Wow that's interesting. I did not expect that much of a disparity...but such is the world of tea and different physiologies I guess. I will have to up the leaf amount and see what happens. Thanks for the feedback sir.
SOTD- sheng of the day
- Thread starter ouch
- Start date
Wow that's interesting. I did not expect that much of a disparity...but such is the world of tea and different physiologies I guess. I will have to up the leaf amount and see what happens. Thanks for the feedback sir.
Double session that kills off my 2001 CNNP Yiwu Zhengshan old tree blah blah blah from puerhshop. Again too cheap to throw out icky tea.
P_K - My reacton to both of the CGHT cakes was about the same as yours - more flavor but little chaqi from the Yiwu and a strong chaqi smack in the head from the Banzhang but a lighter taste. I liked the BZ taste more at first but it faded to a lighter taste somewhat quickly.
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Well I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who thought that!
GasNinja, I think the quality of character is the key more than whether the taste is light or not. The 2004 YQH Yiwu Chawang is a light tea, but it really does not taste faded, and seven years is definitely long enough that faded taste would be apparent. In the alternative, I think that many low and heavy tasting tea can easily age into a broad taste devoid of complexity--in fact 8582s often does this, from what I read. I would *much* rather have 7542 or 7532 than 8582s from my personal experience for this reason as well. Also, not all quality aged tea is going to be super-durable, and there are plenty of not especially durable teas that seems to be lengthening as they age...XZH XiShengMeiShao actually seems to be doing well. Totally not a durable tea when I had it as a sampler, and not so durable now, but it's getting better (as well as getting much sweeter).
Also, if that CGHT Guafengzhai was any good, any good at all, it would not be available for sale anymore at that price of $85. And this is not a price that is incongruent with Taobao prices. The issue is that it can deliver some out and out nasty brews. I did manage to have one good session out of 3 (think I blended the rest), but that good session isn't anything like as good as the 2006 Fall version, and probably a galaxy away from the $300+ 2006 Spring version. More qi than the 2007 XZH Yiwu, stronger backbone of base flavor, but not especially refined or especially pleasant to drink.
SE Memorial today, enjoyable and pleasant today.
Also, if that CGHT Guafengzhai was any good, any good at all, it would not be available for sale anymore at that price of $85. And this is not a price that is incongruent with Taobao prices. The issue is that it can deliver some out and out nasty brews. I did manage to have one good session out of 3 (think I blended the rest), but that good session isn't anything like as good as the 2006 Fall version, and probably a galaxy away from the $300+ 2006 Spring version. More qi than the 2007 XZH Yiwu, stronger backbone of base flavor, but not especially refined or especially pleasant to drink.
SE Memorial today, enjoyable and pleasant today.
Today's cup is 2008 Xiaguan FT #6 which was generously sent to me by Hobbes some time ago.
2009 Long Yuan Hao - Jingmai
This has been a good little performer for the price. Lots of mushroom, hay and grain notes.
This has been a good little performer for the price. Lots of mushroom, hay and grain notes.
So today was XZH '10 day. Had some issues with brewing kettle breaking (breville variable temp has a bad handle that eventually shears the screws holding it to the body in about 6-12 months), so I was using a crippled kettle with some slight exposed parts. That might have affected my perception today.
1) Manlin '10 was okay. I was suspicious because the brew was fairly dark, but I read that Manzhuans tend to be dark brewing. Primary flavor is standard cupcake with spices, with wood/leather elements to it. Not much qi, and not much huigan. Complex taste and durable tea. It's a little bit diddled, but not quite as much as I thought it was. There was just little oomph from the original leaves. It does have a lot of aftertastes, but they tend to be on the tongue, or slowly spreading from the back of the mouth. This isn't tea I'd be hugely interested in. Most people would be better off buying the '07 Yiwu Chawang for ten more bucks. It's better than any of the Nadacha '10s other than the Bulang and it's more approachable than said Bulang. It wouldn't really be better than most of the Nadacha '11, and I don't think I'd prefer this over my Xikong. More complex than either, but those teas were better all around performers.
2) Osanzhai '11 is clearly inferior to the Manlin. It's a more well rounded tea and tastes a bit more like a traditional puerh. More noticable qi as well, with some body warming. It's very slightly similar to the Huangshanlin, but a little more prone to having low notes, vastly less narcotic qi, and the fruit elements of citrus and berries are much less distinct. Some tendency to be sweet, but...
