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In their 2019 line-up, BLT offered 4 different teas from Lao Man E and this is the last one I got around writing a review for. I found this one lacking a little bit. It obviously is not as good value as the huang pian ones, and it also isn’t nearly as memorable as the bitter varietal’s Bitter End Extra. 

There are lots of subtle notes that only last a moment and it seems like the flavours intensify mostly after swallowing. However, I didn’t find the huigan unusually strong. The aftertaste is astringent with a lasting bitterness that is not abrasive, and a citrusy character (more of a lemon kind rather than grapefruit). Shortly after drinking, the savoury notes dominate and even though the sweetness eventually comes to turn things around, it doesn’t completely steal the show. 

The cha qi is very awakening and energizing, but not aggressive in any way. There is a strong chest warming sensation for sure though, as well as a light throat-cooling one.

As for the specific notes, there are aromas of roasted peanut, clean barn, chilli, cabbage, and salt emerging from the teapot. The liquor displays a mild sourness at times and it has a back of the mouth bite almost like a TGY, but more pleasant I’d say. Other than than, flavours present include milk, dandelion, coconut water, and bran. Herbaceous bitterness and of course some sweetness are noticeable too as one would expect.

This tea is aging very well for now in my opinion. It will take much more time until the two teas in the blend integrate, but I like the protracted aftertaste with what seems to be a stronger huigan than in the past sessions. It still keeps the bitter bite that separates it from other ripe pu’er teas in my collection. It’s a great tea to have around because its profile is quite unique.

Here’s another yearly report on this blended sheng. It seems to be less vegetal and floral for sure, displaying more grainy qualities. Interestingly, I found the mouthfeel fairly different from what I remember. It is foamy initially, with a lightly chalky finish at times, lower astringency and overall thicker texture.

The dry leaf aroma has notes of sweet wood and apricot. On the other hand, after the rinse I could detect scents akin to forest floor, butter, ammonia, and coriander.

The liquor itself is bitter and cooling with notes of wheat, pear, apple, kumquat, and cabbage among other ones. It is very flavourful and kind of satisfying I’d say. The long-lasting aftertaste is dominated by honey flavours and complemented by a hint of celery.

Seeing the praise, I made sure to add this tea in one of my recent What-Cha orders. I had no doubt it would be a winner, as What-Cha’s black teas most often are. One of the nice things about this one is that it is bold and complex at the same time. Overall, I seem to get a more woody rather than fruity flavour, as well as more bitter and astringent profile then some of the other reviews would indicate. It could be because it is one year old now, but I doubt it.

The tea has complex aromatics too, including blackberry, menthol, malt, and honey notes emerging from dry leaves; while the wet leaves have a sweet smell reminiscent of roasted pumpkin, unsmoked bacon, and brown sugar.

Taste is dominated by a woody bitterness and cocoa beans flavour. Other notes include those of cumin, eucalyptus, black cherry, and later also plum and cloves in the aftertaste, which has a very good balance of sweet, floral, spicy, and fruity flavours.

The most interesting aspect of the mouthfeel is the combination of brisk astringency Assam varietals are known for with a soft and thick liquor texture.

This was a nice tea to try, but even if it was still available, I wouldn’t be buying more of it. Ultimately, I found it to be fairly unremarkable beyond the pine-like aftertaste. The pine note is not overpowering but also unmistakable. Besides that, there is an aroma of unripe walnuts and forest floor. As for the taste, I found it to be mostly crisp and sweet with a mild spiciness and a resinous quality in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is smooth and milky.

YS’ Mu Shu Cha from 2014 has been received well, and I think I can kind of see why. It is a really comforting tea, both in its mouthfeel and the body feel. The texture is smooth and thick and it induces a very relaxing state in a very non-aggressive way.

The liquor is also very flavourful with a balanced profile and very little astringency. The dominant flavour groups present include wood, minerals, and grains (especially wheat). The session starts with a few bright, spicy and sweet infusions, but later transitions into a more rounded and savoury experience. Among other marginal notes one can find forest, vegetables (bok choy), soy sauce, some flowers, and Santa Claus melon.

This Long Jing was among the teas I ordered from a new Canadian company Tea Joint. Overall, I found it somewhat average and not really reflective of the price, as it often happens with famed teas. In particular, the main flaw as I see it is its light body and a boring, watery mouthfeel.

