2005 Changtai Bulang Raw

Overall this was a nice tea. It had developed a strong taste in the beginning, but not tobacco and leather, more smooth. I could tell that those flavors were trying to break through though. There was a fair amount of astringency for the first four or five steeps. It did develop something of a sweet note to it. Or at least the total absence of bitterness. There had been some bitterness early on mind you. I am not sure what to call that sweet note it developed. Other reviewers have called it citrusy, but I didn’t really notice citrus notes. It’s not an impossible interpretation mind you. I just didn’t firmly identify the sweet note. When I say sweet note I mean in the way sheng is sweet, not in the way sugar is sweet. When we refer to sheng having sweet notes we are not meaning sugar generally, except some may have that taste. Overall this was a very nice tea. It is in my opinion just on the verge of aging into something else. In five years it won’t be recognizable.

I steeped this twelve times in a 130ml Yixing Teapot with 8.2g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min. I could have gotten a few more steeps out of the leaves. They weren’t done yet.

I believe this is what I’m drinking at work right now. Somewhat dark with a strong taste upfront. The steeps continue darker with more depth, but the depth is in strong taste profile and not that of a flavor. Therefore I have no real remarks on what this tea has for notes of any flavors coming from the tea. Its a nice dark brew with a strong taste, ideal for sipping to keep alert I suppose which is what I’m doing.

I received this as a sample along with another order. The leaves are light brown and mostly crushed. That lowered my expectations quite a bit, as I’ve read that crushed leaves negatively effect the tea’s flavor. That being said, this tea is unexpectedly fragrant, with aromas of wild honey and roasted barley. It brews into a cloudy, light orange soup, and packs a strong flavor, even with steeps lasting a few seconds. If I look beyond its initial punch, I can pick up roasted, woodsy, and citrus notes in the first and second steeps with refreshing, palate-cleansing astringency at the end. It leaves my mouth feeling dry and satisfied. It’s got that familiar factory tea flavor that many tea bloggers seem to talk about.

Smallish leaves in this cake with mixed brown coloring. Very clear light yellow tea soup after two quick rinses. The tea has a little bitterness followed quickly by a gentle sweetness; offers a pleasant mouthfeel which seems to linger; grabs you quickly and gives you a modest kick. I experienced a little dryness in the mouth and throat and a bit of warmth moving through my extremeties.
The first two steepings present flavors of butter, pine, and mushroom blended together – interesting and enjoyable profile here. The next few infusions become more like a sweet tobacco with those pine and mushroom accents remaining. By the sixth steeping, the sip produces a woody base with hints of flavor – pine, spice, a rather mild fruit – and continues to be a pleasant cup of tea. Does not seem nearly as full or powerful as it did in the beginning of the tea session. I believe this Bulang is a more gentle tea than most from this area but I must say that I rather enjoy it.