Si Da Ming Cong - the OTHER three

[Herb_Master]

I opened tonight my first ever Iron Warrior Monk.

It was part of a set of the Famous 4 - Si Da Ming Cong - Wuyi Shan varietals that I purchase from Purple Cane.


http://www.purplecane.com.my/purplecane ... 001-0.html

At only 30gm per packet for 165 Malaysian Ringits I suspect I am unlikely to buy it again! My friends round the corner at Wisdom Arts scorned the need for a company to buy in tea from a distributor and repackage it at added cost. But it was tempting to buy the 4 in one set and experience them.

With the Overall covering of sellophane removed there are 4 cardboard Boxes in a cardboard tray, inside each (presumably) is a vacuum sealed foil pouch but with no reseal capability, and a descriptive leaflet. I did however buy some small tea canisters for 5 Ringits each, which I am happy with, having opened the foil pouch of the Tie Luo Han it would not quite fit in the canister, but removing 5 grams for my first brew the rest fitted in comfortably.

I have recently taken to densely packing my small yixings for Yan Cha (with great encouragement from Abx to brew this way) but with only 30grams to play with I decided not to use too much leaf too quickly.

I settled for 5 grams in a 160ml pot, this pot seems to have a slightly slower pour time than many I use so with rinse water seeming very promising my first real brew was only about 5 seconds plus pour.

The first brew was nice but light - nice toast, nice flavours blending together and difficult to isolate. Possibly very slight smokiness, a slight tobacco like woodiness, and maybe a tiny hint of dried plums - but I was stretching my analytical powers to come up withy these ideas.

The second brew was 12 seconds plus pour and seemed stronger but similar to the first brew in every other respect - definetely lacking leaf or time to get the most out of the leaf - both brews pleasant, rounded and balanced no distracting edges - but not painting a picture for me.

It would be nice to have a larger amount to have freedom to play with it - but there are few economies of scale available and online selling is no cheaper and the post wqould need to be added on.

At 75 Ringits for 115 grams, the larger TLH Canister is actually a fair bit cheaper
but I am unlikely at this moment to purchase it. However time will tell and I may change my mind.


http://www.purplecane.com.my/purplecane ... 002-0.html

Purple Cane describes it thus

Intensity - Yellowish Brown with Lustre
Fragrance - Chinese Herbs Aroma
Taste - Sweet and Mellow, Strong After Taste

Anyhow it is time for my 3rd Infusion

[Herb_Master]

The 3rd brew – 24 seconds (plus pour) was nicer- deeper flavours than before, but still no great intensity. I detect a little more of the roast-iness, and a nice light ‘zing’ on the tongue.

Definitely no smokiness, tobacco or dried plums (I don’t know what I was imagining earlier) but even more pleasant than before whilst still being a veritably delicate drink.

- - - - - -

What I am looking for in particular on this infusion is the qualities professed by Purple Cane.

Intensity, Yellowish Brown
With Lustre

Yes I can see Yellowish brown, but there is a hint of an orangey colour in there too!
With Lustre (Whatever that means ?) It does seem to have a slight sparkle, bright without being translucent.


Fragrance, Chinese Herbs Aroma


Possibly, I am not sure that I know too many Chinese Herbs – but a pleasant wood-sy, bark-y aroma. The aroma is NICE.
Something a little bit Pu-Er ish to me

Taste, Sweet and mellow, strong after taste.

Definitely Sweet and Mellow, maybe I was too channelled calling it delicate, it IS Mellow and there is a lingering sweetness. I hesitated to say Mellow earlier because that might have suggested blandness, it is not bland but it just does not shout out of anything huge.

Not sure about the strong aftertaste, the ‘zing’ remains on my tongue for some minutes, and I have that feeling of sweetness for some time.

- - - - - -

Definitely a pleasant afternoon drink, not something I would want to wake me up for breakfast or talk loudly to me in the early evening – but then I need to see what a longer infusion can do.

[TIM]

5 grams in a 160ml pot might be far too little? I would suggest trying 10g first.... flash brews till you like the strength? Just a thought.

[Beidao]

Why not switch to a small gaiwan or a smaller pot, if you do not want to use more leaves?

