10 September, 2012

2012 Essence of Tea "Guafengzhai", "Dongbanshan", and 2009 Guyi "Dongbanshan"

Gentle Reader, we are back from San Diego, a city quite remarkable: stable, comfortably warm weather; fragrant bayside restaurants and hotels; a population that appears to be slimmer than anywhere in England.  It is a really lovely city in its situation by the bay, although it's good to be home.


San Diego


So charming was San Diego, in fact, that I appear to have put on precisely 10.0% of my body weight (7.5 kg) while over there.  After the first day back in England, I lost 2 kg; after the second day, I lost a further 1.5 kg.  Something is definitely "up" with my (in)ability to cope with San Diego / Mexican cuisine...

I'm relying on pu'ercha to help me regain my equilibrium.


San Diego


Along with the "Bangwei 33", this is the other of the 2012 cakes from Essence of Tea that I like very much.

We may be expecting the 400g cake to be rather pretty, given the form of Mr. and Mrs. Essence when it comes to the selection of healthy, visually-appealing leaves.  The photograph below makes me thirsty for tea just from looking at it, and I have been drinking all morning.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember there being neifei [inner labels] for Essence of Tea cakes; this could be my woefully poor attention-to-detail in previous years.  Below, nestled in the pretty leaves, the label looks rather cosy.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


The leaves are huge, as pictured below.  I appreciate the inclusion of stems, which I think adds a little to the overall complexity; when making "single mountain" cakes, any complexity is worthwhile, given that there could feasibly be a danger of becoming rather one-dimensional when a single source for maocha is used.  The scent is fresh and sweet, but otherwise unrevealing.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


The cups shown in the photographs, generously provided by Mr. and Mrs. Essence, have since become part of our daily routine, and we couldn't imagine life without them.  Their thickness and density are entirely suitable for drinking pu'ercha, and they retain the heat particularly well.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


The scent in the wenxiangbei [aroma cup, shown above] is of dazzling white sugar which slowly... very slowly... turns into a darker sweetness.  This progression is remarkably slow, and powerful at both the start and the end, which encourages me.  "The pace and duration are both good", my notes read.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


The soup is vibrant, very green in character, and finishes with an excellent cooling sensation.  It is properly heavy in texture, and imparts a kuwei [pleasant bitterness] that remains suspended in the mouth.  Its potency is such that it is easy to overbrew, which is a most welcome characteristic - I like teas that have a lot to offer, and which could quite happily overwhelm you with their contents if allowed to do so.


2012 EoT Guafengzhai


This is not a feminine Guafengzhai cake: it is strong, bitter, cooling, and penetrating.  It is "too big to fail".  This includes its price, which is an entirely wallet-destroying £128.  Being frank, I cannot say that it is worth paying such a fee; for the price of two such cakes, one could buy some seriously enjoyable, decently aged, pu'ercha.  Judged on its merits as a cake, however, it is delightful.  Caveat emptor.


2012 EoT Dongbanshan


Changing gear, I compare a pair of Dongbanshan cakes - one from The Essences, and one from Guyi.  This sample was very kindly sent to us by Mrs. Essence.  

Dongbanshan is in the Mengku region of Lincang prefecture.


2012 EoT Dongbanshan


"This tea is quite light; it is good for my pregnancy", observes my dear wife, who is otherwise careful to avoid drinking very much tea.  This cake takes a little while to rouse itself to action, and, while not a big "flavour" tea (which is not a bad thing), it resounds in the throat.  Its grassy, fresh, light feeling reminds me that it is time that I cut the lawn.


2012 EoT Dongbanshan


After coming in from wrestling with our lawn-mower, I am ready for some more tea.  This 2009 Kunming Guyi version of a Dongbanshan cake was kindly provided by ME, who lives in a seriously warm part of the world.


2009 Guyi Dongbanshan


The leaves, shown below, have been well-preserved by the use of stone moulds to press the tea.  The scent is fresh and sweet, and quite active.


2009 Guyi Dongbanshan


This is a much more punchy version of Dongbanshan than the Essence of Tea cake, but is a little more mainstream in its provenance.  Tuochatea sells this for a correspondingly reasonable price of just $15.  This latter tea merchant does not attract a lot of attention, but is one of the stalwarts of the Western pu'ercha market, having been selling tea at very reasonable prices for quite a long time.  I recall buying from them for many years - never very large quantities, but always interesting, low-priced cakes.  Every now and again, there is a complete winner on offer, too, such as the 1998 Menghai "Peacock" tuocha, which has aged so very well.


2009 Guyi Dongbanshan


This $15 version of Dongbanshan is clean and proper, and very "dry", as with some white wines.  The kuwei is crisp in the finish, and I am pleased by a collection of granary sweetnesses that are clearly Lincangian in their origins, and which were absent from the Essence of Tea version.  For such an inexpensive cake, this little version has a welcoming mouthwatering finish and is great fun to drink.  It is challenging, but not rough; it is balanced, but not dull.  I don't know if I would pursue this in huge quantities, but it is decent for the price.

Thanks to Mrs. Essence and ME for the thoroughly enjoyable sessions.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I too can not spend time anywhere you find good Mexican food without gaining some serious weight. I know from experience that San Diego has some truly awesome Mexican food. Heck, San Diego is basically in Mexico...

Ben



TwoDog said...

The bit about the Mexican food made me laugh. Any trip back to the states inevitably ends in my gaining 10 lbs. Returning to China, I shed the pounds quickly, when my diet of lard filled beans and cheese enchiladas is replaced with vegetables and tofu.

Hobbes said...

Hi, chaps.

Mexican food is entirely delicious, and I think this is the root cause of my problem. The "Mexican" food that we get in England is dreadful, as you can imagine, and so the real thing is very appealing. Too appealing. There is always room for another torta...

And fish taco. Oh, and some guacamole. And and and...

Surprisingly, San Diego has completely excellent local beers. They really do brew the good stuff there - it's very close to what is called "real ale" here at home (and of which we are extremely proud). The American versions are crisper and cleaner, and well-suited to the seriously warm weather.

I'm getting fatter just thinking about it.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

TwoDog said...

Ah, the California (and Oregon) craft beers make it even worse. I am glad you can carry the flag for American craft brewing. I have met many a European abroad who sneers at American beer, when there are some really excellent craft brewers there. Glad you enjoyed the trip!

Nick Herman said...

The best beers I've drank have typically come from CA and Belgium. However, the latter's success is merely due to long-standing successful recipe, while the former's is due to modern experimentation, so I believe they will eventually become even better, as where Belgium's (and related other's) will stay in the same place.