u/Adventurous-Cod1415

1 ball/105mL gaiwan, just off boil

Wash (15s) - aroma of rice/straw

Steep 1 (flash) - grassy-sweet up front, light leathery bite, bit of a coating on the tongue, fruity and herbal aromatics

Steep 2 (flash) - grassy-sweet up front note remains, leathery bitterness continues, getting some astringency now more than slickness as the tongue coating sensation

Steep 3 (30s, accidentally oversteeped) - tannic black tea sensation and sharpness, astringency way up, sweetness faintly developing in finish on cheeks

Steep 4 (15s) - a bit more sweetness up front, light fruitiness in aromatics to support it (underripe nectarine), bitterness and astringency backing off now, not much action in the finish

Steep 5 (30s) - no new developments, sweetness is light and early, faint nectarine rind note, light coating mouthfeel

Steep 6+ (45s+) - sweetness coating tongue lightly into the finish now, warming sensation developing in my face and ears

Overall Impression - I can't get the characters in the info panel to show up clearly enough to use Google translate on my phone, but there appears to be a 2023 production date, and the characters on the front appear to be Man Song. This dragon ball was included as a freebie with the 2026 Spring sheng 5-pack I bought. Compared to those, this tea definitely seems a bit better quality. The mouthfeel and flavor are definitely popping a bit more, but overall it is still rather nondescript and not particularly exciting. It was good to get a taste of some better (but still low/mid-tier) quality tea from ShuDaiZi to try something from a different range. It seems like OK low-mid tier puer is their thing. It was good to try them out, but I don't know if I'll be ordering from them again any time soon.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of rice and straw

Steep 1 (flash) - rice porridge, grassy notes, light sweetness early, faint bitterness comes in early and clings lightly

Steep 2 (flash) - hint of thyme flashes over that grass and rice, bitterness not increasing but still there with some astringency and a little clingy, sweetness mostly on tongue for now

Steep 3 (5s) - getting more of that rosemary/thyme note early before moving to sweet grass, not what I was expecting but I'm going with it, getting more distinct into that rosemary, gums sweetening up a bit, bitterness going a little longer, but sweetness amplifying as well, I don't hate it but I am a bit confused by what im getting from this

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - fresh crushed rosemary turning sweet and then some faint bitterness coming up underneath, what's strange is that there is no smoke here - when I get rosemary it is almost always paired with camphor, but this is more the piny and savory aspects - perhaps there is high myrcene content in this?, sweetness is really picking up now too

Steep 5 (20s) - that initial note is getting less distinctly rosemary and leaning more generic pungent tasting with hints of citrus and pine, bitterness and astringency pairing up to give a bit of a clingy dryness, sweetness getting pretty big

Steep 6 (30s) - rosemary and pine up front takes a beat then turns sweet, each sip is a journey that goes from “I'm not so sure about this” to “oh I like that”, not sure which side is winning

Steep 7+ (45s+) - each sip is me waiting for that initial note to fade to get into that really nice late sweetness

Overall Impression - This is definitely the “last but not least” tea from this set for me. It has loads more personality than the other teas in this set. I'm just not sure what I think of that personality. I like a bit of that rosemary-thyme character when it's paired with smoke, especially in an older sheng with some aged character. But in a grassy young sheng, especially where it is a really dominant note, it comes off more like a savory cooking spice than a highlight.

But then that sweetness kicks in, and it is far sweeter than a sheng this cheap has any business being. I am pretty torn on this one. I think I am still wrestling with that initial "wtf is this" moment when I first picked up the rosemary. If I went back into this knowing what to expect I might be ok with it. Regardless, this is far more interesting than I expected based on my experiences with the other teas in this collection.

