2022 Lishan Tie Guan Yin, 2021 Formosa Tie Guan Yin

Lishan left, in all photos (much greener and lighter in brewed color)

I'm back to reviewing, covering two oolong versions from Tea Mania, a vendor based in Switzerland.  These were contributed for review, more or less, and also just shared by the owner as a tea friend (many thanks!).

Their teas are pretty solid, so I went into trying these with high expectations.  They lived up to them.  That can be a problem, expecting teas to be on the far side of above average, because if anything is missing some of the expected type-typical aspect range, and aspects that serve as quality indicators, or just isn't a tight match to preference, then it can seem all the worse, where with more neutral expectations that would just be normal.

I wanted to add a little personal update here as well.  I've just returned from living in Hawaii again for a month, staying where my kids go to school in Honolulu.  That was the second month long outing there in the last half a year, and I'll go back again in two more months, for the end of Keoni's senior year there.  It has been quite an interesting four year cycle.  Of course that education was the goal, and that part worked.  Switching over employment back to the US didn't.  Living between the two locations and cultures wasn't really intended.

I suppose because I've spent most of the last 18 1/2 years here in Bangkok, and I still spend far more than half the year here, there isn't really any adjustment to work through going back to Thailand.  In Honolulu I feel like I am adjusting for the first couple of weeks, and it could feel more natural for the entire first month.  Of course it's fantastic there; that helps.  I swam in the ocean, out to a flag about 200 meters out, at least a dozen times in a month.  Running goes better there, due to the cooler climate, just not so much this time related to an Achilles tendon problem.  

I met an interesting tea contact there this time, but left out telling that story, in part to avoid going through the permission step, and because there wasn't that much of a consistent story to it.  It felt like meeting new friends; it was nice.  Discussion was all over the place, as it should be.

No matter where I spend time with the kids things go great, so either place, or anywhere else, is suitable for that.

Back to business here; I'll try to look up listings for what I tried.

The first one I couldn't find; it's not this:  Lishan Tieguanyin  ($31 for 50 grams), even though that's also from 2022.  That's too oxidized; it really can't be the same tea.  Or maybe it is, and that just seems completely impossible to me. 

It's lighter, more like this one:  Lishan Medium Roast ($25 for 50 grams).  But that's made from Qing Xin cultivar, and it's not the right year either (from 2015).  They might buy a lot at one time and then be ok with selling it out over years.  It might be similar to this version, Gaoshan Tieguanyin, just from a different year, with that one listed from 2025.

That second one seems to be this:

2021 Formosa Tieguanyin  ($25 for 50 grams)

Formosa Tieguanyin, hailing from Pinglin and harvested during the spring season, undergoes traditional processing methods, resulting in a tea with a medium to strong degree of oxidation. This oxidation level is notably reflected in the green leaves with a delicate red edge, creating a  a beautiful amber liquor.

The aroma of Formosa Tieguanyin is robust and floral, a quintessential trait of spring teas, accompanied by subtle toasted notes that add depth to its profile. Its fragrance evokes hints of jasmine and magnolia, creating a harmonious bouquet. Depending on the quality of the water used, it may reveal a refreshing, slightly acidic note, adding to its complexity. As you savor this tea, you’ll notice a gentle spiciness and honey-like undertones in the cup, making it a truly multisensory experience.

One of the unique attributes of this Formosa Tieguanyin is its enduring finish in the mouth. The reverberation of its flavors persists over an extended period, inviting you to savor and contemplate its intricate character in meditative silence. Thanks to its traditional processing, this tea is well-suited for storage without compromising its aroma. Over time, as it matures, the aroma transforms, unveiling its own distinct charm.

Harvest date: spring 2021

Aroma: floral notes, reminiscent of jasmine and magnolia, honey undertones

Oxidation: approx. 50%.

Roasting: medium

Terroir: Pinglin, Taiwan

I'm more familiar with sheng pu'er pricing, so I won't be able to add much about the relative value of these.  Are they good for costing in the 50 cents a gram range?  I think so.  You don't find versions as inexpensive as some other types range for better quality Taiwanese oolong; it seems you pay to get versions in that category.  Up towards $1 a gram is normal, and the 50 cents per gram range for good versions is quite fair.

Maybe that's not so much, or maybe it's out of some people's budgets; it just depends on expectations.  But I doubt that you can find anything in a similar quality level in a lower price range.  There must be some decent oolong out there for less, but these have all been exceptional, well beyond decent.

I usually talk through input factors a lot more.  This doesn't discuss any differences related to Tie Guan Yin and more standard Qing Xin variations, and barely touches on the aging issue, that these are nearly 4 and 5 years old.  It works to just describe them.

Review:

2022 Lishan:  this is a bit overbrewed (ok, maybe even more than a bit); I was looking at something online and left it for over a minute.  Not ideal as controlled review processes go, but the tea will be fine.

It's a little strong, but still quite pleasant.  It will interesting seeing how a light version works out, the opposite sequence I normally experience both forms in.  Mineral tone is positive.  Feel is thick and full.  A vegetal range note is harder to place; it integrates well, and it's not negative, but it's less clearly positive.  This includes plenty of that type-typical mineral base and floral range, it's just in an unusual form for being brewed a bit strong.  

