What our customers say

This tea is a mountain range of flavors, with distinct peaks all seamlessly integrated into a harmonious and nuanced experience that carries all of the depth you would expect of authentic old tree Mi Lan. The aroma coming off the dry leaf is vibrant and complex, hinting at the marvelous experience that awaits the drinker. I knew this was going to be an incredible experience before I even turned my kettle on.

This one opens up with bright and sweet notes of sun-dried fruits, and a tropical dankness that is reminiscent of mango, guava, peaches, lychee, passionfruit, with a kind of electrical zing to it that reminds me of fresh-cut pineapples. These bright and tangy notes electrify the roof of the mouth and nostrils as they work their way up from the back of the throat.

In every sip, this is a juicy and fruit-forward Mi Lan that is perfectly overlaid on top of a powerful and textured body, which has a woodsy quality to it that reminds me of walking through an old-growth forest on a hot, sunny day.

You can’t miss the cong wei – it’s apparent and focused across the full session; even the washed-up leaves retain that woodsy-spicy-sweet fragrance that is just so attractive because of how well it sits in contrast against the insanely sweet and pungent notes of tropical fruits.

The mouthfeel and texture are incredible – for having such powerful and distinct peaks of flavor, the body is very deep, the edges are very soft, and the individual notes integrate very well with each other, creating a very complex experience in every facet of the tea. The initial sip, the evolution of flavors on the palate, the lingering sweetness, all tell a cohesive story and that story is the life of healthy, old Mi Lan Xiang trees.

The finish is elegant and the sweet aftertaste lingers for a long time, but what I appreciate most about this tea is how deep it sinks into every cell of my body, and how graceful the qi is. This is a tea that stays with me all day.

What a phenomenal experience.

2011 vs 2012

2011 was sold out so I got this 2012 but was surprised the two years don’t taste the same. This is good and has floral taste but I like the more fired taste of 2011 much better. Do you have more fired taste for 2013 or 2014?

喜出望外

我以前以為自己飲咗咁多年功夫茶，有咩好野未試過﹗今次試宋種真係喜出望外。第一，呢隻茶層次多（不過都唔容易沖，我都反覆實驗過几種沖法，又用蓋碗又用茶壺。但係咁樣試吓都係茗茶既樂趣之一），味道清得黎回酣長。第二係佢「襟」飲，即係沖五、六泡都可以（我用７至８克茶葉），而且連續几日飲宋種都唔會覺得厭。咁計返條數其實都好抵飲。不過鍾意炭火味既人可能一開始個時唔係咁適應。但呢隻茶絶對係好野，應該試﹗要畀滿分﹗

Reply

I am glad to hear from a customer the kind of attachment he can develop for an Yixing pot like I can. Welcome to the world of tea.

The wuhui shao method is for creating the colour of the clay and is independent of clay quality. As you have guessed, it is done after the pot is properly fired.

This particular pot you bought is of low density but not necessarily low temperature. In real Yixing clay firing, even low temperature is around 1000°C, unless it is not of Yixing material. The density of a pot can be affected by the clay composition and treatment it has received prior to pot making. For example, a mix of combustable materials in the clay or clay that has been fermented for very long can result in low density yet fired at high temperature.

High density, for the same reason, does not always mean a genuine clay fire at high temperature. For example, some people mix glass and iron in ordinary clay to make it high density.

At the end of the day, it is the tactility and infusion effects that matter.

This particular pot has a matte finish, quite porous because of the low density and this finish. To old tea nerds like me, this is a great fun to season, because it takes in a lot of tea before it really transforms. That means time and patience. The infusion effect can be worse than the gaiwan in the beginning for this porosity but gradually changes. It is that kind of pot that requires real attention. However, when result gradually becomes obvious, it is the joy of “raising the pot”.

I hope that answers your questions. Please let me know otherwise.

Cheers,
Leo Kwan

Yummy. This is good sheng at a great price. I enjoy the complex evolution of flavors and the way it captures the essence of what makes Lincang such a famous region. It opens up with some powerful, cooling notes of menthol & camphor, with plenty of fresh-cut tobacco and earthy nuances peeking through, in every layer.

The huigan builds slowly and lasts forever. It really comes out in the second half of the session. Along the way, I get delicious notes of rum-soaked raisins, steamed sticky rice, and lotus leaves. Eventually; and especially in the final steep, the rum-soaked raisins gradually pivot into something more reminiscent of whisky-glazed apricots and apples caramelized in maple syrup.

This maple syrup-like sweetness really clings to the throat, and I enjoy how smooth it is and how long that sweetness lasts for. Towards the end of the session, the earthy notes of fresh-cut tobacco transform into something more reminiscent of tropical hardwood, but the flavor profile maintains an earthy quality all the way through. There’s very little smokiness overall.

The finish is exceptionally bright, clean, and crisp, with well-defined textures and sensations, from the strength of the mouthfeel to the sensation in the throat, and the long-lasting cooling sensation that seems to exude from between the teeth and the gums.

Definitely worth picking up a cake of this if you’re looking for a good sheng that hits the spot but doesn’t break the bank.

A Good Gaiwan

Its quality and price are hardly beaten.