2005 Yichanghao "Zhengpin"

My erstwhile chum, Yichanghao. Yet perhaps not entirely erst, for you keep on delivering solid, reliable treats at a very decent price.

Ladies and mentlegen, I give you the 2005 Zhengpin.

As far as Yichanghao goes, Jipin < Zhenpin < Jingpin < Zhengpin.  Despite drinking "YCH" whenever my grubby, clammy hands can grab a sample, I haven't had a great deal of Zhengpin, the flagship product.  By the time of the 2009 version, the recipe was taking a turn for the red, and yet cakes from ages past seem to rely less on cheeky pre-oxidation and more on a solid blend of decent leaves.

As shown above, the leaves are fragmented and dark - although certainly less fragmented than in the lesser recipes.  I am surprised by a distinct lack of aroma in the dry leaves.

This character, oddly enough, continues in the cup.  It cannot be said to have a significant density of flavour, and yet it does have a big, fat body and a dominant presence in the mouth.  It is a fascinating thing: light in character (being mainly pinewood), and yet thick, sweet, and satisfying.

This sample was generously provided by Daniel, of The Chinese Teashop of Vancouver.  In months past, I mentioned that I had queued up a half-dozen samples or so, only to find that the postage was a huge amount; this has since been remedied, and the store looks entirely appealing in its range and pricing (certainly on the Western scale).

This cake currently sells for an entirely reasonable $45.  There isn't a huge amount that one can find of any quality from 2005 for less than that price, and this does a very good job of keeping my attention throughout the session.

Caveat emptor: I am a confessed Yichanghao fanboy.  If you like their products to a lesser degree, then temper my enthusiasm at the appropriate heat.