u/Adventurous-Cod1415

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of toasted cooked rice, with sweet floral note, fruity funk on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - immediately slick across the tongue, light bite with some fruitiness, sweetness hits the corners of the jaw, hint of a toasty note right at start ilof sip then disappears, rocky/mineral note on tongue

Steep 2 (flash) - a bit more of an immediate bite but nothing too aggressive, fruity sweetness moves in immediately behind it, floral top notes move in bringing alternate waves of floral candy and fruity candy

Steep 3 (5s) - that initial punch take another small step up, tongue coating on border between slick and dry, sweetness also increasing into the finish, very fresh/crisp into the finish

Steep 4 (10s) - less bitterness, but a definite viscosity to the soup, less drying than previous steep (salivation is helping), feeling energized

Steep 5 (20s) - bitterness still low, crisp veggies, florals, sweet fruit (pear/delicious apple), mouth coating there, not dry or super slick

Steep 6 (45s, pushing) - a bit more of a punch and viscosity, sweet fruit and cool veggies, finish long and candy-like but lower in intensity, caffeine intensity increasing

Steep 7+ (1min+) - becoming longer and more floral-sweet as the finish extends

Overall Impression - This kind of fits the typical mold of Jingmai Single Trees for me - less intensity than their Menghai Single Trees offerings, but still a notable increase in mouthfeel and sweetness compared to their mixed-picking teas. I'm looking forward to trying their Gulan and Miyun soon to compare this year's Jingmai releases. Nice tea, but from a value perspective I think the Tang Fang Liang Zi Single Trees offers more for less if you're looking for a less-aggressive single trees offering from FL this year

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - light cooked rice, floral funky notes on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, floral notes reminiscent of unroasted oolong, almost- gritty thickness on the tongue, light sweetness opening up quickly, light oily bite

Steep 2 (flash) - thickness that turns sweet continues, oiliness intensifies and lingers, bit of a roughness to that oil, floral and fruity top notes becoming more prominent

Steep 3 (5s) - aromas remain prevalent, oiliness remains but becoming less sharp in flavor, sweetness steps back and starts to move into the finish

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - thick mouthfeel continues to take the lead, florals then open up a few seconds after a swallow, sweetness getting pushed further and further back into the finish before it starts to bloom, each sip is a very prolonged development

Steep 5 (15s) - becoming more mouthwatering now, each sip requires patience for it to fully unfurl, retronasal opens up big floral notes, body feels very loose

Steep 6 (25s) - oiliness starting to lose some thickness but still giving some oomph behind the florals until the sweetness opens up, sweetness starting to move back up a bit as that oiliness fades, grittiness noticeable again under the oily viscosity

Steep 7+ (40s+) - becoming more crisp with time as the viscosity becomes more moderate, that grittiness seems to be an astringency that was coated over by the oiliness, that astringency not coming off as aggressive since salivation provides some lubrication

Overall Impression - The texture on this tea is massively thick right from the start. The florals are pretty intense at the start, but then everything seems to take a back seat to that textural component. Sweetness and aromatics are quite nice when they hit on each sip.

In the end this always brings me to the conundrum with young Yiwu for me. First of all, the premium microterroirs bring a significant premium on price. But beyond that, when young most Yiwu lacks the immediacy that Banzhang and other Menghai region teas have. There is less attack-and-release here, and even though the huigan sweetness here is significantly higher than many other young Yiwu, it just doesn't have the payoff for me to justify the price.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma light straw/hay with hints of florals, touch of pungency on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, crisp green note initially, slickness and sweetness on tongue starts quickly, paired with salivation,

Steep 2 (flash) - hint of leather, viscosity in soup, sweetness coming up a bit more, hint of melon on slurp, flavor subdued, warmth radiating from chest, light lemon candy setting up in finish, tea burps are straight up lemonade, big gulp brings cooked rice and straw notes and a thick viscosity

Steep 3 (5s) - a hint of early punchiness leads to lemon licorice rope, sweetness isn't quite blasting off yet but the mouthfeel remains substantial, lemon candy salivation starting to increase through the finish

Steep 4 (15s) - unctuous viscosity with some punchy leather notes that are rapidly overtaken by slick sweet citrus,

Steep 5 (20s, reboil) - that leathery pungency is up but practically no bitterness along with it, mouthfeel off the charts

Steep 6 (30s) - lemon has taken over from the beginning, mouthfeel still holding strong

Steep 7+ (45s+) - still keeps holding on for many more steeps

Overall Impression - Hekai Single Trees is a desert island tea for me, and this might be the best version I've had of it. There is a little less punch this year than I recall from last year, but otherwise all the intensity is there. This tea tastes great, but the mouthfeel and finish are what sets this one apart. Phenomenal release this year.

