A special review today – teas from Puerh.uk – a vendor that exclusively sells high-tier, pesticide-free, qi heavy, old and ancient tree aged puer. They sell samples and do DHL shipping! It sounds like their teas move fast and limited stock, especially the ones I’m drinking today.
Teas today are 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie, 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang Ancient tree brick, and 2005 Lao Ban Zhang – Grateful tea factory Banzhang Zhengshan. This is a long one!
Puerh.uk 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie
Yes, Puerh.uk has legit Bingdao. I haven’t had Bingdao in years as it seems to be more elusive these days.
The leaves have a cardboard honey scent. 2 of the 3 teas here I used a gongfu ratio of 1 gram of leaves per 15ml with boiling water. You gotta gongfu this, these teas are $$$. No rinse here, if these teas are pesticide free and clean, but also expensive, you drink the rinse. After a steep, this Bingdao smells of honey spit and pan char.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie is still green. It starts soft and sweet, but with thick cotton batting texture. Aftertaste peaks with vanilla and stone fruit nectar. As the Bingdao opens up, it has a tangy kiwi golden taste.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Infusion: Further in the flavor picks up into strong bruised old peaches, kiwi skins, jasmine, wooden bookcase at my parent’s house. Each steeping unravels stronger and more aged flavor, I hit the point it started tasting medicinal peaches and menthol. The aftertaste rolls in stronger than the tea, with more honey dried stone fruits. To elaborate on texture, its throat clogging thick, coating the tongue in a layer of fluffy dense cotton. There is some dryness, as the cotton layer is sucking up the moisture, but making the flavor stick longer. I got lost in watching Trash Taste and after 15 minutes of not drinking, Bingdao came back, rising off my sinuses. Around the Sixth infusion, it holds in a constant state.
I’m drinking the 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie as the first tea of the day, on a fast. I got a soft brain and behind the eye balls massage. Tea energy always hits me hard and I started getting a surge of creativity to draw. Each steeping in this bracket adds more brain crawling. I then hit a wall into a “lost in time” tea drunk, with time slipping fast but I wasn’t sure what I was doing.
Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Infusion: 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie is losing steam and finally shifting in flavor. The final flavors are amber incense and menthol, and my brain is gone. Final infusions are squeaky sweet and fruity, and my skull is being pinched.
Comments
If you aren’t used to the fancy pants stuff and go for the sweeter end of sheng puer, 2014 BHYJ “Exclusive Reward” Bingdao DiJie will ease you in. This Bingdao holds your hand with honey soft flavors, and each steeping develops strong flavors and high qi, then it’s too late and full on tea drunk. It’s quite approachable with the honey fruit flavors too. Very engaging to drink as each steeping just builds and builds onto itself.
The other teas are promised to be stronger, so this will be a long day.
2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang Ancient tree brick from Puerh.uk
Next up and some more big guns – a Puerh.uk Banzhang. Another heavy hitter and last time I drank a bunch of banzhang I drive 65mph in a 25mph zone. Don’t tea and drive.
The leaves faintly smell of menthol cigarettes. Compression is tight, but the work has been done for me.
I went for a gongfu ratio of 1g/17ml here, this is strong and despite not driving anywhere, I need to function tonight and I drank the Bingdao earlier. After a steep, the leaves smell like sour cream donuts.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: I didn’t rinse again and it was like I didn’t as it is pretty strong for a rinse. 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang is already pungent and snappy. Already, my jam starts clicking drinking this tea… oh no. As this tea opens up, it is milky cigarettes and amber, pungent white asparagus. There’s a dryness starting in the cheeks too, but otherwise, a super silky tea to drink. The aftertaste echos some milky vegetal notes.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: Good bitter that I love to taste! 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang is crisp resin, bitter, amber incense, and savory, with a sharp sweet mineral bite. Each steeping gets bitter asparagus and delicious peat. The texture is thick and dryness is starting to make my gums dangle in between my teeth.
My brain is already getting vice gripped and it feels like I unhinged my jaw to eat a giant burger and my dangling gums are having a dance party. My body switched on “Owl is on a tea binge.” reserved for tea festivals and parties. I already lost count of steeps as my brain drifted into doing figure eights in the parking lot.
Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Infusion: SO bitter! 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang sips in pungent and a little minerally rocky sweet then goes right to bitter AF, but still drinkable. After some time, a sweet brown sugar rock candy aftertaste slips by. My head is throbbing with noodle arms.
Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Infusion: I walked off somewhere and came back to tea. 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang sips in rock candy and sandalwood, then an astringency attacks the teeth. My stomach is rumbling from this tea and I need that burger. The final infusion was honey wheat and gum dehydrating. I felt I could get another infusion or two past this point too.
Comments
I did my best to articulate this tea, it’s just straight tea drugs. 2017 Chen Sheng Hao Banzhang is a bitter tea, but that is to be expected, but also has some interesting flavors and slick or contrasting textures.
This is tea to drink with friends. Drinking this heavy of a hitter alone makes me feel like a junkie or I’m trying to numb the pain away. With friends, this tea is a party.
2005 Lao Ban Zhang – Grateful tea factory Banzhang Zhengshan
After drinking 2 heavy hitting teas in one day, I gave myself a break and drank this final tea, 5 Lao Ban Zhang – Grateful tea factory Banzhang Zhengshan, a few days later.
The leaves smell like hot red cedar. After the first steep, it’s woodsy and pungent, warning me of upcoming bitterness.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: 2005 Lao Ban Zhang starts off with sweet, woodsy cedar, apricot, and smokey plums taste. The texture is lip smacking sticky and thick, with a line of astringency.
Aftertaste wise, it is strong charred plums. I am finding this tea really wants to take things slow as the flavor is complex and dark, with a dense texture.
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infusion: Each infusion is getting more astringent and bitter, bringing me back to yes this is Lao Ban Zhang. It’s strongly sweet dark wood and stone fruits with a bitter aged pithy lime. It’s not citrus but has this acidic bitterness.
This tea has a more meditative feel for me, with a side of “lost in space” feeling. My world is going slow, I’m feeling very chill and grounded, but also I keep losing time.
Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Infusion: I’m feeling like my temples are starting to get pinched and snapped back to reality. 2005 Lao Ban Zhang tea is bitter acidic to start, with a woody old bookcase. Astringency is stronger here, adding a tickling dryness in the back of the throat. It is a lot easier to drink than younger Lao Ban Zhang as the acidic bitterness is lower and numbed by the dark flavors.
I got so distracted and slow, that I let the last infusion go for 45 minutes as I lost track of what was going on. It literally took me 4 hours to drink this tea. The last infusion sips bitter acidic but sweet sappy wood.
Comments
2005 Lao Ban Zhang – Grateful tea factory Banzhang Zhengshan is like falling down a complex black hole – dark woody, fruity, and bitter, and the energy takes you for a calming ride. This tea is hard to write a review for as there’s a lot going on, takes a while to drink, and the energy makes my brain wander and chill. I agree this tea needs multiple sessions to attempt to unravel due to the complexity and energy.
All these teas have limited stock, so snag one quick if you are interested. I have more teas from Puerh.uk, so stay tuned.
(teas provided for review)
