2008 Xiaguan "Xizi" Tuocha

These are some of the most adorable teas I have ever seen. They truly are works of beauty, and, best of all, they taste mighty fine for the money.

They're very popular little creatures, and rightly so. The fan-base for these hexagonal treats is big. The price is very low. I've been acquiring lots over the past year, in orders placed with Yunnan Sourcing, because they're such good value, and so very pleasant.

As with the majority of "the good stuff" from Xiaguan, these tuocha are made at the behest of the Feitai company. (Cue Don Corleone accents. You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married...)

The photography in this article was shot about a year ago, and at about 4.30 a.m., so forgive the really rubbish quality. However, beneath the dazzling glare of an ill-adjusted flash, you can see the small leaves of the blend. It's not too tightly compressed, and a session's tea can be prized off from any part of the tuocha with no fuss.

The bitterness can be controlled nicely using one of my favourite toys: the wooden tray. Shake it, and the little fannings sift to the bottom while the bigger leaves and fragments can be easily separated (pictured below). The leaves are very small, aren't they?

Unsurprisingly, the brew is orange-yellow - the leaves have that rich, tobacco-like aroma that is similar to many modern Xiaguan blends (Baoyan, Jinse 8100, even the Menghai 0622), which usually ends up as a deep-coloured soup.

Of all the effects in pu'er, I'd love to know how Xiaguan achieve that particular tone of rich tobacco. It is malty enough that I suspect shaqing [kill-green] has been performed a little late, allowing some pre-oxidation to take place... but just a little, because there's plenty of pleasant bitterness remaining. Oh, to be a fly-on-the-wall in Xiaguan factory!

As with some of those teas, this has a chunky, tobacco nature - but it also has tons of sweetness. In my notes, I wrote "candied darkness" - which is precisely it. Candied darkness.

Though it is a quite simple tea, as you'd expect for the tiny price, it is very good. There are hints of "purple" sweetness in the finish, and plenty of cereal-like, savoury flavours. I usually associate Lincang leaves with that flavour, and maybe Xiaguan (even further to the north than Lincang, around Dali) have been benefitting similarly.

Side note: the once-famous lake around Dali is allegedly so polluted that tourists are no longer recommended to visit it. Not a good sign for Xiaguan-area teas!

Along with its multitude of simple-yet-satisfying characteristics, there is plenty of texture, very decent activity, and a warming, heavy chaqi. Each time I sit with this tea, I feel good about it. Keep your expectations in line with the price, and you'll be in for a treat.