2010 Essence of Tea "Bulang"

Thinking back to 2009 (has it really been a year, already?), I described the 2009 Bulang from Essence of Tea

using the following illustration:

This is my kind of tea.  Just like the 2009, this 2010 will rend flesh from bone in the most delightful manner.  It is, shall we say, quite strong.

This cake was made from the same farm as the 2009, and looks the same: small, tippy leaves, with a heavy scent. Long, buttery, brutal.

Yellow soup, thick, heavy, fruity, grape-like - everything one could wish for in a Bulang, combined the aforementioned flesh-rending power.  Delicious.

So why didn't this make it into my "top three" from this vendor, this year, following the Mansai, the Bangwai / Jingmai, and the Manmai / Bada? Simply, the price. It was an obstacle for me, and I will be sticking with my 2009 cakes. The quality of the offering is undoubted - if you didn't obtain the 2009, you may be in the difficult situation of trying to decide if £40 is a manageable price for this cake. That's a decision for each buyer to make on their own. I bought one cake, to compare against my 2009s.