2010 Essence of Tea Bang Wai

This tea is another of the fresh new sheng offerings from Nada at Essence of tea. This one is from the village Bang Wai near the famous Jing Mai.

As steam from the boil fogs the inside of windows, one examines the dry leaf. The loosely pressed leaves smell of musky, rich tobacco. The note is noticeably sweet.

These leaves are placed in yixing and flash rinsed. The first infusion bears a distinct mild corn taste with bean flavours that also come and go gently. There is also an earthy, slightly mushroom taste somewhere in the mix. The taste starts a touch creamy and finishes a touch dry. There is something almost meaty about the taste. The aftertaste is of bland pungency.

The second infusion has a very mild, smooth creaminess at first, then corn and bean flavours follow. There is a present bland taste that occurs with these flavours but is more apparent in the finish. The aftertaste is also much the same but also with more of an overall bland taste to it. The mouthfeel has a certain thick viscosity to it.

The third infusion has more of an overarching pungent sweetness that emerges. The mild, slightly creamy vegetable flavours really start to come out here. The chaqi is already apparent and all indications point to a strong qi sensation with the core of ones body starting to warm.

In the fourth infusion much of the sweetness and mild vegetable flavours have dropped off considerably. Left is a slightly sweet flush of cream which trails off to mild pungent tastes that hint at tobacco.

The chaqi is very warming for such young puerh. The core of the body seems fortified with qi as the warmth is held tight.

The fifth infusion is mild and creamy at first then turns watery. There is a slight sweet pungent mushroom taste that is a touch spicy. The flavours of this tea are quite mild across the board although they show enough complexity to keep one amused. The mouthfeel is not strong as well but is sticky and blanketing.
The sixth and seventh infusions start with a sweet note that fades into a flatter, grainy/ corn sweetness. There is almost a candy-like quality to the very very mild sweetness found throughout this tea. A mild floral aftertaste develops.
Although this tea is characterized by mild taste and feel the chaqi is quite the opposite. It makes ones mind turn and turn while ones body feels extraordinarily calm and light.

This tea doesn't go bitter nor does it really wash out, it has a strange kind of stamina which carries these mild flavours for many infusions. One ends the session with a renewed sense of energy within.
Link to Adam's (The Sip Tip) Tasting Notes
Link to Hobbes' (The Half-Dipper) Tasting Notes
Link to Sabestian's (Vacuithe) Tasting Notes
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