289 Tasting Notes
Not to be confused with the 2012 version of this tea with the same name, that some of you apparently own (but have yet to review! Come on, people!). This is very good tea. It has that signature Hai Lang Hao ripe profile – tangy chocolate, very coffee like. These flavors dissipate, though, after just a few steeps, when the tea becomes a bit bland.
Trying my second Xinghai ripe today after sampling the 2008 Bulang yesterday. This tea tastes very similar to me. You know how you can tell a factory’s distinctive shu flavor? Dayi and Langhe come to mind. Xinghai seems to have its own. Burnt coffee and slight perfume come to mind here. This tea was not so different from the Bulang, just a little smoother, probably due to age, and a hint of fruit in the first steep or two. This tea doesn’t justify the $60 price tag to me, I’d just as soon buy something like the 2008 which is just as good and much cheaper.
I bought some Xinghai tea factory teas with my latest YS order. I had never tried this brand before. Anyone know its reputation? This tea is pretty good. Nice big leaves, thick dark broth. Bold flavor, a little bit of burnt coffee and a slight perfume. Reminds me of the ripe tuos from W2T and pu-erh.sk. Seems like a good middle of the road tea. I’ll review the others shortly to see how they compare to this one, and if there is any distinctive flavors that come through.
I received my box of ripe pu erh goodies today from the recent YS sale. One thing I purchased was this mini cake. It was well sealed in its own little envelope, so I immediately tried it even though it did not get a chance to rest and air out. This ripe pu erh is made with jiangulan, an herb I had never heard of. I think it’s kind of like ginseng, at least that’s how it tastes (Yang-chu, help me out here!). This is a really good tea for what it is. The ripe tea is of solid quality, and the herb makes it minty fresh, like ginseng. It’s quite unusual, and worth a try if you are adventurous. And it has a great little wrapper…
This tea now sells for a whopping $150. Did you who now own this pay that much? I am only tasting a sample. Anyway, this tea is certainly very good, though not nearly good enough to justify its current price. It is on the lighter side, with that signature ripe Dayi taste in the background, rather than upfront like it usually is. Quite smooth, and definitely different than your run of the mill Dayi. Tastes like gushu. I get cocoa, a little burnt coffee, and mostly a clean shu flavor.
Have you got a link to the tea. This one is $63.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Yunnan-Menghai-Dayi-7752-Ripe-Puer-Tea-Free-Shipping-/321454702235?var=&hash=item76d33cf10e
I got a sample of this tea with a recent order. It is a very clean mid aged tea. No off flavors. It starts off with a little smoke, but that fades quickly. Then it turns into sort of a bland tobacco flavor, with just a hint of fruit and sweet, and a mild huigan. Seems like a pretty good tea, though I’m not sure how much I like (factory) teas of this age. I don’t have much experience with them.
Tried a sample of this today. It is a pretty good standard Dayi ripe. The flavors are a bit more complex and subtle than some other offerings. A very safe bet if you’re looking for a good product for aging.
Not easy to find, but here it is:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2015-TAE-TEA-DaYi-ChuanQi-or-Legend-Bing-Cake-Beeng-357g-YunNan-Organic-Pu-er-Ripe/1220054_32463514793.html
This is an organic plantation tea from pu-erh.sk. I found it to be very good. The first steep was like liquid beef jerky, smoky and sweet. As I got further into it, some fruitiness came through. The smoke lasted several steps, but it was well integrated into the flavor. It is a durable eye-opening drink, and I get the feeling it will age well. Kind of like a premium Dayi sheng, only organic.
I have not tried any Hai Lang Hao ripe pu-erh and am curious about this signature profile now.