, how those should be, expressing that set of typical interesting and complementary flavors.  It tasted like Liu Bao, just an aged-mellowed version of one, as it should have.  To me prior to relatively complete aging Liu Bao a harsher edge and flavor like cement blocks can stand out, but this had moved past that, to the extent it ever included it.

8.  2024 Na Lang Laos sheng, from Farmerleaf (reviewed here, with the vendor page here):  this is a recent favorite, shared by William Osmont on his somewhat recent visit here.  It's really good, probably the best Laos sheng that I've tried, and I've probably tried at least 15 versions of that.  It's bright, positive in flavor range, well balanced, clean, complex, and intense.  A couple of people noted that it was their favorite so far in the tasting (so overall, it being the last one), and it was mine as well.  

It was interesting moving from light to heavy across that whole sequence, and then back-tracking to this version, and upping the quality level a little at the same time.  Those other teas were already good, good examples of those types.  But dynamic, intense, and balanced sheng is something else.  

Surely there is other sheng out there that can seem to take the next step in different directions; I've had versions like that, some from those highly desirable origins, and others from more ordinary places, that just happened to be really good.  It was interesting hearing people try to place what aspects or character made this different, and that good.  Interpretations always vary, and it's not as if one could be objectively right more than any other (although it can seem like that to some).

the Farmerleaf Na Lang Laos sheng

It was a good place to leave off.  8 versions is a lot of tea, and we weren't tasting the first 2 or 3 infusions, and moving on, we were really drinking the teas.  I brewed all that in a 200 ml gaiwan, stacking (mixing) infusions every time, either 2 or 3, usually 3, so we lost a little in terms of noticing transition sequences, but gained ground in keeping up a pace, and just drinking some tea.  Even drinking 4 more isolated infusions of each--not mixing them, and only drinking a little--would relate to 32 rounds in total.  The tasting ran long, but not as long as that approach would have taken, more like 4 hours instead of the planned 3.

Snacks worked out well too; there is a good bakery not far from our house (Little Home), and what they produce is often made in small item forms that work well, tiny croissants filled with sausage, small cream puffs and egg tarts, and so on.  You can't really drink a good bit of 8 versions of tea, and many of those intense versions at that, without that sort of adjustment, eating something to offset it.  One person brought a mango, and pistachios; those sorts of inputs are nice to add variety.

It made for a nice experience, both related to all those teas and focus on conversation and appreciating the rest of the group together.

one of the earlier meetups, with Huyen and Seth at the bottom (who I kept mentioning)

Sweetest Dew / Dylan Conroy sharing exceptional Qimen

 

This is a second review of teas sent by Dylan Conroy for me to try (after reviewing a white tea here), as much sharing experience as for review exposure, but both.  These are Qimen, a main black tea type he has been focusing on.

That type should be familiar as an older tea type, more original, often now sold as high volume production and moderate quality versions.  Of course there are exceptional versions out there, but they don't make it to the West so often.  People might demand Lapsang Souchong, Jin Jun Mei, or Dian Hong more, as Chinese black teas go, then onto Golden Monkey or whatever else.

These two tea versions were amazing.  I'll let the review description go on more about that, not really even doing much with conclusions beyond that account.  He sent a third to try, but I tend to avoid doing three way comparison reviews these days, so I'll get back to that.  It's too much tea to try, and I don't brew tea without actually drinking it.  I'll let his Sweetest Dew vending page description of both types serve as an introduction:

Old Style Qimen (listing for a bit under $30 per 50 grams, I think, 911 baht, although I'm not seeing that volume clearly defined)

Qimens originally were picked around Gu Yu, late April, underwent no shape making step and Then were then baked using charcoal. The maker of this tea is replicating the original Qimen.

Because the tea is a late pick, it is mostly leaves. And while you may expect a dark bitter brew, what you get instead is a medium-light brew that is very clean and has notes of natural honey and nuts. The profile isn't very complex but the flavor is simply enjoyable.

Qimen Mao Feng (the same price, 911 baht, or under $30 for 50 grams)

Qimen Mao Feng is the smoothest out of all the Qimens.

