Banzhang Xiang Jin 2022, Sheng Pu'er

This tea

Banzhang is a village in the Menghai region of southern Yunnan that is famous for its pu'er tea. The price of the tea from this village has risen to record highs. Banzhang tea is known for its somewhat relaxed sweet taste, but with an unyielding intensity. The name of this tea "Xiang Jin" means rubber thread. The name refers to the tea leaf material, where the leaves are particularly elastic. The elasticity of the leaves is usually a good sign of the quality of the tea. This tea is from the 2022 harvest. The style of the tea is a slightly fruitier style, especially considering its origin. However, the flavor has the intensity that the region is famous for.

Taste

The dry tea has a particularly sweet and nectarine aroma. The aroma of the brewed leaf reveals tones of leather and a light smokiness to complement the fresh fruitiness. In the cup, the aroma is a wonderful combination of sweet nectariness and light smoke. The taste has the unyielding intensity typical to Banzhang teas. In this tea, it is enlivened by sweet nectarity.

Infusion

Use a sharp tool to remove the leaves from the pressed tea for brewing. You can use, for example, a kitchen knife. A spike-like shape works best, as it breaks the leaves less. Pu'er tea is brewed with boiled water. About 4-6 grams of leaves are needed, or a generous tablespoon of loose tea. The tea leaves are rinsed first. Hot water is poured over the tea leaves and allowed to brew for about 10 seconds. The rinsing water is poured off. This rinsing helps to make the tea clear and reduces the stronger fermentation taste and smell on the surface of the leaves. The tea can be brewed in a so-called gongfu technique, using a teapot of less than 300ml and steeping the leaves several times. In this case, the length of the steeping should be about 30-60 seconds. The amount of leaves can also be increased, in which case the steeping time can be reduced to 10-20 seconds. If you are using a larger teapot or want to make only one infusion, the steeping time should be 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaves to achieve the desired strength.