7g/105 mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice/straw faint florals, interesting fusel note on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, lightly sweet, floral notes, smooth, faint fruity notes developing late

Steep 2 (flash) - grassy punch up front, still on the lighter side, early sweetness but light, hints of tropical fruit in aromatics, soft and round, very faint hint of oiliness, lip tingle

Steep 3 (5s) - a bit more texture slides across the tongue with the soup, not quite sure if it's tannins or oil, coating on cheeks and tongue a bit heavier now with a touch of a bite to it, sweetness still light but developing a bit, that tropical fruit note of banana/bubblegum pops out occasionally, slight oily coating in the mouth, finish is light but going fairly deep with that sweet tropical note

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - feels thicker but not bitter, getting a touch of that fusel alcohol aroma from the gaiwan lid - leaning to the fruity side rather than solventy, that green/grass/chlorophyll note from the firat steep or two is gone, some clinging oily/tannin note into the finish

Steep 5 (20s) - probably a bit of a push as there is a dryness developing quickly and a stronger initial bite, overall the tea is still tracking rather mild, not sure if pushing to increase intensity is a wise choice as i think it is just elevating the wrong aspects

Steep 6+ (30s+) - less aggressive this steep and back to its earlier balance, although coating is staying a bit dry

Overall Impression - this is a pretty solid tea. The flavor is nice, mouthfeel is enjoyable. It is on the milder/softer side for my tastes, but that is not unexpected for Manzhuan. I will be very curious to do some side-by-side tastings with other Manzhuan, but I'm even more curious to dig into some other samples from Fatbat to see how their pricier options fare.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - light aroma, camphor and light grainy note

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, sweetness and salivation, light menthol/camphor, oak, very light impression so far

Steep 2 (flash) - still light, cinnamon and sandalwood hints, camphor/menthol character rising a bit, sweetness on upper gums

Steep 3 (10s) - first hints of a punch up front, camphor is moving towards smoke a bit, fruity plum/apricot note, a bit of an oily cling on the tongue, sweetness really gaining ground late with some nice salivation

Steep 4 (20s) - definitely an early fruitiness developing in the sip, dried cherries, that camphor note is right on the borderline with smoke and perception can go in either direction, sweetness is really gaining some traction

Steep 5 (30s, reboil) - tongue tingle building a bit, definitely has some acidity leading to salivation and still holding that fruitiness, sweetness has a light caramel note to it and almost a white chocolate/vanilla flavor as well

Steep 6 (45s) - hint of cigar wrapper tobacco mixing in, otherwise holding steady

Steep 7+ (1 min+) - that tobacco note is still light, never really builds up or fades away, nice juicy sweetness remains

Overall Impression - First and foremost, this is shortly after a flavorful dinner so my palate may be a bit dulled by that. This started out light, but a little pushing was able to coax out some nice sweetness. The flavor isn't huge, but there is definitely some acidity bringing fruitiness and a light note in the camphor/smoke spectrum. Overall it's a pretty nice tea at a solid price.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - sweet floral aromas with straw and oatmeal, bready note on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - quick tingly note and sweetness despite a light steep, toasty note, light bite to it with some lingering mossy/grassy notes, sweetness building quickly

Steep 2 (flash) - leather flavor up front without a real lingering bitterness, bit of a cooked/burnt note, tongue is almost completely numb already and lips are starting to get there as well, slick coating on mouth, orange zest, sweetness pushed to back of mouth and corner of jaw and then build back up into the finish, very head-focused sensation