Contary to popular belief Qimen Mao Fengs are not made with the mao feng cultivar or use the Mao Feng picking standard. Mao Feng simply means there is no shape making step, the leaves hold the natural shape they took on during the making.

Qimen Mao Fengs, the original Qimen black tea, is the smoothest of all the styles. It also boasts the the most savory body. This particular one is rich and deep with a whismical floral aroma to it. While boasting no loud flavor notes or aromas, this Qimen will sooth you with a calm but rich body that is reminisent of Mao Feng green tea.

I looked for a picture of Dylan on his sales site but didn't find one.  Maybe I'll show what he looks like in one last review post.  I did see a cool looking travel set there, a small gaiwan and four cups, for about $20.  That might be worth looking into if someone is going to order tea, since shipping works out better if get more stuff, since the value gets better and better, the ratio of what you buy to cost of sending it, if the selling price is good to begin with.

Review:

Old Style Qimen:  I've not had even a basic version of qimen in so long I can't place how this relates to that.  I remember it as basic black tea, maybe a bit inky as flavor ranges go, but then I never tried anything presented as exceptional.

This is exceptional.  It's inky too, with good sweetness, good flavor complexity, great balance and depth.  Flavor might center on something along the lines of roasted sweet potato.  Mineral depth really stands out; it's complex.  Feel is nice and rich, especially for this being a first relatively light round.  I tend to go back to Dian Hong range as a baseline, for style, aspects, and match to preference, and this doesn't overlap that much with that typical range.  It's more refined, which is good, with a lot of depth and complexity, but it's not as basic in a sense that's both good and also limiting.  Depth comes across as much as the flavor, at this point, it's not as flavor-forward, which really could relate to it being a first round.  It's too early for those kind of conclusions anyway.

Qimen Mao Feng:  before that fully registered it stood out that it's good.  This has pretty good depth too but there's a range of intense flavor that really stands out.  This reminds me a little of the more oxidized style of Jin Jun Mei, the warmer, honey-toned versions of those.  Not a little either, an awful lot.  I mean like this version.  The strong honey note is common with those, ranging from honey taste into beeswax.  There is some general roasted sweet potato / yam range too; let's just say it's more yam in this version, even though at some point these interpretations tend to be guesswork.  Warm mineral tone also stands out.  Not like in the other, exactly, where that base layer and depth is a good half of the overall experience, but it supports the rest.  

Both of these are very complex and refined.  This is a quality range in black teas that doesn't come up that often.  To say that neither includes any flaws is technically correct, but it's discussing a range of concerns that doesn't even come to mind.  These are carefully and well made teas, the product of a long tradition, for sure.  It is also interesting trying versions from new places, people originating new styles, or borrowing from other areas, and this doesn't seem to be that.  

Maybe "Qimen Mao Feng" is a reference to exactly what I'm describing [later edit:  it's not], but even if so it's not a case of a new tea maker sorting out processing.  It couldn't be.  I can love the results from such a set of inputs, or possibly even prefer a version to these, but it never results in tea this refined.  The unusually fine leaf and bud material is surely a related input; that's not typical of almost any black tea types.  It's normal for Jin Jun Mei, and that's about it, of what I've tried.

I'm curious how this version can brew darker liquid when the leaf oxidation level seems much lighter (the color), and this includes a lot of fine bud content.  Intuitively both would seem to lead towards the opposite outcome.  For once no speculation goes with that observation; I just don't know.

Old Style Qimen #2:  intensity picks up in this, not that it was overly subtle the first round.  I'm not going to do justice to unpacking this complex flavor.  Warm mineral is definitely the base; that part is easy.  Roasted sweet potato is still dominant, but there's a lot more going on this round.  It seems like floral range joined that, a very rich, deep, and heavy floral range, like rose petals.  Dried fruit might relate to some of the rest, in a type range that's hard to pin down, along the line of dried tamarind, but that's not it.  It's so intense that it seems like there's more to it yet, maybe something like caraway seed spice, tying this to how a dark rye bread might come across.  

