Early Thoughts on Sampling Scott’s Bao He Xiang Picks

I really enjoyed my time sampling the three pricier Bao He Xiang puerh (here, here, and here) offered at Yunnan Sourcing.  I like when western vendors focus on another vendor and pick out some of their favorites.  I also found it interesting how each of these blends were totally and completely opposite each other and had a very specific goal in mind.  The wrappers also seem to reflect the feeling of each blend as well.  The diversity within the Bao He Xiang factory seems very broad from my sampling of these three.

The price seems about right for what you are getting.  With that being said, there are dimensions of each blend which are undervalued for the price they are sold for.  It should be stated that there is not much information offered to the customer about the location of the blending material- similar to the lack of information in white2tea descriptions.  If there are any readers that have sampled Bao He Xiang and haven’t yet tired white2tea they should give them a try and vice versa.

I look forward to sampling some Bao He Xiang in future orders… if that's the way it goes down...

Peace

2018 Bao He Xiang “Wu Jin Hao”: A Very Menghai Blend

Just like in some white2tea blends, we don’t get much from the description of this blend. “"Wu Jin Hao" is a blend of semi-aged mao cha from old tree harvested tea leaves that was pressed in 2018” as stated on the Yunnan Sourcing page.  This one goes for $170.00 for 357g cake (or $0.48/g).  The absolute mystery and semi-agedness of this one lured me in…

Dry leaves are of chicory, licorice-y, black licorice root sweet odour.

First infusion has a blank onset with a slow to build sweetness. There is a bit of floral under clean woody and almost mushroom suggestions.  There is a mild pungency then a high noted creamy sweetness attempts to push through.  The mouthfeel is silky and oily and has a full elegance to it.  The long sweet creamy aftertaste is noted.

The second starts empty almost vegetal, toffee, sarsaparilla, mushroom, then a long creamy sweet uninterrupted taste.  There are some nice layers going on here.  The base is a nice clear fermented mushroom and woody.  There is a richness in taste and feel.  Develops a heady type of relaxing and stimulating Qi. 

The third has a woods, sour, licorice root, chicory, mushroom, mildly smokey nuance with a velvety almost sandy mouthfeeling and opening mid throat empty feeling in throat.  The aftertaste taste has a long pungency creamy sweet to it. 

The fourth infusion starts off with a mushroom, slightly smokey, woody deep note, there is a pungency slightly cooling that is faint then a sweet creamy note over smoke, woody, and mushrooms.  A slight caramel faint sweetness is lingering with smoke a minute later.  Pasha, Menghai, type of blend I would guess.  I’m fond of such things.  Qi is sedating on the mind but races and powers through the Heart.

The fifth starts a slightly sour, smokey, woody, and mushroom, there is a slight floral note before a mild quick pungent then a lingering mild-moderate sweetness overtop mushrooms and woody tastes.  The mouthfeel is becoming sticky the throat opens pretty deeply.  The Qi is powerful in the Heart and starting to stimulate the mind.  The Qi is building into something quite powerful.

The sixth infusion starts slightly sour and sweet and mushroom and woody.  There is a pop of floral sweetness before the mild pungency brings some creamy sweetness.  The flavor tastes nicer than I can describe here and more nuanced Menghai type of feel to it.  The mouthfeel is moderate and velvety almost sticky.  The throat opens to midthroat.  A very mild sweetness is left on the lips.  This infusion is as sweet and highernoted as deeper mushroom woody noted.  Qi is really nice and gives the body a mild shivering type thing.

The seventh infusion starts a sweet creamy mushroomy smokey woody taste which is quite enjoyable.  There is a faint pungent then a creamy sweet finish.  This tea has a base of woody, smokey, and mushroom that stays throughout the profile.  Its subtle elements like creamy sweetnessses, slight caramel, slight pungent even light floral that either comes and goes or doesn’t infusion to infusion.  There is a slight sour astringency but not really bitterness.  This infusion has more of a nuanced sweetness and even a sunflower seed taste in there as well.  Strong powerful Qi sensation here, lots of jittery powerful energy, head unfocused under the power and Heart racing.

The eighth and ninth infusion starts with a sweet, smokey, woody taste.  There is a mild astringency and soft sweetness in the finish.  The woodiness and smoke are more prominent than the sweet here.  There is a sunflower seed taste.

