Yang Qing Hao

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Recent Tasting Notes

Dry – Nice semi-aged Raw scent with bittersweet and sweet woody and fairly medicinal notes, dried fruit (like tamarind shell), dried wood.
Wet – Woody bittersweet notes, slight medicinal with some camphor, good aged puerh notes and richness.
Liquor – light copper to amber.

1st 3secs – Woody bittersweet yet gently and thick upfront that coats and slightly numbs the tongue. As it goes down, it has a slight floral, combined with medicinal character that is sort of muted/gentle. The huigan is gentle and lingering.

2nd 3secs – bittersweet and somewhat bitter (pleasant) aged woody note with slight fruity note that to me resembles tamarind shell up front. As it washes down a thicker medicinal and slightly floral note appears that again coats/numbs the tongue but still feels muted/gentle/subtle (just not fully opened note). The huigan is very good with some of that floral-medicinal that lingers.

3rd 4secs – Bittersweet to bitter medicinal-wood front that develops a thick/numbing body. As it goes down, it feels briefly bitter (pleasant) and transitions to a sweeter, mineral, floral note. The huigan is still lingering with medicinal-floral.

4th 6secs – Non punchy Bitter and bittersweet woody front that coats the tongue and quickly mellows to woody (pencil shavings like?) note. As it washes down, tamarind shell notes with some camphor that refreshes the the throat. Nice huigan.

5th 7secs – Non punchy bitter and bittersweet, very woody-medicinal note that develops thickness and a tongue coating sensation. As it goes down, it is smooth with some camphor, pencil shaving (woody) and a musky sweetness (like musk melon or another musky fruit) and developing more floral/fruit notes in the huigan.

6th 8secs – Non punchy bitter wood and bittersweet medicinal notes that become smoother (before thicker). As it goes down the woody/tamarind shell note appears and becomes sweeter with some camphor that refreshes.

7th 10secs – Non punchy bitter woody and medicinal notes transition to smoother and refreshing (some camphor) and not so thick tamarind shell notes. As it goes down, it becomes sweeter and wears more dried fruit note (still tamarind, just not so shell/woody like). The huigan continues to have that floral and medicinal note that lingers.

8th 12secs – Bittersweet woody and slightly thicker again with some of the numbing sensation, nice muted and musky sweetness and a dried fruit finish.

9th 16secs – Bitttersweet woody and thick/numbing front. There is a ‘pencil shaving’ woody note in the middle with tamarind shell notes that linger until the more floral/medicinal huigan appears.

10th 24secs – Matching the previous notes but slightly weaker. This is the first decline which made me adjust steep times.

Additional notes I was able to get 13 steeps after adjusting the steep times. I feel like I could have gotten 14 and just MAYBE 15 if I had be more patient (I wasn’t).

Final Notes
I liked this one quite a bit, It has complexity and changes along the way or at least it is playful with which characteristics shine. I’m not sure if it is more related to the blend having the opportunity to open up at different times but it offers different notes and I’m sure my next session will have different results. Thanks to the friend who shared this with me so I wouldn’t miss out on the YQH wave. :D

Flavors: Dark Bittersweet, Dried Fruit, Medicinal, Wood

Preparation
3 g 2 OZ / 50 ML
DigniTea

Look at you, drinking YQH….. ;-)

tanluwils

I’m gonna have to try some YQH before they’re all gone…

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93

Got a sample of this recently. Thank you Boychik for this sample. This was a good semi aged tea. It started off with some notes of tobacco and leather, as do all the Yangqinghao teas I have tried. This did not last too long. It evolved into something nice with a sort of a muted sweetness. Not the apricots of a young sheng but still what I would describe as a sweet note. I enjoyed this tea. It was good. I steeped this sixteen times in a small 50ml gaiwan. I think it would go another eight or so with longer steeping times. This is a high quality tea as are all the Yangqinghao teas I have sampled or bought. This is one I would consider buying at some point. I don’t think I am going to participate in this group order coming up in a few days.

I steeped this sixteen times in a 50ml gaiwan with 3.7g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, 3 min, 3.5 min, and 4 min. I am feeling the qi of this tea now. It comes across as an energizing qi to me. Some people may experience these teas as having relaxing qi but I always get an energizing qi from them.