Nothing negative stands out; this is one purpose of using stronger infusions, to identify flaws better.  That vegetal range should lighten at a normal infusion strength.

2021 Formosa:  this is in a completely different flavor and character range.  It was more oxidized and more roasted, most likely.  I've always loved that effect when those two things balance well.  I think they will for this version, but again being brewed slightly strong doesn't show it's true potential, beyond highlighting that it doesn't include certain kinds of flaws.  

There's an interesting spice range in this, difficult to determine between root spice and bark spice range.  My first guess is that it spans both; it's quite complex.  One part actually is along the line of cinnamon, but there's a lot more to it.  It will help trying it lighter; that can work better for separating flavors.

Of course both have full feel and pronounced aftertaste expression, brewed a little strong.

Lishan #2:  creamy, light, sweet, and rich.  It is much better in a conventional infusion strength, but it wasn't so bad extra strong.  There's a characteristic high mountain oolong range this covers really well, a mix of base mineral, creaminess, and floral range.  I suppose this is probably identifiable as a region-specific example, and I've tried plenty of tea from different areas in Taiwan, but not enough over the last few years to stay familiar with that.  It's hard enough tracking how that goes for pu'er, which I drink much more of.  

If Tie Guan Yin is an exception for plant type for this area--which it says in a different product description--maybe the type-typical character would be harder to identify, without a lot of exposure.

It's very pleasant.  It didn't lose any brightness of freshness over nearly 4 years of settling (it's from 2022).  It probably did change, and if I'd been drinking a lot of oolong for the past half dozen years I could speculate about how.  Picking up depth?  Who knows.

I can't identify that bright floral range as a specific flower aspect flavor but anyone with even limited exposure with Taiwanese oolongs would already have a pretty good idea of what I mean.  It's not vegetal at all, in this form; that part switches back over, from when brewed too strong, back to floral range, and a flavor that actually seems a little like cream.

Formosa:  more pleasant, again, but of course just a lighter experience of the first round.  Those layers of warm and sweet spice really stand out.  Warm mineral and rich, round sort of feel complement them.  Sweetness is pleasant, for both of these.  Part of the warm, sweet range seems to resemble honey, or maybe that's caramel.  Or maybe both; this is on the complex side.  It's not far off dried fruit but I'm not noticing that standing out.  For being less distinct that could really be floral range instead.

Lishan #3:  maybe vegetal range does enter back in a bit, infused a little stronger than last time, but not overbrewed.  Intensity is good, but that was true when brewed quite light too.  Floral range is still pleasant, and creamy feel and some cream flavor stands out.  The mineral base is quite strong.  

This is exactly what many people would be looking for in a Taiwanese oolong experience.  It's familiar range.  I like it, I guess apparently just not enough to break from drinking pu'er all of the time to seek it out (and some black tea, but that's limited, more a main alternate).  I could drink this regularly and appreciate it.  In a limited sense pu'er seems more intense (sheng pu'er, I mean, of course), including bitterness, strong flavors, and a particular astringency.  But this is very complex and intense in flavor, and the rich feel and aftertaste provide secondary supporting experience.

Formosa:  I could speculate about another half dozen flavors being included in this, it's that complex.  But describing it as primarily in spice flavor range, a broad set of inclusions within that, and including mineral base, sweetness, and other range like caramel mostly gets it.  

It would work to interpret part as being a rich, heavy floral range, or seeing some of that towards-earthiness range connecting with dried fruit.  Maybe dried longan?  Only people who have tried dried longan would recognize how much of a compliment that is.  It's probably my favorite dried tropical fruit.  There's something so catchy about it that once you start eating it it can be hard to stop.  It doesn't stick around for long.  Of course once you think of the association it seems obvious, and accurate.  Let's say this tastes like dried longan, and set aside the rich floral part for now.

In later rounds the roast input didn't integrate as well, which is actually normal for this range of oolong.  I didn't take notes past these early rounds but it held up to brew quite a number more.

Both are really good.  Both are extreme examples of the positive potential of Taiwanese oolong.  I'm curious what the aging input contributed, nearly 5 and nearly 6 years for both.  They mellowed and deepened?  It almost had to be positive, given where these are now.  

There isn't a hint of negative aspect range in either.  That can be hard to appreciate, noticing something that isn't there.  And intensity and complexity is great for both.  If this more oxidized and roasted version isn't too costly it would be ideal for buying quite a bit of, to drink over the next decade, and then to experience as a truly aged version (which of course would seem all the more true after 20 years, not "only" 16).  

Looking back at the included price, added during editing, this is 50 cents a gram.  It could pay off to buy some to drink and some to forget about for awhile.  

I left out part of the personal backstory, about the tasting.  I had changed countries less than a week before, which didn't add too much jet lag, but I had cut my thumb hand-washing a knife earlier that morning, and went on to get stitches later.  I don't think it threw off my perspective much, but in retrospect it was a little strange doing a relaxing tea tasting between those two steps.  I didn't think the injury was so bad.

