Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light
Before rising to the pantheon of the damned, Hailanghao used to be a sweet little minor label with a pleasant line in small-production-run cakes. This cake was $35 from Yunnan Sourcing, a vendor with whom Mr. Hailang's Mingxiangyayuan company appears to have an exclusive deal - the one place on Taobao that sells these cakes does so at precisely the same prices as Yunnan Sourcing.
Th'infernal doors, and on their hinges grate harsh thunder
This cake is more in keeping with bingcha produced in the time before Hailanghao was cast into the howling abyss. It is (reasonably) low-priced, and its scope is less assuming than some of the more daemoniacal productions created since The Fall.
Whence and what art thou, execrable shape?
Good yellow soup, without the slightest hint of brimstone, I am met with a full, buttery-sweet aroma that reminds me of good Yiwu.
If there's one thing about the scent of good Yiwu, it's that it is entirely unlike sulphur.
Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven
Vibrant and long on the tongue, this tea works well. As the infusions wear on, the Yiwu charm of the first brew begins to fade into a green plantation sludge. However, at no time did I hear the howling wails of the thrice-damned, which is something that this tea has in its favour over some of the more recent Hailanghao productions.
The mind in its own place, and in itself, can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n.
Above average, and a solid little performer, this is a welcome reminder that Mingxiangyayuan used to be rather appealing. I look back on some of those rustic old classics with fond memories, and the bare minimum of diabolical reliquaries.
6 comments:
this post rocked.
Just found your blog from a tweet. I'm kind of new to unripe puer, and I'm curious about your dislike of new Hailanghao teas. Are you down on them because of high price, or have you tried the new stuff and been displeased with quality? I've been wanting to try some of these higher priced cakes, but I am a bit scared to pay the prices asked.
Thanks for the comments, chaps.
Jose - I haven't tried anything from Hailanghao after 2009, which was deliberate. However, I recently caved in and (two days ago) ordered a few samples from Yunnan Sourcing. I think a post on another blog prompted me (Falling Leaves?), in which the writer had a session with a sample of the $220 recent production. For under half that price, Essence of Tea was selling really, really good Laobanzhang.
My problem with Hailanghao is that the quality just isn't sufficient for half the asking price, in my opinion. The factory made lovely, unassuming, rustic little cakes up to 2007-08, but then tried to be a bit more "premium", without, I would argue, the blending skills or investment in decent leaf to justify the new prices.
It's all a matter of taste, no doubt, but it's fairly easy to see when Blue Nun starts pricing itself at Margaux levels.
Have a go with the samples and see how you get on.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
I will be interested to see what you think of the new stuff from Hailanghao for sure. I've read that prices of everything in China are going up, so I wonder if the relatively low prices (40 pounds seems cheap for the most expensive one that sounds a lot like other tea I read about from the highest end of the price spectrum) Essence is charging for their stuff will stay low going forward in new productions? I don't mind paying dearly for something like this if the quality is there, so I'm going to order some samples myself and see what happens. Thanks for the info, and I'll be looking forward to new posts.
Love the poetic commentary on the tea leaves themselves.
Got a minute to offer me some insights as to what the tea remnants in my cup might portend?
http://www.chickenmonkeydog.com/meaning-in-tea-leaves/
I wouldn't like to accept the praise that is due entirely to Milton!
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
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