Steep 3 (5s) - the numbing sensation in my mouth seems to be affecting my taste buds as well, this tea is becoming more about mouthfeel/finish/feeling, early on getting a bit of bitter orange marmalade in the initial punch, thickness to the soup, then late sweetness climbs the throat, chest open like I just puffed on an asthma inhaler, getting vanilla deep in the finish

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - punch still light, thickness and slickness remain potent, bitterness more in the open mouth than clinging to the tongue, sweetness very enjoyable as it fades in

Steep 5 (15s) - still full in mouth, slight dustiness in the back of the mouth but no real astringency, feeling caffeinated but not jittery, finish is mouthwatering

Steep 6 (20s) - still hitting pretty hard

Steep 7+ (30s+) - this one will probably outlast me, feeling very light as I get out of my chair

Overall Impression - This year's release definitely hits as hard as the 2021, if not harder. This is a caffeine bomb for sure, but without making me feel like crap. Very nice mouthfeel and finish to this one. Fans of Altered State should definitely be happy with this year's release.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of lavender and mixed floral notes

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, mild, hard to pin any one thing down, moss/floral/peach skin - all potentially passing by quickly

Steep 2 (flash) - quick bite, florals, lingering faint aspirin, cooked rice, faint dryness on roof of mouth, some hints sweetness starting to set up, center of a ripe blueberry

Steep 3 (5s) - berry/stonefruit skin note up front, light bitterness lingers but not quite aspirin any more, that berry note becoming part of the bitterness, but also part of the sweetness, finish still pretty light until much later on and then the sweetness kicks in like someone flipped a switch

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - sweetness from finish lingers, clashes a bit with that early bite when it comes up, still has that berry/peach skin note, cooked veggies, citrus now mixing in with the finish

Steep 5 (20s) - still has a little bit of drying astringency, cooked rice up front, toasty aromatic note in the open mouth before fruit and veggies move in, sweetness in finish takes a while to arrive

Steep 6 (30s) - less bitterness as I get deeper into this, greenness presents more like moss than hay, light berry-sweet into the finish

Steep 7+ (45s+) - slow fade, similar presentation but sweetness comes in earlier each steep as the bite fades away

Overall Impression - My first sheng from ZSL. Just enough to it to hold my interest, but this is leaning towards the softer side. That berry/stonefruit note is pretty enjoyable. Its interesting how the sweetness in the finish just jumps up seemingly out of nowhere. I'm looking forward to trying more ZSL sheng after trying this one.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice, floral notes in background

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, cooked rice, faint florals in open mouth, florals increase slightly and are present in the soup, can't taste the sweetness yet but can feel something setting up on gums and corner of jaw

Steep 2 (flash) - mossiness up front, not quite bitter but developing a texture that tweeters on astringency up front, firm without being aggressive, first hints of sweetness on tongue and back molars, mossy-floral note remains to fill the middle

Steep 3 (5s) - perfume and green forest fill the mouth on a slurp, finish trying to set up but not quite there yet, nice contrast and development within a sip, light candy notes starting to develop in finish

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - (no notes)

Steep 5 (15s) - similar vibe, rice moves to moss, light sweetness late, moss and florals in aromatics, tongue is getting dry

Steep 6 (20s) - astringency definitely drying the tongue a fair amount, still has that mossy character, hints of fresh pine needles, light floral sweetness in finish getting met with some more piny character

Steep 7+ (30s+) - astringency still holding on with a fair amount of clingy dryness, moss evolves to be more piny (and the sweetness may be helping that along)

Overall Impression - Young Yiwu/Mengla often is a little too soft for my preferences and doesn't quite do enough to hold my interest. This tea solves that issue nicely. While there isn't much true bitterness, that mossy/piny note fills out the middle of the sip and holds interest as the sweetness develops. It also provides some unique flavor notes when the finish does set up. The astringency here is a bit more drying than I'd like, but overall this is a pretty nice tea that has a pretty unique profile.