Our cats are just now experiencing exploring the outdoors, two kittens that are about half a year old now, or I guess maybe even 8 months.  That's not so distracting, more a pleasant step to witness.  They both just learned to climb trees this weekend.  I do end up getting up a lot, from a table outside, to check that they're not walking out into the soi / alley, going around our gate.  On a later day I climbed that tree myself, to help one down, since she hasn't figured out the down-climb process yet.

Life is all about those ups and downs, isn't it?  In two months I'll be a more direct part of my kids experiences, which I just hear about by video call now.  There's lots more drama when I'm not there, which I guess is partly a good sign, that I help keep it all tracking well when I am there.

Tea Mania Alishan winter Qingxin and 2012 Guifei oolong

 

Back to reviewing, a week into being back in Bangkok.  I might as well start with some familiar and pleasant teas, and then move on to less familiar and also pleasant ones.

I've had great experiences with winter harvest oolongs in the past, just not enough of them that I'll turn that into cross-references here.  Of course Qingxin is the name of the older style of plant type, which comes in a range of different derived forms, with different evolved plant genetics.  

I've had positive experiences with Guifei too, a bug-bitten material input variation of rolled oolong.  This says the Gui Fei is from 2012, which almost looks like a typo.  A 13 year old oolong, from a vendor that typically doesn't sell aged tea?  It's probably not a typo; the owner, Peter, is pretty on top of things.

I'll add the product descriptions from a site listing later, after writing the notes.

Alishan Winter Qingxin ($25 USD for 50 grams)

Alishan Winter Qingxin is a lightly oxidized high mountain oolong tea, harvested at an elevation of 1500 meters. It originates from Taiwan’s renowned Alishan region, known for its ideal tea-growing conditions of frequent mist, fertile soils, and clean, fresh mountain air. These conditions, however, also present significant production challenges, requiring exceptional skill and careful selection by experienced tea masters.

The tea garden’s unique location on Alishan, with its frequent mist and significant temperature variations, imparts exceptional refinement and natural sweetness to this Qingxin oolong. The infusion presents itself in a warm, luminous yellow color, remaining free from bitterness or unpleasant flavors even with prolonged steeping. From the cup emerges a delicate and sophisticated fragrance of orchids, gentle yet distinctly present. The silky, smooth texture and refreshing sweetness create a harmonious taste experience, offering tranquility and inviting thoughtful appreciation.

Harvest date: winter 2022

Aroma: floral, with notes of orchid and acacia honey

Oxidation: approx. 30%

Roasting: light

Cultivar: Qingxin

Terroir: Alishan, Nantou, Taiwan

Guifei Oolong  (2012; $37.72 for 50 grams)

This Guifei Oolong, also known as Concubine Oolong, originates from the renowned tea-growing region Dongding in Nantou and was harvested in the spring of 2012 and processed by a renowned tea master. Made from the popular Jinxuan cultivar, this tea is known for its exceptional quality and distinctive character.

The infusion presents itself in a golden amber hue and is accompanied by a rich, sweet fragrance with hints of honey, ripe fruit, and light floral notes. On the palate, the tea reveals a smooth, velvety texture with pronounced sweetness and a long-lasting aftertaste. Thanks to expert craftsmanship and ideal storage since its harvest, this Guifei Oolong has developed an even more complex and harmonious character over time, making it a true delight for tea enthusiasts.

Harvest date: spring 2012

Aroma: high aromatic, flowery and fruity, notes of honey

Oxidation: approx. 70%

Roasting: strong

Cultivar: Jinxuan

Terroir: Dongding, Nantou,Taiwan

There's more there about the bug-bitten theme, about the processing style, and the historical background of the style.  These are interesting themes.

Review:

Alishan oolong left, in all photos

Alishan Winter Qingxin:  it's nice.  A little light yet, still opening up, but the flavors are warm and toasty.  I suppose malt stands out, or something close enough to that.  This should evolve to include a really pleasant and rich feel; that's already started.  It's creamy as well, in terms of flavor as well as that feel.  There's a lot to appreciate in this, and that list of aspects will keep going later.  Mineral range really stands out.  It's not really light or heavy mineral, but a complex form, more in the middle.

Guifei (from 2012):  as far as the other being as good as this, or not matching up, it's really not a fair comparison.  That's a great version of the style that is, but good Guifei is really nice, and this has probably picked up lots of depth from that aging.

There really could be a typical plum-like flavor component that has entered in due to the aging, but this includes so much for fruit and warm spice tones that it's hard to tell.  Spice might be closest to nutmeg; warm, aromatic, and complex.  Fruit could include plum, but there's more.  It's warm and rich enough that it's more in dried fruit range, maybe combining prune, raisin, and dried apricot.  Feel is also already rich.  There's a bit more fullness in this related to it being warmer and heavier in tone, so where the other is full and creamy as lighter oolongs are (like cream) this feel has some structure to it.  Not quite astringency, nothing like that, but some of the fullness that typically pairs with that.