It's pleasant; it all really integrates.  It comes across as all one thing, but then when you try to describe what that is it seems like there's a lot to it.  Feel is rich and some aftertaste experience adds depth.  I would expect the other to be considerably different too; this will be a lot to experience in just two rounds.

Mao Feng Qimen:  it's more that the balance of the flavors from the last round changed, but something is fundamentally different in how it comes across.  It tastes like brandy; it has that richness, intensity, and depth.  Teas taking on a liqueur- like quality isn't new, but this form of that isn't familiar.  A high quality Wuyi Yancha oolong might start into that range, but not like this, in a lighter range form, like a touch of cognac versus this resembling brandy.  

Intensity, refinement, and complexity for this tea version are all off the charts.  There's a "wow!" effect, a simple response of appreciation, that goes beyond the attempt to evaluate aspects or describe it in terms of liking it to a certain degree.  This is better tea than I would tend to try to drink on a regular basis, even cost aside; tea just doesn't need to be like this.  Versions that are more basic, with simpler character and more rough edges, essentially almost all black teas, compared to this, can be appealing for being approachable, for not requiring or implying that you should fully experience and appreciate them.  

It would seem absurd to drink this tea along with toast and jam.  It would be good though, once you moved past that set of expectations.  I just never would have this tea with a rushed breakfast, which to me isn't necessarily the core of tea drinking and appreciation, that role as a mundane beverage, but somehow that helps me connect with teas, in a sense.  

Anyone who has tried a very exceptional, refined, complex, and unique Jin Jun Mei knows what I'm talking about.  I want to stop short of saying that some teas can be too high in quality, since I don't mean that, but moving past all "basicness" in style can almost seem to come with some limitation.  Very refined Wuyi Yancha can be similar; it calls for a different kind of experiential approach to really take it in.  I'm not an aesthetic setting / ceremonial approach / mystical tea experience kind of guy; for people on that page this could take black tea experience to another level.

Old Style Qimen #3:  brewed lighter it comes across as less intense, but not so different otherwise.  The depth and refinement are really nice.  Complexity would stand out more if this wasn't compared to the other version.  This is definitely nothing at all like the low-medium quality commercial versions of Qimen I've tried before.

Mao Feng Qimen:  the way the balance of the aspects I described shift is really novel and appealing, but hard to describe.  Different parts stand out more brewed at different intensity, or else it's just evolving through rounds, or both.  That beeswax note is really catchy, and the overall effect, the balance of complex flavors, is very appealing.  Higher end and forward flavor range balances so well with depth and a mineral base.  

Refinement is exceptional, not just a lack of flaws, but the opposite.  That last set of comments is the closest I've ever came to complaining that the quality level is too high.

Old Style Qimen #4:  a dark wood tone base picks up.  It's not like when teas get brewed out, and become woody, more that aromatic / aged furniture range that can come up, in between the flavor of rich dark tropical wood and aromatic oil that might be used as a preservative.  The thickness and richness of this tea is really something.  After you swallow it the aftertaste experience almost seems stronger than the taste while drinking it.  Rich mineral base seems to connect with a warm spice aspect, an aromatic incense range of spice, which of course is not separate from what I'm describing as aged furniture / tropical dark wood / essential oil that I can't place.  It's closest to an aromatic bark spice range but it also includes root spice sort of depth.  It's all quite nice.  

I doubt this tea is close to finished but I'll need to stop taking notes to go run an errand, and drinking 8 fast cups of hot tea on a ridiculously hot Bangkok afternoon is pushing it.  I ran 10k this morning, up early anyway to take our cat to get a bandage changed, an outcome from fighting a street cat, and experienced some mild heat stroke even at 10 AM.  

