Tried the 2010 XZH Risk One's Life to Pursue--the one with burnt orange special wrapper. Where the Chen's Thousand Year tea is like listening to an acoustic guitar being strummed, this is more like listening to a trumpet solo. It's a little empty, with a kind of note/tone within. A delicate kind of taste. A nice, but not too strong aroma. Qi is about the same or a bit less. This has way better huigans. It doesn't go down the throat or warms it as much, but it does cool the mouth strongly. The body is thicker and sticky/robust, compared to the 2007 tea from BTH. I think I liked yesterday's premium tea better on account of the louder, broader flavor that's still complex too. I'm not sure this would compare all that favorably with the 2009 XZH teas either, and this gives a bit more evidence of a strong dropoff in XZH's quality after 2009. The Sanhetang shop wanted to sell this for a bit less than the 2007@ NT$13k. I strongly encourage those with an interest in boutique name area teas to aquire 2003-2007 (2009 at the very latest, and that's kinda far) with some effort and urgency. I have one more try with this tea left.
I also tried the 2010 fall Mangfei from YS. Decent aroma, good body, a ku, but there is little that goes on with the flavor profile. You get the broad taste and all, but it tastes dead on top, like the '04 Zhaizipo. Doesn't have redeeming aspects underneath either. Not a bad tea, but there are so many better teas out there, even other Manfei at YS (2012 spring), for the price, that peeps probably should forget about this one.
I also tried the 2010 fall Mangfei from YS. Decent aroma, good body, a ku, but there is little that goes on with the flavor profile. You get the broad taste and all, but it tastes dead on top, like the '04 Zhaizipo. Doesn't have redeeming aspects underneath either. Not a bad tea, but there are so many better teas out there, even other Manfei at YS (2012 spring), for the price, that peeps probably should forget about this one.