5.5g/80mL, Duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of bbq smoke and sweet bread

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, faint smoke, minty tingle, light sweetness, ricola cough drops, dried cherries, palate picking up less smoke than aroma would imply, sweetness starting on cheeks

Steep 2 (flash) - smoke getting a bit more camphor and pine resin to it, initial rice note and fleeting bitterness, honey and cherries faintly in the mix, smoke note bigger as cup cools and bigger sips taken, freshly cracked peppercorns, still getting hints of herbal throat lozenge but less distinct now

Steep 3 (10s) - pine smoke moves to sweet and cooling notes, a bit more rice character up front, getting salivation and sweetness up in the cheeks, some sweetness starting to climb the gums now, smoke flavor presenting more and more like peppercorns, mint comes back late in mid palate, bitterness hasn't shown up will continue to go longer on steeps, sweetness picking up in the finish with cherry notes in support

Steep 4 (20s) - cherrywood smoke and ricola cough drops, sweetness not intense but really giving a nice backdrop to the interplay of camphor, herbs, and light fruit, each steep getting easier to knock back, face feeling warm giving me concern that I started this session a bit late in the evening

Steep 5 (30s) - continuing a nice dance of smoke, camphor, and herbs that move into sweetness, cheeks sweet and minty

Steep 6 (45s) - sweetness moving forward a bit but still only moderate intensity

Overall Impression - I don't remember buying this sample, so I really have no idea if it was recommended by anyone or if it just looked interesting at the time. Regardless, I'm glad I came across it. This has really developed into that sweet spot where it retains a nice amount of smoke, but has lost all aggression. The herbal notes and sweet cherries are really nice here. There is a medicinal aspect, but in a really positive sense. I would love if this had a bigger sweetness, but that's more me comparing this against an idealized version of itself rather than a complaint. I really wish that life hadn't gotten away with me, because I would have loved to get another half dozen steeps out of this one. Thankfully I have 2 or 3 more sessions left in this sample.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice with some grassy/leathery punchiness

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, rice, light slickness in the mouthfeel, struggling to pick up specifics in this steep

Steep 2 (flash) - slickness staying a bit, rice moves lightly sweet, a bit of juiciness giving this a fresh edge, faint grassy vegetation, faint bitterness, slight metallic note but not in an off way - 9-volt battery to tongue more so than blood/iron, significant salivation

Steep 3 (5s) - light hay/grass bitterness with that copper penny salivation, some sweetness moving in on gums late, flavor not particularly expansive, faint cooling on inhale

Steep 4 (10s) - similar character, less rice and more grass up front, salivation inducing, sweetness gradually increasing, flavor mainly grassy young sheng but with acidity giving a nice mouthfeel boost

Steep 5 (20s) - that juicy copper penny vibe continues, outside of that it's bright grass and leafy vegetables with hints of sweetness developing late

Steep 6+ (40s+) - no new developments

Overall Impression - This one was a weird one. Flavor wise, this is probably the most nondescript of this set, which is saying a lot. But mouthfeel wise it seems to have the most going on. Most of that appears to be from this copper penny/acidity/mouthwatering character. It's a little weird, but not really off-putting for me. This fits the same mold as the other teas in the set, not horrible, nothing special, has enough of a unique character to stand out against the others. It would be perfectly serviceable as a cheapo daily drinker, but nothing more. 4 down with Yiwu to go.

Tangent - metallic flavor is kind of a red flag that what I'm tasting could be coming from me rather than the tea. I'm not sick and have had pretty much common food for me over the past few days, but it is allergy season for me. I didn't notice anything off when I ate breakfast prior to my session. I tried a different cup just to cross check myself, but I still got the same flavor. I did still have a bit of a metallic taste left in my mouth at lunch. Not sure if it was carryover from the tea or something else. I poured another steep over the leaves many hours later and still picked up the same flavor and mouthfeel so I'm leaning towards the tea as the source. It's always worth checking yourself if something doesn't quite line up with your expectations. Changes in source water, illness, new medication, dishware cleanliness, etc should always be investigated if something seems off in a session.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of faint hay, rice/bready note, light pungent note

Steep 1 (flash) - light first steep, faint leather/aspirin note but not aggressively bitter, light sweetness in finish

Steep 2 (flash) - a bit more aggressive but not clingy, light sweetness comes a bit early, some drying astringency on tongue, mostly hay/grass aromatics in mouth

Steep 3 (5s) - spicy/herbal anise note hits with the initial bite, first real signs of personality, still drying on the tongue - hasn't really converted to slickness or other mouthfeel characters, slurping intensifies that anise character giving a bit of a fresh fennel vibe, sweetness still a little detached from the early notes but overall giving some anisette vibes

