by puyuan » Nov 21st, '15, 03:06
Trying Sanhetangs top teas from recent years. Very small single-brew samples. Lucky to have a couple that were very small productions and shouldn't have been available in sample sizes. I'm only missing the Fenghua Zaixian.
The real pricy Wangzhes (not the one Houde sells) - Almost pure Bohetang, a tea I'm very familiar with. It's either only a small proportion of the other (Wangong) tea that is blended in these cakes, or the WG comes from a garden exceedingly similar to BHT. They are different, the 2012 and 2013, but I feel like I have tasted both variations on this theme before, and more than once. Found them both exceptionally boring. I honestly don't know if I've overdrunk teas from this place, if I'm having a bad tea week, or if they really are as boring as I think. Most likely a combination of the 3. I like my 13 autumn BHT more, though it's weaker in taste.
I have to gather my thoughts about the 14 Red Mark. It's surely a high-grade tea and the chaqi is very strong, but I didn't impress me that much in the mouth. I was probably expecting more complexity, since it's a fairly varied blend. Mouthfeel wasn't that impressive either. I will try a few more brews later today.
Imo, the Chawabing blows them out of the water, and it's much cheaper.
Afterwards I'll try the Diangu 14 and 15, a very limited forest Yibang production (large leaves) and another Red Mark sample which I don't know if it's the 14 that the seller added again by mistake or if it's the 2015. He doesn't know either, so I'll have to figure it out. (The 2015 isn't a blend.)
Sunsing is selling a "Year 2000 fermented puerh" that is very decent for the price, if memory doesn't fail. I can't even remember the last time I liked a shu. Had it to cleanse the palate yesterday and it surprised me.
P.s. Another tea I've tried - The Zidane (lol) cake from BTH. Forgot the actual name. I've bought a 2015 and a 2010. I can't fathom the markup over the maocha in this cake, but otherwise I found the 2015 to be exceedingly fairly priced. Nice huigan, elegant, seemingly excellent processing, very strong qi. It actually impressed me quite a bit. It's a profile of tea that I know has its non-fans, who might find it a little hollow, but I'd recommend it.
For all its reputation, I actually scored a couple of other somewhat bargainy teas at BTH.