8g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice, crisp veggies, lightly hay, gaiwan lid has some interesting funky notes - cattyness and berries

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, hint of an earthy punch yields to sweetness quickly, slick coating on the tongue, fresh hay in a barn, hint of a berry aromatic note, hints of lemon zest as finish starts to move in

Steep 2 (flash) - bitterness at tip of tongue, slickness and coating lemon oil, still getting earthy hay notes, hints of lavender in the open mouth, sweetness at back of jaw and sides of tongue, spreading more as finish extends

Steep 3 (5s) - early oiliness fades to a mineral note on the tongue, lemon sweetness has taken a step back as the minerality/river pebble note coats the mouth, long finish sees a long crossfade of minerality moving to lemon-sweet

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - sweetness hits up front then moves to make room for the heavy rockiness that fills every square inch of surface area in the mouth, the start of the sip hits with a quick bite that turns to citrus sweetness and also with an oiliness that fades to this big minerality, lemon candy note getting huge in the finish

Steep 5 (20s) - intensity still growing, picking up some perfumy florals in the open mouth but those are largely muted by the mineral and candy show, some residual bitterness is sitting on top of that minerality but it gets swallowed up by sweetness, salivation has started to pick up significantly, that initial oily bitterness starting to present as a latex balloon note

Steep 6 (30s, reboil) - maybe starting to level off, but definitely not fading, coolness in the mouth on an inhale, slight tingle on the lips and tongue

Steep 7+ (45s+) - still going quite strong, opposite feeling of a weighted blanket, like my body is extremely light

Overall Impression - This tea was a bit of a splurge buy for me, and at the time I had never had any tea from this vendor so it was a bit of a gamble. The gamble definitely paid off for me. This was a really nice session with a tea that has some nice heft to it. This was the first higher-end tea I've tried from Fuyuanchang and it certainly leaves me with a good impression. I'm definitely tempted to try some of their other Danzhu after this experience.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice with floral/perfumy highlights

Steep 1 (flash) - light leathery pop, florals and honey in open mouth, darker cooked note, sweetness opening up in the finish

Steep 2 (flash) - soup is quite deep gold for a young tea like this, leathery bite up front takes a little while then fades to a honey sweetness, soup has a thick oiliness to the texture

Steep 3 (5s) - between the oiliness and honeyed notes there is a darkness to this tea to match the soups color, not a lot of hay/grass or other bright young notes to it, nice texture and despite the early bite it is relatively easy drinking, doesn't have that Dianhong flavor but still has that darker sweetness that gives this a bit of a hong cha feel to it

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - the initial bitterness is easing off, getting some green leafiness, more honey than anything else at this point

Steep 5 (15s) - bitterness continues to fade, playing out similarly otherwise

Steep 6 (25s) - not sure is this the power of suggestion, but starting to get a hong note mid-palate, sweetness leans more honey than malt, slight milky quality

Steep 7+ (40s+) - that milkiness grows but never quite crosses to full-on minerality, honey and fresh figs that never quite cross to raisin territory

Overall Impression - This is an interesting one. I missed this in the 2024 release so its my first time with tea from this region. This is remarkably dark in color and flavor. I don't expect this kind of honey sweetness from a fresh young sheng like this. It does have a nice texture to it and despite the early bite I think it is pretty approachable. It's certainly not the kind of flavor profile I look for in a young sheng, but I can see this working well in a mug/thermos/grandpa brew. It might also be a decent entry point for a black tea drinker to young sheng. The flavor profile doesn't line up exactly the same, but the overall picture definitely gives me hong vibes. Weird tea.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice, hay, and leather

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, initial bite, fades quickly but doesn't disappear completely, slickness develops quickly, leather and hay flavor lingers, hints of sweetness mixing in, interesting sensation on mouth and gums, not quite tingly at first but eventually gets slick and cooling, sweetness mixing in as the finish stretches

Steep 2 (flash) - anise hay and leather up front, as it opens up I'm finding those flavors returning supported by a light sweetness, fresh cut grass with some sweet fruit, there is some nice depth of flavor here and rather than trying to single out individual notes I am preferring to enjoy the full orchestra as a whole

Steep 3 (5s) - the leathery and grassy bitterness notes sit way in the back as a sweetness grows deeper and deeper and gives this a lot of life, lips tingling as if I just played a tuba solo, weighted blanket feeling from my shoulders to my toes, sweetness not just stuck to gums and throat - if floats through the mouth through the whole finish as if my saliva contains a sweetener

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - immediately sweet, the leather note lends a darkness and depth that the sweetness then lifts and aromatics ranging from black licorice to lemon zest to honey ride over this

