Hua Zhu Liang Zi, Early order Spring 2019 Ancient Tea Tree Raw Puer, 200g cake

From the same tea gardens and made by the same tea maker as the 2018 Hua Zhu Liang Zi.

The weather was very dry over the winter of 2017/18 and there was very little rain in the spring. This obviously had an effect on the tea trees and the tea that they produced. The most noticeable change in quality was an increase in 'ku-se' compared to previous years.

Having kept the mao cha for the best part of a year before pressing, it had adjusted significantly. It still has a slight dryness on the tongue and upper palate that earlier years from Hua Zhu order Liang Zi also have, but the tea is now more harmonius than it was a year ago and has turned out to be one of the best teas from 2019.

The dry leaves have clean, grassy floral aroma and produce a woody, mushroom fragrance after the initial steeping. The gaiwan lid and 'gong dao bei' have tobacco and honey notes and a familiar floral fragrance that I can't name. There's also something more musk-like. The fragrances are light and 'heady' rather than dense.

The broth is sweet and that initial impression is quickly followed by a slight bitterness that transforms within a few seconds, turning sweet again a little more quickly than the 2018 Hua Zhu Liang Zi.

The mouthfeel is smooth, with a slight dryness on the tongue and upper palate. The flavour is rounded, fullsome, and very clean.

The sheng jin is not overpowering. It balances the other components of the tea.

It has a good amount of thickness, and a quick, strong 'hui gan' that lasts well. There are lingering fragrances of sweet grasses and flowers, along with a delicate bitterness on the upper palate and sweetness in the cheeks and throat.

The broth colour and transparency are good and the spent leaves look are indicative of a well made tea.

All in all, a nicely made tea from a quality tea garden of ancient tea trees that should be a good candidate for ageing as well as drinking now.

Hua Zhu Liang Zi is the name of the mountain (liang zi means peak or ridge). It is one of the tea growing areas in 'Menghai Mengsong' and is the highest peak in Xishuangbanna.