It's nice being able to see that on a heart rate graph now.  I don't need to, I can feel it internally, but there it is in stats, that I was running a slow pace (6:30 km or so) at 160 bpm heart rate, for the last 6 km.  The actual experience had more immediacy and depth than the stats; I felt a lot like walking instead.  But I didn't; I kept running "slow," and toughed it out.

for me doing 5k at 150 bpm is a rough go

what struggling looks like (note device distances don't match--strange)

Mao Feng Qimen:  floral range picked up a lot.  The earlier flavors are still there, but this continued that trend of the balance completely shifting round to round.  That's pleasant, and novel.  Transitions across infusions is normal but it's usually not that extreme.  New flavors can join, or some from the earlier set can drop out, but that kind of thing is more common for sheng pu'er than for black tea.

I don't feel like this version is completely eclipsing the other but I do like it more, and it's more unique, complex, and novel.  

From drinking upper-medium level quality oolong I've gotten into the habit of guessing what a normal price range would be for tea versions, for a style and quality level, and for this tea being so unique that really doesn't work.  For this version it's more about if the higher end of pricing can still make sense.  If this sold for much under $1 a gram it would be underpriced, but in general I just wouldn't consider buying much of anything for $1 a gram.  Most of what self-styled "curator vendors" are presenting as high quality, unique, exceptional, refined teas surely aren't on this level.

Let's consider a reference:  that "honey style" Jin Jun Mei from Wuyi Origin, that I mentioned earlier, somehow sells for $40 for 100 grams (that seems low).  Their "wild Jin Jun Mei" sells for $74.60 per 100 grams, that might be even better.  I can't place this tea version in relation to those two, although it's tempting to try, but it's exceptional enough that the second typically unheard of higher price range--high for black teas--might be about right.  Or if a tea style and version barely exists at all, which is probably true of that wild Jin Jun Mei too, then market rate is whatever a source says it is, because there is no second option out there.  

If smaller vendors tip towards a $1 / gram price range because their mark-up practices are different that's not necessarily unjustified.  Competing on value with a direct-from-producer outlet isn't practical.  Larger outlet vendors will sometimes describe not quite as novel and high quality teas in similar ways and sell them for that just under $1 / gram range.  Maybe that's fair too; not everyone is combing the internet for the best value for unrealistic novelty and quality level teas.  

Only a limited subset of tea drinkers could even appreciate what these are, really.  And I don't see that as a bad thing; I personally don't need for the teas I experience and enjoy to be anywhere near this good.  When I drink Wuyi Origin teas I have a similar experience, that I can tell they're that much better than everything else I ever drink, but that in some limited sense that must still be wasted on me.

Conclusions:

There doesn't seem to be much more to cover, really, since I wrote some conclusions into the notes.  The Old Style version was quite good, only seeming less interesting for the Mao Feng version being that extra bit better.  I really didn't expect these teas to hold their own with Wuyi Origin's (Cindy's) Jin Jun Mei versions.  Maybe only the one did, but quality level, complexity, refinement, and novel style were all really far up the scale for that tea version.  It holds its own with anything else.

For people considering ordering this that might pose a dilemma:  it's quite interesting to compare different styles or versions of novel tea types together, but for sure the Mao Feng version is better.  It would help shift the psychology of that decision a little if they weren't priced the same.

They were both pleasant to try; Dylan sharing these samples was much appreciated.

Mao Feng material white tea and Wang Put Tan Thai shou mei

Thai Wang Put Tan white left, Huang Shan right

An online contact has been describing positive experiences in exploring Chinese teas for awhile, Dylan Conroy, of the small online vending outlet, The Sweetest Dew.  This post is mostly a tea review, but to me that backstory is also interesting, so let's go into that first.

He explores culture and tea, which he sells, but the balance seems to relate more to exploration than profit.  That's not completely unheard of.

We have been discussing Qimen; that has been his previous main focus, in another area.  His "About Me" sales site section probably explains it better than my memory of earlier discussion:

"Some call him the Qimen Jesus, some others "the maofeng guy", but he prefers Dylan. Yup, simple ol' Dylan from Brooklyn...

I studied Mao Feng in Huang Shan, Yan Cha in Wuyi Shan and now Bi Luo Chun in Suzhou. This focused approach to finding teas not only allows me to find the best teas of each category, but to gain a deep understanding of the tea as I do...

