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“Well, like someone who only spends two days in Paris while traveling, my pit stop in Yi Wu wraps up a little too soon… Region 3/4: Eastern Xishuangbanna / Yi Wu. Location 2/2: Man Zhuan (Mengla...” Read full tasting note
Entirely Ancient Arbor tea from Autumn (October) 2015 Harvest from Man Zhuan in Yi Wu mountain range. Man Zhuan is one of the six famous tea mountains in Banna and is just north of Yi Wu. This is our sixth production of tea from this area is from the same family since 2010! We have selected autumn harvest (谷花茶) wild arbor material from the area of “Man Zhuan” (蛮砖), a higher mountain areas in the Yi Wu mountain. Man Zhuan area teas are known for their special thick aroma and a taste that with age becomes stronger and more textured. This tea comes from wild arbor trees between 200 and 300 years old growing on a sunny south facing slope. When brewing the tea you will notice the tea soup is a bright yellow-gold and clear, the aroma is penetrating and the tea is full in the mouth. The flavor is textured and thick with a strong almost chocolate-like after-taste. This is one of the more smooth and aromatic of the Yi Wu area teas. The brewed leaves are thick and stout with a dark olive-green color, attesting to their wild arbor origin. This tea was compressed in a small tea factory in Yi Wu town where unusually large 40 kilogam stone presses were used. Low temperature (35C) “baking” was used to dry these cakes after the compression process thus preserving their integrity!
In total just 30 kilograms of this tea has been produced. We have delayed sales of this cake for more than 4 weeks to allow the water vapor from pressing to dissipate. Further aging will only improve this wonderful tea!
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Yunnan SourcingWell, like someone who only spends two days in Paris while traveling, my pit stop in Yi Wu wraps up a little too soon…
Region 3/4: Eastern Xishuangbanna / Yi Wu. Location 2/2: Man Zhuan (Mengla county)
Notes on tea:
Overall some interesting flavors. Complex floral, fruit, and sweet herb notes that have a dynamic base of earthiness, grain/cereal/hay, and minerality. Some strong flavors come out in the first few infusions. Some sessions had muted and dissipated flavors after five infusions or so, but this could be the result of the tea’s youth. Light floral and fruitiness with a mineral base remains in later infusions.
Notes on region:
I’m noticing some similar characteristics even among other Xishuangbanna (i.e. Menghai) teas. The Juicy Fruit gum and the fresh parsley notes are the most prominent. However, the Menghai teas were much more upfront and bold with their flavor. Yi Wu teas had more apparent sweetness (particularly floral sweetness, some fruit notes and hints of chocolate), but nothing like the bold sweetness of Lincang region.
In terms of price, I really can’t figure it out. What I sampled were definitely quality teas, but they were on par with the quality I have had in other regions. Yet the Yi Wu teas cost substantially more than other regions. I found the sweetness stronger and more complex in the Lincang teas, at half the price. Menghai teas also offered some similar flavors, but with more strength (again at a lower price.)
It is important to note, however, that I was definitely at the cheaper end of the price scale, so there may be a much more substantial return if you are willing to spend more.
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Dry leaf: sweet herbal, fruity, dried peach and mango. In preheated vessel – same flavors, but weirdly smelled weaker and more watery.
Smell: fresh parsley, dried peach and date, sweet fresh hay, hints of earthiness
Taste: floral – orange blossom, sweet/savory herbal (parsley), honeysuckle, dried date and peach, honey, grain/cereal, hints of mesquite smoke and spice cake. Aftertaste is creamy and fruity (peach/date). Minerality becomes pronounced in later infusions.
nice note!