2010 Hai Lang Hao "As You Like" Ripe Puerh Tea of Menghai

Just got my order from YS US after some USPS shenanigans. This cake came with a slightly crushed edge and the loose leaf that fell off was in the wrapper. It amounted to 4.5gm so I put it in a small yixing gaiwan and used the broken cake as an opportunity to taste it right away. I have a lot of shu in my collection of varying ages from 2007 – 2015. This one is definitely different. Thick, sweet, date-like flavor with a very long finish and lots of interesting texture. It’s soft and round, no particular flavor sticking out but an amalgamation of sophisticated aromas and sensory experience. I’m kind of glad I had an excuse to break into this cake as it’s the most expensive ripe I’ve ever shelled out for and I might have waited for a special occasion to try it.

Got a small sample of this in a tea swap. This is a wonderful shu for a cold October morning. Only $32 for a 400g cake. I’m still not 100% sure of the quality of my storage (heck I’m not even 60%) so I don’t want to add more shu to my collection right now as I already have quite a lot. But this is going on my wishlist for a future purchase. YS says this cake will age well and I believe it. It’s also a fantastic shu right now – mellow, tasty, lasting, and clean, with zero sourness or fermentation funk.

Edit: Just wanted to add that the aroma of the wet leaf is actually quite pleasant and unique. There’s a grape skin/red wine sweetness to it.

Away for a few days without any enjoyable tea so I am delighted to be back home and digging into an interesting box of samples from a good tea friend. The samples included this HLH shou which has been on my shopping list for some time. Trying it today so that I can make the final decision to order a cake while the 12% sale is active at YS.
This is an easy drinking, rather enjoyable ripe puerh. A smooth blend of three different harvests (2003, 2008, 2009) which helps to balance the flavor profile and give it a little more depth. One is hit with the sweetness and then a slight oiliness appears later which is quite complimentary rather than offensive. This is a lighter fermentation cake which helps it to be clean with no off flavors of any type. Therefore, this tea is made of quality material and comes across as rather tasty, solid, and enjoyable. I plan to purchase and set aside for 2-3 years for I think it has the potential to mature with a bit of age.