It's amazing this is just the first round.  I brewed these a bit long to get them to open up, maybe just over a minute, but the proportion isn't maxed out, my typical approach.  This might be 6 grams or so of each.

Alishan 2:  intensity picks up a lot, and it wasn't even moderate to begin with, already above average.  The same flavor description works:  lots of supporting mineral base, creaminess, and malt-like warmth.  A bit of limited vegetal range enters in, not far off floral range, or maybe it's floral tones and some sort of vegetal input.  That vegetal range is close enough to holy basil, so really where spice and vegetables overlap.  Sweetness is good, and the full feel contributes well, along with notable aftertaste expression (long finish, put another way).  

It's quite clean; nothing in this is remotely negative.  Some would probably interpret it as a lot more floral than I've been mentioning.  It's a subdued form of floral tone though, like chrysanthemum, or sunflower.  Some of that rich malt-like tone might resemble sunflower seeds, now that I think of it. 

Guifei 2:  the pronounced spice note in this is really nice.  It might resemble cinnamon more this round, but also relates to nutmeg.  Depth is nice, and the range of supporting dried fruit.  That last part didn't become more distinct.  It's hard to identify how close it is to plum, or what the exact mix of other dried fruit tones are.  It's also quite clean in effect, and also complex, also exhibiting good feel.  Aftertaste expression is there, just not quite as pronounced as for the other version.  Lighter oolongs tend to be noteworthy for that, and the Alishan version isn't really in a light style, but it's medium, in an unusual sense.

Alishan 3:  this must be transitioning some, but it's hard to say how.  The same aspects just shift a little in relative balance.  This is really exactly what I've loved most about winter oolongs that I've tried in the past, that warmer tone, leaning towards spice range, settling in nicely on malt.  This is a really good quality example of one.  

This kind of effect is why Taiwanese oolongs tend to still hold an edge over Thai or Vietnamese versions.  There's nothing stopping a producer in those areas from making a fantastic version of the same tea, but all the conditions and inputs tend to line up well for some versions from Taiwan.  

The intensity is great; it's hard to pin down how that kind of input factors in.  Of course you can just brew any version a little stronger, but this hits really positive notes well, even brewed fast (this was a very short infusion time, not much over 10 seconds).  If you push other lower quality versions to get the same intensity the aspects won't be as positive.  They won't balance in the same way, and the effect won't be this clean and positive.

Guifei 3:  again it's not changing enough to revise that earlier flavor list, just settling into a slightly different balance.  

I'll probably try one more round and leave off; I need to get on with bathing three cats, and one of them is crying out to be let outside, which isn't going to happen until later on.  I should take pictures of them and add them here.  

Myra is in more than a dozen photos here, probably, the oldest, but the two kitten siblings are adorable at about 3 or 4 times their former size, from 6 weeks ago.  They must be about 4 months old now.  One is a Siamese cat, with such a cute and prized appearance that my wife is nervous about ever letting her roam outside, out of fear that someone would steal her.  Someone might.  Myra won't venture beyond our gate and fences, but it's hard to know where a cat new to exploring the area might go.  Nong On and Sai Thong would go explore roof areas, when they were with us, but we've lost both of them this year, in circumstances too disturbing to cover here.

As for a personal update, while I'm rambling on, I've had shingles for the past two weeks, a skin problem related to having chicken pox earlier on in life.  It's adjoined by significant pain; that part wasn't so nice.  I've not experience that much pain, since a burn and broken arm in early childhood.  Now I get it, about people working through that ongoing experience.  In my case it's like a leg cramp that doesn't go away, that sharp and deep pain, that doesn't persist from leg cramps.  I'm mostly on the other side of it now; the pain is less, and I have meds around for when it might tend to peak.  

I'm eager to go run again.  The doctor didn't see that as a well-grounded plan, saying that it would impact my immune system function, but I'm not so sure.  Early on in illnesses that seems right, but at the end exercise seems to help with recovery (per my experience, to be taken with a grain of salt).

these are naturally so intense that brewing them a little light makes sense

Alishan 4:  it's all integrating more, but I kind of liked how distinct the parts were earlier on.  Warmth is more general, not centered on a creamy, malty flavor as much.  Mineral base still stands out, maybe just not quite as much.  It's still really nice, I just liked that earlier form better.

Guifei:  that same basic set of aspects still remains, the spice, dried fruit, and warmer background or base tones that are harder to appreciate.  Probably what I'm not describing is a lot of what is giving this the effect of so much complexity, depth, and balance.  It tastes like incense spice, or aromatic dark tropical wood, or aged furniture (or maybe the oils used to preserve those?).  It has good depth and balance.  It's not really fading, which it shouldn't be, only 4 rounds in, but flavors can transition to level off some within that timing.  

These really did last for many more infusions, it's just that the notes leave off here.