Flavors: Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 3 g 2 OZ / 50 ML

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Here’s to my third YQH sample. I will admit that receiving these as gifts make it so much easier to review because if I had paid for them I would feel more obligated to make myself enjoy the tea rather then go through 16 to 20 steeps and just spill my thoughts on here with no regret.

Knowing that this is a blend, I know that I won’t be getting 100% of what someone else got but I do know that I will still be tasting the majority of the same notes. Leaf was easy to separate after a quick rinse (I do this so it is all opened within 8 minutes of sitting). Since this isn’t in the middle range of color, I have to assign a number for a darkness: I would say this is around a 7 to 8 out of 10 concerning darkness of a raw pu’erh That to me normally means levels of depth within the liquid as well as a more syrupy lingering in my mouth. Most of the raw I’ve had from the 80s, 90s, and 00s follow this assumption I assigned. Unfortunately, this tea only has the longevity of around 27 seconds after a sip. However, after the fifth steep it stays rather consistent which is nice because at steep 10 you are not losing the flavor profile that steep 6 had.

I was really hoping for a stronger feel as well as a lingering taste or tingle in my mouth. It has the taste of a 00s tea for sure, but I’ve had better and I don’t really want to compare prices because I feel as if this tea would only improve over a decent 5+ years according to my taste preference; which leans towards young rather than old. As this was my Easter treat, it kind of let me down because it went down and its mark was gone before 30 seconds had passed. Wait about a minute of a decent sip and you notice a bit of flatness to it that you wouldn’t get from a tea that has tingle feel or syrup like layer left in your mouth.

kevdog19

Awesome review

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98

Thank You Boychik for this sample. This was one good tea. easily the best of the Yangqinghao teas I have tried. There were some notes of tobacco early one, for about the first two steep. Then it was nice and smooth. With a subdued sweetness to it that I don’t know how to properly describe. The tea soup had a fairly dark color but perhaps a little less dark than some of the other Yangqinghao teas I’ve tried. This tea had a strong qi. There was an energizing qi to it. I can’t say that I became tea drunk but am really feeling it after sixteen steeps. The tea was not finished at sixteen either. I will save the leaves for later or tomorrow and hopefully get back to them. Now I want to try the tea I bought from Hawaii. That was even more expensive than this if you can believe it but I only bought 18g of it.

I steeped this tea sixteen times in a 50 ml gaiwan with 3.6g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, 3 min, 3.5 min, and 4 min. I think that this tea would go another ten steeps or so with longer infusion times.

Flavors: Smooth, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 3 g 2 OZ / 50 ML
boychik

imglad you like it Allan

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With only two YQH samples, I have been very picky on when I’ll use them. Today was beautiful outside and I just got the 6th book of the new printing of Master Keaton in the mail: https://www.instagram.com/p/BC_UbhwRYLN/
That made me go to my box of ‘this is the expensive tea samples’ with intentions to have a wonderful afternoon. The leaf looked rather dark with clear signs of age on it which excited me. Brewing this was pretty easy as the leaf opened on the second steep, however my findings are more negative than positive. This is not a raw pu’erh for me nor for others who like the lighter teas. If I would have blindly tried this tea, I would have given up at steep three as the first two were really hard to sip down. Very strong notes of leather and tobacco come out from this tea with an underlining sweetness similar to a raisin (not taste, but that small sweetness) and a nice mouth feel. While there is no bitterness to the taste, the texture that the liquid leaves behind has the similar feeling as that of a smoked tea where your mouth feels like it is being dried a bit even though your mouth feels like it is being dried a bit even though you just drank a liquid.
Well, since I did not blindly taste this and knowing what it was, I continued to brew this out. At least the tea was consistent for me in regards to all the mentioned taste. Continuous leather mixed with tobacco and a diminishing undertone of sweetness that gave it an attribute that I liked, I just can’t see myself wanting any more of this.
Now that I have finished my 12 steep session, I have decided to go check the price because in my head YQH means $$$. It looks like this tea is $.48 a gram which I wouldn’t consider a really high price as I associate with YQH. As usual, I read nothing of this tea before drinking it because I want my own thoughts to bring forward my tasting notes; it looks like this is noted to be stronger than its mellow cousins per the description which would have already made me realize it wouldn’t be one for me.
Going through the YQH and knowing my preference, it looks like I have two I’ll be looking at: 2004 Dingji Yesheng because yesheng is tied for my favorite with bang dong and the 2004 Jinhao Chawang.

curlygc

I thought the Qizong was ok, but I preferred the Tejipin and the Dinjipin is quite nice too (but also quite pricey). Be interested to read your review of those if you have them. I can send you a sample of the Teji if you don’t (I don’t have any Dinji to offer)

Matu

Just looked at the description for a Master Keaton anime online…sounds sorta like an Indiana Jones type of thing. That sound about right? If so, I might be interested in it lol.