Steep 4 (10s) - bitterness has slowly crept up, still fairly low and not too clingy, pairs with sweet herbs to give a bit of an aperitif vibe, don't hate it but not sure if I love it either,

Steep 5 (20s) - bitterness leveling off a bit along with the astringency, fennel note still there early, definitely leaning toward after-dinner sipper kind of vibe, fresh grassiness still a big component, sweetness still just a bare hint but fits overall picture

Steep 6+ (30s+) - sweetness comes up a bit as bitterness and astringency continue to trend downward, fennel flavors continue to carry through, slight cooling sensation replaces astringency as session extends

Overall Impression - This was an interesting one. The anisette aperitif vibe is pretty interesting, and it is enough to earn the price of admission on this uber-cheap cake. It does take some investment in time to really come to fruition, and it's not like it steals the show from the baseline grassy young sheng flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised that by the 5th steep or so this had really gone somewhere enjoyable.

Three down, two to go on this ShuDaiZi set. For the price, I'm calling this one a win. I was ready to quit on this one early, but I keep going back for one more steep now. This might be my favorite from this set so far.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of leather, hay, rice, dry leaves smell pungent

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, nutty rice note, faint leather, cocoa towards end of sip, light florals and faint sweetness comes in at tail end

Steep 2 (flash) - barest hint of bitterness but mainly nutty/toasty with that cacao aromatic note in the open mouth that turns floral/vanilla as it fades, subtle but flavorful, a touch of flavor complexity and the flavors work well together

Steep 3 (5s) - light sweetness from the previous steep is starting to coat the gums to match that initial nutty-rice note and then lingers into the later floral half, light salivation at sides of mouth, bitterness faint, floral note picking up a hint of a berry top note

Steep 4 (10s, reboil) - I know the added heat is contributing to this, but a faint tingle crosses the tongue with a light astringency that is giving a little backbone to an otherwise mild tea, the added heat isn't pushing out much additional flavor or bitterness, light coating of sweetness towards the tail end as salivation starts up, hints of camphory rosemary-thyme float in the center of the mouth, subdued and fleeting, but welcome

Steep 5 (30s, pushing a bit) - initial nutty-rice note comes up with a touch more bitterness from the push, a bit more drying, not a lot more intensity in the aromatics, this is telling me that this tea doesn't want to be pushed it's just subtle, a bit more sweetness in the finish but it is fighting a bit of astringency now, catching that light berry-floral note again

Steep 6 (20s) - astringency and bitterness are back down, that fruity-floral note is starting to lean more fruity with faint berries and dragonfruit, sweetness has built a bit but still fairly mild

Steep 7+ (40s+) - nutty rice moves to sweetness a bit more quickly now, hints of citrus zest joining other fruit in finish

Overall Impression - This is my second tea from this set, and I'm definitely seeing that subtlety is a common thread here. I'm honestly fine with that. While I found the Nannuo to be rather forgettable, the lower intensity plays out differently in this one. I don't drink enough young Mengku sheng to have a good bead on what terroir notes I might expect, and everything is so faint here that I don't know if I've learned much from this tea. But despite that, this is something I would definitely reach for as a daily drinker. The mildness doesn't make for the most exciting gongfu session and it is certainly lacking the mouthfeel components of higher end teas, but there is an approachability here and just enough sweetness that seems like it would be ideal for throwing in a thermos or mug and puttering around for the day.

The phrase “Green Tea puer” gets thrown around a lot, but I have rarely had a fresh young sheng that actually tastes like green tea. This one kind of does to me. I don't know enough about the processing here to say that this is definitely related to a high sha qing temperature or anything, and it could simply be how the material is presenting itself. But I'm enjoying that initial nutty note to it, so no complaints as I didn't expect this to be a cake for aging.

Also, the separate samples I got from these cakes are huge - like over 12 grams for the first two I've weighed out so far. Even if the tea is not superior, the service is.

While I've never had a Yunnan green tea that is worthy of the prices commanded by Longjing or other prized green tea, this tea is a great example of how Yunnan greens can offer something above just a way to get fresh green tea a month sooner than other regions. This tea has a lot to offer that you're not going to find in other green teas.

