72 Tasting Notes
This raw buddy blew my mind! Already the bouquet of those steaming leaves is hard to place. It is so unique that at first your mind starts to figure out what it is but you definitely know one thing from the start “This is going to be amazing!” – This raw young Sheng is so masterfully composed I think the best I had so far (now this fellow climbed
up to be number one for now) – it is so unbelievably silky soft sweet with an aroma of vanilla pudding and beeswax – also taste-wise this buttery soft silky texture unfolds in such sweet deliciously flavors of buttery bakery sweets, bourbon vanilla pudding notes, milky honey-ish fine layers and floral herbal notes of ginkgo (maidenhair tree), blackberry leaves but also actual blackberries and camomile! Wow! I just got an epiphany what its taste reminds me of – there is a certain Portuguese warm sweet made of vanilla pudding and flaky pastry called Pastéis de Nata – this stuff is highly addictive as this Sheng is too and this aroma and taste is one of its kind! Even steeping it for a longer time (around 40/50 seconds) those not make it bitter! This Sheng is highly highly MASSIVELY recommendable!
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This was a very veggie raw fresh Sheng with a not so complex structure. There is a bit of Edamame and also some very young pear skin at the end of it but not as complex or sweet as some others in this Lincang set tend to be. Don’t get me wrong this is in fact a nice very green tea like refreshing good starter for beginners aka an everyday raw Shen
g – but best consumed in Summer times! Because this Sheng got quite a cooling effect and maybe better enjoyed with warm sunbeams on your shoulders ^___~
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Those very bright yellow colored cups tend to circle more around those vegetable notes as some others did before (out of this Lincang sample sets). But this fellow got one thing in common especially with the He Bian Zhai – no bitterness at all – at least if you don’t infuse it for 1 Minute or more ;) ! Also a very warming fellow with as sweet ling
ering corn syrup echo at the end of every sip. With its Edamame, sweet carrots taste and a hint of chestnuts and sweet potatoes it somehow reminds me a bit of a fresh nice quality mix between a Chinese green like Taiping Houkui and a Japanese Sencha but with the typical Pu-erh refinement to it. But this isn’t just a threesome in fact it is a foursome! Because and this is another aspect in common with the He Bian Zhai you might also discover an atmosphere of TGY or Taiwanese Oolong to it too. Beside those aspects there is also a certain peppery spiciness within its highly enjoyable liquor. Considering its young age this raw buddy is very easy on the stomach! The aftertaste is very long lasting and tend to stick to your palatal and tongue very long and sweet!
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This raw Sheng really build his home around a lot of different types of vegetables. Especially within the steaming scenting part there is a lot to discover. Starting with cauliflower, broccoli followed by further bouquets of carrots and a fine mix of chestnuts and sweet potato. There is definitely more of a bitterness tart layer to it as with most
of the other Lincang samples. Taste-wise this tartness is definitely something different within this buddy here but also a more peppery sharp tone to it with also a certain flowery bitterness of dandelion and gentian. There is definitely a strong corn juice within its profile but without the sweetness. Generally said there isn’t much sweetness inside this fellow. Quite different as its colleagues he is more located at the tart, bitter and vegetable frontline. There is also quite a stony and mineral taste to it. Another thing that’s quite high quality-ish is the saponin levels – so many bubbles and they stay at their spots nearly as long as you finish drinking this cup of Teng Tiao Cha.
I totally agree with the description that this raw buddy is different as those other Big Snow Mountains and also Lincang sampler fellows BUT…! I guess with so many things in life also this Pu here might be a matter of taste because it did not impressed mine that much to be honest. For me personally it’s a bit unbalanced and lacks to much within the sweet and field flowery aspects generally with a wide range of complexity within its tasting profile. There is a lot other stuff going on but that’s not really my type of character I prefer. It really depends if you’re a lover of the taste & flavors, of the effect & Qi or both. For me taste and flavors comes first then through this experience the impact for example of warmth and relaxation sets in. So it starts with one thing and ends with the satisfaction but in this case I missed this a little bit. But try it for yourself – maybe it is exactly your thing! ___
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Every stage of its bouquet development is just breath taking. First it starts with unique woodsy notes and a strong leathery flowery mixture which reminds me of a well balanced natural manly perfume. But the massive power isn’t even there yet. After the magic of a rinse happened those steaming leaves exhale such a magnificent might of aromas which
is at first purely overwhelming. This whole atmosphere unfolds such a thick flowery and thick honey-ish flavor with a creamy buttery dense sweet corn layer to it. Those flower aspects reminds me instantly of those wild pu-erh sun dried buds. Very mellow and sweet with a certain resemblance of a very sweet fresh white tea.
Taste wise all those former named nuances now takes place within your whole tasting section and conquers each and every inch of it. It’s thick, full and warming your whole body and soul. If your nose is blocked a bit this fellow helps you the set it free! With this cup of tea you feel like home no matter where you at – it welcomes you with all its honey floral sweet components – protects you with a warming touch and let your mind rest and ease with a feeling that nothing can stress or disturb from just being in that moment. The “Saponin-Level” is quite high and shows a nice bubble foam on the tea surface even after the fourth infusion – this also shows the rich content and quality of those old arbor leaves. The whole mouth feel is massively enjoyable with its flowery honey accents and a fine adstringent-bitter layer to it – This buddy makes a perfect candidate to be age for a very long time. Love it!
