Bai Lin Kung Fu

Another real winner from Shang Tea!
Full review on SororiTea Sisters on the 28th but here are some snippits:

Bai-Lin Kung-Fu Classic Red Tea from Shang Tea is quite spectacular! The aroma is like a malty black tea with aromas of cocoa, hay, and maple. My first reaction when smelling this while steeping was Mmmmmmmm. A deeper inhalation of this tea brings forth some berry aromas as well. Yet there is also something savory about this tea. My mouth was watering while I patiently waited for my tea to cool just a tiny bit so I could indulge!

This is not a tea for the faint of heart, it is bold, robust, not shy at all. It wakes you up and perks you up as it presents itself with a hearty “Hey there! Bet you weren’t expecting me!”

Its a bit sweet, a bit saucy, and all attitude!

If I were going to take a trek through the country I think I would take this tea along with me.

Today’s shared morning pot, and I’m surprised to see that I’ve yet to post about it. I could have sworn I posted about it earlier! Or was that the Bai Lin that Auggy sent me? Now I’m confused…

At any rate, if the Tan Yang Te Ji (♥) is my favourite ever tea, then the Bai Lin comes in at a very close second I think. I just really really REALLY love this province, I just do. Where does one sign up to be a fan of a geographical area?

Consequently, it’s also really hard for me to post about it on its own merits instead of making it just a list of the ways in which its different from the Tan Yang. I could say I’d try, but knowing me I’d probably not be trying very hard if those were the words that came naturally to me while drinking and writing. But then again, I’m not trying to bring you the Facts of Tea Forever, am I? I can only tell you what I think, and I think that Bai Lin and Tan Yang have very similar flavour profiles, but with some note-worthy exceptions.

Given the fact that they are as similar as they are, Bai Lin also lands at at least 90 points by default. Any further study of it and subtraction or addition of points is based from that outset.

Yes, I think the black teas in general from this province are THAT AWESOME!

Now, onwards. Bai Lin is like Tan Yang’s good twin. Tan Yang is the wild and powerful of the two, with the heavy cocoa notes and pseudo-smoky notes on the second steep. The Tan Yang is not a tea you want to mess with, because it knows exactly what it’s doing and it will take you to task for any insult to its name.

Bai Lin is by nature gentler, happier and far more sensible. It doesn’t have the pseudo-smoke or the heavy cocoa, it’s much more sweet and with a natural touch of oranges or mandarins.

Or perhaps on second thought, these two are not really twins, but more like a sweet little sister and a protective big brother. :)

Bai Lin, as mentioned, has notes of oranges or mandarins in the flavour, but they’re not really as clear as if it had been actually mandarin flavoured. They’re more like the ideas of the citrus fruits. I can’t tell exactly which part of the flavour that reminds me of them but the association is strong none the less. Whatever it is, it also lends a lot of the sweetness to the cup.

Furthermore, we have an insanely smooth cup. It’s thick and creamy as if it had milk in it, and I have often heard that this quality is indicative of something going well with milk. I can’t imagine that in this tea, though. It’s far too delicate and subtle to be able to carry milk. I suspect with milk all you would get was a cup of non-descript tea-flavoured warm milk, and that’s not really the purpose with it at all. So drink it as it is, ignore any and all urges to try it with milk and just close your eyes and drink. Then, if you are a of the persuasion that tea should have milk in it, you might actually be able to pretend it already has.

I can find very little bitterness and next to no astringency in this cup, only yummy goodness. After it has been allowed to stand still and develop a bit, the mandarin-like associations seem to become a little stronger. In addition to this a new note is poking its head out at this point, and there is now an underlying semi-spicy touch to the floralness of it. Quite akin to the pepper note in a good golden Yunnan, if you can imagine that note without the strong flavour of hay.