AllanK

So far all the Yang Qing Hao raw I have drank have started with notes of tobacco, leather but by the time I was done with them the qi was generally so strong I didn’t care. Also, in the ones I have tried they improved after a few steeps.

Kirkoneill1988

maybe the tea is astringent?

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88

Overall this tea is pretty good. There were no real noticeable storage tastes, certainly no wet storage taste. There were some initial notes that you could describe as tobacco, leather, etc. There was a fair amount of bitterness to this tea, but it was not what I would call an abiding bitterness. It developed into something you might call sweet. What was disappointing about this tea was it’s lack of qi. There was some qi to this but not much, not the massive qi I got off of some of the other Yangqinghao teas. It did evolve into something nice. It had a strong aftertaste, somewhat bitter.

I brewed this tea fourteen times in a 60ml gaiwan with 4.6g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, and 3 min. The tea was not done. I may save it for later.

Flavors: Bitter, Leather, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 4 g 2 OZ / 60 ML

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What an exciting tea session I had today! My life has been so hectic over the past 10 days that I have not even had time to do one gong fu session. I missed them as part of my daily routine so today I could not wait to begin a session and I knew it had to be something special. I chose the 2006 YQH Chawangshu. This is definitely an extra special tea! Sourced from the Chawangshu plantation in Guafengzhai, you know that the material has to be high quality. Beautiful leaves which are obviously carefully stone-pressed. Flash brew and then the first smell – rather interesting sweet notes dominate. Clear and bright golden yellow tea liquor. This liquor is very agreeable in the mouth – coats the mouth; fills it with the sweet tastes of fruit, honey and wood; begins to promote a bit of salivation. Cha qi is very individualized and for me, I began to feel this one after the second infusion – a nice relaxed feeling began to move throughout my body and continued to build throughout the session. Thank you Emmet for bringing this tea to me!

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 3 OZ / 90 ML

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90

This tea is perhaps the smoothest semi aged sheng I have drank. It was smooth with little bitterness from the start. Oddly in the first infusion I got the definite note of peppermint, for just a few sips, but it was there. I drink a lot of peppermint tea so I am familiar with the taste. This was a sweet tasting tea pretty much from the start. There were no unpleasant aged tastes and no wet storage taste. The qi was not quite as strong as it was with the other two Yangqinghao teas I have drank but it was there, very energizing. I have to give this tea a high mark even if I’m not all together sure it was worth the price I paid. It is good but I think it should have cost a little less in as far as how good it is. Ah well I can’t control the prices of the tea I drink. Luckily for me I still prefer ripe over raw in general and it is much cheaper.

I brewed this tea fourteen times in a 60mlg gaiwan with 4.3g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, and 3 min. I might save the leaves for tomorrow, have not decided yet.

Flavors: Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 4 g 2 OZ / 60 ML

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Unsure what I was getting myself into: The long awaited YQH tasting has come.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCVOfkrRYKI/
Not knowing a thing about this tea, I went right into it. Within 11 steeps I had my thoughts collected and went another 6 steeps with no changes on those thoughts.
This tea brews easily which is a plus, but within the ability to brew it easily with no disappointment coming from astringency or bitterness there seems to lack depth. This tea hits the tongue and ends in a rather flat manner; therefore I can’t say there is a body to note about this tea. The taste is on the mild side, appealing to my personal preference, with a mellow color.
Reading about ‘gushu’ vs fake ‘gushu’, I was really looking forward to this tea and my conclusions were leading me to conclude that I was let down by this. There are many teas out there that slide off the tongue with pleasant flavor, but without a body or lingering qi… I really have no idea what would set this apart. I do have two or three more YQH samples to go through and each should be a step up from the one prior to it.

