2019 Biyun Hao Yiwu Shengtai
5.5g/85ml gaiwan, Toronto filtered tap.
Light initial steep, it takes a few steeps to get going.
Very active, plenty of high floral notes, herbal notes, and darker savoury notes. Clearly a blend of various material including tips and larger leaves.
The appearance and taste is neither too green nor is it too red, which is consistent with the appearance of the leaves. I like the processing and blend, it’s not pristine but it is well made.
Musky empty cup perfume. Dark deep with a touch of tar.
Building in taste slowly steep by steep. The aftertaste or aftereffect is very clear, with longer steeps there is plenty of juicy astringency and the mouth and throat remain very juicy throughout.
I get a good amount of warmth from this, but nothing uncomfortable or spectacular.
Despite being “Shengtai”, which for Biyun Hao means less expensive material from younger trees in the areas where he selects gushu, I really like this Spring 2019 production: the blend of material gives a wide range of taste and aroma and the processing is very good, with no warning signs of overfrying or overoxidation — it neither tastes of sencha or gyokuro nor does it taste like black tea. The tea has a strong presence, and gives some warmth and relaxation as well as focus, but it is not super strong in this respect. It’s clear that a tea like 2020 and 2021 Longdui or 2015 Lishan Gongcha have a lot more power, including bitterness and astringency. Very interesting to compare those teas to this. Perhaps I will do a side by side comparison. 6.2
