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Jip Eu Xigui left, then JE LBZ middle, and Moychay version right, in all photos |
I visited my favorite local Bangkok Chinatown shop over a month ago now, before visiting the US, to pick up some basic Shui Xian for gifts "back home." The owner, Kittichai, gave me some coins of what look to be interesting sheng pu'er. His description of what they are:
This tea is the product that the shop sells. It is raw Pu-erh tea. There are 4 production sources: 1. Laobanzhang, 2. Xigui, 3. Pingdao, 4. Yiwu (ripe Pu-erh). It is produced by Si Da Ming Pu Company, which is a factory owned by relatives.
They were #1 and 2 of those, the LBZ and Xigui.
Given how LBZ works out the next question that arises is always "is it real?" There is a narrower village area, what LBZ is really supposed to mean, and then the common claim is that much of what is presented as such is really from a larger area, so related but not exactly the same. I'm not accusing that shop or this tea of it not being legitimate; I can't really weigh in on source location issues like that. Which brings up how one might even begin to guess about that origin issue, or weigh any evidence.
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it would've been cool if the tiny discs had age stamps on the labels |
I've tried a number of LBZ versions, or teas presented as such, maybe a half dozen or so, or at least 4 or 5; it's hard to keep track. I just noticed that I had some from Moychay LBZ from a few years back, a 2020 version, so I can compare the versions. Of course one version being aged longer changes everything, and it's not as if teas from those narrow source areas are necessarily all completely identical. Every year micro-climate issues change the harvest, and very local growing conditions factor in, along with processing, and there should be some variation in plant ages and type.
Trying three teas together would be a lot, but I do like to lean into combined tastings to keep these multi-part reviews moving along. I'll do it!
I'll be skipping the part about referencing vendor product listings, because I don't have access to any. The Jip Eu tea is sold by a Bangkok shop, and I didn't do an extensive search to see if I could find this online, but that's unlikely anyway. I looked up the old review I wrote for this Moychay LBZ version (here), but it didn't reference a product link. The post said that one was up but it didn't have pricing details yet; I really should've referenced it anyway, back then, in case it might still work now. That review mentioned a lot of fruit, and of course it's on to warmer tones now, almost four years later. The time just flies.
I never did get a production age from Jip Eu until after I tried these. They're from 2018, so two years older than the Moychay version (2020), aged 6 years now, or maybe 6 1/2, depending on when they were made. It was interesting considering that during the tasting, because it's not at all clear from the character. They seem significantly aged, but not fully aged, and there is a lot of space for potential age in between a couple years old and a decade.
Review:
Jip Eu Xigui: a little light; I didn't really try to stretch out a first infusion time enough to make this more conventional. It works well getting a limited first impression then really starting on round 2.
This will be good. Complex floral tones already show through, supported by warmer range. This almost has to be a good bit older than half a year old, this year's tea, judging from that character. And from the brewed liquid color; both are too dark. At an early guess this is probably better than the average sheng I try, maybe even some versions presented as exceptional. There's a faint hint of smoke. I'll do more of a list description next round.
Jip Eu Lao Banzhang: in a sense forward flavors are less pronounced, but a richness and depth comes through better than for the first version already. Again this just can't be a 2024 tea, or a whole section would be needed to discuss how that kind of anomaly could even occur, but I can't guess how old it is yet. This is also clearly very exceptional tea, even based on getting a limited early impression. Floral range is pleasant, and there's lots more going on with it. Warm mineral depth is nice, positively supporting the rest, and feel is already positive.
Moychay Lao Banzhang: this is going to hold its own with the other two, at the least; it is also exceptional. It might be getting a slightly faster start for being maocha initially, for opening up and brewing faster, related to never having been compressed. For this being a 2020 tea it has transitioned a good bit; early fresh, bright flavors have evolved to become pleasantly complex warmer tones, with an awful lot going on. It has a pleasant fruitiness, which I'll describe more as I go.
