This is a sample I received from somebody on a Chinese forum. The guy was generous enough to send me two samples of Yangqing Hao teas. One of them, the 04, was once available on Hou De but has been long gone. This one, the Baisui Xiangcha, or “Hundred Years Fragrant tea”, I don’t believe has ever been sold there…
The leaves are quite dark when dry. It’s supposed to be a mix of six mountain tea, so not all Yiwu like many of his other cakes. I think this is a lower grade cake, relatively speaking.
The tea brewed a golden colour — quite pretty
The first cup was extremely smooth and soothing. There was a fair bit of bitterness, in a very subdued fashion, in the first cup. It’s an interesting feeling — the bitterness is simultaneously there and not there. The smell on the bottom of the lid was a reassuaring grassy/green smell, while the fragrance lingered in the bottom of the cup. The tea, however, gradually got a little more rough as time went on. There was not a lot of qi, and the aftertaste/throatiness varied in degree, depending on which infusion. Sometimes it’s stronger, sometimes it’s weaker. It started turning sweet around infusion 5, and then got sweeter, while still remaining a bit rough.
The wet leaves are …. interesting
They come in all shape and sizes and colours
The blending is obvious, both in the way the leaves look but also in the cup. While it does taste like the six mountains area, there is a fair bit of change going on in the cup and in that sense, the tea is quite interesting. I don’t, however, believe the leaves are of very high quality. I think it is a blend of old and new tree teas, and while the body is fair, the strength, in terms of aftertaste, qi, and that kind of thing, are not quite there. The blending part can does make up for some of the deficiencies in other areas though…
6 responses so far ↓
thisistam // September 3, 2007 at 3:31 pm |
Fascinating! I love tea but am a novice drinker (tea bags and loose leaf in infuser ball) Any suggestions on getting started?
lewperin // September 3, 2007 at 4:16 pm |
Uh, wouldn’t that be Bai Sui Xiang? That’s (also) a Wuyi oolong, but what a great name for a Pu’er!
MarshalN // September 3, 2007 at 8:59 pm |
Lew: You’re right, and I fixed it. Obviously too sleepy when I typed. Although, I would not treat the term as “Baisuixiang” and “cha”. I think it is more accurate in this case to think of it as “baisui” and “xiangcha”. In the case of the Wuyi it would be “baisuixiang”.
Hi thisistam, I think…. getting more varieties of tea and try, and figuring out what you like, might be a good start.
If you really want, you can also buy a gaiwan 🙂
Phyllo // September 4, 2007 at 5:29 pm |
Is the ’04 different from the “Yiwu Chawang”? If it is the same, then the ’04 is still available at Houde for $139.50 per.
MarshalN // September 4, 2007 at 11:25 pm |
I think it’s the same…. and I guess my memory didn’t serve me well. I somehow thought it was sold out…
Phyllo // September 5, 2007 at 6:21 pm |
You are right that it was sold out at Houde’s online (Guang, as we know, always keep stuff aside in his warehouse for later offerings). I think 1 tong was re-introduced on the day that he adjusted all his pu’er prices up a few months ago.