Steep 5 (15s) - continuing to build

Steep 6 (25s) - flavor holding steady, mouthfeel and cooling/tingling sensation still amplifying

Steep 7+ (40s+) - enjoying this one too much to keep taking notes

Overall Impression - 2026 has been a stellar year for young sheng, and this may be my pick of the year so far. Amazing depth of flavor, good long finish, truckload of sweetness - it has everything I'm looking for. It doesn't quite do the bitter-sweet conversion to the level of some other LBZ, and there is more residual bitterness than others as well. But that 100% plays out in the favor of this tea. Once the sweetness gets going it is pervasive, but the leathery pop that remains of the bitterness really gives the wide aromatics some depth. This is an instant favorite.

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of crushed aspirin, hay, cooked rice

Steep 1 (flash) - light grass and rice, bare hints of aspirin without much real bitterness underneath it yet, light sweetness starts to be detectable on cheeks after a few sips, bitterness slowly increasing and turns on right before the swallow, I catch a flash of what might be camphor in the open mouth

Steep 2 (flash) - soup has some texture, bitterness coming up a bit, light tingle on tongue, salivation starting, hint of a warm lager taste (grain/rice/bitter/sweet combo)

Steep 3 (5s) - hot liquid cools the tongue quickly, bitterness not as aggressive as a typical Lao Man'E but still lingers, less sweetness coming up to meet it as well, finish finally starting to get a foothold as I reheat my kettle

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - it's almost a little weird in that the initial LME punch is almost completely missing, but the lingering part of the bitterness remains, fruitiness seems to be less than typical for LME as well, hints of camphor climbing up in the finish, light bitterness remains in throat in finish as sweetness grows on tongue and gums, hints of lemon zest late

Steep 5 (20s) - sweetness has built up enough to be present at the start of the sip, nice balance of flavor for the first time in this session, although there is still a weird part in the middle where the sweetness is hiding and it's more of that grainy bitterness

Steep 6+ (30s+) - not horrible, not great

Overall Impression - This was an interesting session. Based on the teas I've tried so far it has been an exceptional year for Lao Man'E. I don't know if this is just from the picking grade, but I am just not gelling with this one. What draws me to LME is the punch and resolution. This one lacked both the punch and the matching intensity in the finish, leaving just that kind of awkward middle bitterness.

I'll definitely have to come back to this to check myself, but this is a rare swing and miss for me with FL.

7.6g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of sweet buttery goodness with a faint woody/cinnamon note

Steep 1 (flash) - light buttery note, hint of acidity, dry leaves/huangpian note, less sweetness than the nose carries, slippery sweet note starts to hit gums after a few sips, faint cinnamon-wood note on the initial slurp

Steep 2 (flash) - sweet buttery huangpian, slight dustiness in the back of the mouth, but slickness in the mouth overtakes that

Steep 3 (5s) - some cola vibes mixing in as that initial butteriness starts to take a step back, rustic vibe

Steep 4 (15s) - sweet cinnamon woodiness becoming more prominent, cinnamon returning retronasal, feeling pulled down but not necessarily heavy, cheeks flushed

Steep 5+ (30s+) - not much new going on, just vibing with this

Overall Impression - I love when huangpian hits like this. This is tasty and cheap. It fits that niche where I just want to grab something for a session that might get interrupted or cut short and I don't want to worry about wasting the good stuff. There is none of the old paper note that can turn me off on older sheng. It's interesting that despite its age, I can still clearly taste the leafiness that I typically attribute to younger huangpian. At $40 for a 375g cake, this is pretty tempting for daily drinker.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of light smoke and camphor

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, smoke and camphor, light sweetness on cheeks, touch of dried cherries flashing by, not chewy but not thin either, light tingle on the lips, finish staying in the front of the mouth right now

Steep 2 (flash) - smoky camphor note remains, camphor lingers momentarily beyond the smoke, a bit dry in the mouth, but fullness on the tongue, not sweet but not unsweet either - sweetness just there as a part of the whole, nice richness to it, some salivation towards the back of the jaw