Yes, we are definitely coming in just behind the Tan Yang on the Favourite Scale, here. It’s coming in so close, in fact, that I strongly suspect I would be fully able to quench the Tan Yang cravings with this one if Tan Yang is not readily available. I need to always have one of these two in the house. Obviously, being my favourite, I would prefer the Tan Yang, but this one is a totally acceptable substitution. I don’t feel the need to keep the both of them around as Standards, though. Either one will do.

Backlog:

A really enjoyable black (Red) tea from Shang Tea … thank you Azzrian for sending me a sampling of it! This is really good, hints of chocolate-y tones, lovely fruit notes with a honey-esque undertone. One of those teas that you just … want to keep drinking and start missing the moment you finish the last sip! A delight … a very memorable tea!

Another sample from Shang Tea – and one of my favorites so far…

I used my whole sample in a mug of tea, the aroma is floral but also with some honey and molasses fragrance. The cup brews up a dark red is very smooth and mellow, clean tasting. There is some cocoa and molasses in the flavor as well along with a little sweetness. Definitely a good tea if you want to avoid anything astringent or bitter…

I am very stressed out this morning but thankfully a cup of this is helping me to feel better and more relaxed. I would say this has a very strong molasses-y aftertaste so if that’s not a flavor you like you might want to stay away from this.

I did resteep a second time and it’s still very nice. This is a big ol’ cup of sweet yum!

Even if I’m not sure (probably because of my English and my lack of Culture regarding tea harvests) of what the tea is made of (white , black tea, mix, black tea cultivated with white teas?) I really enjoyed it.

It has such a lovely scent and taste so fruity (citrus to me). It’s a solutely smooth with a hint of pleasant astringency.

Thank you so much Nicole for sharing this one with me in one of our trade.It was ages ago but better late than never to taste good teas :)

I can’t believe I haven’t logged this yet. It’s yet another of Shang’s reds made from white tea that is amazing. So smooth, so clean. An exceptionally clear tasting tea.

I need to go pick up some more soon!

It has a nice sweet caramel, fruit, and tea fragrance and the leaves are of a nice size. It’s not the long twisted leaves of Dawn, but still very nice. The liquor is a deep ruby color. It has a slight bitterness but no astringency. There is an additional taste that I cannot identify along with the tea taste. It is an acceptable tea but not stellar.

boychik sent this one my way and fulfilled one of my wishlist teas. I’ve been wanting to try this one again since i had it almost a year ago and didn’t get the chance to write much about it. this is a great tea. this is smooth and clean…there’s a bit of a note in here that could almost be floral but it’s not…if that makes any sense. There’s a sweetness here to, making this a unique cup of tea. thanks for the re-visit boychik!

TTB #20

I had this tea yesterday and I didn’t make any notes at the time, so this review is more “as I remember it” reflections rather than anything.

It was smooth, malty, slightly astringent and totally enjoyable. I remember loving every sip of it. It was slightly bitterer and darker than how I know the Chinese dark teas to be but then Shang Tea teas are a different thing altogether, the way they are processed. And the bitterness of it was somehow… different. Very savory, not just bitter-bitter.

I must place an order with Shang Tea! They have this sale going on until the end of February and that’s just awesome because my next paycheck comes on 27th, so just in time :P And don’t ask me what happened to the money I just got a few days ago err… * cough* American Tea Room * cough, cough* Eco-Cha… :P

T&C Box 14/18

The smell of this reminds me a little of Yunnan, but it’s darker. Smoky and woody. I really love the smell of these smoky teas and I’m starting to think I’ll have to keep at least one around at all times for when I want a more savory/bolder cup.

As it brews the woody notes come out even more. There’s a definite fruitiness to it, too, almost like cherries or dark grapes. The taste is so interesting! There’s a tang to it and the flavors are assertive, but I’m not finding it overwhelming at all. This is definitely a darker, bolder tea than I’m used to. There’s a malty flavor up front that’s soon followed by wood and fruit notes and ends with a honey flavor. A very good cup.