Liquid Proust

After writing my review I looked up the price and saw that it is an affordable purchase! Unlike many other teas that YQH offer, this doesn’t compare to a car payment. Looking forward to blind tasting the others and not knowing their cost.

mrmopar

This one still needs age in my opinion. Pack this away for 5 years or so.

Kirkoneill1988

is this a fake gu shu?

Emmett

Not fake..

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drank 1999 Cangmi by Yang Qing Hao
1758 tasting notes

This tea was good, at least I enjoyed it. It started off with notes of tobacco and perhaps leather. These didn’t last and were replaced by another aged note that was still a little unpleasant. This note (I’m not sure how to describe it) lasted another four or five steeps. This was replaced by a sweet note of sorts. Not apricot sweetness like a young sheng but a more subdued sweetness. It became very smooth. There was a certain bitterness throughout the steeps too. There was no note of wet storage. I think the storage of this brick was very clean. The main question is this worth the price? Because of the fact that I split this three ways and mailed off two big chunks of it today I would say yes. My first impulse is to say I wouldn’t get myself a whole brick of this in the next group order but who knows what I’ll think after I drink this again. I gave this tea fifteen steeps and stopped at that. I think it would have gone another five or six steeps. I don’t know if I will save the leaves for tomorrow or later today, I may. This tea has some qi to it. It is not a massive qi but I am definitely feeling it now, quite energizing.

I steeped this tea fifteen times in a 60ml gaiwan with 4.5g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, 3 min, and 3.5 min.

Flavors: Bitter, Leather, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 4 g 2 OZ / 60 ML
tea123

Very interesting to hear your thoughts on these YQH teas. Btw, how long have you aired it out for?

AllanK

tea123 This was really not aired out at all. I only received them yesterday. Still pretty good though. Might be even better aired out though.

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95

This tea is in my opinion quite good. It ought to be for what it cost. It started out with what I would describe as notes of hay and tobacco. This lasted maybe two steeps and another taste emerged. It became quite smooth and in its own way quite sweet. Not mind you the apricot sweetness of a young sheng but something I am not sure I have tasted before, a sweetness with an aged flavor. It did not develop any of what I call unpleasant aged flavor that I have tasted in many ten year old sheng. There was no taste of wet storage. This tea must have been stored quite cleanly for it did not seem to develop any storage taste. As to qi, I am really feeling it. I am energized after fifteen steeps in my small 60ml gaiwan. I will most likely save the leaves and continue tomorrow because the leaves are not done and this was expensive. This tea rates a 100% for it’s qi and a 90% for its taste. I have enjoyed this immensely.

I steeped this tea 15 times in a 60ml gaiwan with 4.4g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse and a 10 minute rest. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min, 3 min, and 3.5 min. I would guess that there are five or six steeps at least left in this tea but maybe even ten steeps. This is also the first tea I have drank where I know the claims of gushu can be truly backed up. While some of the other teas I have drank that claim to be gushu certainly were, some of them certainly weren’t. This I don’t doubt was gushu.

Flavors: Bitter, Hay, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 4 g 2 OZ / 60 ML

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84

It’s a beautiful day and today I’m sampling a 2011 YangQingHao Guyun Bulang courtesy of MrMopar. I decide to go with about 6 grams of material to my 1990s Huang Long Shan Hong Pi Long Shui Ping Hu 60 ml Teapot.

Upon inspection, the dry leaves are relatively large in size and have a thick, healthy look to them. Also, it is clear to me that MrMopar is much more skilled than myself at prying puerh! Barely any breakage!

I give the material a quick wash and inspect the nose. The wet leaves produce a rather dull nose… perhaps somewhat vegetal with very soft, barely noticeable, notes of plum in the background. Perhaps some mineral-y notes in there too. From my experience, this is rather common among Bulangs. The appearance of the soup is rather typical – clear with your golden hue to it.