Other than that, the aroma is decent. I could smell toasted nuts, sesame, chicken meat, and brownies in the preheated pot, and mostly sweet florals during the session. The first infusion was notably more tart and savoury rather than sweet and nutty as one might expect. It was slightly reminiscent of fresh Mengku area raw pu’er and lightly steamed sencha in its profile. The refreshing profile also included notes of milk, lime zest, bread crust, and green beans. Later steeps were then much more sweet, but still not very nutty. Some additional flavours include butter and kiwi. The aftertaste was slightly sweet and floral with a light tingling and cooling sensation present. I also noticed a mild chest warming during the session, but the cha qi was not strong in any way.

Mengsong seems to produce a lot of good tea. Plum Beauty sold by BLT is one of them, and at a very good price too. It has a complex bouquet, strong and well-integrated bitterness, and a long-lasting aftertaste, all being hallmarks of a quality tea in my opinion. It does, however, upset the stomach a little bit, make sure not to drink it on an empty stomach!

Before the session, the aroma is sweet, floral, and metallic and it explodes into a multitude of directions after the rinse. There are notes of popcorn, stewed beef, green peas, semolina, vanilla ice cream, cedar, and honeysuckle as well as other plants and flowers.

Already the rinse is very flavourful. It has a bitter and savoury profile with a peppery finish – a sign of things to come. The bitterness is continually present throughout the session, but it is well-integrated as I mentioned already and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Complementing it are various vegetal, floral and tart flavours. I can detect hints of apricot pits, stone fruit skins, jasmine and pine needles.

The tea has a medium to full body with a colloidal mouthfeel and a medium astringency. The aftertaste is crisp and cooling and shows a lot of sweetness alongside the persisting bitterness – the huigan is pretty strong. Despite being floral and sweet, it is not a honey-like aftertaste I’d often associate with teas from He Kai and some other nearby Menghai areas. Instead, there are also notes of malt, rosemary, and salt. Rounding out the experience is a fairly lively and energizing qi that is not overpowering in any way.

I’ve never had a Hekai/Pasha/Nannuo tea that I would love and this offering from BLT doesn’t change that. It has a smooth texture and well-balanced profile, but nothing really stands out about it to elevate it above the rest. 

In dry form, the aroma is a mix of floral and fruity notes with a distinctive nectarine scent. After the rinse, I find the smell interesting but also hard to identify. Some weak associations would be gardenia flowers, wet hay, seeds, and garden pond. In the empty cup, there is a mostly creamy scent. In total, the aroma does seem to be quite unique for a sheng, but it didn’t turn out to be very memorable to be honest.

The liquor has a very refreshing, juicy character. There are fruity notes (citrus, green apple), as well as straw, grape vine, and butter flavours. The finish is tart and provides a transition into the mildly spicy and sweet aftertaste.

WMD Mansa is a high quality tea, there’s no question about that. An experience with a tea like this is impossible to summarize, but for me the highlights were the complexity this tea displays both in the cha qi and the taste of course. Despite some similarities with other Yi Wu gushu, it is also fairly unique and I am very glad I sampled it. However, at $1/g, I also doubt I will be buying more of it to be honest, especially since the taste profile is actually not completely aligned with my personal preferences and the tea brews a bit shorter than most gushu does.

I like the fragrance, but I didn’t find it to be an overly remarkable aspect as the Bitterleaf Tea’s description might suggest. Empty cup aroma is mostly floral and pollen-like, while the leaves themselves smell a bit more vegetal. There are also notes of nuts, toasted bread, haystacks, thistles, and parsley to be found in the gaiwan.

The tea is complex and changes throughout the session. The rinse is mostly mineral, sweet and floral. Next few infusions are savoury with a sour finish, a strong creeping (rather than in-your-face) bitterness, and very little sweetness. I find it to be somewhat “wild-tasting” (reminiscent of Taiwanese wild tea) with notes of edamame, chicory, walnut skins, and seed oil. The aftertaste is then a bit spicy, floral and creamy.

Middle steeps are more fruity and sweet, displaying new flavours of fenugreek, peas, and grapes. There is a cooling, nutty aftertaste with an ever intensifying huigan. Late infusions then become mostly sweet and citrusy and remain flavourful until the end. New notes include those of fish broth, carrot, and lemon. The aftertaste is somewhat perfumy and biting at this stage.

After about 13 infusions, the tea doesn’t have enough power to sustain classic brewing. However, as with many Yi Wu teas, one can break up the leaves mechanically to prolong the session if desired. The resulting brews are thick, sweet and balanced with a return of the more vegetal aspects and a sweet cooling aftertaste, as well as another energy boost.

Throughout the session the body is medium to full with an incredibly smooth texture. Early on, there is a mouth-numbing sensation as well. The cha qi is very strong and warms the whole body and soul. In the early stages, it is very meditative, while afterwards I get mostly an energizing feeling from drinking the tea.