For sure it's not possible to buy this tea, and hasn't been for years. It's a shame; I can see why adding significant spending to tea sourcing to set away versions like this for mixed lengths of time would add a lot to tea experience. If this had been a relatively costly (but perhaps still reasonable) $3 / gram setting aside an extra 50 grams would cost more than a standard boutique produced cake, as long as it wasn't gushu. Along the way the same sourcing issue would come up; is it real? It's quite good, but I never could definitively guess about origin location claims, even for more mundane source concerns.
JE Xigui #2: these should be brewing just fine, on to guessing about infusion time for less material than I usually brew, maybe about 5 grams. I'll err on the long side this round, just in case, and go close to 30 seconds.
There's a bit of smoke in this, pronounced enough that you can't miss it, but not overpowering. There was a hint in the aroma the first round but you couldn't taste it as clearly; here you can. It's strong enough that it's a main flavor input, so that does change things, so that someone's feeling about that input would determine the entire experience. I don't mind it, but it's hard to see it as positive, an improvement. Beyond that the rest is fine, some mixed floral range, good supporting mineral, and other harder to isolate warmer tones. It may need to drop out over more rounds to enable a clearer interpretation of the rest.
The smokiness tastes like wood fire smoke, like a fireplace that's empty but that has been used a lot.
Jip Eu LBZ: as I interpret this it's in a place where initial brighter floral range is well along in transitioning to warmer tones, to spice range and such, with warm mineral replacing what was probably earlier on lighter mineral. I don't think it's at the teenage-years threshold character where versions tend to not make sense, not fully switched over, but kind of showing gaps where the change hasn't filled in yet. But it's not like a young / new sheng either; early sweet, light, bright range is well along with transitioning.
Storage conditions varying so much related to changes makes it hard to guess the age. 7 or 8 years of dry storage can be comparable to just 3 or 4 in a warm, humid place, even if the changes aren't exactly the same. It's not as if it's the same changes at a certain distance down a linear path.
Feel is quite pleasant, the way that full, warm mineral tones join a full, rich feel that seems related. Bitterness is still present, but not much of it. What is still there transitions nicely to sweetness after you drink it (funny how I never mention hui gan here; it's that).
Moychay LBZ: that's so nice! There's so much fruit present, in a very interesting and positive range. A little dryness and bitterness offsets it, and there is plenty of warm mineral tone too, but one part of the flavor range is really interesting, complex, warm dried fruit. This may not be a fair trial for the Jip Eu versions, if this has aged longer, and the extra couple of years has allowed it to evolve this depth and complexity. Or it could be that varying storage inputs make that an uneven input, or that changes in initial form and potential mean the teas never would seem similar, even with the same storage input and amount of storage time to change them.
The warm dried fruit might be along the line of dried longan, but a root spice tone stands out just as much, as you try to break it down, towards sassafras. The warmth and character range is reminiscent of cinnamon, it's just not a close match for flavor for that. The fruit tone, or tones, I think people would interpret in different ways. Dried longan is just a place-holder to give a clearer impression; really it's complex.
Jip Eu Xigui #3: I'm really feeling these teas already; that's the obvious drawback of trying a three way comparison. I've already drank some water and ate a few nuts between these rounds; kind of early for resorting to that.
The smoke flavor might be settling out already in this, but it's still there. It will probably take one more round to describe the rest better, which would work better if the smoke input happens to clear up. I went with a fast infusion this round, no longer than 10 seconds, and that doesn't help the rest stand out more.
Jip Eu LBZ: this is really good, quite exceptional. It doesn't help it that the next version I'm comparing it to will be that much more complex and intense, across really interesting scope. The two do overlap a little in basic flavor; dried fruit, with some floral range that's more in the background in the other that stands out in this. The warmer tone range is comparable, mixing with other spice range.
It may be that this isn't as transitioned as the other, so it's in a different place, back on floral versus fruit, not settled into warmer tone range yet. It's good, and it's complex, but compared to the other it might seem a little muted. It can't really be the "in-between" timing and fermentation transition concern; no matter how young or old these are this seems slightly less fermentation-transitioned than the other four year old version.
Fall material versions can come across as less intense; an input like that might come into play. That's also one way that LBZ material can turn up in remotely accessible or affordable forms, along with origin being just a little outside that narrower village area range, or from somewhere else entirely.
