12 November, 2012

2011 Jin Dayi

I wrote recently about the on-going search of Apache and I for some "old-fashioned" recipe cakes.  Cakes made by The Fat were certainly of that ilk, as were the 2007 "Special Blue" made by Clouds.  We've been through the solid 2006 Baichatang.  Over the years, we've collided with many old-fashioned recipes together (some random selections here).


2011 Jin Dayi


This Jin Dayi marks the result of a recent investigation, in which we compared the original 2003 version with the latterday comparitor.  The original looks like this:


2011 Jin Dayi


It was a "special issue", made on request, as far as I remember.  It became known as the "Jin Dayi" [gold Dayi] after the colour of its label, which, if you ask me, is more of a sludgy brown than a gold.  The Chinese are rather poetic in their descriptions, however, so we'll go with gold in this case.

The basic cake from 2003 was delicious: robust and solid as you might expect, with the Dayi house style.  It's very hard to describe, but extremely obvious to detect.  Drink a few Dayi (even modern ones), and you'll understand what I mean.  It's "that Dayi character".  If I were writing notes to myself, I would describe it as dark-mushroom with malt, and plenty of hardcore bitterness.  That doesn't translate into other people's vocabularies, but is a placeholder in my memory for "that Dayi character".


2011 Jin Dayi


This 2011 version (pictured above) recognises the popularity / greatness of the original recipe, perhaps after realising that the latter has aged really rather well.  Either way, it is a good commercial decision for The Meng to try their hand at remaking some of their classic recipes that have proven to do well.  (Also, they could consider ditching recipes that aren't so hot.  Cough 0622 cough.)


2011 Jin Dayi


Whatever happened to Dayi in the last two years, the Taetea phenomenon has resulted in all sorts of useful / bizarre innovations.  The tong of cakes contained within them the sachet of gubbins, pictured above, which is presumably an attempt to maintain decent storage conditions.  Heaven knows what's in it - I soon got it out of my tong, preferring to rely on the tried-and-tested methods of tea + shelf.


2011 Jin Dayi


The moment that I cracked open the tong and revealed a cake, I took a deep breath of that patented scent and told myself, "I don't drink enough Dayi."  There is something that I actually, genuinely love about these cakes.  Something intimately familiar and constantly promising.  It's like coming home.


2011 Jin Dayi


Like many of the recent cakes, these Dayi are slim slim slim.  These are the San Diego of pu'ercha: toned, tight, good-looking.  The kind of cake that you could show to your friends.  

Admittedly, it smells less of Mexican food than does San Diego.


2011 Jin Dayi


The little leaves are very familiar, too: small, dark, shiny.  Even my grotty pre-dawn photography can't rob these charming little fellows of their appeal:


2011 Jin Dayi


The soup is a big, fat orange.  Boom.  None of your yellow purity, here.

I kick back in my chair, darkness of the dining room unfolding all around me.  England really is northerly: it is dark here, and cold.  I realised this when I came home from Brunei recently.  The hours of daylight are short, and it's not even winter yet.  It really is very dark.  But it's home.

That homely feeling goes very nicely with the comfortingly familiar Dayi scent.  This is a particularly good example, with potency and duration.  It lingers long in the cold morning air, filling every corner of our little house.  As I leave it to sit in the wenxiangbei [aroma cup], it turns low and sticky.  I like a tea with a good aroma profile; the scent never lies - or, rather, the undercurrent of the scent never lies.  It seems to indicate the base of the tea, once the florals have wafted away.  Such is my bet, anyway.


2011 Jin Dayi


The first infusion has a little young-cake smokiness, which soon dissipates.  I realise that I really need to drink more Dayi; even the modern cakes are rather thrilling.  It is such a basic thing to enjoy to such a degree, but enjoy it I do, and that makes me a happy man.  

At 4.30 a.m.  In the darkness.  And the cold.


2011 Jin Dayi


If there is a defining characteristic of this Jin Dayi, it is the constant Dayi potency, heavy sweetness, and a deeply satisfying base of rough-in-the-jungle savoury notes.  I loves me my savoury tea, which is why I chase Lincang cakes to the degree that I do.  This is tea from 'Banna proper, but really hits the granary sweetness.

Combine it with pronounced cooling sensations, untempered aggression, potent honesty, and 0622-but-good savoury aspects, and I am really very happy with this cake.


2011 Jin Dayi


This is $46 (available at The Fat), which is a little much for a Dayi cake, but not very much when you consider its quality.  If this cake were made by a Western-oriented vendor, I would be thrilled and buying it in quantity.  That it is Dayi means that you get all of this potency, combined with very good aging prospects, for a distinctly considerate and sociable price.


What an excellent start to a day.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an enjoyable post to read as well as a very good and details description about this cake. One small thing I need to point out that LauYuFat tea house is not selling this. I sourced it on TB. At the moment the price is stabilized at around 315 RMB, when you adding TB agent fee and shipping costs this makes buying from (I say it very very quietly in case DTH notices it) DTH for $66 including shipping doesn't look too bad.

apache

shah8 said...

At some point, I need to send you some of that Dayi Secret Fragrance sheng.

Hobbes said...

Dear Apache,

I didn't realise this one was from Teeb; I'll have to be more careful! I'm hoping that the next TB purchase will turn out OK.