Conclusions

These are both really good teas, in two completely different styles, and to me this is a really unique and positive experience.  I could drink a kilogram of either, even though I tend not to drink much oolong these days, for focusing on pu'er.  I love the intensity in pu'er (sheng, of course).  These have good complexity and intensity, but lack that same kind of edge, the bitterness and astringency, the overall shock of it all being so strong, even when brewed light.  I remember tasting with neighbors once, a very pleasant experience, telling one about how sheng can come across like a slap in the face.  She was surprised, and said that it was more like a kick in the face, somehow in a good sense.  If you are ok with the bitterness that intensity can balance well.  It's odd that she liked it, on her first try.

Whether or not this Guifei is from 2012 this is the kind of experience that people really tend to value, and that you typically have to pay a good bit to have [later edit; it is a 2012 tea].  If this isn't priced at or over $1 a gram I'd be surprised, and it would be a steal at two thirds that price range.  The winter oolong version is novel, since these are around, but finding a version this good would be tricky.

[more later edit]: it's 75 cents a gram, so still quite fair, for what the tea is.  There might not be another quite similar version of tea anywhere on the internet.  Or the next place you check could carry the same tea, but the odds are much better that nothing like it is out there.  Aged oolong was quite trendy and in high demand about a decade ago, and there was only so much to go around then.  I wrote about this theme awhile back (5 years ago), about what tends to turn up.  The plum-like input in aged rolled oolongs might stand out more at the 20 year mark, but this flavor is so complex that it might still come across as a mix of different fruit and spice then. 

That's kind of the theme for this vendor.  He sells versions of teas that are so good that they really represent their categories and styles well.  Lots are "gushu" sheng pu'er, which is kind of an often-overused selling point theme, but for really nice versions of sheng you can set aside considering plant age and just appreciate the aspects, the experience.

I've complained of not being able to buy teas in a higher than average price range before (or just noted it, depending on interpretation of tone).  Somehow, according to my wife, our budget is such a mess just now that the theme has progressed to me not being able to buy any tea, at any price range.  Flying back and forth from Hawaii doesn't help, and a long series of health crises across our family was problematic, both to experience and related to budget impact.  It's nice that some vendors have been helping me out; I really can't complain, when I have another 20 or so really novel and good teas to get to.  

I'll even see tea friends, and an old friend, here over the next two weeks, so I'll have more to report on about that event theme.  I'd trade it all to be a housekeeper and cook for my kids back in Hawaii, but we work with what we've got.  

Back to this subject, these oolongs, and related to somewhat aged oolongs in general, these teas were exceptional enough that it wasn't easy to frame that part.  The descriptions are positive, but both are a good bit better than just "positive."  That is what it is; it makes no sense to me to fill a post with superlatives to drive home a point about general context.  Within these style and type ranges these were great, and these are two of my favorite type ranges within the scope of rolled oolong.

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

Bi Yu and Lishan Taiwanese rolled oolongs

 

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

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

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

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

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

Harvest date: spring 2021

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

Oxidation: approx. 40%

Roasting: middle

Terroir: Mingjian, Nantou, Taiwan

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

Lishan Gaoshan Wulong is a slightly oxidized, bouquet style highland tea from Lishan. Due to the slight oxidation the tea has a very floral and refreshing character, which reminds of the floral in the green tea, but due to the processing as wulong tea it has a much stronger body and is a much more intensive taste experience. With the slightly oxidized wulong, the leaves are not shaken as much, but are handled much more gently. This means that there are no red leaf edges, which makes the tea taste much more floral and refreshing. The infusion in the cup is also much brighter. The reverberation in the mouth is still clearly perceptible even over a longer period of time and it is a pleasure to trace the character of the tea in meditative silence and to fathom its complex character more and more.

Lishan Gaoshan Wulong is not roasted and only slightly but nevertheless well oxidized. Thus the character of highland teas is clearly visible. Due to the traditional processing it can be stored without any problems and without losing its aroma. With increasing age, the aroma changes and develops its very own charm.

Harvest time: spring 2020

Aroma: floral, with notes of osmanthus and honey

Oxidation: approx. 20%

Roasting: non

Terroir: Lishan, Nantou, Taiwan

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

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

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

Bi Yu left, in all photos

Review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 Yiwu gushu sheng pu'er and 2023 Gedeng arbor sheng

I'm reviewing two more sheng pu'er from Tea Mania, a Yiwu and a Gedeng version.  Yiwu needs no introduction, and Gedeng isn't familiar, so I'll refer to the site descriptions for background (for both):

Yiwu Gushu 2022 ($100 for 200 grams)

For this bingcha tea leaves of up to 300 year old tea trees (gushu) from Yiwu were used and made into a bingcha. A certain similarity to the very-popular Lucky Bee can’t be denied. In addition to the typical Yiwu aroma, there is a well known depth and clarity from the gushu leaves and a hint of camphor.

Who are Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming?

Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming are good friends and experts when it comes to Pu-erh. Yang Ming is a local tea farmer of Yiwu and descendants from a family with a long tradition in Pu-erh making. Incidentally, our popular Lucky Bee teas are from Yang Ming’s tea fields. 

I guess 50 cents a gram sounds reasonable for this type and quality of tea.  It's beyond what I would spend on tea, but it seemed pretty good to me (I always add the descriptions after making notes).  The only description here is a little like Lucky Bee, that character is standard for Yiwu, and it includes a hint of camphor.  I didn't notice the camphor, but it did seem like normal Yiwu range to me.

Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh (note the listed version is 2020, and I've reviewed 2023) $83 for 357 gram cake 

Tea Master Panda has graciously shared with us a prized gem from his personal collection: the Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh tea. Known for its profound and rich aroma, this tea, meticulously preserved, stands as a unique treasure for tea aficionados.

Arbor tea

The Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh tea is crafted from leaves harvested from Arbor tea trees, some of which are up to 100 years old, in the Gedeng region. These leaves are pressed into bingcha using traditional granite stones. While there is some resemblance to other teas of the six old tea mountains, the Gedeng Arbor Pu-erh is more herbal and full-bodied. In addition to this typical Gedeng aroma, there is a depth and clarity, along with a hint of camphor.

This makes comparison with a listed item tricky, because this is a 2020 version instead of 2023, the sample that I tried.  I specifically mention in these notes that this tea is in a good place now, and I wouldn't hold onto it for another year or two if I owned it, I'd just drink it.  I'm sure that it's fine as a 4 year old version, maybe better in a limited sense, and the starting point may have been somewhat similar, that year's version.  Those are all still just guesses though.

Maybe the one unusual flavor note I keep mentioning, or set of them, is a "typical Gedeng aroma."  Again I'm not so sure about the camphor.  It seems like the kind of thing that people end up looking for, and finding often enough, and then I don't.  Once in a long while something will taste like camphor to me but that's rare.  In talking to another friend recently about this particular aspect he guessed that maybe people tend to place what seems like pine flavor as camphor, related to expecting it, while others use a different interpretation related to not expecting it.  Who knows.

If this was identical to the 2023 version then 23 cents a gram (what that works out to) would be a pretty good price for that tea.  There is a running "older is better" understanding when it comes to sheng, that a few years of age are better than none or one, and 20 years is better than 10, but to me the first comparison doesn't always work.  Some teas that are approachable and pleasant right away only lose positive character, even after as short a time as two years (over that first year there is change, but typically not a complete shift).  

The 2022 Yiwu was considerably more age-transitioned (changed by fermentation, really) than the 2023 Gedeng; two more years could change a lot.  I'm not implying any particular conclusion here, just talking around how the inputs and outputs work out.  

Preference also factors in; there would be people who tend to always love 3 or 4 year old sheng versus new, 1, or 2 year old versions, and also the opposite, in relation to more approachable character sheng.

small discs again; Yiwu is on the left in all photos

Review: 

Yiwu, #1:  these are really on their second infusion; I let the discs soak for one minute first, then tore them into pieces, then this is a second round, brewed for another minute.  It's not optimum, since it will brew tea that had wetted first too strong, and not start in on the core of what is still compressed, but it's one way to jump-start the process.  

Doing a lot of messing around with partially soaking them and using a pu'er knife to separate them apart is another way, or just brewing the outer part in early rounds and the inner tea only after a half dozen infusions.

Character is warmer than I expected; this is two year old tea, but it has shifted a good bit in that time (I expect; surely this didn't start out slightly oxidized).  Rate of change depends on storage conditions; I guess this wasn't stored in a very cool and dry place, which is probably more optimum.  Better than here too, in Bangkok, where teas and people living here end up being heated and steamed, living daily life at 90 F / 30 C and 70% RH.  Living again and storing teas back in Honolulu would be good, dropping that temperature a little.

It's floral, I guess.  It has decent complexity; there's really a few things going on.  Floral range is part of that, maybe even complex floral range, then most of warmer tones might relate to a mineral layer.  There's often a catchy sweet note in Yiwu, which is generally floral, that I might be able to place more clearly than that, and this has that distinctive flavor aspect, or set.  It's a sort of brightness, that stands out in a complex and refined character.  

There's nothing challenging about this tea, as expected; there is a little bitterness, but not much, and astringency is moderate.

Gedeng:  there's a pronounced fruit note in this.  It reminds me of experiences with Nannuo versions before, how that has stood out in some of them.  Maybe not identical to this but pretty similar.  It has decent complexity too, and just a hint more edge to the feel, but it's also quite approachable.  Again there's very limited bitterness, but some, which is nice for balancing the rest.  For an oolong drinker maybe that's a medium level; I mean for sheng of this age that input is limited.  It's too early to call, on the first infusion that's strong enough to make notes on, but at this stage I really like this version better, for how that one note makes it more unique, standing out in a background of other floral and mineral range.

These will only brew a more conventional round next time; this was while they were still opening up, saturating all of the leaf material, or at least most of it.

Yiwu, #2:  evolving a little, gaining complexity, but not so different.  The depth in this is nice.  Flavor range is fine too, and feel, and aftertaste is positive, but there's another emergent range of it having depth that is something else.  I suppose a mineral base is a part of that, one main thing contributing to it.  It's nice the way that bright and sweet notes, and good complexity, integrate well with warmer and deeper mineral tones.  It seems pretty good.

