The Sheng Olympiad of 2017

So I FINALLY got around to taking some time off of work and since I have just been kicking around the house I have decided to go into this full bore.

I started with the Bang Dong samples, going from youngest to oldest. So:
1. 2015 YS
2. 2012 Tea Urchin
3. 2010 YS

A fat 7+g/110ml, 208F, 5s rinse, 15s first steep, +10s thereafter for all.

2015 YS was pretty bland in the taste department, but made up for it with a noticeable thickness. I got a solid 9 steeps out of this.

The 2012 from Tea Urchin has probably been the smokiest I’ve encountered in the batch—brought it close to the line for me, but didn’t go over. It also would not quit on me. I got a solid 11 or 12 steeps out of this, but it was getting late and I was running on chaqi alone, so I decided to go to bed.

This morning started with the YS 2010. The liquor was more golden than the 2015, but surprisingly paler than the 2012 Tea Urchin. Much like the YS 2015 that taste was mild, but so was the smoke. Maybe a good tea for someone new to sheng.

I should mention that I got chaqi off of all of these, which doesn’t always happen for me. However, it usually required me to stand up to notice it.

I’m currently working on 7g of Bitterleaf No Chaser and if my crock wasn’t already full (and my wife already tired of my tea $@!%) I would buy a cake of this. Really balanced between the smokey umami and sweetness, really easy to drink, and YES more chaqi. It also works as a good follow up to a couple of Crown and Cokes.

Tomorrow? Alter Ego and 2HAF. I have had the Hi Tech (yum!) and Midas Touch before, although not as dragon balls. Will likely horde them for a while longer.

First post on Steepster! So I finally got the package today and while opening it up I randomly picked the 2012 Bang Dong.

I used a little less than 7g/100 mL and got a nice and light yellow colour for the first steep. Around steep n°5 the leaves opened up and I got a lovely light orange colour.

I got notes of hay, some seaweed and possibly pine. It’s surprisingly sweet with little to no bitterness. Texture is light to medium and it goes quite well with the calming qi this tea has. Excellent tea, and a very good first impression of Tea Urchin for me!

Thanks Andrew for doing this, much appreciated!

Had 2HAF ball yesterday – Tons of sweetness with a nice florality on the nose. Really great citrus notes in later brews. Intersting herbal notes floated in and out between some hints of green almond. The Qi was uplifting but calming at the same time. Really enjoyable, probably got 14 brews out of it before doing an overnight brew.

I got my shenginesness today! Thanks a bunch LP! I’m a happy soul

I would really appreciate any feedback on this idea:

I am talking with a vendor about buying maocha during the spring harvest in Jingmai to make some exclusive balls for the 2018 Sheng Olympiad and would like to store 50% of them in 30-40% humidity and the other 50% in 65-75% humidity for 8 months.

Would this be something you would all like?

I just received my package on Thursday last week, and started with the Straight, No Chaser this weekend.

I got about 15 steeps in over the weekend, and I loved the way the flavors evolved over that time. I don’t know that I have all the words to describe it yet, and I might be too green myself to try, but I really enjoyed it.

My first sheng, and I might be hooked.

A big thanks to you for this set!