It leads off with a quick brothy note that turns to cheerios. From there a slickness develops on the tongue and a light sweetness turns that cheerios note to Frosted Flakes. And then the magic sets in as bright fruity notes of fresh pine needles show up, which is joined by lemon zest and even hints of strawberry. The light sweetness endures but it only serves to complement the fruitiness and never pushes to the lead.

Last year this was one of my favorite greens, and this year's tea might be even better. That fresh pine and citrus earns it a spot in my rotation alongside my Longjings and Anji Baicha's.

5.8g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of hay and leather

Steep 1 (flash) - lighter steep, hay/straw up front, some leathery notes, hint of sweetness late, light bite, moderate tongue coating,

Steep 2 (flash) - greener grassy note, light leathery bitterness, hints of sweet floral notes, lemon zest notes faintly on gums in finish, slight mouthwatering slickness, leather/grassy bite on tip of tongue but doesn't cling firmly

Steep 3 (5s, reboil) - bite intensified slightly without harshness, light orchid-floral note leading to faint citrus finish

Steep 4 (10s) - similar grassy/leathery note with an approachable bite, light floral moving to citrus with bare hints of sweetness

Steep 5 (20s) - similar track, not much new, neither fading nor intensifying

Steep 6 (40s, reboil) - still the same

Overall Impression - As excited as I am to be drinking some of this year's first sheng puer, the reality is that you generally get what you pay for. This is an enjoyable enough sheng. It is a straightforward daily drinker type. Nothing mind blowing, but no off flavors.

For me, good Nannuo like Farmerleaf and Rivers & Lakes is hard to beat. But mediocre Nannuo can be pretty forgettable. I'm hoping I'll find a little more of interest in one of the other cakes. Still, this is about $0.02/gram, and even with expedited air shipping factored into the cost it is well worth the minimal investment here.

Most of what I’ve read about using Taobao for buying tea has been for buying aged puer; factory cakes in particular. And that is obviously a fairly safe option, as these cakes tend to be well known and reasonably priced. An experienced tea drinker can assess various benchmark recipes from different vendors to determine whether a vendor is worth buying from, and there is good info out there from places like TeaDB.

Personally, I am far more interested in young puer, in particular trying young puer from Chinese vendors beyond my usual Western-facing sources. I haven’t really seen any info out there regarding Taobao vendors that sell young raw puer, so I’m kind of flying blind. Add in the challenges of not speaking/reading/writing Chinese, and this has become something that I’ve given up on a few times. But I knew that there had to be some tea out there that fit my interests, so I kept going back from time to time. I found a couple of candidate vendors that look to be storefronts for specific private labels that have younger raws listed for sale. When I saw some cakes from Spring 2026 go up for sale I pulled the trigger.

What was cool about this set is that they included what appears to be samples of each of the cakes. So if you were looking to put these aside for aging you can taste without having to open the cakes. The only other time I ordered from Taobao I also got extra samples of the cakes I purchased – is this a thing with Chinese/Taobao vendors?

I know nothing about this particular vendor, but it is interesting that they have an English-language name (Dr Puertea) in addition to the Chinese name Shu Dai Zi (which AI is telling me translates to “Bookworm” or “Nerd”). A quick Google search for Dr Puertea shows that Dragon Teahouse sells a few of their products, but far from their full line.

I’m pretty excited to give these a try. I’m not expecting anything top-tier from cakes this early in the season, but the price was quite reasonable so if they are even moderately decent as daily drinkers then it will be worth it. If I’m translating these correctly, this sampler includes cakes from Nannuo, Yiwu, Bulang, Mengku, and Jingmai. One downside of buying young puer from Taobao is that you’re pretty much stuck with full cakes instead of samples. I generally stick to samples on young raws, because I’m generally looking to drink these teas for no more than a few years. I may break these cakes down into smaller samples and sell them off to keep them from taking up a bunch of storage space, if there’s interest.

Any requests on which samples to taste first? I’ll be sure to post my tasting notes here as I go through these.