Following a few infusions, I find that I enjoy the mouthfeel on this one. The soup is thick in the mouth with a brief initial cooling sensation followed by a sweet finish in the back of the throat, which seems to linger. There is also a very agreeable astringency that balances well with the sweetness that lingers in the back of the throat. This is a nice tea and would definitely recommend it.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 2 OZ / 60 ML

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Sweet and mellow sheng. Full body with a soft texture. Active in the mouth with nice mouth/throat coating. Quick hitting lower level relaxing qi which I enjoyed very much. Lingering aftertaste. The 1st sip was noticeably pleasant – fruit and honey sweetness dominated the flavor profile. My enjoyment continued throughout the session (8-9) steeps. I’m a fan! I was working with a sample of this and the 2006 Yechawang so that I can make a purchase decision. Based on my time with these two samples, I am fairly certain I prefer the Wuyangcha but I have enough for one more session before I commit.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 90 ML
tea123

Are we brewing in a 90ml gaiwan here?

DharmaTea

Good notes, thanks. I like the way it started sweet and got a bit spicy in later steeps. A good tea.

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YQH teas are not inexpensive; however, this tea is a relatively modest cost of $0.39 per gram (500g cake). I made my purchase last year and was fortunate enough to pay $0.35/g. With eleven years of age and pure Yiwu gushu material, this is a very good price! Lots and lots of beautiful whole leaves (but also stems and broken pieces as well). Bright and clear golden tea liquor. Floral/fruity aroma and a very sweet/mellow sip. Good longevity – I can easily go 10-11 infusions and I usually give up before the leaf does. The qi is also there but it is a gentle qi – evoking what I can best describe as a thoughtful meditative state. Nice daily drinker for me and I have successfully shared with non-tea drinking guests.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 75 ML
tea123

I see these YQH reviews and resign myself to accepting that they are out of my grasp. Nice review. Eloquently put.

jschergen

Nice! I agree with this review and enjoy this tea.

This one’s been under a bit of scrutiny lately. I think part of it is because it used to be sold by Houde and its grandiose name. Even if it isn’t necessarily the best YQH tea, I think the qualities of the tea are plenty good for the $/g.

DigniTea

Personally, I do not like to compare but prefer to consider each tea on its own merits. This is an enjoyable tea and it is worth owning and enjoying.

Haveteawilltravel

I felt the same. I liked this a lot, and the qi was spectacular!

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Gushu blend of material from the original six famous mountains (Yiwu, Mangzhi, Yibang, Youle, Manzhuan, Gedeng). With a mix of both autumn and spring leaf, it seems to have a thicker body and heavier brew than many of the YQH productions. Nice complexity during the tea session – I found both tobacco and old book leather (particularly in earlier infusions) as well as herbs, sweetness and fruitness. Active mouthfeel throughout the session. Never turned to bitterness. Very good YQH value found in this tea – premium 6 mountain blend; 10 years of age; great longevity and endurance; 500g cake ($0.39/gram). Dare I say a bargain YQH tea?

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 90 ML
jschergen

This is the YQH, I’ve been choosing to serve to guests. Nearly always really well-received. Fun, dynamic, tea that can be enjoyed on many levels.

DigniTea

Interesting choice. It would indeed be a good “company” sheng.

jschergen

I think part of it has to do with the very friendly flavors and lack of much bitterness (if brewed with care). Sometimes I find myself oblivious towards the bitter flavors of even 15 year old sheng just because I’m so accustomed to it. This tea I don’t have to worry about that at all!

jschergen

This tea is just very smooth and agreeable!

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Premium YiWu material + authentic GuShu + 100% YiWu area blend + produced by a knowledgeable tea maker + carefully stored in Taiwan = a good tea in my experience. This tea did not disappoint. While this may not be the very best YQH tea I have in my collection, it is a very nice tea. Sweet and earthy notes initially coming from the wet leaves. The early sips offer a sweet, earthy taste which becomes a bit fruity after the first two infusions; a vanilla overtone emerges in the 4th and 5th infusions. The tea liquor offers good mouth and throat feel – smooth feel of the tea in the mouth and throat with nice textures. Overall, the tea has a fairly light body which deepens with longer steeps. Decent chi comes from the tea throughout the session. The wet leaves look very good but since this was formed into the more tightly compressed tuo shape, there are more bits and pieces resulting from the picking off of leaves; nonetheless the material seems to be of high quality.
When you have an opportunity to purchase 12 year old authentic GuShu YiWu material in 2016 at $200 for a 300g tuo ($0.67 per gram), that is a very good deal and a tasty tea to enjoy! If you enjoy tea with nice age on it, as I do, this one is worth owning.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 110 ML
mrmopar

The Tsang Liu Gushu is top shelf as well. Excellent body and throat feel to it.

jschergen

This tuo also went down by something like $40 since the last order which makes it very tempting! Better than all of the cheaper YQH imo.

