I bought 2020 The Sea sheng cake blind. I heard it was good, but also I find I cannot go wrong with Bana Tea and Vesper Chan as the quality is high. 2020 The Sea Sheng is a blend of Menghai and Lincang old arbor trees. This sheng won the Three-star Superior Taste Award 2020 from the International Taste Institute in Brussels!
Leaf and Steeping Method
The cake has a strong fruity scent of apricots.
My gongfu ratio is 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, steeping with boiling water. After a rinse, it has a sour fruity scent that is mouthwatering, along with smells of steamed rice in banana leaves.
Tasting of Bana Tea Company’s 2020 The Sea Sheng Puer
First and Second Infusion: The Sea sheng is smooth and milky, like drinking a milk oolong. The overall flavor is light and blurs between fresh baby’s breath and green pepper flesh notes. After drinking, the aftertaste is floral but also has a savory vegetable bite.
Third and Fourth Infusion: As this tea opens up, it is still light and subtle but the notes are savory, tasting like the scent of steamed rice, banana leaves, and jalapeno without the heat. The texture is thick and coating, and I can feel this tea slam into my chest like I’m riding the waves. Interestingly, the aftertaste has a cool feeling, like tabbouleh’s mint and parsley, with some wisps of stone fruit.
Fifth and Sixth Infusion: 2020 The Sea sheng is strong now as this tea is started to get stewed. The tea shifted again to be fruity apricot with a deep punch of bitter greens. Body feel is high in this tea as drinking it feels like a slam to the chest with the waves trying to carry me off.
Seven, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Infusion: The Sea sheng has lightened back, with a bit of a stewy vegetal note with strong stone fruit aftertaste, then switches to cooling after a few moments. With each steeping, the tea goes more savory with heavy cooling aftertaste. The final flavor is lightly sweet and mineral, before the finish of astringency hits.
I got a pinching feeling in my sinuses and head, with the urge to go lie down and like the ocean has whisked me away.
Comments
Bana Tea Company / Vesper Chan’s 2020 The Sea is an experience – it has strong body feels, excellent thick texture, and aftertaste, with the gongfu session coming in waves of flavor and aroma. Taste wise, this tea is on the subtle and complex side, something an oolong drinker would love. I find the body feels I experienced with this tea something I tend to mostly experience with oolongs.
This might be too subtle for some, so The Sea is a young sheng for those who are more attuned to light flavor and aroma.