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of barbecue smoke, hints of cherries in the empty cup

Steep 1 (flash) - Smoke, fruit, light sweetness, faint bitterness, darker color than I'd expect - not sure if there is older material in this, barbecue smoke and stonefruit right up front on the tip of the tongue, then slowly spreads out, not what I was expecting at all, mouth watering, cheeks and gums getting quite sweet, bubblegum note, huigan sweetness already starting to build

Steep 2 (flash) - a bit more bitterness up front with that initial hit of smoke, pomegranate molasses sweet-tart note develops, not at all what I thought I was getting into but I'm here for it, nice coating on tongue, smoke takes a little while to fade after a sip but doesn't turn ashy or acrid, some light black pepper over sweet fruit as you move into the finish

Steep 3 (5s) - just a hint of bitterness up front, fruit is early and lively, mouthfeel leaving some slickness, moderately thick and not sure if I'd want much more in this particular tea, late sweetness up to a moderate level with jammy fruit

Steep 4 (10s) - smoky and peppery up front, bitterness backing off slightly but my water has cooled a bit also, sweetness holding steady and jamminess fades in late,

Steep 5 (15s, reboil) - bitterness still down - guessing what little bitterness was there is already fading, smoke was increased slightly, still fading to sweetness and late fruit is now starting to include a touch of citrus zest that keeps things bright

Steep 6 (30s, slight push) - smoke still there but starting to back off a little on that initial sip, initial sweet fruit also rolling back slightly, late sweetness up a bit, to use an audio analogy its like you ran the earlier steeps through a compressor where the peaks are clipped a bit and the faintest notes are simultaneously brought up a bit, smoke coming across a little more as a peppery note as the intensity dials down a bit, sweetness builds and builds as the finish goes on for several minutes

Steep 7+ (1min+) - pushing hard gives a fleeting glimpse of that initial punch but it vanishes rather quickly, other than that the smoke-fruit-sweet profile remains for several more solid steeps

Overall Impression - I had really no idea what to expect with this tea, other than a bunch of positive experiences with young/younger Dayi sheng. I could smell a bit of smoke on the dry leaves, but no clue how that was going to play out. I do quite enjoy the 2018 Dayi Jia Ji tuos I have, which are fairly smoky as well. But I've really only brewed those western style in a mug so I don't have a good apples to apples comparison on smoke levels between these two when brewed in a similar manner. I will say that the level of smoke is really nice on this one. I haven't really enjoyed any of the hybrid pine-smoked puer I've tried, as the smoke in those is just too aggressive. This is at the perfect level, and that sweet cherry/pomegranate thing is a great match to the smoke.

Dayi has yet to let me down with their young puer, even with something like this that is a bit alien to me compared to the usual Western-facing boutique young raws I typically drink. I will have to try this side-by-side with the 2018 tuos to see if this is worth the price premium (KTM sells a cake of this for $60 and a stack of 5 tuos for $30, haven't checked other vendors yet). I suspect there is enough of a difference to warrant having both in the collection, though. Knowing my drinking habits I might spring for a 50 or 100 gram chunk if I find myself going through this a bit more quickly, because I don't really have any other teas that fill this niche. I just need to tell my son to keep this out of my Yixing…

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of faint smoke, straw, rice

Steep 1 (10s) - oily-thick viscosity with little bitterness attached, faint honey note, early sweet rice note with straw, brown sugar joins the honey, more flavor/aromatics than actual sweetness so far, very faint old bookstore note

Steep 2 (10s) - flavor is pretty mild, sweet rice, brown sugar, fig, light sweetness, very full mouthfeel with viscosity being joined by some salivation, faintest hint of what was likely some solid bitterness 20 years ago, some fruitiness at the very tail end

Steep 3 (15s) - pretty similar, easy going flavor, thick/coating mouthfeel, not a lot of signs that the thickness is going to turn super sweet, faint hint of green flavor flashes through once or twice telling me that this still has the potential for some more development over a few more years of storage, some pancake-syrup sweetness developing in the finish, but on the lighter side

Steep 4 (30s) - pushing brings a light buttery note up front, but otherwise it's steady as she goes, no added viscosity/bitterness/astringency (or flavor for that matter)

