TBAI025 - Laomane Baicha 2024

Product detailed description

Fresh Yunnan white tea from Laomane village (老曼峨) at Bulang Tea Mountain (布朗山). Tea was harvested in Autumn 2024 and compressed in Spring 2025. Laomane village is located in the Banzhang micro-region Banzhang (班章), almost 10 km from one of the most famous tea villages known as a "king of teas" called Laobanzhang (老班章). While teas from Laomane are widely considered as a one of the most bitter teas in Menghai County (勐海县), there are many exceptions, which is why this region is so demanded. The tea leaves come from mix of young and mature tea trees (huncai 混采), which were collected across Laomane tea gardens at the elevation about 1600-1700 m.a.s.l. The cover has bright blue-teal design with flying dragon, which refers to the historical legacy and strong power of local teas from the era of the Puren (蒲人), one of the ancient tribes living in this area more than 1000 years ago.

The tea was generously provided by Yan, tea farmer from Bulang tribe (布朗族) from Laomane tea village, which we have met for the first time during our Xishuangbanna work trip in early 2025. We spent several hours of tasting his teas and talking about his tea gardens as well as other differences among tea villages within Bulang Tea Mountain.

Aroma:

• Wet + dry leaf (Shicha 湿茶 + Gancha 干茶) - sweet pastry scent with flower tones
• Cup aroma imprint (Guabeixiang 挂杯香) - spicy and sweet honey tones

Color:

• Initial phase (< 5 infusions) - transparent yellow-ochre shades
• Development phase (> 5 infusions) - brighter golden-honey shades
  

Taste:

• Initial phase (< 5 infusions) - sweet pastry (apple strudel, sponge cake and croissant) with fruity compote tones (apples and pears)
• Advanced phase (> 5 infusions) - mix of ground spices (cinnamon, clove and nutmeg) and dry herbs (chamomile) with tones of loose powdered sugar and sweet honey

Body: 

• Thickness (Naipao 耐泡) - solid vitality, which will allow you to make more infusions
• Texture (Chunhounongyu 醇厚浓郁) - rougher body and very delicate layers
• Astringency (Se 涩) - none
• Character (Kutianjiaozhi 苦甜交织) - despite the public awareness about bitter character of the Bulang teas and Laomane teas, this tea positively suprise you with its sweet taste and rough body (similar like other teas from Banzhang micro-region)
• Balance (Zonghe pinghengdu 综合平衡度) - differences between particular layers of flavours are gradual and symmetrical (i.e. no suprise changes in between the infusions)

Aftertaste:

• Sweetness (Huigan 回甘) - strong and intense sweeteness within hours
• Mouthful feeling (Shengjin 生津) - intense mouth-water-feeling within hours
• Energy feeling (Nenglianggan 能量感) - noticable calming and cooling effect within hours