[Herb_Master]

5 grams in a 160ml pot might be far too little? I would suggest trying 10g first.... flash brews till you like the strength? Just a thought.

Yes, I think I will up the leaves, I had been drinking my plentiful supplies of Da Hong Pao and Shui Xian at 14gm to a pot this size and loving the experience, but with only 30gm to play with my TLH would all have gone in 2, so I deliberately tried this approach as an intro.

4th Infusion 45 seconds, and 5th 90 seconds produced very similar results to 3rd though a little darker colour still sweet and mellow, though the 5th was probably my favourite.

[Herb_Master]

Why not switch to a small gaiwan or a smaller pot, if you do not want to use more leaves?

I think it is time I tried this tea in a Gaiwan, I will try a denser pack in this pot then see if I have enough leaf for 2 Gaiwan sessions.

[gingkoseto]

5 grams in a 160ml pot might be far too little? I would suggest trying 10g first.... flash brews till you like the strength? Just a thought.

Yes, I think I will up the leaves, I had been drinking my plentiful supplies of Da Hong Pao and Shui Xian at 14gm to a pot this size and loving the experience, but with only 30gm to play with my TLH would all have gone in 2, so I deliberately tried this approach as an intro.

Decreasing the vessel volume may be a more convenient option than increasing amount of leaves. Besides the cost per session consideration, large amount of strong tea (which is typical for da hong pao, shui xian and many other oolong) could be too much for the stomach to handle.

Ideally 1 gaiwan (100-120ml) that gives 3 cups of tea is nice for 3 people to share. Most of the time I have tea by myself and use leaves only 1/2 to 2/3 full of gaiwan or a small teapot. I have yet to try a smaller (probably around 80ml?) pot or gaiwan to make small amount strong tea, but I am not sure if the long leaves would settle in such a small vessel.

Or I will train my husband into sharing tea with me

[Herb_Master]

I was intending to higher pack the same Yixing tonight, but succumbed to the Gaiwan approach.

6 grams to a 90 ml Gaiwan. The salesgirl assured me it was a gaiwan, I asked what the difference between a Gaibei and a Gaiwan - she said Gaibei would bigger. This a goldfish motif set Gaiwan and 4 delightful cups, to which I have added from another shop Goldfish motif Tea strainer and Holder.

The gaiwan has no saucer, it has a pouring spout and 2 lugs (handles) on the rim.
The pouring spout allows the occasional leaf through, so I was glad to be using the strainer and rescue the leaves.

The first brew followed a short rinse with cooler than normal water, I was keen to experience handling the gaiwan without oversteeping the leaves. This may have resulted in understeeping the rinse because the difference between the first and 2nd brews was significant.

The first brew was 10 seconds and the pour is very quick compared to both a Small Pot, and a lidded gaiwan without spout - probably less than 1 and half seconds for all but the final dribbles.

well it immediately reminded me of what I had been expecting in the first instant - lots of roasted Da Hong Pao-ish reminders, in your face and unsubtle without being in any way rough but no finesse.

The second brew was again 10 seconds, but this time any edges in the first brew had gone and there was a hint of layers in the taste sensations.
First sip/bowl I noted the mellowed roasting notes, and a coolish lingering background (can't quite describe definitely not green vegetables, definetely not menthol, but a cooling sort of lingering quality).
2nd bowl, I began to see the possibility of the medicinal, herbal element described by Purple Cane, still with mellow roasting flavour upfront and cooling background.
3rd bowl, I thought I detected some gentle mineral flavours, the roastiness was by now gone [had my tongue become tired of registering that effect?]
and strangely nearly all of my discoveries were with my tongue, nothing on sides or roof of mouth and zero in the throat.
The aftertaste that lingered was ALL on the tongue.

The bad news (for me) is that 90 ml is not enough - 3 brews took a total of 20 minutes and I am left wanting more.

The 3rd infusion of 15 seconds appeared almost identical to the 2nd infusion, the tea is no longer on my discard list, but will want to try TLH from other vendors first before making a rebuy decision.

[Herb_Master]

4th brew 30 seconds - the same experience as before.

I noticed this time that all tonights infusions habe had no hint of yellow in the colour much more Orange Brown. Maybe I am brewing it stronger than Purple Cane do, any which way I prefer it like this.