Steep 5 (45s, reboil) - hints of cucumber showing up in the initial slurp, tingle on the tongue, some hints of minty cooling

Steep 6 (1 min) - more butter up front, still holding its own despite brewing this one on the harder side for a few steeps

Steep 7+ (2 min+) - has some endurance - still brewing full flavored, noticeably less caffeinated feeling than other similar teas at this point

Overall Impression - After yesterday's session with the 2006 Long Ma Rui Ming, I reached into my “to do” pile today and found another Changtai sample from the same year. This one is definitely more of a daily drinker type. The flavor is pretty mild, but enjoyable. The real star here is the mouthfeel, which is pleasantly thick and coating. Otherwise, not a whole lot to this one. It's nice for a cheap cake, and I'll certainly finish my sample, but the Long Ma Rui Ming red label is worth the small price difference in my opinion.

3.5g/100 mL, glass gaiwan, 175F

Gaiwan lid has typical nuttiness, with a light fruity undertone

Steep 1 (20s) - light nuttiness reminds me of cacao nibs without the bitterness, some grilled vegetables right at the front of a sip turns sweet and nutty, just rich and thick enough without turning too brothy for me

Steep 2 (45s) - pushing a bit amplifies the initial nutty-rich note while simultaneously bringing up the sweetness to balance, bitterness is nonexistent and faintest astringency is the only clue that I pushed this a little on the harder side, sweetness and richness coats the mouth, and quick flashes of citrus are detectable as the finish slowly fades

Steep 3+ (45s+) - close to the first steep, with a balance shifting ever-so-slighly from nutty to sweet, slight back-of-the-mouth astringency as I take bigger and bigger gulps, sweetness is not monotone - it brings in faint notes of sweet herbs (not quite mint or vanilla, but something in that ballpark), and also almond milk and white chocolate, and faint fruit as well

Overall Impression - This is the second of my two private-order Longjings of the year, and like the #43 varietal I got from Bitterleaf, this Quntizhong from ORT is such a nice tea. Subtle is the wrong word, because that implies mildness or lack of flavor, but this is a well-balanced tea without any one flavor blowing out your palate or shouting over the rest. There is just the right amount of richness and sweetness in this tea. I am really happy with this one.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of sweet rice, faint earth and old bookstore

Steep 1 (5s) - early flash of oatmeal, turning mouthwatering and juicy fairly quickly, dried cherries, old paperbacks, brown sugar (flavor/aroma more so than sweetness), bit of a thin mouthfeel but acidity helps, light coating of sweetness developing late

Steep 2 (5s) - faint hint of bitterness early with cereal/straw and old books, sweetness in the aromatics with the initial slurp but absent from the flavor, a bit flat for a few seconds after a swallow, then salivation and molasses start a second wave of flavor, soft sweetness along gums in finish

Steep 3 (5s) - papery note increasing slightly, sweetness and salivation hitting a little earlier now and increasing slightly, late sweetness still feels detached from the early hints of sweetness the aromatics

Steep 4 (10s) - similar track, sweetness is very slowly starting to build

Steep 5 (20s) - pushing slightly brings sweetness and acidity forward a little, no real signs of bitterness, sweetness now setting up shop up in the back of the soft palate and seemingly on top of my salivary glands, starting to feel a soft energy that is pulling things into focus while lightly pushing me into my chair

Steep 6 (30s, reboil) - the sweetness has finally filled in that gap between the early sip and the finish, hints of honey in the open mouth with a slurp can land on that sweetness, honeycomb candy (i.e., the umbrella from Squid Games)

Steep 7 (45s) - a touch of butteriness is coming in the beginning, mouthfeel has sneakily gotten slick over the past few steeps, this is really starting to hit its stride right now. I should have pushed early on this one I think so that I didn't have to wait half an hour to hit the “wow, this is a really good tea” mark, very uplifting and alert feeling, sweetness is now everywhere in my mouth and salivation continues to carry it minutes into the finish

Steep 8+ (1 min+) - still going strong for many more steeps

Overall Impression - I'm still feeling my way around the sea of aged and semi-aged raw puer, but I am definitely finding a preference for Changtai in the 15+ year range. This tea took a lot of time to get to the good part for me, but when it did it really took off. I'm just grateful that I had the time to really dedicate a mindful session to this one.