Gedeng:  this has evolved too, again in the same direction it had been expressing last round.  That one note is really nice, a bright fruit tone.  I could try to describe it in relation to fruit flavors but it's not going to completely work.  It's also mixing with floral range, and a mineral base, and it's not striking me as closely related to one fruit flavor.  Still let's go there.

As far as I know there is no such thing as dried mangosteen, but if there was this might taste like that.  You eat that fruit by chewing the fruit part off from an attached seed; there is no way to pull it apart.  There's a brightness, sweetness, and complexity to this fruit tone, like that.  It's not so far off some forms of dried mango, just not exactly that either.  

Mango isn't just one thing, because there are lots of versions of it, as with apples, and they vary just as much, or maybe more.  I absolutely love my favorite versions of mango but I tend to see the most common ones here more, which aren't as nice.  Then there is the holy grail of versions, something absolutely fantastic that you run across somewhere, and almost never get to see again.  I'm not saying that this tastes like the best possible mango, just going on a tangent there.

Yiwu #3:  I'm brewing both of these a bit stronger than I typically would, because both are approachable and can handle it, and I want to clear through the issue of some not being saturated yet.

Being brewed just a bit stronger than I typically would warmth and mineral range comes out a bit more.  Brewed more lightly the sweeter floral range would stand out more.  I'll try a fast round next time to check on that.  Of course I'm not still brewing these for a minute; I mean that using a 20-some second infusion time makes them stronger than I would usually prepare most sheng.

Again complex floral range stands out most, and warm mineral depth, with sweetness seeming to tie to honey flavor, that warmth.  It's pleasant; it all integrates quite well.  If this is some $1 a gram version, as it probably is, it's in the right character range to demand a high price, I just wouldn't buy teas priced like that [editing note:  it's not, the price is lower than that].  On a relatively open tea budget it could make sense; this is complex, refined, free of any flaws, and sort of on the unique side, except for being one of the most familiar broad origin ranges (there must be many local area distinctions with Yiwu, that I'm not familiar with).

Gedeng:  it evolves a bit.  That one note I've described as similar to a warm dried tropical fruit is changing, more into spice range now.  I've tried to explain what I've meant by "root spice" recently, and it's not unrelated to that.  Like sassafras root, related to root beer; let's leave it at that.  

When you drink a lot of tisanes over a long period of time lots of others come up.  Not if you are using Yogi tea producer sources and such, I mean if you can search a little broader and deeper.  There are bark spices that are out there that are sweet, complex, unique, and distinctive, way beyond cinnamon.  I went through over a decade of exploring tisanes, before I ever got into tea, over a decade ago now, so most of the names of the more interesting types I've long since forgotten.  Sage was my overall favorite; I guess that could work as a recommendation.

It's interesting comparing these two in terms of in reference to my own preference.  I really like that one distinctive note in this Gedeng tea, and it's quite pleasant how it's evolving, and how it integrates with a promising, complex, and refined base of other flavors.  In some abstract sense maybe the Yiwu is better tea, it really has depth and refinement going for it, but this adds an extra touch of interesting character.  Then I suppose others might dislike that flavor instead, and would find it off-putting.  It's funny how preference works out.

Yiwu #4:  I'm blasted from all this tea already; brewing it strong to get it to fully infuse really caught up to me.  I ate a couple of cookies to settle my stomach and slow the drug-like effect input but I'll need to take a break after this.  I suppose all that is good for someone into "cha qi" drug-like effect.  It's not really my thing.

Sweetness level seemed to drop in relation to comparing this to the taste of cookies (oatmeal with cream); that's natural enough.  After drinking some water as a reset it's more back to normal.  The effect is different for brewing these faster and lighter, not much over 10 seconds that last round.  The bright and sweet tone doesn't come out as much as I'd expect, and it's all a bit muted.  At least 15 seconds would be better, maybe even 20 again.

Gedeng:  intensity seems higher for this one, either related to this transition phase, or just how that one dominant note seems to carry the rest.  Again it's a main input that is really a bit complex, and is shifting in form across the rounds.  A catchy floral tone stands out now too, on the same level for comparative intensity.  A hint of vegetal input may be creeping in, like a light green wood tone.  It's odd that all that is changing while the Yiwu just went a bit quieter.  

These are one year apart in production date, Spring 2022 for the other, 2023 for this.  The leaf color is much darker for the Yiwu.  That's how things would go, that a version being one year old enables some transition, and two twice as much, but stored dryer that Yiwu wouldn't have changed nearly as much.  

For some sheng versions they're so intense and approachable right away that a few months rest might be helpful but they're really good new.  I bet both of these were just fine within a month of being produced.  Then a relative optimum for the first year or two of transition could be harder to place, but more challenging versions than these would be better after 2 or 3, while these may not be improving.  I like where the Gedeng version is at right now, and the Yiwu is fine, interesting for including so much depth and complexity, but I don't think hanging around for another year or two would be favorable for either.  They're good now.  

Of course it's partly a guess but I don't think there was ever a challenging range for these that needed to settle out, harsh astringency or over the top bitterness (which some people like; the stronger the better).  I just reviewed a Lincang version that was a good example of that; it was fine for people who love getting blasted by bitterness, but for me another year or two of rest will probably improve it, or maybe 3 or 4 in that case.

