HLH Lao Ban Zhang / Man'E prep ??

[tony shlongini]

I thought it was good tea, I also think it's worth 50$ for close to a pound of good tea. That's my opinion on it. I think we also forget how cheap pu'er really is compared to a lot of other teas. You wouldn't think twice to pay 17$ for only 100g of somewhat decent oolong, would you?

Great points, Thanks. With greens, whites, and oolongs, $25 only buys you a pound of entry level tea. That roughly corresponds to a $20 bing, and think of how many kick ass cakes from which you can choose for twenty dollars.

I've had too many oolongs that were $100+ per pound, some pushing $300. I'm sickened to think of the fine pu'er I could have bought instead. The fact that this happened more than ten years ago makes me even sicker- think how great that sheng would be by now.

The only reason I can offer regarding my balking at the high price of a bing is that I seem to be possessed of an unbridaled need to acquire all of them. There are just so many more selections of pu'er compared to other teas.

[chrl42]

Well also, the Hai Lang Hao cake is 50% LBZ, not 100%, which the description specifically says was done partially to keep costs somewhat reasonable (though it's an expensive cake).

I have some of the YSLLC one w/ the 禅 logo on the front; haven't tried it yet. But I have seen at least one person express skepticism (after tasting it) of whether it is truly 100% Lao Banzhang or not (I think it was Tim, but can't find the link, and I don't remember if it was here or on his weblog).

See also this thread about it.
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=6110
and Hobbes's comments at:
http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/01 ... arbor.html (interesting comments about the paper)

Scott's exact words are:

Members of the Mengku Tea Factory made an expedition to remote area near Banzhang mountain to obtain the leaves for these cakes. The leaves are from trees 400 to 500 years old that were heavily cut during the Cultural Revolution. The trunk is still intact and in the 35 years since the trees have continued to grow and produce excellent quality Pu-erh with that special Banzhang taste and penetrating perfume-like aroma.

The cakes are made from the highest grade Ban Zhang raw material and are entirely spring 2008 production. The price of premium Ban Zhang raw material has surpassed other tea mountains, because it is the most sought after.
[...]
This cake is 100% Ban Zhang Wild Ancient Arbor material!

So I'm not sure if it's possible that he's choosing his words carefully to avoid making false claims -- to me, it sounds like he's saying that this is 100% LBZ, but maybe there's some wriggle-room in there.

But either way, let's say for the sake of argument that the producers have rights to use tea from this land, or whatever... it doesn't actually cost them the wholesale price to harvest the tea (though it would be stupid of them to sell it too cheaply).

Similarly, just because the asking price for the raw material in the wholesale markets is XXX RMB/kg, it doesn't mean that it's impossible to get the tea leaf for a lower price... negotiation, quantity, connections, buying from the farmer rather than from a middleman, etc. all can influence the price (as well as the quality of the material, of course). So I don't think it's impossible that the cake is 100% Lao Banzhang at that price, especially given that it's not from a famous factory. However, it doesn't seem entirely likely either.

Either way, I know a number of people who really liked the earlier mini-bricks made by the same factory (I have an untouched one at home), and I bought some of this tea blind just as a gamble. I generally take most claims about tea (even if the vendor is reliable and trustworthy) with a big grain of salt.

William, your comment very appreciated.

I promise I will take a reseach to find Mengyang Guoyang's authority on LBZ in future. But when I mentioned MG's LBZ cake to my acquaintance (he sells Puerh), I remember he laughed hard saying 'Where does Mengyang Guoyang get money from, to buy LBZ farm?', he's not experienced that much (no one is actually in Puerh)

This is what I found from a vendor

Chairman of MG, woman named 董國艶 Dong Guoyan, actually visited Taiwanese real estate millionaire who monopolized LBZ farm, to get 30kg of LBZ maocha in 2008, to make Guoyan 早春-early spring. And is not sold to public. Story has it, most of MG LBZ to public is actually leaves from Bulang.

And I have to disagree your comment that it's possible to sell LBZ cheap.

Lao Ban Zhang..is not a toy to fool around. To compare Yixing clay, LBZ is Huanglong mt. #4 mine Di Cao Qing.
Either way if MG was 100%, everyone will go after for that price and their LBZ selection will be out of stock. MG isn't even authority in Puerh brand, and they could be by now if they could have done that. You must heard the Puerh obsession from Taiwan and Korea, and how they are picky about anything Gushu specially LBZ and Yiwu. LBZ Maocha is 5 times more expensive than Yiwu and if it's cake with mixed over 30% of LBZ..people call it it's a good LBZ cake.

I am not saying Scott is dishonest or anything, he seems to be very nice in pricing his stuffs. But belief doesn't have to do with honesty, in Puerh industry, price rather seems to be relation to honesty. And no one does Puerh business for charity.

I promise I will take a more time to know about the reality of LBZ, to get a broader knowledge.