The tenth has a sweet nuance to it almost but not really fruity, mushroom, woody, smokey, sunflower seed, and slight pungent, returning creamy sweetness over these base tastes.  It’s a nice full taste with a deep, mid and light aspect to it.  So Menghai in taste, feel, and Qi.

The eleventh starts to feature the smoke first then woody and barely sweet.  This is what a lot of these smokey shengs end up doing when the initial flavours drop.

The 12^th has an almost juicy fruity onset.  The bassier flavours drop to the background and the juicy sweet flavor is mellow but prominently featured here.

The 13^th has a juicy almost oily taste and feel with very mild smoke, mushroom, woods in the distance.

The 14^th infusion is slight bitter slight fruity slight smokey taste there is a progression to creamy sweetness on the breath but the smoke is building again…

15^th infusion is much the same with a bitterness starting to significantly build as well as smoke.  The closer the time between these last infusions, the more bitter-astringent they are on the guts as well as the mouth.

I decide to end here… my head buzzing as I break into a Qi sweat.

Overall, this puerh has a balanced taste between deep mushroom woody smokey tastes and light sweet creamy and sometimes almost fruity tastes.  It has enough to keep it interesting.  It has a pretty classic smokey Menghai character in here that I enjoy.  This blend is a nod to a more classic puerh taste and feel that you can touch in some 80s and 90s style cakes which I value and enjoy but that which very few vendors seem to be able to produce these days.  The mouth- and throat-feeling sit more in the background and just keep things running smoothly.  Look at those wet leaves- there is a diversity of aged material in there with a feel of a 5-8ish year old Guangdong storage.  The Qi is a big strong type.  Overall, this puerh is pretty good, its just hard for me to justify a purchase at this price.  There is something about the classic feel to it that twists my brain into thinking that it should also have a classically low price… but its 2018… so this is what we get.

Peace

2017 Bao He Xiang “Peach Cake”: Flavour Bomb!

Okay, this is the Bao He Xiang that really piqued my interest in sampling the brand.  The description and the reviews that followed on the Yunnan Sourcing site captured my attention.  Even Scott gave it a nod.  This 2017 Bao He Xiang “Peach Cake” blend goes for $249.00 for 357g cake ($0.70/g).

Dry leaves give off a very deep fruit floral odour.  The smell is very very sweet almost Ylang Ylang like perfume scent in there.  The smell of the dry leaf is entrancing.

The first infusion starts with a fruity very sweet entry the sweetness swells in the mouth.  Its very very well, peachy sweet or apricot sweet, but more peachy.  There is a juicy viscus feel to the liquor.  The peace taste is intense and quite creamy.  The taste is amazing and full sweetness, right off the start.  The mouthfeeling is mildly dryier as the saliva gets pushed into the throat.

The second infusion starts with an almost woody edge of candy like peach taste.  There is a very mild astringency to it.  It tastes of sugar peach.  There is a very faint pungent and long candy like returning sweetness.  The sweet taste is strong throughout but expands in the mouth.  There are suggestions of both Yi Wu and maybe even Bang Dong in this blend.  The sweetness really fills the mouth.

The third infusion starts off with a thick almost bready, creamy sweet peachy taste.  The liquor is reasonably tick and the sweetness turns to candy in the mouth.  There is a thickness to the liquor of this puerh.  The sweetness is quite thick and expands outwardly.  There is a gooey stickiness to the mouth and throatfeeling.  The Qi flutters at the Heart. 

Fourth infusion has a nice rich thick start it has a nice dense fruity taste that feels painted on the tongue.   The mouthfeel is quite thick along with the liquor.  There is a nice thickness to this tea in tongue coating and liquor density.

The fifth is intensely peachy fruity but a deep fruit feeling there is a stronger pungent returning sweetness to it.  The liquor is oily and the tongue coating is nice.  The pungent returning sweetness is cooling in the mouth.  The throatfeeling is gentle and opening.

The sixth infusion has an interesting woody nuance to the thicker peach approach.  The qi is mildly spacy in the head the sweetness returns with pungent into a more cotton candy like sweetness.

7^th starts very peachy, clear fresh ripe peachy high-noted taste that reverbs in the mouth and stretches over the profile.  Candy like finish.  Nice tongue coating.  Mild ringing pungent.  Relaxing chill Qi sensation.

The 8^th has a slight dry woody edge but is mainly stewed peaches with a mild pungent then candy.  The peach taste is becoming less all-encompassing in these middle infusions and suggestions of dry woody notes appear.  The Qi is mildly fluttering in chest but mainly relaxing but not in a lazy kind of way.

