2009 Dianyi "Mahei"

Back when Yunnan Sourcing used to rule the world exclusively (well, along with Houde), I, along with most of us, were thoroughly into Scott's hand-made productions. They have grown and grown, and represent the travels of a man throughout the mountainous province which is his new home.  Trawl through the dank, howling, cavernous nether-regions of the Half-Dipper, and you'll come across many articles exploring each of Scott's hand-made cakes.

Crumbly samples be thy name

I haven't tried any for a while - pu'ercha is a tidal force, and I just go where my interest takes me.  Lately, it brought me full-circle, and I found myself looking at the section for hand-made cakes at Yunnan Sourcing's web-site.  Not having tried much for the last two years, I stocked up my "shopping cart" with samples. 

When I noticed that the total price for the samples was over $100, I quickly clicked "cancel".  It makes sense for Scott to charge good money if everyone is, as they used to be, just drinking his samples without buying the cakes.  The increase is certainly significant since I was last there, though*.

*Scott of YS would like to point out that his margin on samples remains unchanged at 150%-200%.  Perhaps the feeling of expense therefore comes from the fact that most samples are now 25g, rather than 10g.

Decent leaves, a touch broken

Rummaging through my sample box, I found a little bag from Terje, one of my viking readers, who had kindly interrupted his people's seasonal rape and pillage of the north English coastal counties in order to send me some samples.

It looks good - its character is a little more average

I've had some delicious teas from Mahei lately, including some un-purchasable Douji Mahei (more on which later).  By comparison, this sample came out a little humdrum.

The leaves are small and somewhat broken; it opens with a full, buttery-sweet Yiwu character, but this rapidly subsides to be dominated by the base characteristics of lesser leaves.  Tangy and sour, it feels low and "brown" - that limited, rough sensation that I usually associate with plantation leaves.

On a day of rest between a day of housework and a day of research, it is a welcome friend at the tea-table.  It is unremarkable pu'ercha, and not one that I would pursue, but perhaps this is merely a contrast with the more accomplished Mahei cakes that I have been fortunate enough to encounter recently.  Not one to get excited about.

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Errata

Scott and Terje have pointed out that this cake is from a minor outfit named the "Dianyi" factory, and is not a Yunnan Sourcing own-label cake.  Thank heavens for that.

Note to self: never buy Dianyi.