[tenuki]

The same general story, ie there is only a limited amount from the 'true source', is true of pretty much all the china's 'great teas' West Lake Dragonwell, Bi Luo Chung, the list goes on. (and Taiwan teas as well, example: dong ding, li shan, etc).

However, the reality in the tea cup is that there is quality elsewhere as well, sometimes just down the street. Claims are made, vendors laugh at each other's claims, infighting and general stupidy takes place, it'a all par for the course. Just because something isn't from the 20 square acres of the original farm or whatever doesn't mean it isn't good tea.

Really people, get a grip and enjoy drinking some tea!

[chrl42]

The same general story, ie there is only a limited amount from the 'true source', is true of pretty much all the china's 'great teas' West Lake Dragonwell, Bi Luo Chung, the list goes on. (and Taiwan teas as well, example: dong ding, li shan, etc).

However, the reality in the tea cup is that there is quality elsewhere as well, sometimes just down the street. Claims are made, vendors laugh at each other's claims, infighting and general stupidy takes place, it'a all par for the course. Just because something isn't from the 20 square acres of the original farm or whatever doesn't mean it isn't good tea.

Really people, get a grip and enjoy drinking some tea!

"I swear I'm clean, officer!"

~Harvey Keitel in Taxi Driver

[expatCanuck]

... With greens, whites, and oolongs, $25 only buys you a pound of entry level tea. That roughly corresponds to a $20 bing, and think of how many kick ass cakes from which you can choose for twenty dollars.

But sometimes you just want a cup of green, or a full mug of bai hao oolong, or yunnan gold, or what have you. You don't want to work, you don't want to think.

I've had too many oolongs that were $100+ per pound, some pushing $300. I'm sickened to think of the fine pu'er I could have bought instead. The fact that this happened more than ten years ago makes me even sicker- think how great that sheng would be by now.

The only reason I can offer regarding my balking at the high price of a bing is that I seem to be possessed of an unbridaled need to acquire all of them. There are just so many more selections of pu'er compared to other teas.

Don't put on the ashes & sack-cloth just yet. Nothing wrong with educating your palate so that you're better able to enjoy new discoveries.

When doubt (or TAD) takes hold and threatens to cloud your judgment, just repeat to yourself,
"There will be more tea."

[Salsero]

OK, I did another session with the Hai Lang Hao Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E. This time I used a bit more leaf. I was less bowled over than last time ... maybe because I have lucky enough to have been drinking several other cakes with similar profiles since. I was surprised this time at how light the flavor is, but the character was pretty much as I remembered and the best part was perhaps aftertaste.

So, yes, I still think it is an exceptional cake and I suspect it will age well, but is it the equivalent of 4 2008 Menghai Big Classic cakes or 1.5 2002 Mengku Wild Arbor cakes or 2.5 2007 Mengku Mu Ye Chun cakes or 4.5 2007 Mengsa Arbor cakes or 6 2008 Menghai 8582 cakes? Probably not. It's still just tea ... not nectar, not revelation.

But I do think its features strike a nice balance without any overt weaknesses, and that make it a bit special, and at the moment at least, shelling out a large wad of cash is the only way to get a whole cake.

This time I used these parameters: 6 g in 120 ml pot , no rinse, infusions: 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 30 s, 35 s, 40 s, 50 s, 1 m, 90 s, 2 m, 2:30 m, 3 m, 4 m, 5 m

The first three or four infusions were -- strangely -- the least rewarding. This seems to be another of these sheng that shines in later infusions more than the early.

[JAS-eTea Guy]

OK, I am no tea expert but I just like this tea.
Remind me to tell you my expert story. OK, I'll tell you anyway.

Never call yourself an expert because "x" is an unknown factor and "spurt" is just a drip under pressure. At this point there is supposed to be much laughter and rolling on the floor (just in case you were not sure what was expected of you at this point).

[Salsero]

At this point there is supposed to be much laughter and rolling on the floor

(Actually that emoticon may be of a guy gagging on his own words ... or on a chicken bone.)

[JAS-eTea Guy]

what an ugly wrapper, for 56 bucks you think you would get something cooler.

I've been enjoying the 2008 Lao Ban Zhang Wild Arbor from YSLLC a lot, wishing I'd got that in the 4 pack instead of 3 individuals.


Now that's a wrapper!

I have been enjoying the 2008 Hai Lang Hao Lao Ban Zhang & Man'E Ancient Arbor cake but find the comment about the wrapper hilarious! It really is a drab wrapper for the price of the cake.

As for the Lao Ban Zhang, I have found that to be very nice also. I have quantities of both of the above that I purchased for a Badger&Blade group buy. For any that are interested, I am willing to provide either in sample sizes or cakes at the same prices that I set up for the B&B group. A number of the members here heard about the group buy and have taken advantage of it.

PM me with any interest.

Best regards,
Steve

[JAS-eTea Guy]

It's just that everyone seems to be gushing about this tea, and my results, while good, are certainly not stellar.

Maybe they are just full of crap?