Further notes for myself are that last night I was using Co-op Fairbourne Springs, tonight I am using Volvic.

I can see myself buying another TLH sooner than had been planned. But for now I will content myself to move on to the White Cockscomb and start with this Gaiwan.

[Tead Off]

When I brew Yancha, I will use more leaf than normal and steep much longer than you are doing. First infusions are usually around 30 sec. Even then, there is no astringency and flavor is more accessible. I usually fill a 100ml pot half way and use zhuni pot with a wider body. I find the yancha too weak if I brew for such a short time but maybe we taste differently so I offer this as only a suggestion.

[Herb_Master]

I have tried this #edit [Purple Cane's Bai Ji Guan] in the Goldfish Gaiwan, the same way as the Tie Luo Han 2nd session - 6grams to 90ml - and enjoyed it very much.

I was surprised to find it was very robust, I was led to believe that this was the lightest and most delicate of the 4, with Golden Water Turtle also lighter than the the Big Red Robe and iron Warrior Monk.

Who can say what all of them will turn out like with plenty of oxidisation and good roasting! The tea varietal must surely play the least part in the eventual style - or am I missing something?

It's robustness and similarities to Shui Xian and Da Hong Pao persuaded me to want to leave the Gaiwan behind and go on to dense packing of a Yixing.

But first I decided to rehone my skills with Shui Xian of which I have an abundance. So I have had 3 days playing with Hou De 2005 Shui Xian and have been enjoying all the brews, 12 grams in a 160ml teapot from necessiteas.

I decided to break in a new teapot [one that I have had for 14 months and not used yet] it is from Seven Cups and small and delicate but surprisingly holds 210ml which is a tiny bit larger than I had wanted in my current mood - but the real shocker for me is that the pouring time is 48 seconds.

So I demurred from using it - and rashly perhaps, ordered a 170ml pot from Chen

Back to the Gaiwan again to try the water turtle next, and I expect it to be more robust than the light roast water turtle I got from seven cups last year!

[cheaton]

There is a huge difference between the flavors of TLH between fresh and aged. Fresh it does take on a more Shui Xian flavor. However, the more aged TLH I had(2006 from TeaGallery) smelled almost fruity and left me with flavors of wood and copper. I loved this tea, and could stretch my imagination for similar flavor from the fresh, but not quite the same. Moral of the story.... let some sit for a couple of years and try again

[Herb_Master]

There is a huge difference between the flavors of TLH between fresh and aged. Fresh it does take on a more Shui Xian flavor. However, the more aged TLH I had(2006 from TeaGallery) smelled almost fruity and left me with flavors of wood and copper. I loved this tea, and could stretch my imagination for similar flavor from the fresh, but not quite the same. Moral of the story.... let some sit for a couple of years and try again

Yes, I do hope to set a quantity of YanCha aside for aging, but this was Bai Ji Guan.

I see now that I only mentioned it in the post title and not in the body text, I shall edit it in.

I would expect a young TLH to appear similar to Shui Xian, but I had been led to believe that SJG and BJG would have been somehow lighter. Perhaps that will come with age also!

[xuancheng]

Could you post a picture of the BaiJiGuan spent leaf? In my limited experience with this tea, robust would be the last adjective I would use to describe it. The leaves that I have seen are a quite distinctive yellow with red edges, and are usually quite easy to tell from other Yancha.

It would be interesting to see a BaiJiGuan with a more traditional oxidization and roast.

[Tead Off]

There is a huge difference between the flavors of TLH between fresh and aged. Fresh it does take on a more Shui Xian flavor. However, the more aged TLH I had(2006 from TeaGallery) smelled almost fruity and left me with flavors of wood and copper. I loved this tea, and could stretch my imagination for similar flavor from the fresh, but not quite the same. Moral of the story.... let some sit for a couple of years and try again

Uh, copper flavor? Can you really distinguish between a brass and a bronze flavor? However, I think I know what you mean and I agree that the older spring wuyi teas are very interesting.

FYI, Jing Tea shop sells some 2006/2007 Wuyi teas that are also organic. Their cheapo DHP rocks!