Moychay LBZ: warmth and depth picks up in this; it's different trying it brewed this fast. This may "brew out" relatively quickly, given how fast it got started, and that I'm not using that much leaf for this, maybe about 5 grams, or it could even be 4.
This is much more whole-leaf compared to the other two versions. That should reduce astringency in this version, and increase it in the others (relatively), muting intensity a little in this, and adding more challenging aspect range to the others. They're all pretty approachable though; that makes me think the other two must not be very young material, along with the flavor tones being warm, brewed leaf darkening some, and liquid color not being lighter.
This Moychay version is quite dark in brewed liquid appearance, on the red side. That's actually a little unfamiliar, a sheng of this age turning that red. It's been here in Bangkok for some years (3?), and that pushes the pace of transition. Still the brewed liquid color is reddish, not so far off how black teas appear, not just darkened, more gold or onto between golden and amber instead.
A bit more warm mineral tone and astringency edge seems to emerge, possibly a function of the infusion transition cycle, and also related to brewing this round faster. It would seem odd if that was it's best flavor range already passed through, while the Xigui version is still dropping out an early smoke aspect. I'll give all three between 15 and 20 seconds next round, to get back to a more conventional infusion strength (for me, I guess that I mean).
Xigui #4: there is some darkened area on the wet leaves; that smoke seems to relate to char from the leaf actually being singed a little. It may not drop out then, if it's not from smoke contact, instead from the leaf being slightly burned.
It's not dropping out. There's good sweetness and pleasant aspect range beyond it, it's just harder for me to identify in that context. This tea does seem to be good for quality level; feel is full and rich, and overall character is refined. I suppose it would be complex floral tones that I'd be going on more about. Complexity is probably pretty good too; there are layers of different aspects present. If someone is fine with a touch of smoke, or even enjoys that, this could still seem exceptional.
I can appreciate it as pleasant to drink but it's throwing off evaluating it related to it being a better than average quality sheng version, or related to describing other aspects in detail.
JE LBZ: this is getting even better. Richness is more intense; overall complexity and balance is better. Intensity isn't necessarily a strength, but there's a lot going on, across a very positive range.
Dried fruit mixes with other layers of aspects, or other range, making it harder to isolate. That's along the line of dried mango, combining with limited warm floral range, warm mineral, and some spice tones. Some bitterness and a rich feel, including a little dryness, adds to the overall complexity. The final effect is pleasant, refined, and complex, just not necessarily as intense as it might be.
Moychay LBZ: this is evolving, changing. Dried fruit range is similar but different; spice range is just as pronounced, or even more so, but again it's changing. Dried fruit had reminded me of dried longan, and a touch more savory edge is showing up in this, maybe shifting towards dried tamarind. Spice range is different, in a way that's hard to describe.
There's still a catchy set of complex, approachable flavors present, related to the earlier set. Maybe a touch of warm menthol joins the rest, like a less edgy version of mint, or menthol. Or camphor, plenty of people might move directly on to suggesting, given how standard interpretations go, but to me it's more like an extra hint of wintergreen mint.
This definitely isn't fading yet; interesting transitions are still occurring. Five rounds is so much tea though, 15 of these little cups; that might have to do. I'll need another break just to get to that next round.
Xigui #5: smoke input is lightening, balancing out a bit. This is pretty good tea, evident in the layers of inputs, the complex flavors and rich feel. It's funny how that one smoke input can really alter and redefine the rest. As it is this is a good example of a pretty good tea, but a lot of distinctiveness drops out for natural focus shifting to that one aspect.
JE LBZ: also a very pleasant, rich, complex, and refined tea. It giving up range in terms of intensity and novel flavor inputs stands out a lot more in comparison with the other LBZ version; it would seem better without that comparison. It'll be interesting to hear the age of this tea, to see how that input led to this result.
Moychay LBZ: a little brighter, more complex and novel in flavor range, also warmer in a sense, with warm mineral tones and rich feel supporting the rest, and just as refined as the other. It's hard to not conclude that it's better. It may be fading just a little already, having spent a lot of early intensity relatively quickly.