At first glance, these teas aren't really even up to XZH Spring 2007 standards let alone fall '07 or spring '09...
1) Manlin '10 was okay. I was suspicious because the brew was fairly dark, but I read that Manzhuans tend to be dark brewing. Primary flavor is standard cupcake with spices, with wood/leather elements to it. Not much qi, and not much huigan. Complex taste and durable tea. It's a little bit diddled, but not quite as much as I thought it was. There was just little oomph from the original leaves. It does have a lot of aftertastes, but they tend to be on the tongue, or slowly spreading from the back of the mouth. This isn't tea I'd be hugely interested in. Most people would be better off buying the '07 Yiwu Chawang for ten more bucks. It's better than any of the Nadacha '10s other than the Bulang and it's more approachable than said Bulang. It wouldn't really be better than most of the Nadacha '11, and I don't think I'd prefer this over my Xikong. More complex than either, but those teas were better all around performers.
2) Osanzhai '11 is clearly inferior to the Manlin. It's a more well rounded tea and tastes a bit more like a traditional puerh. More noticable qi as well, with some body warming. It's very slightly similar to the Huangshanlin, but a little more prone to having low notes, vastly less narcotic qi, and the fruit elements of citrus and berries are much less distinct. Some tendency to be sweet, but...
At first glance, these teas aren't really even up to XZH Spring 2007 standards let alone fall '07 or spring '09...
SOTD was the 2009 CGHT Yiwu again (from a sample). Given Hobbes impression I decided to go with more leaf today in a smaller pot - 6 gms in a 90 ml pot. I brewed the first few brews a bit longer than usual and since the pot pours a bit slow the brews were generally a bit longer than I intended. Brewing this way the tea was rather bitter, almost too much so. The first couple of brews also had some fruitiness. Between the fruitiness and the slight orange color I wonder if this tea has been diddled a bit. The dry leaf also looks a bit dark for a 2009. Presumably due to the stronger tea today I could notice the qi which was not overpowering. Still trying to make up my mind on this one. However it is certainly a much better tea than the other CGHT Yiwus currently available at HouDe, although I should probably revisit those soon.
I followed this up by finally cracking open the 2002 private pressing Yiwu brick that I purchased from another B&B member. I believe a few here have purchased this tea. It was noticeably aged but clearly in a very clean, fairly dry environment. It was a bit sweet and had a familiar Yiwu taste that I like but that not all Yiwu teas possess. I quite enjoy this tea and wish I could have bought more. Hobbes also reviewed this tea in his usual more thorough manner than I am capable of:
http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/07/2002-yiwu-bamboo-wrapped-zhuancha.html
I followed this up by finally cracking open the 2002 private pressing Yiwu brick that I purchased from another B&B member. I believe a few here have purchased this tea. It was noticeably aged but clearly in a very clean, fairly dry environment. It was a bit sweet and had a familiar Yiwu taste that I like but that not all Yiwu teas possess. I quite enjoy this tea and wish I could have bought more. Hobbes also reviewed this tea in his usual more thorough manner than I am capable of:
http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/07/2002-yiwu-bamboo-wrapped-zhuancha.html
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Had the sampler pack again today. Manlin definitely has a decent huigan in the early rounds, but low qi. I enjoyed the heck out of my 14 brews though, and if it had more qi, it'd be somewhat top stuff, given the complexity of the flavor. The Wuliang tastes like a good Wuliang. Some brews had a bit more fruit, but it's basically the same as before--it's really a daily drinker for rich people.
I checked Houde and thought "$129 for the 2007 Yiwu Chawang - maybe I'll buy some; it sounds good." I checked my notes to see if I had a sample, and it appears I have it in cake form, bought at $60-$70 each. Heh. A near-doubling in price over 4 years is rather eye-watering.
I'm looking forward to trying that pair of XZH samples, which are apparently on their way from Texas. It's very interesting to read your thoughts, so thanks for the information.
Hmm, I used around 12g in a 120ml pot for the CGHT; I suspect that we may have different ideas about what makes a strong tea.
Brewed instantly (water-in, water-out), I got a thick, interesting brew that wasn't too bitter. Perhaps I just got lucky.