The Sweetest Dew is not just a way to sell tea, it's a record of my journey in tea, in China and in Life. 

He is also on Instagram and YouTube. 

He sent this white tea version and also Qimen to try, which I'll get to later.  I'm comparison reviewing this version described here along with a Thai white tea version:

Huang Shan Mao Feng White Tea

This white tea is made with the traditional Mao Feng cultivar. It is subtle and but still has the vegetal nuttiness of a Mao Feng Green tea. The body is soft and fuzzy showing that the drying was done very well. This tea is honestly on par with Fu Ding Shou Meis. 

This is a new tea so we don't know how the flavors will develop as it ages. You can be one of the first to try it. 

It lists for 913 baht for 50 grams, a bit under $30 (there must be a way to change that listed currency).  That's a bit for white tea, but if it's exceptional that's still fair, and since I'm writing this after trying it I can confirm that it definitely is unique and very positive.  Dylan is helping a friend / local contact by selling her tea as well, with her story on a different page:

Hello! I am Jing, a post-80s generation, and my current job is to share the good tea from my hometown. I was born in a mountain village in She County, Huangshan, Anhui. My hometown is a very beautiful place, with a forest coverage rate of 80%, and the environment and soil are both beautiful. It is very suitable for the growth of tea trees. My family also has several acres of tea mountains. I have grown up smelling the fragrance of tea and drinking tea in tea mountains and tea factories since I was a child, so I have a strong affection for tea... 

The subtle taste and aroma of the tea leaves in each tea mountain are different. I like to use a cup of tea to feel the charm of a mountain. If you also like to drink tea, then taste the fresh fragrance of the vegetation thousands of miles away from my tea.

That sounds nice, that area, background, and perspective.  

On with describing the tea then, along with a Thai white version that my friend Huyen shared with me a couple of weeks ago while visiting from Vietnam.  It's from the Wang Put Than plantation, one of the main half dozen producers, maybe, or else maybe I just keep hearing about them even though they're not that, in relation to production volume. They market themselves as a producer who also emphasizes tea tourism, visiting their plantation, and maybe they do that well enough that their name keeps coming up.

Review:

Thai Wang Put Tan shou mei (2021):  subtle; that can happen.  I gave this a 20 second or so infusion time but it's not a lot of leaf, maybe only 4 grams or so.  I'll bump timing next round.  These teas can't really overbrew, for sure.

It's hard to isolate much more for flavors or character; not all that much is coming through just yet.  It seems pleasant, sweet, creamy, with rich flavors, maybe including a touch of caramel or toffee.  What does come across is nice, this just needs to be brewed stronger.

Huang Shan Mao Feng material Chinese white:  that offers a little more.  A light vegetal range gives it some intensity, just not much yet, combined with sweet floral tones.  A bit of spice joins the rest, in the general cinnamon range.  The vegetal range isn't heavy, like celery or green bean or the like, more a scent of fresh tree leaves in the spring.

Wang Put Tan, round 2:  an interesting range of flavors pick up.  A creaminess comes across, but that's not a main flavor.  There is cinnamon spice in this too, but it's also more a supporting aspect.  That flavor that stands out is probably really a set.  One main part is along the line of root beer, that root spice input.  Sweetness does take on a pleasant character, like light toffee.  

It's evident from the leaf color that this is considerably more oxidized, and that comes out in that slight warm tone.  It's all fairly subtle still, even for the 50 or so second infusion time, but it's quite pleasant.

Huang Shan white:  now this really hits, not so different than last round but at double the intensity.  That same list kind of works:  sweetness, vague fresh floral range, some degree of vegetal input, but a light and pleasant version of that, maybe towards fennel, sweet, light, and fresh.  There isn't a heavy spice input but a touch of cinnamon balances the rest, or that really could be a different spice input that only reminds me of cinnamon, that is somewhat similar.  

These are so different that it's odd asking which is better, but why not go there.  Preference would dictate that kind of judgment, or someone could ask a different question, which seems like a higher quality version within the style it's made in.  Perhaps for both this Chinese tea edges out the other Thai version.  The higher intensity is more pleasant, and additional complexity, and more novel flavor aspect set.  I can try to isolate feel and aftertaste more in a next round, since these also tie in to overall effect and to quality level.  

