I'm checking in again regarding 2024 gaoshan. Does anyone know what the harvest is like this spring?
Also, my secret source is selling only one gaoshan this season, so let me know if you've had any good experiences with 2024 oolongs from other vendors. I'm looking at the usual suspects (Wang, Tea Masters, FLT, Ethan), but am open to other suggestions.
Taiwan's Spring 2022 gaoshan
Only two teas into my first T-M package (second package with later harvests from higher up not even here yet). Seems good so far, will probably be able to add my $0.02 worth on a wider selection from T-M in a few/several weeks (esp. if reminded by a message).
Thanks for your input! Sometimes Alishans can be surprisingly good; other times, not so much. It seems to be impossible to predict in advance which is which.teatray wrote: ↑Mon Jun 10, 2024 2:54 amOnly two teas into my first T-M package (second package with later harvests from higher up not even here yet). Seems good so far, will probably be able to add my $0.02 worth on a wider selection from T-M in a few/several weeks (esp. if reminded by a message).
Did you get any of their baozhong? I'll also be interested to hear your opinion of their higher elevation teas.
Just a 25g pack of 2024 Spring Baozhong Excellence. I'll make it my next pack and let you know. (But I'm not a huge fan of most BZ I've tried so far, so maybe not the best person to ask. I must either not like them that much or have a special talent for sourcing the wrong ones.)
Opened the sole 25g pack of BZ (BZ excellence '24) in my shipment & on my 2nd steep, prepared more or less the way I do high mountain oolongs. My feeling is that it's fresh with no stale odor/taste, kinda pleasant, but I don't get much out of this tea, very probably because baozhong is just not my thing and/or because I brew it badly. There is an overripe grassiness/floweriness that's not exactly to my taste but common in baozhongs (from other vendors, too). The only time I found this kind of note tasty and harmonious was from a BZ I got from a small Instagram-based vendor, who I'd recommend here, were it not for the fact that the several other teas he sold me (mainly TW oolongs, some relatively expensive) seemed really bad to me. This gives me enough hope to buy (preferrably small) packs from time to time, but maybe most BZ just won't click for me.
[Edit after finishing session: maybe "kinda pleasant" is doing it a bit of injustice, make it "pleasant enough"
.]Maybe our tastes are different, or maybe we've had very different baozhong. Good BZ is usually very fruity, with notes of pineapple, other tropical fruit, and melon, though you're right that it's also quite floral. (I've had a couple floral-only BZ and haven't found them as compelling.) My secret source has had excellent BZ in 2022 and 2023, and I also like the Farmer's Choice BZ from Floating Leaves. I've never had BZ from Tea Masters, so I can't compare them, and I can kind of see how the flavours could be perceived as overripe. Anyway, if BZ isn't your thing, there's more for me!teatray wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 1:14 amOpened the sole 25g pack of BZ (BZ excellence '24) in my shipment & on my 2nd steep, prepared more or less the way I do high mountain oolongs. My feeling is that it's fresh with no stale odor/taste, kinda pleasant, but I don't get much out of this tea, very probably because baozhong is just not my thing and/or because I brew it badly. There is an overripe grassiness/floweriness that's not exactly to my taste but common in baozhongs (from other vendors, too). The only time I found this kind of note tasty and harmonious was from a BZ I got from a small Instagram-based vendor, who I'd recommend here, were it not for the fact that the several other teas he sold me (mainly TW oolongs, some relatively expensive) seemed really bad to me. This gives me enough hope to buy (preferrably small) packs from time to time, but maybe most BZ just won't click for me.
[Edit after finishing session: maybe "kinda pleasant" is doing it a bit of injustice, make it "pleasant enough"
Looking forward to your upcoming gaoshan reviews! Also, I've noticed that many of the good Alishans come from Changshu Hu. I wonder if this is a coincidence or a trustworthy indication of quality.