Steep 3 (5s) - full feeling in the mouth, smoke and camphor present but less in the lead, has a “cream and sugar" texture and light integrated sweetness to it, not as tingly or cooling in the mouth given the amount of camphor I'm getting, slightly tart as it moves to the finish, not a lot of depth or evolution, but decent staying power after the swallow

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - smoke crossing briefly into BBQ territory, sweetness sitting back further into the sip and separating from the early smokiness a bit, maybe a hint of cocoa that I couldn't quite grab onto as it flashed by, spikes of sweetness during the finish depending on tongue placement

Steep 5 (15s) - flavor intensity still up, nicely thick still, sweetness now a lot further back on the palate, and starting to amplify into the finish,

Steep 6 (20s) - staying strong in the flavor department, camphor moving sweet and creamy, that dryness from the early steeps is now more of a slick coating

Steep 7 (30s) - keeps building for several more steeps

Overall Impression - This is one of those associations that probably only holds meaning to me, but this gives me vibes of diner coffee with cream and sugar in the best way. I'm not actually getting any coffee flavor, but the smoky camphor note fills a similar role here, and it is integrated with this cream and sugar mouthfeel and finish that just hits me with that same comfort feeling. This one seems to keep building each steep without changing it's fundamental character. I know this cake has gotten a fair amount of buzz, and I can definitely see the appeal. I will definitely be grabbing more of this one.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of paper, butter, light sweetness

Steep 1 (flash) - papery note not as intense as the aroma off the leaves left me to believe, soup is very round feeling in the mouth - not quite viscous and not quite juicy, sweetness light to moderate, still tasting some freshness which morphs to spearmint and the sweetness combines to give a cooling mojito vibe

Steep 2 (15s) - I probably went a little longer than I wanted to, but the cake wasn't opening much that first steep so I pushed a bit, buttery note up front with paper, turns sweet and then menthol rolls in, a bit drying on the tongue (likely from the oversteep), but turns to slickness, sweetness primarily focused around lips and front of mouth/gums

Steep 3 (10s) - buttery sweet in the mouth, still drying so that might not be entirely from the oversteep, mint note has faded a bit, but still a cooling sensation remains

Steep 4 (15s reboil) - flavor taking a step back this steep, mint is more of an afterthought, kind of dry, sweetness fading a bit too, kind of feels like it just fell off abruptly this steep, some sweetness coming back in later

Steep 5 (30s) - flavor coming back now, more early sweetness and some more texture in the soup, more paper in the middle, but still well within my tolerance, minty tingle still there with just enough sweetness to keep it presenting as mint rather than menthol

Steep 6 (45s) - starting to mellow out again, nothing new, mint flavor can still be picked up in aromatics to pair with the cooling sensation and residual, cheeks flushed a bit, head a bit foggy, dryness has largely disappeared

Steep 7 (1 min) - not fading as fast as I thought it would, but otherwise nothing new

Overall Impression - I can't say that I've enough experience with 7542 to assess this in comparison to other examples. I like the mint, the soup has a nice feel in the mouth, I'm not getting real strong basement vibes. Other than that, there's nothing really pulling me in. It's just fine, but its not something I'd want to stock up on at this price.

7g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice with a grassy/leathery pop

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, leathery pop up front almost meaty, quickly develops sweetness, some brothy umami notes and flashes of edamame, sweetness getting thick

Steep 2 (flash) - bite picking up a bit, less of that meaty note from the initial steep, more green vegetables, cucumber skin, bitterness clingy but not super aggressive, sweetness on back of throat, bitterness still holds lightly through the finish, that sweetness is tasting really nice and has me pausing longer between sips to let it play out

Steep 3 (5s) - bitterness continues to grow, firm without being unpleasant, first hints of lemon zest early, a bit dry in the mouth, feeling a light tingle on the lips

Steep 4 (10s) - dusty dryness, top notes a bit muted - can find the citrus but I have to search, bitterness holds down the center of the tongue and sweetness rolls in with a wave of salivation late

Steep 5 (15s, reboil) - bitterness still barely climbing, pushing the sweetness further back, definitely seems to be light in the aromatics, mouthfeel still drying and hasn't really converted to slickness, warmth in chest and neck radiating

Steep 6 (40s, pushing) - bite no more aggressive than before, may have plateaued, sweetness coming quicker now, now getting some of that citrus in the finish

Steep 7 (45s+) - bitterness finally starting to fade, which has allowed me to pick up more of that edamame note before the finish rolls in, at this point it's mostly about that sweet finish when it rolls in

Overall Impression - I definitely have some mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, that bitter-sweet balance is spot-on for how I like it. On the other hand, that initial brothy/beany note is a little off-putting, and it does seem like some of the top notes have been scalped. Gus did mention that the processing on this one is on the greener side. I do taste that in the bean/umami notes up front. I also wonder if that is affecting the aromatics or if that is more from the material.