On the subject of its potential "diddling", I originally thought that the dry leaves looked a bit red, and the actual character in the cup is limited in a way that might make me believe there had been some untoward oxidation. That said, its potency and never-ending sweetness (in my perhaps lucky brewing session) led me to conclude that it was mostly OK. I have a single cake on the way, after which I may come around to your line of thinking of this tea.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. I love those bricks - I haven't tried them since they arrived en masse, so perhaps it's time to get them out again.
Hmm, I used around 12g in a 120ml pot for the CGHT; I suspect that we may have different ideas about what makes a strong tea.
Brewed instantly (water-in, water-out), I got a thick, interesting brew that wasn't too bitter. Perhaps I just got lucky.
On the subject of its potential "diddling", I originally thought that the dry leaves looked a bit red, and the actual character in the cup is limited in a way that might make me believe there had been some untoward oxidation. That said, its potency and never-ending sweetness (in my perhaps lucky brewing session) led me to conclude that it was mostly OK. I have a single cake on the way, after which I may come around to your line of thinking of this tea.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. I love those bricks - I haven't tried them since they arrived en masse, so perhaps it's time to get them out again.
Hmmm...sounds like we may indeed define "strong" tea differently. My wife always tells me that the tea I brew is too weak...
I did find the CGHT 2009 Yiwu to be sweeter the last time I brewed it. I will try again soon with more leaf but shorter times. I am on the fence as to whether to order a cake or not.
As for the bricks, I found out about those just as the seller was down to the last set. Well better late than never!
Menghai V93 tuo sheng (yesterday) ... first infusion was waaaay too strong (I got distracted when the water was on the tea) but than things settled down nicely.
Today will be 2007 Mengku muyechun 002 ... now to go make tea.
Today will be 2007 Mengku muyechun 002 ... now to go make tea.
06 Mengyang Guoyan - Youle meets Nannuo
This one is improving nicely.
This one is improving nicely.
Sheng of yesteday 10 XZH Manlin Dark rich reminds me of the CGHT 07 GFZ but with better huigan and complexity but less qi. It did tend to get a pretty bitter around the 7th infusion. Although broken some of the leaves in the sample where pretty impressive large hairy with thick veins.
I was sort of under wellmed with the LaoWuShan But In all fairness I was using filtered tap water when the Manlin got bottled Fiji. Nothing really impresssive made it through the poor water.
SOTD: 93 7542 Probably the best session I've had with this tea. I have noticed a definite change in this tea in the past couple months. It seems as if the storage is fading and gaining a small bit of its youth back.
I was sort of under wellmed with the LaoWuShan But In all fairness I was using filtered tap water when the Manlin got bottled Fiji. Nothing really impresssive made it through the poor water.
SOTD: 93 7542 Probably the best session I've had with this tea. I have noticed a definite change in this tea in the past couple months. It seems as if the storage is fading and gaining a small bit of its youth back.
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2007 Mu Ye Chun 002. I have one more session of this tea remaining. Both iterations of this tea have been pretty decent but I've not fallen in love with them.
2007 Jing Mei Tang "She De" Guang Bien Lao Zhai (from a sample via HouDe) - Good bitterness with nice, floral huigians in the beginning steeps. While I don't pretend to know my puerh regions by taste, this reminded me of a Jinggu area tea like the Bana Limited Edition 2008. I should try that one again for comparison. While I can say that this is a high-quality tea I'm not sure it is to my taste. I think I prefer to have the sweetness of certain Yiwu teas or the meaty/umami flavor of other teas. I will certainly try this again soon though. Oh, and it showed some slight hints of age - slightly orange in the cup but clearly experienced dry storage.
Edit: Ok, I was wrong. Guang Bien Lao Zhai is in Bulang. Thanks shah8.
Edit: Ok, I was wrong. Guang Bien Lao Zhai is in Bulang. Thanks shah8.
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SotD: 2005 Douji "Red Yisheng" - the spring edition (400g), rather than the autumn edition (357g but no weight shown on the front wrapper). It's a noticeably large bing, which tastes heavy, sweet, and laden with tobacco. I would need to try this head-to-head with the autumnal edition in order to determine the differences, but, on its own, it's a great little cake. Probably more for fans of Douji than anything else (such as me!), but tasty nonetheless.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