DigniTea

jschergen – yes, my ’04 tuo cost $240 but it is now priced at $200. For my tastes and preferences definitely a good purchase.
mrmopar – I am very happy with every YQH purchase I have made (each is worthy of mention and comments). Many are similar if they are YiWu (like this ’04 tuo) but the 6 mountain blends are also very, very good (like the ’05 Tsamg Liu you mention – now increased in price from $175 to $195). The YiWu and 6 Mtn. blends differ a bit but both are worth owning IMHO. Quality like this is more difficult to find (again my opinion) so I am picking up quite a bit because it will not be available to us forever.

mrmopar

Like Marshalln says, “Hit it hard”. He talked of the same thing. If you like it stock up om it as it won’t always be available.

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Finally get to pull this one out of storage.
This cake is double wrapped and compressed like crazy. I had to break out the big pick on this one.
I pulled 10 grams out and gave it a rinse to open up a bit. The first 3 steeps were about 5 seconds each and combined into my big mug. The tea has decent body to it. The tongue is alive a bit as well. There is a touch of humid and it goes very sweet at the finish.
Next 3 were about 5 seconds as well and combined. I had let the leaf sit about an hour by this time. There is a little of the smoke and some of the nice bitterness is coming out as the humid part fades away. It is an almost sharp metallic hit in there somewhere. It is still alive and keeping the tongue alive and almost numb. This is till young at 4 years and is reminiscent of the other small sourced Bulangs I have drank. I think this has a bit more hit to it and I think this will be a wow tea in 5 more years, it is quite good now.
I haven’t had the Qui effect but it is still early . It does warm you as you drink it.
Steeped in the gaiwan.

Flavors: Bitter, Metallic, Smoke, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 10 g 10 OZ / 295 ML
Haveteawilltravel

I’ve heard this has been people’s least favorite out of the yqh bunch.

mrmopar

Probably so as I have only tried one other so far but I am a sucker for Bulang ,Mang Fei and Lao Man’E teas.

Haveteawilltravel

The bitters ;) I’ve heard some controversy over this Bulang; although, I could be mistaken. I just remember hearing one of the young YQH was a little “off”. Personally, I have not tried the Bulang.

DigniTea

The 2004-2006 YQH teas I’ve purchased to drink now. I’m looking forward to opening this one in 5 to 6 years – too young for me now.

mrmopar

It may be young but I liked it. I actually chose it from being the first one in the stack of YQH teas I have.

DigniTea

Not surprised you like it now – you go for the heavy hitters. ;-)
I think Mr.Yang has both great knowledge and good taste so we really can’t go wrong with any of his selections.

jschergen

Considering the $/g is so low (it’d be something stupidly inexpensive like a $56/200g cake) it’s hard to go too wrong with this.

That being said, I think this is towards the bottom of Yang’s catalog. More of a sweet, not brutal Bulang. I also do agree with Dignitea a bit on this one. I had a couple sessions with it and I think it’s a couple years away from when I’d want to drink it..

Cwyn

So have you been storing it a few years? Is the humid flavor coming from your storage? O.o If that is the case, I’m shipping you my fridge and stash. :P

mrmopar

jschergen, I liked EOT’s Bulang a lot. It had a bunch more kick to it. I still think it needs 5 or so to be really ready. I think the 2007’s are starting to get there for the ones I have stored.
Cwyn, I just recently got this one and actually have it in a bag with the other 2 I got.

tea123

Which EOT bulang? The 2008 is excellent.

mrmopar

tea123 it was the 2008.

tea123

If the YQH teas are that sort of quality then they must be good.

jschergen

This tea is very different from any of the EoT Bulangs. I enjoy those teas a good deal, but there’s a lot more pow with those teas.

Jim Marks

In my anecdotal experience, qi really only becomes relevant from tea (1) when I don’t blend the steeps (2) when I’m very deliberately being calm and present with the ta and (3) usually cheating a bit and doing some basic qigong or taijiquan breathing and spinal alignment gestures.