5.5g/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of hay, straw, cereal

Steep 1 (flash) - oatmeal/cereal notes up front with some light sweetness, green hay/grass in mid body, minimal bitterness, mouth starting to water a bit, clean and subtle, sweetness starting to cling to gums, light berry note in finish

Steep 2 (flash) - initial cereal notes, faint bitterness gets overtaken by sweetness, some green hay/vegetable flavors, sweetness hints at subtle fruity notes

Steep 3 (10s) - bitterness coming up slightly but still light, early cereal note, some light milky minerality in mouth, crisp veggies turning sweet in back of throat and on gums

Steep 4 (15s) - bitterness leveled off, maybe even starting to fade, sweetness has not really increased in volume but is covering a larger portion of the mouth, turning milky early

Steep 5 (20s) - similar progression, sweetness long but not necessarily strong, with hints of fruit, starting to feel a bit energized

Steep 6 (30s) - this one is all mouthfeel, milky sweet and gum-coating, a bit of slickness with sweetness painted all over the inside of the mouth

Steep 7+ (45s+, reboil) - still holding strong for many more steeps, not that there is a whole lot to hold on to, sweetness is just not letting go

Overall Impression - This is a remarkably mild tea for a young sheng. It definitely throws some Yiwu vibes with that initial cereal note leading to a light milky sweetness. For being so close to Jinggu, I am not getting any big floral or berry notes, but I'm not getting that aggressive floral-bitter note I often get from Jinggu, either. This one is really subtle in flavor and aroma, but with a nice coating of sweetness and energy.

I can see how this tea would appeal to someone who prefers milder young sheng as this still has sweetness, mouthfeel, and a caffeine boost, despite the mild bitterness and flavor. But for me, I definitely prefer something bolder. And if I'm in the mood for something milder I'd probably rather pay the premium for Yiwu and get a bit of a flavor upgrade. That being said, I keep refilling my cup for “one more steep” about 5 or 6 times now, so even though it might be a top choice of mine it's still pretty good.

Here is a follow-up to my earlier post where I tried these two different maocha samples separately, then blended the brewed tea about 5 or 6 steeps later. I decided to brew them blended together to see how they played out as a blend:

3.5g of 2A plus 2g of 1C/80mL, duanni clay pot, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of wood, dry grass

Steep 1 (flash) - bitter punch up front, cinnamon note there but less sweetness to it, bitterness fades decently quick, initial straw and cereal note covered over by leathery bite, aromatics fill in the mid palate with floral-wood-incense notes, bitterness is punchy and enduring but not clinging, mostly stays in front of mouth, hard to pin down the mid-body aromatics to a single character as several voices go back and forth, slickness in the mouth, not a lot of huigan sweetness yet, citrus comes up late but presenting as bitter orange marmalade

Steep 2 (flash) - aspirin bitterness still lead note, aromatics try to pop in and out around it, fruit, bark, and bitter veggies sit in the mids, long fade of bitterness

Steep 3 (flash) - bitterness starting to get a bit of a leathery note and slightly less aspirin, some early sweetness starting to appear, faint cinnamon and orange peel with bright veggies, sweetness in front of mouth, mouthfeel still slick, cough medicine

Steep 4 (5s) - bitterness still firm, sweetness under my tongue seemingly hiding from the bitterness, mouth watering, bitterness and sweetness butting heads in the middle of a sip, feeling some restless energy in my chest and shoulders

Steep 5 (10s) - bitterness backs off slightly, early sweetness becomes a larger part of the flavor, I am finding that there is less late sweetness in the blend than in the 2A on its own

Steep 6+ (15s+) - bitter orange, less huigan than I expected

Overall Impression - This is an interesting combo. While I still think this blend is better than each piece individually, I also feel like there's a clash between the two halves. It takes a few steeps to hit its stride, and it still feels like the two halves could use some time to meld. I wonder if this was pressed into a cake together or otherwise aged together if it would be a bit more cohesive. Fun experiment, but nothing really transcendent by any means.