I tried to refuse samples from Wymm mainly because I’m just too old to expect to age out tea this green. But they decided that makes me a challenging customer to win over. I suggested the Laohuangpian in the hope of getting some of the older and sweeter leaves, at least it might be a tea I’d consider purchasing. Plus it is one of their least expensive Sheng offerings.
Brewed up the single session sample, got about 8 decent steeps. Might have got the tea to go longer but I was already nearly a good two minutes steep time. It is huangpian so I don’t expect these leaves to have a ton of power. I was impressed at the initial bitterness which always bodes well for aging, and the grape flavor instead of apricot. To me the grape champagne is a better tasting leaf in drinkable young sheng, if not always the best ager.
I’d be happier with this cake at a $30-35 price point but it was pleasant enough. The packaging though gave me a huge blog topic to write about and for that I’m very grateful for the sample. My longer post is at http://deathbytea.blogspot.com
Flavors: White Grapes
Preparation
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scented wrappers?? on a puerh?
Perfumey, yeah.
I didn’t think they were scented when I got mine…..weird.
Thanks for the review Cwyn! That’s a very interesting point you mentioned.
The wrapper we used was traditionally handcrafted paper produced by Dai minority group in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Inner barks of paper mulberry are soaked, boiled, pounded into paste, and then sun-dried to sheets. This paper has been used for pu-erh wrapping and calligraphy for centuries. In 1734, Yin Jishan (the governor of Yunnan-Guizhou Provinces) proposed tea regulations to Yongzheng Emperor. The central government of Qing approved the proposal and established Yunnan Chafa (Yunnan Tea Law) in the following year, which specifically regulated the form, weight, packaging of pu-erh tea for ease of transaction and taxation in local sales and export trades. Pu-erh once traded and transported on the ancient tea-horse route were wrapped with the same handcrafted paper. Perfumes and anything scented are prohibited from our tea storages as we know that dry tea leaves has strong absorbability for fragrances. :)
Nevertheless the sachets have a perfumey smell. It is light but definitely there. Maybe it is from the other parts of the packaging, but it is a light fragrance that is not tea-related.
Wow, I have sniffed mine seeking an odor and can’t get one. Any chance your tea traveled in the post with some of those obnoxious, sinus irritating perfume cards?
scented wrappers?? on a puerh?
Perfumey, yeah.
I didn’t think they were scented when I got mine…..weird.
Thanks for the review Cwyn! That’s a very interesting point you mentioned.
The wrapper we used was traditionally handcrafted paper produced by Dai minority group in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Inner barks of paper mulberry are soaked, boiled, pounded into paste, and then sun-dried to sheets. This paper has been used for pu-erh wrapping and calligraphy for centuries. In 1734, Yin Jishan (the governor of Yunnan-Guizhou Provinces) proposed tea regulations to Yongzheng Emperor. The central government of Qing approved the proposal and established Yunnan Chafa (Yunnan Tea Law) in the following year, which specifically regulated the form, weight, packaging of pu-erh tea for ease of transaction and taxation in local sales and export trades. Pu-erh once traded and transported on the ancient tea-horse route were wrapped with the same handcrafted paper. Perfumes and anything scented are prohibited from our tea storages as we know that dry tea leaves has strong absorbability for fragrances. :)
Nevertheless the sachets have a perfumey smell. It is light but definitely there. Maybe it is from the other parts of the packaging, but it is a light fragrance that is not tea-related.
Wow, I have sniffed mine seeking an odor and can’t get one. Any chance your tea traveled in the post with some of those obnoxious, sinus irritating perfume cards?