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In late December 2024 this tea is singing to me of Mt. Ailao with first flavors reminiscent of forest floor, olive oil, minerals, and a complex flavor that reminds me of an earthy pekoe flavor profile. It is a complex tea, has a tingling sensation on the sides of my tongue, and to me, speaks of place. It seems in my view to be on the yang side of things for some reason. Intriguing and enjoyable.

December 2024 – Lovely tea from Bana Tea. Fragrant, tasty, everything in proper place to present a harmonious tea with floral, hay like, almond, bitter, and sweet notes. Lovely.

In March 2024 this tea seems to be opening up a bit with eucalyptus , bark, leaf, moss, and olive oil flavors with a hint of bitterness, a hint of orange pekoe in the background. It does seem like a complex, old tree tea to me. It still has an evolution ahead of it. Flavors are long lasting. I’m liking the depth of it.

Nine years after my last note, and recognizing that Jalam teas recommended drinking this tea when they sent it out, I tried this again today. It has evolved. The camphor flavor is just a hint now, but still adds interest, along with the vegetal taste (green/hay). It is a very light tea, but one that creates a strong salivary reaction for me. Still not exactly delicious, but still interesting.

This is a lovely tea in November 2023. The flavors are of a refined type, high toned, with forest flavors, but also a lovely fish taste that is unlike what I tend to think of as a flaw in shou teas, but rather a lovely and clean sea like fish flavor that enhances this tea. It is worth trying just to see how this differs in its flavor profile. Color has mahogany hints, quite attractive. The tea has many subtle tree and forest flavors that all in all are quite enjoyable to me. It seems quite ready to me. It is hard to tell if this tea is different from the same year’s loose leaf version since I have not tasted that, but if you have some of this cake I’d recommend you try it. Jim

This is a complex, flavorful, interesting tea from a single tree. It has a strong cooling flavor, rather green in taste, like basil, as well as a forest, piney flavor and has a strong salivary response for me. Really very interesting tea that I look forward to tasting for a few years.

This tea is progressing along nicely in Aug. 2022. This is from a 30g sample of the tea stored in a drawer of sheng puer in northern coastal California. Early steeps provide a hay like note but one that is “deeper” than young sheng, and has a dark note as well. The tea deepens as the steeps continue, and now on steep 5 in a clay pot a touch of forest and bitterness arises. It tastes good, and has good salivary activity for me. I will keep the rest of the tea and try it again in a few years, although it is quite nice at present.

This tea continues to integrate, becoming fuller, with more harmonized flavors of green olive, aged hay, and orange. It continues to be an interesting tea, with good pick me up.