The ninth is a nice rich deeper peach almost dried apricot underneath.  There is a building woody dry taste underneath that is becoming more prominent.  The mouthfeeling is becoming more of a sandy astringency now.  The throat is slightly gripping.  This isn’t a strong throat simulator but rather a subtle opener.

The 10^th is becoming a woody, peachy, apricot taste that is sandier in the mouth and tongue. The aftertaste is much less now and the infusion has a slight astringency to it.  The taste is pretty simple here.

11^th has a smoother less intense, less sweet apricot approach with dry woody base taste and a sandy mouthfeeling.  The Qi is a bit relaxing now.

12^th is getting more woody than peachy now then flavor is less complex here but still rather sweet and enjoyable.

13^th….. Ooops… left it for 30 min… wow… a very intensely peachy thick viscous taste was pushed out.  With a dense oily thick dried apricot, some wood, very full peachy density…

This puerh is very very tasty, a bit of bodyfeel in the heart, mainly relaxing with a bit of movement earlier on.  The taste of this one is something else… very very delicious…  The parts of this puerh that are not as solid is the stamina.  I sampled this one twice as I consider an order but the stamina of this puerh isn’t super great and gives out all of its epically amazing taste early and in the mid session already starts to bottom out and taste more woody.  The later session is a bit flat especially when memories of steepings 1-7 fresh in the memory.  The Qi is soft and subtle but still does things in the body and mind.  This puerh is mainly about the mind-blowing taste in the first 1-7 infusions. 

This is likely a very nice Yiwu blend, if I were to guess.  In some ways it reminds me of 2017 white2tea Pussy.  I think both blends are similar and are trying to accomplish similar things.  If you like the 2017 white2tea Pussy, I definitely think you should try this Peach Cake of the same year.  There are many similarities between the two but he 2017 Bao He Xiang Peach Cake is way more flavourful but Pussy has a bit more stamina to it. 

The price… is probably about right for something like this Peach Cake… maybe a bit of a bargain if you value taste above all else and drink your puerh in short sessions.  I value the things that this tea lacks like a bit more stamina and a bit more going on with the Qi but I understand the epic brilliance of this blend and what it was trying to accomplish.

Peace

2013 Bao He Xiang “Zi Yun Gui”, Xigui… I Don’t Know You…

This premium blended “Zi Yun Gui” Bao He Xiang cake ($188.00for 357g cake or $0.53/g) is described as being blended exclusively from the super famous Xigui producing area.  Xigui is thought to be one of the 3 famous puerh producing areas (others being Lao Ban Zhang and Bing Dao).  I actually have no experience in my memory with Xigui which kind of rose to prominence as I was stepping back from puerh.  Unlike the famous regions of Bing Dao and Laobanzhang which I was fortunate to get some education on from purely the kindness of others back in the day…

Dry leaves smell of very faint stone mineral with sweet floral.  Very faint odour.

First infusion has a layered woody approach that turns into a honey and maple syrup sweetness over woody the taste is quite condensed and the mouthfeel has a thick and sticky.  The first infusion feels really complete- and this is just the first flash infusion.  The completeness here is a good sign of things to come.

The second infusion has a dense thick onset of woods but mainly licorice, caramel, maple syrup, type of sweetness.  The taste is really layered and the liquor feels viscus.  The qi is relaxing.

The third infusion has a very dense woody and layered sweetness- maple syrup, caramel, but not very sweet but more of a diffuse sweetness. In the aftertaste there is hints of candy underneath.  The mouthfeeling is thick and sticky.

The fourth infusion has a thick density of dates, licorice, not sweet maple syrup and dark honey.  The dense taste hold and in the aftertaste there are lighter candy nuances over a thick sticky mouthfeeling.  Qi has a happy relaxing feel to it.

The fifth infusion has a very thick density to it of layered woods with licorice and deep not that sweet dark honey underneath and an almost menthol returning taste in which a sweet candy like fresher sweetness lingers mildly.  The taste is a very layered dense woody taste that feels thick and sticky.  The Qi is relaxing.

The sixth is much the same there is a thickness and syrupy density to this one that holds through the whole profile.  There is an almost carrot sweetness in the woody, syrupy initial taste that pops up too.  There is something in here that reminds me of a Nannou and Lincang blend.  A faint floral and almost candy fresh aftertaste breaks through the dense base in the aftertaste.

