88

I had a sample of the autumn 2014 Da Qing and loved it. I decided to opt for an entire cake, but went with the spring version.

I have to say that the autumn version was more approachable as a “drink now” sort of tea – a bit sweeter, etc. This one definitely slaps you around a bit. All of the flavors (floral and vegetal) are pretty big, but nothing off-putting. The bitterness never surpasses what you would find in a fairly tame IPA. At the same time, I see a lot of potential with aging.

It’s a bit unfair reviewing this tea so young. It is still developing and settling down. But, man, there are some great flavors and lot of power. Excited to see what the next ten years will bring…

All-in-all, the experience is very balanced, and very dynamic. There are nuances in the flavor if you seek them out. Everything you would expect when paying a premium for gu shu.

Speaking of price, I paid $80 for this cake, and it was worth it. It is now up to $100. So, regardless of your tea budget, just be aware that this tea appreciates in price fairly significantly. You will pay a premium to get this tea with even just a couple of years age on it.
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Dry leaf – apricot, bitter green leaf, sweet floral. In preheated vessel – more intense fruit notes – apricot, prune.

Smell – grilled zucchini (some smokiness, some sweetness, some vegetal notes), sweet floral, hints of orange and apricot.

Taste – combination of floral and vegetal: again, sweet floral and grilled zucchini. Some chocolate notes in development. Savoriness fades during development, floral ramps up, and then bitterness arrives in finish. Bitterness fades to citrus and apricot fruity sweetness aftertaste.

tanluwils

There’s a lot going on in this one. The 2016 version needed at least 8 months to settle before I could appreciate it. I’m glad I grabbed the few cakes I did last year. So far, this year’s prices have surpassed my budget. I’m waiting in anticipation for the rest of his 2017 line.

apefuzz

I’m with you on the prices – $100 for 250g is way beyond what I budget for tea. But, a lot of the 2017 stuff so far has been Yiwu-based, hence the relatively high prices. Given what sounds like a tricky harvest this year, it will be interesting to see what else YS got their hands on.

tanluwils

Perhaps you’ve seen Two Dog’s June blog post? It troubles me to think we’ll have a more limited harvest this year combined with potentially higher prices. One thing I’ve always been pleased with Yunnan Sourcing is is their ability to go far beyond Xishuangbanna to find very interesting teas at affordable prices. Waiting to see what he’s found is like Christmas.

apefuzz

Yeah, we will see. I pretty much have all the tea I need for 2017-2018, but I’m sure I could make some room for another cake or two ;)

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tanluwils

There’s a lot going on in this one. The 2016 version needed at least 8 months to settle before I could appreciate it. I’m glad I grabbed the few cakes I did last year. So far, this year’s prices have surpassed my budget. I’m waiting in anticipation for the rest of his 2017 line.

apefuzz

I’m with you on the prices – $100 for 250g is way beyond what I budget for tea. But, a lot of the 2017 stuff so far has been Yiwu-based, hence the relatively high prices. Given what sounds like a tricky harvest this year, it will be interesting to see what else YS got their hands on.

tanluwils

Perhaps you’ve seen Two Dog’s June blog post? It troubles me to think we’ll have a more limited harvest this year combined with potentially higher prices. One thing I’ve always been pleased with Yunnan Sourcing is is their ability to go far beyond Xishuangbanna to find very interesting teas at affordable prices. Waiting to see what he’s found is like Christmas.

apefuzz

Yeah, we will see. I pretty much have all the tea I need for 2017-2018, but I’m sure I could make some room for another cake or two ;)

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Rating info:
100 – I haven’t found the perfect tea yet!

92-95 – So good that I will purchase this tea again, guaranteed. Excellent flavor and value.

88-91 – A tea that I would consider purchasing again at some point. Great flavor and value.

85-87 – Tea that was worth the purchase and that I enjoyed drinking, although I probably won’t be purchasing it again any time soon. Flavor may have slight drawbacks, or the price might be a little expensive.

80-84 – A tea that has some good points, but falls a bit short on its price:quality ratio. Flavor is a bit mediocre.

No rating – I did not like this tea and would not drink it, given other options.

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