August 2018’s White2Tea Club is three Milan Dancongs, each a different year – 2016, 2017, and 2018. All three teas are spring material, processed, and roasted closely the same. There are no re-roasts on the older teas.
This month is to serve as a fun comparison, but also to figure out what one likes in terms of age.
Steeping Method
I like my Dancong leafed into another dimension, so I used enough to fill the gaiwan, which was 1 gram of tea per 11ml of vessel size ratio. The high ratio is one I’m comfortable with, so I didn’t do the recommended 1gram/15ml ratio. All teas I steeped with boiling water.
From Left to right – 2016, 2017, 2018. Leaf appearance looks just about the same.
Dry leaf scent wise, the 2016 Milan Dancong starts off sweet and nutty. Each age younger gets less nutty and more fruity. Hot leaf wise, 2016 Milan Dancong smells a bit more woodsy and dark, whereas the other two are both fruity.
Tasting of August 2018 White2Tea Club Milan Dancong Age Comparison
First and Second Infusion:
2016 Milan Dancong tasted aged. It has a slight “old” note to it of old books and wooden furniture in your grandma’s house. There is a bit of a fruity finish, but overall has a dark bite to it, but also smooth to drink.
2017 Milan Dancong has a more woodsy aspect compared to 2018. It has a touch more bark and darker stone fruit flavor. Kind of like I got a bruised peach, or like the 2018 tea got left on the counter to ripen. It has a similar bright aftertaste of stonefruit.
2018 Milan Dancong is a creamy sip with notes of tangy peaches, birch wood, with a high and bright vibe. It has a lingering taste of creamy wood and white peach. It is sharply cute and sweet, nipping at your ankles.
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Infusion:
2016 Milan Dancong is old and tangy. It has an old sourness to it, like the back of a kitchen cupboard. I would want to touch up roast this Dancong up as that would remove the sourness. It has a wonderful darkness to it of woodsy, smooth, and mellow notes. I could curl up at a fire and snooze with this tea.
2017 Milan Dancong switches gears by tasting woodsy and dark. It tastes like how the 2016 Dancong did early on, but without that old aspect to it… so like a modern furniture store? I’m talking real wood, not IKEA smell. It has a baby powder aftertaste. It is sweet but lost the fruity element.
2018 Milan Dancong is tangy stone fruity with an astringent bite to it. It leaves a silky powdery finish in my mouth of peaches and freshness. It has a little bit of a roasted tingle on the tongue too. Lots of good salivation on this tea and in your face brisk fruity taste.
Sixth Infusion:
2016 Milan Dancong is less old funky, but nicely smooth and woodsy dark. Has a slight red wine thing going on. Bit sharper and darker than 2017, but also still a bit sour.
2017 Milan Dancong is much smoother than 2018, and not sour like the 2016 Dancong. It is sweet, woodsy, and fruity without the bitterness or as much dryness. It tastes consistent to the last steepings.
2018 Milan Dancong I can really taste the youth in this tea. It is biting back hard with bitterness, dry puckery roasted mouth, with a long woody but still fruity aftertaste.
Interestingly, drinking from old to young, the tea is more fruity each step. Young to old has a more startingly step from 2018 to 2017 for bitterness.
Seventh Infusion:
2016 Milan Dancong finishes tangy woodsy. It is trying to be fruity but it just can’t. It is also dry and bitter, but again a touch less so than 2017.
2017 Milan Dancong is soft sweet, mealy pear core and slightly woodsy. It is dry and bitter but not unpleasant as 2018.
2018 Milan Dancong has become undrinkable bitter and dry. But it does have a nice fresh fruity aftertaste. I should have quit this tea a couple infusions ago as it tasted bad, but still had some juice left.
Comments
I am surprised how much differences I can taste between each age of Milan Dancong. The 2018 Milan Dancong has a vibrant fruity bite, 2017 was very midrange, whereas 2016 tasted darker and more storage apparent.
It is certainly personal preference to which one you’d like. I like the early infusions of 2018 for fruity, but I would pick 2017 Milan Dancong for a balanced, rested taste. The 2016 Milan Dancong I would enjoy more than 2017 if I did a touch-up roast to clear the sourness. I think I also prefer 2017 as I tend to drink a lot of my oolongs with a year or two on them since I take forever to drink my teas.
This was a good practice to see what you like in a tea. Like that bright fruity taste? Then buy young in amounts you can finish in a year. Like the older profile, then buy old. I have Dancong in my stash around 2015 (purchased young) and sadly they don’t have as old as a taste due to colder North American storage. Try this with your own teas if you have a big stash or attempt to hide away a tea that you buy yearly to see how it performs each year.