The seventh infusion is a thick woody, almost carrot, with menthol underneath bringing in a slight candy and floral nuance that pushes through under a thick woody layering.

The eighth infusion packs on that predictable initial thickness that maintains throughout the profile as well as throughout the infusions.  There is also a slight candy like finish in the aftertaste.  The mouthfeel holds as a sticky chalkiness.  The throatfeeling is mild and has a vacuous opening feeling where a menthol taste holds space.

The ninth infusion starts with a mouth numbing taste of layered woods.  The menthol is kind of intertwined with the numbing and leaves traces of candy, turnip and floral in the breath.  Overall, the presentation is quite thick. It taste like a thicker Lincang with some Nannou blended in to me.  The candy aftertaste is a nice touch. 

The 10^th has a thick density of wood and leaves and deeper less sweet dark honey taste throughout the session.  Relaxing happy Qi feels nice.  With nuances of candy under a dense woody layered not that sweet taste.

The 11^th infusion starts with thick licorice, layered woods, oily and thick in the mouth. Relaxing Qi a mild Qi.  Nice thicker sticky mouthcoating with menthol release.  Sometimes almost mouth numbing sensation.  Throat is vacuous but menthol goes to a mid depth.

The 12^th the menthol seems to build with closer infusions and so too does the mouth numbing sensation.  Dense woody, less sweet now, thick feeling. 

13^th infusion is still thick licorice, layered woods, dense syrup but not sweet taste throughout with a building menthol pungency that reverberates deeply.

Time has ran out for me in a day.  I think this one still has lots to offer so I pledge to come back tomorrow….

A thick mouthfeeling and dense flavor greet me next morning.  This puerh is not overly engaging but pretty stable and attention grabbing enough throughout the infusions.  The Qi is nice a mild a relaxing thing.  I overnight steeped this for the next 4 days.  It had good stamina and depth and density of taste even later in the session. I wish I had an uninterrupted longer initial session with this sample.

Overall and enjoyable puerh the price is about right, maybe.  If had the name Xigui attached to it, it would no doubt be under priced.  Does it have at least some Xigui blended inside?  I have no idea.  Will have to sample the rest of my sample and get more experience with Xigui to know for sure.  Overall, pretty enjoyable puerh from a region that many Western puerh vendors don't offer.

I had a look at the description as I prepare to post this…

Li Wen Hua's offers us a Xi Gui tea with a strong full taste, some slight bitterness up front, that quickly transforms into a creamy sweet thick tea soup.  The body is incredibly full and there is a sweetness that comes quickly after the tea enters the mouth and throat (huigan).  The "cha qi" is strong but very pleasant and tranquil.

It seems about right.  I would say that age has curbed most of the bitterness out and that the sweetness is not overly strong.  The Qi is bang on and that thickness…. The thickness of flavor or density is hands down the most enjoyable aspect in this one…

Peace

Yunnan Sourcing’s (Premium) Bao He Xiang Offerings

A year or two ago Scott added a bunch more Bao He Xiang factory puerh offerings at Yunnan Sourcing.  At that time they caught my eye for a few reasons.  First was the fact that these are all mainly unlabeled region and often unique blends that were Guangdong stored.  To me this sounded an awful lot like what white2tea is doing.  This was also at a time when the Yunnan Sourcing brand didn’t have all the different blends that it has this year.  To me it was a move that offered a challenge or different option to the stuff that white2tea was releasing- some good clean competition.

The second thing that Yunnan Sourcing is doing with these Bao He Xiang puerh is only stocking a few cakes in Yunnan Sourcing’s dry Kunming storage and reordering them as they go from Bao He Xiang’s clean medium humid Guangdong storage.  This means that Scott is basically letting the Guangdong storage, for which this tea was intended to be aged, impart its aging influence instead of exposing it to his drier Kunming storage.  I like this idea.  I also assume that the pricing and price rises of these order-as-you-go Bao He Xiang depends mainly on the price increases from Bao He Xiang.  I imagine this is similar to Yunnan Sourcing’s pricing of other premium offerings from Hai Lang Hao discussed in the last post.

In a list of recommendations for puerh with strong Qi and throat and mouthfeel, Scott listed many Bao He Xiang offerings and said they were all good.  They are his picks of Bao He Xiang afterall.  He told me that the price of these cakes is closely tied to quality.  I decided to go with some of the pricier/ premium Bao He Xiang that Yunnan Sourcing has on offer.  The next few reviews will feature these Bao He Xiang….

Peace