2015 Lao Man E

From Liquid Proust’s MX-King Tea group buy

Just got the box today but couldn’t wait for the tea to rest. Had to try some. It’s really good; much better than I expected for the price. I’m glad I decided to go for a second cake.

The cake was fairly well compressed, but I was able to easily chip off a sample. The leaves aren’t whole, but are large pieces. Looks like a quality cake. The dry cake smells grassy, which isn’t surprising for a young sheng.

First steep had a light straw flavor. Very pleasant but simple. Strong cha qi. 2nd steep is more complex, with some apricot and wood along with the straw. Slight acidity adds texture. Tons of cha qi. 3rd : I’m overwhelmed by the cha qi. Several more enjoyable steeps. I kept drinking it for most of the evening, getting something like 30 ounces out of my 2 gram sample, though the last couple of steeps were weak after a 2 minute steep. I kept taking breaks because the cha qi made me light-headed.

Thanks so much to Liquid Proust, the tea detective who found this bargain. I can’t wait to try the other teas!