I think every tea-fan heard about Lao Ban Zhang 老班章 and Bulang Shan 布朗山, may be you can heard about Xin Ban Zhang 新班章 and Xiao Ban Zhang 小班章 , but also you can have some difficulties and problems with identificate and understand geography, features and differences between these locations.
Firstly, we need to talk about Bulang Shan, because Bulang Shan, that located in Menghai 勐海 county, Xishuangbanna 西双版纳, It is famous tea zone that combine all of these locations and other interesting locations too. Meanwhile Ban Zhan (班章) is centre core of mountain zone Bulang Shan, that marked red circle on the map. In Ban Zhang, often, include five villages: Lao Ban Zhang, Xin Ban Zhang, Baka Nan 坝卡囡, LaoMan E 老曼峨, Baka Long 坝卡龙. Today, also, they are called Ban Zhang Wu Zhai. ( Five villages Ban Zhang ).
Lao Ban Zhang ( The old Ban Zhang ) - The oldest in Bulang Shan and, maybe, the most famous tea location in China. Tea from this place, was acknowledged like "King of Puer tea". Tea gardens were planted on huge territory of 4500 mu, its about 300 hectares. The middle age of Tea trees in this garden are 300 years! Trees, in general, are wide leaf type with great speed of growth. Tea buds are big and have bushy fluff.
Flavor of tea from this location is very recognizable: Strength taste is that invasion your mounth and cath all of you attention. It can seems to you brutal and cruel in taste and effect on you. But you need to put your attention on that: Poor tea is from other location can be sell to you like Lao Ban Zhang tea because of bitter and brutal tea condition after tea trip, but real Lao Ban Zhang doesn't hurt you health during tea trip and bitter always shoulds transform to huigan, fastly and sweet. besides it tea has fast shengjin 生津.
Xin Ban Zhang ( The New Ban Zhang )- Young village that were founded villagers from Lao Ban Zhang. About 60 years ago Group of villagers went from settlement and established new village. Between these two villages was only 7 kilometers and one mountain, because of this weather and the environment are same. Tea trees are planted on 1400 mu. However, tea trees in Xin Ban Zhang are younger then in Lao Ban Zhang and age of these trees its, on average, 100 years. Traits of tea trees are same too.
Compare tea from Lao Ban Zhang and Xin Ban Zhang you, in general, don't see many different. Its the same teas from Ban Zhang zone, but tea from Xin Ban Zhang can be have less strength of flavor.
Baka Nan - Village that is not too famous like other Ban Zhang locations in tea community. But this tea is very similar to Lao Ban Zhang tea. Taste has characteristic features of Ban Zhang flavor: strength bitter, fast and sweet huigan 回甘, elegant smell, but is not so strength and agressive like Lao Ban Zhang tea. Meanwhile price on raw material its not so expensive likes is in other Ban Zhang locations.
Baka Long - This settlement also saves environment of Ban Zhang zone and tea is from this location have same features with Baka Nan, but flavor of Baka Long tea is lighter and charmer. Its also placed on one level with other locations of Ban Zhang.
LaoMan E - The Final village of Ban Zhang zone. However, LaoMan E doesn't pass in front of other locations, tea is from this village has special strength bitter and rapid huigan. Bitter of LaoMan E its face of tea of this village. It is popular location and prices on tea from LaoMan E can be higher then from Baka Long and Baka Nan.
You can see that tea from all of these locations has different features and puer from either of these villages has many self flavors.
Secondly, Xiao Ban Zhang and Da Ban Zhang there is different?
Xiao Ban Zhang( Small Ban Zhang ), also called ZhangJia San Du. This village is located on south of Bulang Shan zone and not entered in Ban Zhang zone, but why this settlement called Small Ban Zhang? The reason of that name is similar taste of tea with Lao Ban Zhang.Flavor of this tea is strong, have bitter, but huigan is fast. In fresh tea you can feel a little tartness, its bad feature, but its normal for fresh tea. Its need to place a high value that in Xiao Ban Zhang don't growth old tea trees, all of plantations have less 100 years age.
Da Ban Zhang ( Big or Grand Ban Zhang). Its zone similar to Bulang Shan zone, but Grang Ban Zhang is a little smaller. You can ask a question: " Why is so wide zone called Ban Zhang ?" and its a good question. Name Da Ban Zhang only means that all settlement and locations inside this zone ,by and large, similar in flavor, effect and raw material. Of course self features have great value.
Bulang Shan Part 1
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Last edited by Koveee on Thu Jul 14, 2022 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