All in all, this is a nice tea that I will definitely finish my sample of. But it has enough shortcomings that I wouldn't go back for more.

7.5g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice, hay

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, quick flash of a bite moving to rice, hints of florals, touch of cacao earthiness, late berry note on tongue

Steep 2 (flash) - touch of a floral bite on the tip of the tongue, rice, that cacao nib note is here - more of the earthiness than the roast, touch of dryness on tongue, dry grassiness

Steep 3 (5s) - that early floral bite is starting to bring in more floral aromatics with it, mouthfeel still kind of dry, that earthy cacao note has been replaced by lingering floral top notes, a faint sweetness starting to develop on the roof of my mouth and upper gums, hints of bitter orange zest, light sweetness coming very late and almost as a surprise

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - cooked rice with florals overlaid above it, mouthfeel still more astringent than slick, bitterness is light but slow to convert

Steep 5 (15s) - bitter orange and floral up front, not aggressive but not doing much otherwise, sweetness isn't gaining much traction, mouthfeel getting a little more slick and less drying

Steep 6 (20s) - florals still holding, sweetness still really light and late

Steep 7+ (45s+) - not much new development, I keep taking longer breaks in hope of getting some depth in the finish, but this is simply a straightforward tea

Overall Impression - It is quickly clear what the differences are between this and the ‘Single Trees’ version are, having had the Single Trees earlier in the day. This tea is a pretty mild and straightforward young tea. I can see the appeal as a daily drinker, especially if that floral aspect appeals to you. To me, the Single Trees offers considerably more depth, a notable conversion to sweetness, a more pleasant bitterness (to my tastes, YMMV), and a nice berry component that is conspicuously absent from the non-Single Trees version that I'm tasting here.

7.5g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice, faint lavender

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, quick leather, soup has decent viscosity this early on, slight dustiness at back of palate, faint fruit/floral aromatics, sweetness light but sneaking in at the tail end, fruit/berry

Steep 2 (flash) - more of a snap up front, leather moves to berry, getting a bit more sweetness, floral/berry top notes, that dustiness in the back is fading, far less of that aggressive floral-bitter note than I get from a lot of Jinggu sheng, some much-needed caffeination is starting to make the first hints of its presence known

Steep 3 (5s) - feeling some thickness on the tongue now as the cotton on my tongue has become more saturated, settling in to that familiar TFLZ mild berry sweetness with some florals in the open mouth, sweetness light but stretches out nicely

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - punch remains at a low level, mouth getting a nice coating to it with some tingly berry notes, a very specific flavor reference I'm getting is Lakerol Cassis - especially paired with that coating sensation, some lemon zest also joining in, light berry sweetness hold on late and long

Steep 5 (20s) - that punch up front has lengthening without increasing in intensity after a light push, tingle on cheeks and tongue, the morning fog in my head is lifting more and more with each steep, feeling a cooling flush on the outside of my face

Steep 6 (30s) - less initial berry brightness as the steeps go on, but some minerality moving in on the tongue as river rocks morph to skim milk, mid palate see the berry-floral notes move in and spread out into the finish, finish starting to develop some complexity over several minutes

Steep 7+ (45s+) - still retains quite a bit of pop, and will likely outlast me as I am now getting lost more in the finish than the initial sip

Overall Impression - probably not my sharpest tasting notes given I was starting at a just sub-hangover state. This tracks remarkably similar to last year's version, with maybe a bit more brightness to that berry-floral character than I remember, but otherwise it is hitting all the notes I was looking forward to. Jinggu gets this really distinct floral and dark berry character in a lot of its sheng, but many of them get this intense floral-bitter flavor that kind of turns me off. The FL TFLZ's always seem to avoid that floral bite, but still present that nice berry character with floral highlights. I'm not sure if this is due to the TFLZ micro-terroir vs Jinggu in general, processing, materia selection or what. Whatever it is, I'm here for it.

