This is a fun month for the 2022 June Old Ways Tea Club – lots of exceptional oolongs, including a tea cake! Also included are more Fuding White Tea Cake minis, which were in the last club’s box.
Zuhuo Dahongpao from the 2022 June Old Ways Tea Club
I did enjoy the previous Old Ways Tea’s Sister’s Godmother’s tea, Chunzhong Dahongpao, so let’s see how the sister dupe is. First off, the leaves have a deep, sweet, roasted plum bark scent.
Gongfu ratio wise, I was nutty and it is a very high leaf, so around 1 gram per 12ml of vessel size, in flash steeping boiling water. After a steep, the leaves smell more intense plums.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: I did overleaf as the first infusion is strong. Zuhuo Dahongpao sips in a roasted creamy peanut and hazelnuts, and wood bark, before easing into a streaky plum flavor as an aftertaste. The texture is buttery and soft to drink, so quite pleasing overall. Each sip is very creamy and smooth, and hits my stomach like I’m eating a spoon of nut butter.
Fourth and Fifth Infusion: Zuhuo Dahongpao is shifting very slowly each infusion, despite the heavy leaf ratio. The tea still tastes of plums, wood, and nuts, but also adds a somewhat charred note and gentle bitterness. The aftertaste is dense and lovely.
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Infusion: The Zuhuo Dahongpao is finally starting to wane here, going more savory at the sip of char, gentle tasting lit frankincense/myrrh, before the aftertaste slinks into plums again. It’s light and soft. Finally, getting a dry texture on the back of the tongue, but is still quite drinkable.
Zuhuo Dahongpao is a fine Dahongpao that is easy going to drink. It is not the most complex Dahongpao or fragrant, but a solid, pleasing drinker that I will enjoy drinking all of.
Xiao Zhulin Mei Zhan
The leaves have a sweet cinnamon spice scent. After a steep, it’s got a luxuriously fruity floral dark wood scent.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: The first infusion is a fun blend of buttery, bruised stone fruit and maple wood, but quite light. Texturewise, Xiao Zhulin Mei Zhan has quite an oily feeling on the lips. As it steeps, it’s clearer in apricot flavor.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: Xiao Zhulin Mei Zhan is strong now, like a strong apricot with bitter pit and wood, with a wave of floral fruit aftertaste, with some waves of stewed leaves. The aftertaste is very strong here – lots of bruised fruit. A long infusion paid off a cinnamon note and canned apricots, with mineral rock notes, but also dry textured.
Xiao Zhulin Mei Zhan is my favorite of the box. I love the fruity flavor and it is pretty comfort food and familiar, with a lovely texture. After drinking this tea, I felt a little buzzed and chill, but ready to drink more tea!
2021 Shui Xian Cake from the 2022 June Old Ways Tea Club
I know pressed oolong cakes tend to scare people as it is conceptually weird and not done much. It does make sense with those “pillow oolongs” and big huangpian leaves, vs the vendors who make compressed rolled tieguanyin. Anyhow, this Shui Xian cake was a pain to break, it felt deceptively not dense, but it took a serious prying job to remove sheets of tea leaves.
The leaves have a toasted, sweet eggy bread scent. I went easier on the leaf, so 1 gram per 15ml, and I love to boil my oolongs. After an infusion, the scent is of powdery honey floral.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: 2021 Shui Xian Cake is strong, creamy buttery floral, like rubbing buttercups on the chin and underripe plums. It is astringent, drying the gaps in my teeth, but the feeling of this thick pudding of flowers. The flavor is consistent but gets progressively drier and drier.
Fifth Infusion: 2021 Shui Xian Cake steeped out fast. It’s underripe peachy plums, stewed out lettuce, and very astringent before a big slap of floral aftertaste. Then my teeth and the roof of my mouth is dried out.
The 2022 June Old Ways Tea Club 2021 Shui Xian Cake is a super floral Shui Xian that has great early infusions. Great if you love floral teas! I am not sure how this tea will age long term, but it is efficient on space being in a cake!