Although, you get a raw tea old enough and it’ll pretty much qi you no matter what.

mrmopar

Yeah, I kind of favor that big cup too much sometimes. I do like the heavy hitters as many know. I like the brash kick in the teeth sometimes.
Other occasions I just like to sit and relax with a tea. This is really kind of rare but you have reminded me I need to do it more often.

Jim Marks

I do a lot of blending with daily drinkers and teas I know well, but try not to with teas that are new to me.

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83

She handed it to me with two hands. “ooh,” I thought, “This is special tea”. So it’s one of the first I’m trying from the batch shared with me, and I’ve left the first steep off to the side to resteep a few times tomorrow.

First off: leather. I get that more than anything here, both in smell and taste. It even has the velvety leather feel to it that I’d imagine what drinking leather should be like (but probably isn’t). It’s super comforting and rich, and more than surprised me. I also didn’t get much else out of this first steep, even though leather was a new one for me, and a surprising like at that.

An enormous thanks to shezza for sharing some of her favorite teas with me, this being one of them. Eternally grateful and appreciative!

Flavors: Leather, Thick

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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98

Awesome, I’m first to review!

I pulled this from storage and gave the jar a whiff. I was picking up some pine wood, leather, tobacco, and an oddly placed bitter greens. This is the youngest that I’ve had from YQH. I placed a few good sized chunks of these beautiful leaves in my warmed jianshui. The leaves are nicely compressed and very dark. I can spot large leaves and some stems with some golden strands. I opened the lid and took a whiff. This warmed scent fits the profile of the aged sheng with aroma of pipe tobacco. I was also picking up some smoke and a little menthol in the background. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves scent began as tobacco and leather with a slight oatmeal and maybe plum background. However, the scent completely changed by only the second steeping. The scent became sweeter, and there was an odd sour green fruit scent, perhaps kiwi or maybe a slight lime. The taste was phenomenal! The brew touches the tongue and immediately covers the senses. The brew gives a full mouth-feel with a salivating sensation. The brew has a slight wood taste with a sourness in the background. I could already feel the huigan building up after the first sip. The brew flips and becomes prominently more woody and with a drying sensation at the second steep. Then, the brew flips back again at the third steeping by becoming intensely sweet. The brew begins with a powerful stevia sweetness and moves back into a slight sour wood taste. The huigan returns and takes a hold of the aftertaste. From this point on, the brew follows a circular pattern. The sip would begin with a stevia sweetness, then move into a sappy texture of maple wood, next it would transit into a sour leather tone, and finally it would end back at the stevia sweetness. This was a very complex brew. I was amazed at the transitioning of the various taste profiles. The brew begins to give off a numbing feeling in the later steeping sessions, and this feeling continues to grow. The qi for this brew is something else. This is a knock you on your @$$ brew. I should have eaten before beginning the session. The feeling begins in the forehead with some warming and flows throughout the body. I’m used to this feeling, so I continued drinking. Then, about half way through the session, I took a gulp and I was floored. I had to step away and eat a snack while I recovered. I returned to the tea table with a rejuvenated feeling as my body adjusted. I experienced a lot of blood flowing, sweating, hair prickling, and a wavy head feeling. This tea is something special, and it may be one of my favorites from YGH. I have some more of this, and I’m going to keep it in storage (hopefully). I’d love to see how this develops at the decade mark.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-yxVRpTGdw/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

Flavors: Leather, Maple, Menthol, Pleasantly Sour, Sap, Sugar, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
jschergen

:). It’s my favorite of the low/mid-YQH teas and the one I bought the most of.

Haveteawilltravel

I can see why :)

boychik

now i see why you asked me ;)