7.8g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of buttery sweet bread with a touch of earthiness and menthol

Steep 1 (flash) - buttery rice, soup has some thickness, sweetness coming in early, pleasant light medicinal notes, hint of hay/straw dusty note,

Steep 2 (flash) - buttery sweet note strengthens, milky minerality developing, light slickness on the tongue, flavor not super complex but no flaws to my tastes and super drinkable, sweetness not gaining strength but definitely gaining endurance, long finish with leafy sweetness

Steep 3 (5s) - initial buttery sweet note, hints of mint and anise as tongue, gums and lips starting to tingle a bit, mouth filling with minty notes now, ricola cough drop vibes

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - first hints of a really quick bite up front, sweetness takes a couple of seconds to fill back in, coolness has spread back to the soft palate and rear of the tongue

Steep 5 (15s) - no big surprises, detecting some light pleasant hints of earthiness with that leafy character, cheeks and chest are flushing

Steep 6 (20s, reboil) - noticing the minerality more on this steep after having stepped away for a few minutes, I wouldn't quite call it acidity but there is a nice mouthwatering sensation here and a crispness that clears the palate nicely, finish still drawing out longer as the steeps progress

Steep 7+ (30s+) - this is still retaining its full flavor for several more steeps and will likely outlast me today

Overall Impression - While young Yiwu doesn't always scratch the itch for me, once there's some nice age on it Yiwu sheng tends to be more my style. This still seems like it has quite a bit of room to develop, but I honestly have no complaints with how it is drinking right now. There is a nice mineral backbone to provide structure, some early sweetness that returns for a long finish, and a really potent menthol cooling in the mouth. I do get some leafy notes (hard to describe exactly but I get this flavor in a lot of huangpian as well), and some light earthiness that gives a bit of intrigue in the flavor department. I don't often think of flavor pairings with tea, but something keeps pulling me towards apple as a potential pairing - pie, cider, juice, or brandy. My first sample of an older CSH, and it certainly seems like a solid tea.

8g/105mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice, touch of mint

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, rice, fresh herbs, light tingle, sweetness starting on outside of gums and moving to cheeks, flashes of mineral notes down center of tongue, sweetness coming earlier with successive sips, hay, lemongrass, peach skins

Steep 2 (flash) - thickness, touch of an early bite that morphs to sweet spices (cinnamon? Young ginger?), river pebble mid palate turns sweet in the finish, there's definitely a stemmy/cinnamon component without a heavy tannic astringency so far

Steep 3 (5s) - that initial bite is quite light, more like a cinnamon/bark note, more of a flavor component than an astringent one, although probably contributes to the mouthfeel, sweetness still on teeth and gums, feeling rather caffeinated, late almond extract note as sweetness creeps back in, crisp celery note as salivation increases late

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - less of that initial bite, moves quickly to minerality, sweetness back earlier in the sip, faint fruit in the aromatics, the aromas in the mouth vaguely have me thinking of Dancong, body and face getting warm, bite becoming more noticeable as the tea cools

Steep 5 (15s) - continuing to be mellow in the flavor department, subdued but lightly sweet with that minerality holding on down the center of the tongue

Steep 6 (30s, reboil) - pushing brings more mouthfeel early on and increases the first flush of sweetness, mouth watering has picked up over the past few steeps, corners of my mouth are turning numb

Steep 7+ (45s+) - mellow, mineral mid-palate, light sweetness, aromatics in mouth fade leaving the milkiness of that mineral-sweet combination, hints of late citrus zest mixing in deep in finish, feeling wide awake but gravity has doubled

Overall Impression - I definitely have mixed feelings on this one. Young Yiwu doesn't always meet what I'm looking for in a young sheng, which is generally bold flavor and mouthfeel, ideally paired with a long sweet finish. This tea is far more subtle than the young Menghai sheng I often gravitate towards. The caffeine is quite notable though. Not the kind of tea I would normally reach for, but I can see the appeal