Club Gathering Log #08 | Online Events: 26.07, 28.07,14.9.2024
The 8th edition of Blind Tasting Club featured a carefully curated selection of Yunnan teas from our recent sourcing trip in spring 2024 - exactly 4.5 years since our last visit to our beloved province, delayed due to COVID restrictions. Our ambitious goal was to focus on ye sheng - uncultivated wild tea trees - from different mountains. The teas were so rare and difficult to access that we physically reached only two of the five teas in the club, with the fifth tea slightly off-concept but offering a delightful surprise for our long-term club members. Let’s see what we uncovered.
#1: Yongde Da Xue Shan Ye Sheng White Tea 2024
Harvested on March 28th, 2024, this tea presents a mesmerizing visual contrast of shiny green and dark blue leaves. Its picking standard allows for 7-8 leaves per stem due to the unpredictable growth of the wild trees. These Camellia var. taliensis (Dali Zhong) gushu trees come from Yongde Da Xue Shan, one of the three Da Xue Shan mountains in the Lincang district - all featured in this club edition. Unlike var. sinensis, this harvest is determined by the tenderness and youth of the leaves, not by their quantity.
The tea delivers a fascinating complexity and distinct aroma. Its profile is defined by a harmonious balance of grassiness, sweetness, and a robust texture reminiscent of fresh yabao. Each brew reveals subtle shifts in character, with an enduring huigan that lingers on the palate. Crafted by a close friend of our farmer, this tea stands out for its dynamic nature and deep connection to ancient tea traditions.
Tasting Notes: Melon, almonds, nectarine.
Won the Favorite Tea award in both club groups 🏅
#2: Mengku Da Xue Shan Ye Sheng Sheng Cha 2023
This extremely rare ye sheng tea also comes from wild Camellia var. taliensis (Dali Zhong) trees, this time from Mengku Da Xue Shan, at an altitude of 2,700m to 3,200m. It's the only Da Xue Shan in Lincang with government-protected trees, some of which are over 2,000-3,000 years old, growing in a remote, restricted area with tightly controlled access.
The leaves were picked during night-times in mid-March for over 2 weeks, and sun-dried for 24 hours. A true gem for those seeking to understand the rarer aspects of wild tea. There was no doubt it would win the most unique tea award this season, as it stands among the rarest and most expensive teas we've featured in over three years of our tea club.
Tasting Notes: water chestnut, dry fruits, mushrooms, dry mango, dry apricot, artichoke.
Clear winner of the Most Unique Tea award 🏅
#3: Fengqing Da Xue Shan Ye Sheng Yabao Red Tea 2024
This unique yabao is a rare red tea, not the typical white, completing our series of Three Da Xue Shan mountains in Lincang. The trees range from 300 to 1,000 years old, grow at an altitude of 1,700m, and produce darker leaves, a characteristic shared by all the teas in this edition. Picked even earlier than Tea No.2, between late February and early March, this tea boasts an exceptionally strong and “sticky” kougan (mouthfeel), with a rich, oily texture reminiscent of olive oil. A distinctive tea with bold flavors and texture.
Tasting Notes: Wood varnish, tabacoo, olives, cherry syrup, rose, hibiscus.
#4: Fengqing Ye Sheng Red Tea 2024
This ye sheng red tea comes from the same prefecture and season as the previous tea but by a different master and timing of harvest. Crafted by our long-term oxidation expert, Master Wong, who has contributed more teas to our Blind Tasting Club than any other master in China - this marks his third tea in our club over the years.
Mr. Wong's dian hong is made from 300-year-old da ye zhong (var. assamica) uncultivated trees that grow right in his own yard. Instead of discovering these ancient trees by chance, he intentionally built his home and small tea factory around them, preserving their legacy at an altitude of 2,070m.
Producing modern dian hong with ye sheng material is challenging, but Mr. Wong has perfected the process. Therefore, while simple in appearance and relatively easy to identify, this highly nutritious daily tea is best appreciated by advanced drinkers. It explains why it was a runner-up for the Favorite Tea Award.
Tasting Notes: Cinnamon, maple syrup, chocolate, raisins, brown sugar
#5: Yan An Shan Sheng Cha Late 1st Spring 2024
The only tea in this edition that isn’t ye sheng, but it comes with a delightful twist - it was crafted entirely by us, Pink and Nadi, two newcomers in tea-making! The leaves are larger than usual, as they were picked during the last two days of the spring harvest. Normally, you wouldn’t pick dan zhu (single tree) at this time of year, but since this was for training and educational purposes, we waited until the season was almost over to avoid wasting valuable material. And guess what? We didn’t! The tea turned out great and even earned a few votes for both the Favorite and Most Unique Tea Awards. Yay!
Tasting Notes: Umami, seaweed, chicken broth, broccoli, zucchini
The next Blind Tasting Club is just around the corner, featuring another carefully curated concept for Autumn 2024. We will be shipping the club flights in early October and look forward to seeing you all online in late December 2024.
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