The Thai tea is still nice, just not quite as complex, intense, and interesting as the other.  This Chinese version bridging so much varying flavor aspect range is really novel, and it all integrates well.

Wang Put Tan, #3:  creaminess stands out again; that part is pleasant.  Warm flavor tones are also nice.  Intensity is a limitation though; even for using a 45-50 second infusion time this doesn't taste like all that much.  What is there, a bit of toffee, a hint of spice, and maybe some other warm tone adding context, is fine, it's good. Feel is fine, just not thick or pronounced. 

Huang Shan white:  vegetal range shifts, the green leaf effect.  It still tastes a little like fennel, but a faint edge picks up.  It would be bitterness if it was much stronger, so it's really not that, as we tend to typically perceive flavors, even if it is actually that.  It's like the scent of a dried oak or maple leaf, which are of course things we tend to not actually eat or taste.  It's quite good.  There is still the rest there, some limited spice, good sweetness, non-distinct floral range. Both of these aren't full in feel like oolongs more often are but not thin either. Overall balance is good. 

Conclusions / later rounds:

I tried both for a few more rounds, brewing a couple more quite strong.  The Thai version stayed remarkably similar, not changing much at all.  The Chinese white was quite positive for a couple of more infusions, and picked up a woody aspect note that wasn't really negative, it balanced ok with the rest.

I am evaluating the Huang Shan version much more positively here in the aspects list description, and the quality just seemed that much better.  And novelty; this was a style experiment, it seemed, trying out making white tea from green tea producing material, and to me it went well.  Probably this Chinese tea is selling for at least twice the cost of the Thai version (although I didn't see a sales listing for it), and for the most part that would seem fair to me, it really is a bit different.

What about commentary on that broad divide in oxidation level, or probably earlier aging input, or later aging potential?  The Chinese version was probably made in a much lighter style, not allowed to oxidize much at all during processing.  It suited the material; the outcome was quite positive.  Probably the opposite was true for the Thai tea, and they let it wither for a good bit longer, to draw out an oxidation input.  I liked that tea too, which does seem to be within the general range of shou mei, so maybe both decisions were appropriate.

I doubt that the three years of prior aging (the 2021 origin date for the Thai tea) had caused all or even most of that oxidation level difference.  Teas can age pretty fast in Thailand, in a hot and humid place, but I'd guess they made it to intentionally have a running start on browning, and changing to warmer toned character.  Once tea versions pick up a touch of cinnamon, as that had, that seems really nice.  

The minor differences in intensity and complexity were something else; I would guess that material quality factored in, that the producer who made the Chinese white was starting with better leaf material.  And it seems that quite simple processing led to a positive result.

Aging either wouldn't seem to make sense, for two different reasons. The Thai tea lacks intensity, and aging typically swaps out early intensity and fresh flavors for more warmth and depth. The Huang Shan version is very pleasant bright and fresh like that; it would seem a shame to give that up. 

I like white teas, even though in the past I've been critical of versions that lack flavor intensity and complexity.  If the bit that's there is positive you can always push the tea, brew it hot, and for a bit longer, or bump proportion, and if there just isn't much to offer even that won't work.  The Thai version was good, and the other didn't need to be stretched.

It would be nice if I could push a step further, and compare both of these to the same material being produced as different styles, as Jing mentioned in her intro part that I cited.  I've tried Mao Feng green tea but I'm definitely not the right person for that.  

It's interesting looking back on that section and seeing the claim that this white tea is on par with Fuding shou mei versions.  It's a good bit better than most of the standard commercial versions I've tried, but really it would need to be evaluated against a higher tier version range, not what ends up being pressed and sold as cakes that cost very little, the white tea equivalent of factory pu'er (which can be ok; I don't mean that as a slur).  It's good, but I'm not familiar with how it would compare to well above average quality versions, since I'm not familiar with boutique production Fuding shou mei.