2008 Menghai 0622 (801)

I am the Devourer of Worlds, the Eater of Souls.

The dark (somewhat furry) gods are angry and demand sacrifice. They require tobacco-style shengpu with plentiful energy at an inexpensive price.

It's time to break out the 0622-801.

I stayed clear of the 0622 in previous years, thinking that it was created to feed the insatiable thirst of the dark gods during the 2006-07 boom. However, it turns out that it's a good recipe after all, showing that the dark gods might know a thing or two about shengpu.

It's also a little bigger than a normal sacrifice, weighing in at 400g rather than 357.

As its name suggests, it's been going since 2006, and is constructed using baby grade-2 leaves. Looking at the above, you can see that they're rather dainty. They're also quite dark, which is due to the maocha coming from spring 2006-07.

The recipe itself is based on the tarty, zesty 7532 and the 1992 fangcha [square tea], which is one I've never tried before. Given that the 7532 isn't rammed full of tobacco characteristics, and this cake is, I suspect that the 1992 fangcha must be the source of this rather fine addition to the usual Menghai gamut of flavours.

The pretty little leaves have a pungent sweetness about them, which lasts forever. Menghai always give you plenty of oomph, which is A Good Thing.

The soup, shown below, is just about orange. Something's been changed in this tea in order to get that colour. A few sips of that booming tobacco and it's clear what's happened - but it's a good happening. Plenty of ku [bitterness] has been retained, enabling a beefy huigan, and it has a slick body to it. It reminds me of the higher-end Baoyanesque productions of Xiaguan, such as the Duling Fengsao, and the FT Baoyan mushroom (both of which are exceedingly yum).

Every time I think I'm in danger of writing a little too pompously, I read as much of the above book as I can tolerate, and promptly come straight back down to earth. Okakura had many virtues, but a writer of humble prose he was not, which makes this otherwise-classic book quite unpalatable to me.

Unlike this tea. This tea is very palatable, and exceedingly humble. The price is low, the energy is high, the flavour is delicious, and I don't appear to own enough of it. I ought to remedy that situation before the dark gods awake from their slumber, once more demanding sacrifice to satiate their eternal thirst...