Something unusual seemed to have been happening with how this age-transitioned; it seems as much like it's slightly oxidized as it seems fermented. The color is a part of that, it being reddish, but a warm tone range reminds me of black tea character. Quite often that comes up in lower quality sheng that's not made properly, which doesn't have good aging potential, and ends up tasting woody before it's even fully aged. This isn't like that. It's exceptional, and aging to be just as pleasant as when young, just in a different novel character.
Maybe the hot and humid Bangkok conditions pushed it through a much faster transition cycle than 4 1/2 years would usually enable? Maybe it being maocha enabled that to go even faster, so that this is as transitioned as 7 or 8 year old versions stored under different conditions would experience? It's possible that tea stored in cool and dry conditions, tightly pressed, would change less in a decade, and that the form those changes would take would vary. It's quite good as it is though, the main thing.
It seems at least possible that this lost some 15 to 20 year cycle transition potential along the way, that it's not in the right place to keep improving for more than another decade as a result. Only time would really tell. It seems likely that the other LBZ version would fade over the next 3 or 4 years, in addition to changing to include more warm flavor tones.
Conclusions:
The missing input in those notes had been the age of the two two Jip Eu versions (produced by the Si Da Ming Pu Company; mentioned earlier in the description, but not something I've been repeating). It's from 2018; it was two years older than the LBZ version used for comparison, 6 years old now.
It makes sense that it's a bit less intense, related to having more time to age-transition, but that wasn't necessarily completely evident in the other character. Level of transition seems pretty comparable, in relation to markers like color of leaves, color of brewed liquid, and range of flavor tones, or maybe slightly less transitioned. That's not so unusual; the tea was compressed instead, and probably spent a good bit of time in Yunnan, maybe essentially the whole time. Bangkok climate changes tea fast.
I've been running in 90+F / 30+C high humidity (70% or so) conditions lately (in Bangkok), and it only cools down to 90 F / 30 C in the evening. It's not the rainy season but it rains sometimes, and it's crazy how humid it is at other times anyway. It's hot and humid for tea and for people.
It's hard to place why the Jip Eu LBZ would be that much less intense, but it had good complexity and good positive character, so that only stood out as much in the direct comparison. Maybe it was autumn harvest material; that would make a difference. One thing I didn't emphasize much in the review description was that the broken leaf character of the two Jip Eu versions should have caused much higher astringency experience; that should've changed the feel, related to the other. Maybe the extra aging time offset that, without causing other changes that made it seem significantly older (but then 2 more years isn't that much older).
I can't say anything about value related to these, since I don't know any pricing ranges, but I could guess a little about quality level. For the Xigui that's problematic because to me a bit of smokey character defined that tea experience, and to me that's not really a conventional input for better teas, as it had been more normal quite awhile back, related to how sheng often was a decade ago.
That leaves considering which of the LBZ versions seemed better. I suppose the Moychay version did. It was more whole leaf (not necessarily better taken alone, but that can tie to more positive aspects), and a bit more complex and intense, and both had comparable positive character. It was favorable that the Moychay LBZ expressed a bit more dried fruit, more supporting spice range, and then either a little mint or camphor.
The Jip Eu LBZ was well worth experiencing though. If it was selling for a moderate price, maybe even beyond $1 a gram, given how "moderate" can be relative, then it seems worth trying out.
Things shift for me related to trying a pleasant 10 gram--or so; about that--coin of exceptional tea versus buying a 200 gram small cake of one. $10 is good bit to spend on two tea sessions, but not much for trying exceptional tea (not that I know the pricing for these; I don't). There's just absolutely no way I'd spend $200 on a 200 gram cake, of just about anything. If I earned three times as much income and my son's upcoming college education expenses seemed more sorted out maybe, but as things stand spending $90 on a standard size cake is already plenty.
It was really nice trying these. It leads me to think about how these are in comparison with the last two sets of pretty good sheng I've been trying, the last two reviews, but it's too much to go into. Sheng can vary a lot in character, and be quite positive in different ways, for different reasons. That Tea Mania Mengsong from last week's review was pretty good (a 2014, with lots of variation in probably aging changes and related character), but this Moychay LBZ is in a really nice place now, and it's that much more novel, setting aside simple pleasantness of aspects.
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where I run; the lights make it nice |
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the view at work, with a screen adding a digital effect |