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93

I’m starting to pull out all the good stuff from storage, and this was on the list. I’m going to be getting a little more of this, so I decided to try this, so I know what I’ll be getting. The leaves are massive, dark, and I can spot some lengthy stems. They carry a dry wood and some spicy aroma. I warmed up my jianshui and placed them inside. I gave the pot a shake and took in this unique aroma. The scent was very light and subtle. I was picking up some slight fruit mixed with tobacco. The background scents were of decayed wood and some peat moss. The aromas were so subtle that I had to sit for a bit and try to pick them up. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves gave off some much more prominent notes of tobacco, leather, fruit, and some cherry wood. The first taste was intense, yet it was also incredibly light bodied. The initial sip was syrupy sweet and juicy with some underlying oak tone. The brew gave a gummy feeling in the mouth. The brew develops to a maple candy succulency (east coast people and Canadians might know about these candies). The aftertaste consists of a brown sugar sweetness. I detected no astringency in the brew, and I only tasted a very slight bitterness. I pushed the brew after a little bit to try and extract some more intense flavors. The brew was a nice bright orange, and I was getting more leather tastes in the later steeping sessions. The sweet tones faded for most of the session and were replaced by maple wood and leather. The taste also drift towards the pleasant sour side. However, in the final steeping session, the brew came back with a sugarcane sweetness mixed with the maple wood. The huigan is very delayed, but is extremely thick. The back of my throat had nice maple syrup taste that followed after the session was finished. The leaves are mostly intact and massive. The qi is not all that powerful, but it is intensely warming. I had to change out of my sweater in the middle of session, for I began to feel like a furnace. This is a very nice tea, but isn’t my favorite offering from YGH. I think this needs a little more storage, but it’s still really tasty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-ojCjWzGQf/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

Flavors: Brown Sugar, Cherry Wood, Decayed Wood, Drying, Leather, Maple, Peat Moss, Pleasantly Sour, Sugarcane

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
jschergen

Nice review. I find this one to be on the heavier side compared with the Yiwu Chawang. Easier to get bitter, so I understand the comments on needing a little more time.

Haveteawilltravel

I thought the Yiwu had a thicker mouthfeel than this. I’ll be revisiting it in later December.

jschergen

Interesting.

I did a head to head with both together with a friend who was considering buying. The Yiwu Chawang started out a bit stronger, but I found the TsangLiu was better from the 5th or so steep onwards. This is a 6 mountain, cross-seasonal blend so there’s probably a fair deal of variance since everything is close to a whole leaf.

Haveteawilltravel

Ah okay. I’d agree with longevity. The Yiwu began more punchy and thicker, but it did die relatively quickly. I’ve brewed the Tsang for quite some time and had a consistent flavor throughout.

mrmopar

Glad I got this one. Now if I can stay out of it a while….

Haveteawilltravel

My solution is to buy tea and hopefully you’ll “forget” about this…

curlygc

I was going back and forth between this one and the Yiwu, and finally just had to do a side by side comparison so I could make a decision. It’s interesting to me that most folks think the Tsang is heavier than the Yiwi; to me it’s the opposite. I like them both but much prefer the Tsang. Personal preference I guess.

Haveteawilltravel

Personally, I prefer the Yiwu. The Yiwu has a much more intense flavor and huigan with a fuller body. However, both are really good, and I think this is meant for a longer session.

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93

I decided to bust this out from storage for the after Thanksgiving celebration. The dry cake has some massive dark leaves. They carry a dry camphor and pipe tobacco. I placed a good sized chunk in my warmed Jianshui and gave it a shake. The pipe tobacco scent deepened and notes of pine resin and wet wood came up. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves gave off a whiskey, menthol, dark wood, and pipe tobacco scent. The liquor was a deep dark bronze. The taste was fantastic! This is a beautiful tea. The leaves are massive and whole and yield a delicious brew. The flavor is very slight and tasteful. The prominent notes of pipe tobacco, leather, and an underlying sweetness follow the drinker throughout the entire session. The leaves are unbelievably durable! I was able to pull over fifteen long steeping sessions. The taste is not a full heavy body, but its light, airy, and smooth. The best part about this brew is the qi. It is so good! The qi begins quickly within the first couple steeps. The feeling begins with a warming body and a nice head buzz. This feeling follows throughout the entire body and gets you zinging. My eyes blurred, and I became very talkative. This brew makes my body and mind feel really good and happy. I loved the feeling I received from this incredible session. I didn’t notice any huigan and zero astringency. This would make a perfect tea to serve to guests and get a gathering talking. I really like this, and I will definitely be sharing some with my guests.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-mFdFOzGbd/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

Flavors: Camphor, Dark Wood, Drying, Leather, Menthol, Sweet, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
mrmopar

And what time is dinner?

Haveteawilltravel

hahah 7:00 sharp ;)

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