Highlights:
- New (better) dry taiwanese storage, home stored by collector
- A blend of ancient tree material from 6 famous tea mountains
- Bold Taste and Qi
- Reference CYH production
While the single-area ancient tree trend started in early 2000s, Shanzhong Chuanqi (“Legend of the Mountain”) was one of the first cakes blending ancient tree material from different areas, which is very good for aging (as the strength of one area compensates for weaknesses of others). This version has an even cleaner and overall better storage than the usual Taiwanese version sold online in various places.
The tea is very intense both in Taste and Qi with plenty of room for more transformation (perhaps up to T5!). Please note that reviews are mostly for the previous natural storage version. The drier storage version we currently offer is extremely clean and complex, but feels a bit less ‘aged’. I think it’s slightly better, particularly with the view of not drinking all this tea immediately but keep for a few years to see how it evolves.
Approx. 400g cakes, available as 1/4 slice (approx. 90-95g) and samples too.
Stephen (verified owner) –
This was an amazing opportunity to try something I’d typically avoid. The price is good for the powerful brew that you get with a tea session.
Ryan (verified owner) –
This is quite a special tea. I feel like I need to be ready for an experience to drink this. Intense throat feel, immediately encourages deep breaths. Very powerful energy. Quite clean storage – very good.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Excellent material, I’d say the blend is a lot more suitable than the single origin 03 CYH productions in terms of aging.
Alex (verified owner) –
Exceptional strength for a tea of this age. It left me feeling focused, grounded, and joyous. The storage seems to be nearly ideal. No off flavors. Wet enough to allow the tea space to evolve but dry enough to keep the taste of the leaves intact. Truly a “reference” production that shows what is possible when top quality material is expertly blended and carefully aged.
Jaspuer (verified owner) –
Dean (verified owner) –
Scrumptuous taste, chocolate base sticks to roof of my mouth, sweetness and bitterness in a dark moose. Qi is uplifting and good quality.
Francis (verified owner) –
James T (verified owner) –
Super clean and very smooth, but relatively simple in flavor. Medium-thick mouth feel. Initial flavor was nice and If I had to describe it, I’d say sweet dough and betel nut, but somewhat generic. Later infusions simply had an old book flavor. The flavor intensity is medium at the most.
Nick M. (verified owner) –
What a day makes. A couple of days ago I had a session with this cake, in a light coloured zini pot. Today I’m using a heavier dark clay yixing typically used for older teas.
My overwhelming feeling in the week was a tea that was benchmark menghai, mid way to becoming a fine old tree version of a fully resolved 8582. Obviously great material, yet Interesting, in that it presented very different from more recent ancient tree productions I’ve tasted from CYH, which, due to their relative youth and single site designation, are brighter and more concentrated – but also have specific character. Maybe it’s the storage but I didn’t get aromas to match the depth of flavour in the early running. Being an aroma guy, I was a tad disappointed.
Today it’s all so much clearer. Maybe because I’m less hurried, and more relaxed after a 7k run this morning. But there’s more definition. The tannins seem more integrated from the first steep. There’s a beautiful cleansing and uplifting freshness to accompany a satisfying breadth of flavour, and aromas are present. Not striking aromatics, rather subtle and quite complex.
I wonder if the lunar calendar has something to do with it. Thursday was a fruit day, today is a root day. Go figure. Either way the tea has notable breadth, refinement, and is super comfortable to drink across a full session.
Guillaume C. (verified owner) –
(Newer version, drier storage.)
I don’t find this tea particularly easy to drink, actually. I find it very easy to cross the line between between too light / OK and also between OK / too strong: beware if you don’t appreciate bitterness too much. While retaining quite a bit of strength, it shows a lot of complexity and feels much younger than it is (thanks to the dry storage obv.). I have little doubt, though, that this tea will evolve in an interesting way, so I’m saving it for later.