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I nearly tasted all of the Lincang samples and this buddy here is by far the most similar to green tea. In some ways a fine mix between a very fresh young Sencha (Shincha) and a fresh Taiping Houkui! The vegetal note of artichokes and Brussel sprouts plus a fine citrus peppery touch to it is quite nice but does not indicate much to be a raw Sheng!
Don’t get me wrong – this fine tea is definitely highly enjoyable but in this case I also need to compare it to the other fellows I already tested – and in comparison this one isn’t my absolute favorite! The aftertaste is also a lovely part of its composition and in some way mouthwatering which is normally the case in the beginning as in the echo but this is a very unique and also an enjoyable aspect of this raw fellow. Within this aftertaste you finally can also taste the fruity aspects of pear skin, grape skin all with a bit of fruit pulp to it but more within its skin! There is also a stronger mineral stony aspect to it which feels like if you take fresh spring water and add some river stones to it.
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Aroma: Gosh I am in love with this fresh Sheng! It literally was love at first sniff :D – there is such an uniqueness to its whole aromatic structure which is majorly sweet orientated. The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was such an overwhelming freshness and also a very distinct flavor of fresh strawberries with their green. Lovel
y! If those leaves are a bit cooled down you might notice a slightly fruity alcoholic hint to it! Smelling on those empty cups after you took the last sip is another highlight within this amazing tea – such a great mix of beeswax and honey!
Taste: The texture of the actual liquor is very silky and creamy with such a instant sweetness from the start. This sweetness is on one half of it very sweet corn syrup like with a sweet vegetable but also with a fruity note of strawberries plus a hint of Nam dok mai (Thai mango) at the very end of it. But talking about strawberries this isn’t only naturally noticeable also in a mix between this and a Hi-Chew strawberry gum flavor version too (Japanese gum candy)! This fellow is very unique. I never ever got such a special profile within a fresh sheng. In some ways there is a touch of Taiwanese Oolong flavor in it. Very uncommon. I never ever tasted such a sweet Sheng! Besides those fruity aspects there is also something cooling and warming to it. Within the throat you can feel a certain cooling sensation which is quite minty in some ways but for the rest of the body it is more a warming and relaxing experience. There is no bitterness within this fresh Raw at all.
This is one of the best fresh Shengs I’ve ever had! Just amazing!
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Within my order which was half fresh raw and half aged Sheng this is definitely my favorite aged Sheng! Already the scent is exactly my thing :) – with such a mouth watering steaming thickness of something elegantly smoked like fine smoked ham with a hint of Worcestershire sauce to it and a dense layer of old leather mixed with cigar non smoky tob
acco scent plus a subtle finish of cashew and pine nuts. Very juice complex ~ a pleasure scenting-wise!
But the journey doesn’t end here – taste-wise does former steaming bouquet notes perfectly reflects themselves within the actual liquor with such a nice all covering fury feel within your whole inner mouth region. Beside this well placed and with care composed smoky ham note plus a view drops of Worcestershire everything is placed on in old leather wrapped books filled with wisdom and love like this old Sheng. This whole magnificent play blends in perfectly with my most loved aged character: Aged Agarwood and warm cozy cigar tobacco flavor – not the for some unpleasant smoked version! ;) – This fellow just hit its first actual year of being considered as aged with its now 10 years in total but it turns out to be much better and well aged as much older ones tend to be. The persistent taste and mouth feel is a sensation of its own. After a couple of steeps a certain dryness starts the develop within your throat. The aftertaste got something fruity sweet inside which reminds me again of very young not overpowering sweet pears but more within their skin with some pulp to it but there is also something vegetable-ish to it with a fresh water juicy hint of cucumber! Price-, fragrant- & taste-wise highly recommendable!
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This is exactly my kind of jam! The steaming bouquet offers such a beautiful thick mouth watering sensation which already predicts an unforgettable tea session to come. Beside that major aspects are definitely a certain type of woodsy ham smokiness which reminds me a bit of a light smoked cranberry ham and some kind of mineral iron content like if
the water was actually boiled in a high end Tetsubin cast iron pot.
Taste-wise it moves into a similar direction but with additive nuances of leather, camphor and my beloved aged Agarwood flavor! Within the following seconds and minutes the aftertaste never seems to fade and transforms into a more nutty region with hints of walnuts and a clear note of chestnuts. But also a nice ripe fruity layer of pear skin plus a tiny note of cheery blossoms shows up on the scene. The thick liquor leaves a certain dry feel within the throat behind. Telling the story of the following infusions is like telling a story of the past and the future because there is a lot staying at the same deliciously level as it did before at least for the next couple of infusions to come but also a stronger tendency towards fruitier and slightly field floral notes. Its only weakness is its durability – the first four infusions are the strongest while 5-6 are also still good and with a lot to discover but with the 8th infusion it really arrived at its zenith. But in my case I highly enjoyed this buddy :)
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