Banzhang Shengtai Shengcha 2020

Product detailed description

Basic information

• Location: Banzhang village (班章), Bulang tea mountain (布朗), Xishuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan province, China (1700-2200 m.n.m.)
  
  
• Harvest: Spring 2020, Bulang minority (布朗)
  
  
• Specimen: Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica (大叶种)
  
  
• Tea type: Sheng puer (生茶), bingcha (饼茶)
  
  
• Quality: organic/arbor tea trees (生态)

Recommended preparation

• Step 0 (Weighting): Put the 4-6 g (amount for 2-3 tea lovers) or 7-8 g (amount for 4 and more tea lovers) into the prepared tea container. Normally, we use tea gaiwan or teapot between 150 ml to 200 ml. If you have a smaller tea container (140 ml or less) or bigger tea container (500 ml and more), we recommend adjusting the amount accordingly (i.e. 1 g: ± 25-50 ml).
  
  
• Step 1 (Warming up): Pour the hot water 95-99˚C into the tea pottery, porcelain or glass without tea. After that, put the tea into the tea container and cover it with the upper lid of your container. The tea should stay in the tea container for about 20-40 seconds, which will help to develop the aroma.
  
  
• Step 2 (Waking up): Pour the hot water 95-99˚C into the tea pottery, porcelain or glass with tea and leave it there for a few seconds (3-5 seconds). The first two infusions will help to flush out the dust and open the tea leaves, which will enrich the tea taste. These infusions are supposed to be poured out without drinking.
  
  
• Step 3 (Infusions): Considering the higher quality of the tea (old tea trees or ancient tea trees), there is no need to make long infusions for several minutes. We recommend making the first 10-15 infusions (approximately 2-3 litres of water) within 5-6 seconds. After the 15th infusion, we recommend increasing the time between 5-10 seconds. If you decide to make longer infusions, the number of infusions, as well as intensity and taste profile, may significantly vary.

Taste profile (continuously updated)

12/08/2023 (7 g, 180 ml porcelain gaiwan, warm afternoon, Káraný water source)

• Aroma: smoky scent with sweet caramelized tones
  
  
• Taste: mix of stonefruits (combination of raw grapes, apples and papaya), vegetable tones (combination of cucumber, pumpkin leaves and tobacco) and herbs (combination of dandelions and liquorice)
  
  
• Body: light astringency in first few infusions distinctive for Bulang area (苦涩), medium saliva feeling (shengjin 生津), medium sweetness (huigan 回甘), medium vitality (naipao 耐泡) and no after-scent in the teacup (guabeixiang 挂杯香)
  
  
• Vitality: approximately 20 rich infusions (ziweinongyu 滋味浓郁) and medium intense aftertaste (kougan 口感)
  
  

Additional information

Recommendation #1 (Storage): For the best storage conditions, keep your tea at room temperature (18-25˚C) in dry (50-60% wetness), dark and non-aromatic environment. Tea can be stored in glass, pottery or in zip-lock bags to avoid oxidation. Try to avoid storing the tea in the kitchen and other places with high humidity and aromas. We also recommend separating your teas according to your type (sheng + bai // hong + shu) at your storage place. Our teas are intended for long-term storage, which will enhance their taste over time, similar to wine. For further information about long-term storage, please consult our tea master, Shanshan Lin, about the conditions and methods.

Recommendation #2 (Water): For the best-tasting experience, use the soft water. In fact, about 40% of your taste experience is influenced by water. The most vulnerable teas to water quality are shengcha (生茶) and Yunnan baicha (白茶), which have more complex taste and softer taste layers. If you use bottled water (e.g. Rajec, Nartes, Evian...), filtered water (e.g. Brita, Amway...) or water well water, the taste, aroma and colour may significantly vary. In case you use tap water, make sure the water pipes are in good condition (notably rust) and have a reliable water source (i.e., water source, chlorine, etc.).

Recommendation #3 (Dosage): If you are experimenting with the amount of tea and duration of infusions, keep in mind that our teas have strong vitality and can be prepared multiple times (15 or more infusions, approximately 3-7 litres). Standardly, we use 4-6 grams (1-4 people) or 7-8 grams (5 or more people) by using the porcelain gaiwan (150-200 ml). This helps to better evaluate of tea and mitigates the taste interferences made by the non-glazed tea pottery (e.g. Yixing, Nixing, Jianshui, etc.). Nevertheless, regardless of the duration of infusions or the amount of tea, you should still have the sweet aftertaste (so-called kougan 口感).

The tea can be consumed within 24 hours from the first infusion. If you are unable to finish your tea within one day, you can also use it the next day. For this purpose, make a short inter-infusion (5-10 seconds, depending on the number of used infusions) and pour it out in order to avoid the bacteria. For further information, please, consult the tea preparation with the tea master, Shanshan Lin.

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