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Sweet and mellow sheng. Full body with a soft texture. Active in the mouth with nice mouth/throat coating. Quick hitting lower level relaxing qi which I enjoyed very much. Lingering aftertaste. The 1st sip was noticeably pleasant – fruit and honey sweetness dominated the flavor profile. My enjoyment continued throughout the session (8-9) steeps. I’m a fan! I was working with a sample of this and the 2006 Yechawang so that I can make a purchase decision. Based on my time with these two samples, I am fairly certain I prefer the Wuyangcha but I have enough for one more session before I commit.

Sweet, creamy, vanilla, dark cocoa – the best descriptors for this fine shu! Very drinkable and enjoyable with no off-putting taste at all. The flavor profile was less developed in the first two steeps but by the third it had picked up and then exploded in the fourth. Half a cake left and I wish White 2 Tea had more.

Jinggu material from older wild trees forms the basis for this sheng brick. An average looking brick – some whole tea leaves but heavy on the stems and pieces. Made by a former CNNP “feeder” factory. JingGu White Dragon Tea Industry (formerly known as Yunnan Jinggu Tea Mill) was founded in 1958 and used to be one of the six CNNP manufacturer with code name “5”. At the end of 2003, it was changed to a privately owned enterprise JingGu White Dragon Tea Industry. Jinggu White Dragon Tea is sometimes referred to as Jinggu BaiLong Tea Factory because the Jinggu area is known for one particular tea varietal – Da Bai Hao.
The aroma is sweet and appealing and its taste is thick and mellow. There are definite tones of honey with an aggressive pleasant bitter component. There are also hints of tobacco in the background. In later infusions, overripe fruit and honey are present. The taste seems to permeate the mouth and offers a distinctive lingering aftertaste. The session provided a refreshing and slightly chilling effect and the bitterness is really quite minimal as the sweeter flavors dominate. Overall, this is full in taste and a nicely balanced sheng with a few years of aging. The tea is appealing in its power and tendency to tickle the tongue and linger in the mouth and throat. Good amount of character with a non-threatening bitterness to offer more complexity.

This is the first year of production for the Mu Shu Cha and this premium cake is now seen as a classic production from the Shuangjiang Mengku Tea Co. Early spring material from the Shuangjiang region in the county of Lincang. Stone pressed – a mix of many whole leaves with stems and pieces. The tea liquor is a rich deep golden color and the early infusions are very aromatic, pungent and slightly astringent, with a mature sweetness. Strong aftertaste and thick mouthfeel. The tea becomes a bit creamy and fruity in later infusions and rather full in the mouth with a thickness that stays long on the tongue. 2005 was a particularly good production year for S.Mengku and many of these teas have become highly regarded mid-age shengs. The prices are very fair given the quality of the material and the age. This tea sells for $72 (500g = $0.14/g) and last year I purchased the 2005 DaXueShan (Big Snow Mtn.) from White2Tea for $60 (357g = $0.17/g). Two very good semi-aged teas. If you happen to run across either at a good price, definitely worthy of consideration.

YQH teas are not inexpensive; however, this tea is a relatively modest cost of $0.39 per gram (500g cake). I made my purchase last year and was fortunate enough to pay $0.35/g. With eleven years of age and pure Yiwu gushu material, this is a very good price! Lots and lots of beautiful whole leaves (but also stems and broken pieces as well). Bright and clear golden tea liquor. Floral/fruity aroma and a very sweet/mellow sip. Good longevity – I can easily go 10-11 infusions and I usually give up before the leaf does. The qi is also there but it is a gentle qi – evoking what I can best describe as a thoughtful meditative state. Nice daily drinker for me and I have successfully shared with non-tea drinking guests.

Beware – this is not an apple tea! Named for a George Harrison song, “apple scruffs” refers to a group of serious Beatles fans in the late 1960s. As for this puer cake, it is made with leaf from XiGui in the eastern Lincang Region. In my experience, XiGui tea is rather gentle and sometimes a bit finicky – this one is no exception. Note: over-brew or over-leaf this tea and you produce a less appealing bitter and astringent cup. Floral scent comes from the dry leaf of the cake which has lots of whole leaves. Bright clear yellow tea soup results from the leaf infusion – floral and sweet are the best taste descriptors for this tea liquor. Lingering mouth- and throat-feel. More fruity with sugarcane sweetness after the 4th infusions. I must say this really was a refreshing break from the older shengs I’ve been enjoying lately. Not terribly complex but a very nice tea if you do not care for the earthier puer so many of us drink regularly.

Clean and smooth with a bit of maltiness and a slight hint of pleasant bitterness in the background. Found the sweet woodiness which I tend to enjoy in my shu. This Dayi production is not as sweet as some ripe teas I have had recently but I very much enjoyed this tea session. Decent longevity for a shu – I took it through eight infusions and each cup had robust flavor. Those fearing strong “wo dui” will be glad to know this has little to none. This one is an easy drinker.

Gushu blend of material from the original six famous mountains (Yiwu, Mangzhi, Yibang, Youle, Manzhuan, Gedeng). With a mix of both autumn and spring leaf, it seems to have a thicker body and heavier brew than many of the YQH productions. Nice complexity during the tea session – I found both tobacco and old book leather (particularly in earlier infusions) as well as herbs, sweetness and fruitness. Active mouthfeel throughout the session. Never turned to bitterness. Very good YQH value found in this tea – premium 6 mountain blend; 10 years of age; great longevity and endurance; 500g cake ($0.39/gram). Dare I say a bargain YQH tea?

This delicious shu offers a very pleasant mix of flavors – dates, spices and a gentle woodiness. The first two cups are dominated by a nice earthiness but the sweetness, fruitiness and spiciness build quickly throughout the following infusions. No fermentation flavors at all. Very warming cup which is full of complexity throughout the tea session. Solid longevity – good for many resteeps ( I enjoyed eight flavorful cups today). This session reminded me that Menghai Dayi definitely offers many smooth and rich shu puer productions.