Yiwu, #5:  these I brewed for much longer, more like a minute, not because that makes sense, but because I was answering a message online.  It will be interesting to see what a stronger infusion turns up in them.  For positive flavor and body / feel experience it's not optimum, but sometimes flaws can be more identifiable if a tea is brewed stronger.  Or it's just a different perspective on the same tea.

Mineral is so strong in this, and a range in between wood and spice stands out.  It's actually not bad, brewed too strong like this.  It has great depth, and the balance still works.  It seems to imply that it will shift towards a vegetal range in later rounds, but that's ok too.  Nothing else like a distinct flaw turns up.  Of course warmth picks up brewing it like this, feel gets heavier, and sweetness is more moderate.  All that is a normal shift related to higher infusion strength.

Gedeng:  a green wood tone is a little too strong in this; it doesn't work quite as well.  I suppose an overbrewed round is more about seeing how it will go anyway.  That one vegetal range is a little harsh, but nothing else seems like a flaw.

Yiwu, #6:  back to sweet, lighter, more balanced, full in feel, and refined this round.  There is a vegetal note creeping in, maybe to both of these.  Someone brewing these lighter could be experiencing the same general transition level (between rounds transition) at 7 or 8 infusions along, or more; trying to get the discs / coins to open up and brewing a round extra strong really speeded things up.  Carefully separated tea from a tea cake brews better; it is what it is.  

This is fine at this round though; character is nice, balance of aspects is good.  The broad floral range input is even less distinct, now combined with warm mineral and some vegetal range picking up.  Sweetness comes across as more limited.  It still seems refined though.

Gedeng:  of course it's much better, brewed appropriately.  It's harder to place how the fruit that had transitioned to spice range is coming across now, which always had been mixed with floral range, and underlying mineral.  It all integrates.  Feel is nice; it's picking up a liqueur-like quality, that matches with some of the aromatic flavor range, or seems to.  

It can be hard separating preference from quality level determination in this.  I really like this style and set of aspects, and it seems like pretty good tea, but the two kinds of impressions mix.

I think I'll leave off taking notes here.  For pushing these teas a bit hard the transitions from here would represent more of what would typically occur in the 8th or 9th rounds, or maybe 10th or 11th if someone brews tea lightly, which isn't going to be as positive as earlier rounds for these teas.  I wouldn't say that I've botched the brewing for these, but limitations enter in related to brewing tea discs, as with dragonballs.  

That could be positive instead of negative for using a grandpa-style approach; the tea would really hang in there for lots of rounds brewed while left in a tea bottle or jar.  To me it would kind of be a shame to brew these teas this way, for being as good as they are, but if someone had a good bit of them and liked that approach then it would be fine.

Conclusions:

It's all already kind of there in the review notes part, but I can add some summary.  I liked the Gedeng version more.  It was interesting and distinctive, and the novel flavor aspect--a set of flavors, that transitioned--really worked for me.

The Yiwu was good too.  In some ways as far as quality markers go (aspects I see as identifying how good a tea is), overall balance, complexity, and depth it may have been a little better.  The Gedeng version was pretty good too though; it didn't have flaws, or thin spots in character.  I probably liked it more for being a year younger, for not transitioning as much.

Other people would already love Yiwu character, and would get hooked on minor character aspects that probably do actually tie to the gushu / plant age theme.  I'd probably just buy the Lucky Bee version instead, the newest one they sell, which seems to be 2022.  It's $53 for a standard 357 gram cake, 15 cents a gram instead of 50.  Or as I've mentioned before Tea Mania sells a sampler set; that's one way to see how you think it all works out for their types, quality level, match to preference, and value.  Then there's always the complication of meeting a cut-off level for free shipping, but most people don't have a problem with sorting out what else to add to a cart, it's the opposite that's more problematic, narrowing that down.

I've been trying different pu'er lately this year, back into broader range exploration.  One of the nice things about Tea Mania was always that value stood out, that the teas were always really good for the selling price.  I tend to avoid 50 cent to $1 a gram products but this really applies to everything I've been trying from them.  It's all pretty good tea, especially related to how that compares to the price.  I've been trying some teas selling for more that weren't as good.  In these reviews I tend to not dwell so much on value, only implying that it's a concern when it comes up.  Personal value really relates to match to preference, in the end, more than an objective quality level, so it can be hard to say that a tea isn't worth it.  

You can sometimes identify a market price, sort of, but a version has to be a really standard form or type to enable that.  It might've come up as implied in the vendor description that this one version was standard, pleasant, good quality gushu Yiwu, as if it could be compared to a norm.  I don't think they meant it that way, though; I think it was more a limited comment about flavor profile.  

It doesn't work well to taste a tea and peg an objective quality level, degree of match to standard type, typical market price, and comparison of that version to other vendors' alternatives.  Maybe some people can do some of that.  I comment on some of those things, not all of them, but I generally keep it a bit limited and vague because you can only go so far with it.