Finally get to pull this one out of storage.
This cake is double wrapped and compressed like crazy. I had to break out the big pick on this one.
I pulled 10 grams out and gave it a rinse to open up a bit. The first 3 steeps were about 5 seconds each and combined into my big mug. The tea has decent body to it. The tongue is alive a bit as well. There is a touch of humid and it goes very sweet at the finish.
Next 3 were about 5 seconds as well and combined. I had let the leaf sit about an hour by this time. There is a little of the smoke and some of the nice bitterness is coming out as the humid part fades away. It is an almost sharp metallic hit in there somewhere. It is still alive and keeping the tongue alive and almost numb. This is till young at 4 years and is reminiscent of the other small sourced Bulangs I have drank. I think this has a bit more hit to it and I think this will be a wow tea in 5 more years, it is quite good now.
I haven’t had the Qui effect but it is still early . It does warm you as you drink it.
Steeped in the gaiwan.
Flavors: Bitter, Metallic, Smoke, Sweet
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
I’ve heard this has been people’s least favorite out of the yqh bunch.
Probably so as I have only tried one other so far but I am a sucker for Bulang ,Mang Fei and Lao Man’E teas.
The bitters ;) I’ve heard some controversy over this Bulang; although, I could be mistaken. I just remember hearing one of the young YQH was a little “off”. Personally, I have not tried the Bulang.
The 2004-2006 YQH teas I’ve purchased to drink now. I’m looking forward to opening this one in 5 to 6 years – too young for me now.
It may be young but I liked it. I actually chose it from being the first one in the stack of YQH teas I have.
Not surprised you like it now – you go for the heavy hitters. ;-)
I think Mr.Yang has both great knowledge and good taste so we really can’t go wrong with any of his selections.
Considering the $/g is so low (it’d be something stupidly inexpensive like a $56/200g cake) it’s hard to go too wrong with this.
That being said, I think this is towards the bottom of Yang’s catalog. More of a sweet, not brutal Bulang. I also do agree with Dignitea a bit on this one. I had a couple sessions with it and I think it’s a couple years away from when I’d want to drink it..
So have you been storing it a few years? Is the humid flavor coming from your storage? O.o If that is the case, I’m shipping you my fridge and stash. :P
jschergen, I liked EOT’s Bulang a lot. It had a bunch more kick to it. I still think it needs 5 or so to be really ready. I think the 2007’s are starting to get there for the ones I have stored.
Cwyn, I just recently got this one and actually have it in a bag with the other 2 I got.
Which EOT bulang? The 2008 is excellent.
tea123 it was the 2008.
If the YQH teas are that sort of quality then they must be good.
This tea is very different from any of the EoT Bulangs. I enjoy those teas a good deal, but there’s a lot more pow with those teas.
In my anecdotal experience, qi really only becomes relevant from tea (1) when I don’t blend the steeps (2) when I’m very deliberately being calm and present with the ta and (3) usually cheating a bit and doing some basic qigong or taijiquan breathing and spinal alignment gestures.
Although, you get a raw tea old enough and it’ll pretty much qi you no matter what.
Yeah, I kind of favor that big cup too much sometimes. I do like the heavy hitters as many know. I like the brash kick in the teeth sometimes.
Other occasions I just like to sit and relax with a tea. This is really kind of rare but you have reminded me I need to do it more often.
I do a lot of blending with daily drinkers and teas I know well, but try not to with teas that are new to me.
I’ve heard this has been people’s least favorite out of the yqh bunch.
Probably so as I have only tried one other so far but I am a sucker for Bulang ,Mang Fei and Lao Man’E teas.
The bitters ;) I’ve heard some controversy over this Bulang; although, I could be mistaken. I just remember hearing one of the young YQH was a little “off”. Personally, I have not tried the Bulang.
The 2004-2006 YQH teas I’ve purchased to drink now. I’m looking forward to opening this one in 5 to 6 years – too young for me now.
It may be young but I liked it. I actually chose it from being the first one in the stack of YQH teas I have.
Not surprised you like it now – you go for the heavy hitters. ;-)
I think Mr.Yang has both great knowledge and good taste so we really can’t go wrong with any of his selections.
Considering the $/g is so low (it’d be something stupidly inexpensive like a $56/200g cake) it’s hard to go too wrong with this.
That being said, I think this is towards the bottom of Yang’s catalog. More of a sweet, not brutal Bulang. I also do agree with Dignitea a bit on this one. I had a couple sessions with it and I think it’s a couple years away from when I’d want to drink it..
So have you been storing it a few years? Is the humid flavor coming from your storage? O.o If that is the case, I’m shipping you my fridge and stash. :P
jschergen, I liked EOT’s Bulang a lot. It had a bunch more kick to it. I still think it needs 5 or so to be really ready. I think the 2007’s are starting to get there for the ones I have stored.
Cwyn, I just recently got this one and actually have it in a bag with the other 2 I got.
Which EOT bulang? The 2008 is excellent.
tea123 it was the 2008.
If the YQH teas are that sort of quality then they must be good.
This tea is very different from any of the EoT Bulangs. I enjoy those teas a good deal, but there’s a lot more pow with those teas.
In my anecdotal experience, qi really only becomes relevant from tea (1) when I don’t blend the steeps (2) when I’m very deliberately being calm and present with the ta and (3) usually cheating a bit and doing some basic qigong or taijiquan breathing and spinal alignment gestures.
Although, you get a raw tea old enough and it’ll pretty much qi you no matter what.
Yeah, I kind of favor that big cup too much sometimes. I do like the heavy hitters as many know. I like the brash kick in the teeth sometimes.
Other occasions I just like to sit and relax with a tea. This is really kind of rare but you have reminded me I need to do it more often.
I do a lot of blending with daily drinkers and teas I know well, but try not to with teas that are new to me.