Dear shah,

That would be delightful - I like my fragrances secret! Once our baby has been born (currently two days past the estimated date, at the time of writing), I'll be in a position to bag up some samples - for you, and for the other few whom I owe samples, and who have kindly been bearing with me.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Hobbes

discipleofthetealeaf said...

I am certainly curious about tracking down and tasting this one now thanks to reading your notes.

When I was in Beijing the other year, a Taetea shop was a couple of blocks down from where I was staying. I only got in there once as it was constantly closed to the public for private tastings, etc. However, I spent a really enjoyable couple of hours there when I did, and stumbled away tea drunk into the night with a couple of cakes tucked under my arm.

TwoDog said...

After a generous sample from Apache, I got to try the 2003 Jin Dayi and 2011 Jin Dayi side by side. For me, the 2011 Jin Dayi was less mushrooms and malt and more tobacco and malt, with a very intense bitterness and depth. I decided to pick a bit of it up, as I am interested to see how it ages. Apache wrote above that the price has stabalized at 315, but i have seen a few vendors around taobao, including the flagship store, bumping their prices up. (Along with the longyin, and dayi silver) It is certainly one of the better new Dayi shengs I have had in quite some time.

Anonymous said...

I also need to point out that now there are fake 2011 Dayi Jin around. Certainly someone on HK Tea Forumn bought a fake cake in HK which looks extremely similar to the real one except the zeal doesn't respone to UV light. Buy it from Dayi specialist shops you pay around 30% more but you would know that it is real or from a shop you could trust.

apache

Hobbes said...

Dear Disciple-of-the-Tealeaf,

I can imagine that visiting a Taetea shop as being a most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon; being able to perform large-scale comparative tastings would be worth the time, for sure. Can you remember where the shop was, in Beijing? It'd be nice to visit it when I'm next there.


Dear Twodog,

I'm glad to read that you enjoyed the two Jin Dayi; if the 2011 tends to anything like the 2003, then we're in for some happiness in future.


Dear Apache,

I have a similar opinion when it comes to buying fake-able Dayi: it's probably worth paying the premium to ensure that you're getting the real goods. More on this subject soon, as I tackle the Dayi "Qiaomu Laoshu" that you gave me!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

discipleofthetealeaf said...

Hobbes,

I was staying on Qianmachang for the last couple of days, which was off Jiugulou. Taetea was on the right side of Jiugulou, if you are walking toward Gulou W.

All the best,

Eric

Squaretooth said...

So I guess my question now is where can I find the 2011 Jin Dayi at a reasonable price from an honest merchant? I saw a $46.00 figure earlier but know the Fat doesn't sell it. I have a merchant I trust but is asking $75 USD that includes shipping. But that's a bit too much for me. Anyone?

Anonymous said...

Squaretooth, "So I guess my question now is where can I find the 2011 Jin Dayi at a reasonable price from an honest merchant?"

Have you look at DTH ebay site, I thought the price including shipping.

apache

Squaretooth said...

It's funny you should mention that Apache. :-) I thought I would change my search parameters from "jin Dayi" to "Golden Dayi" and guess who I found? Thanks for posting back to me. :-)

Anonymous said...

>I can imagine that visiting a Taetea shop as being a most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon;

Unfortunately I can't agree with you on that. It's a huge franchise in China with lots of "somewhat official" stores that offer mainly overpriced mediocre pu erh. I had the doubtful pleasure of being in a Dayi branded shop where the lady that let me sample some pu could barely use a Gaiwan and was not very enthusiastic in general.

>being able to perform large-scale comparative tastings would be worth the time, for sure.

If you don't have a reputation as a regular buyer lots of tea shops aren't very willing to let you sample lots of teas (unless you buy a cake or more after you had 3 samples or so) or the higher priced stuff. It costs them money after all.

>Can you remember where the shop was, in Beijing? It'd be nice to visit it when I'm next there.

There are lots of semi official Dayi shops in Beijing. You never know how official they are and they might slip in a fake cake or two if they think you're a tourist who'll never come back. I can never stress "caveat emptor" in China enough.

If you search for "tae tea" on google maps you'll find a couple stores.

Asking for recommendations for tea shops with knowledgeable owners that care about selling good tea at reasonable prices on forums would probably give you a better time than dealing with some Dayi franchise owner that's just in it for the money. They might even give you a better price on Dayi teas if they carry some.

Anonymous said...

You can also use http://www.taetea.com.cn/shop/ to find the franchise stores btw.

Hobbes said...

Dear Anonymous,

Just to comment on your reply to someone, which contained:

If you don't have a reputation as a regular buyer lots of tea shops aren't very willing to let you sample lots of teas

...I have to say that I've never encountered a Beijing teashop that was unwilling to let me sample as much tea as I wished - up to multiple hours. Typically, the conversation about prices and quantities (if it is to occur at all - often it does not) takes place, for me, after the end of the tasting session. Up until that point, I usually just say polite things about the tea and remain relatively non-committal. I wonder if my, or your, experience is the more unusual. An interesting thought!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Maxwell2079 said...

Dear Hobbes,

Does the seal of your jin Dayi 2011 glow when using the ultra violet light?

Mine doesn't, I hope I don't have a fake :O
I understand that not every single seal of Dayi cakes glow but don't know about this one...

Take care, Maxwell.

Hobbes said...

Dear Maxwell,

I'm sure it's fine, fear not. :)

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Maxwell2079 said...


Hi, thanks for your reply. I realised I wasn't using an ultraviolet light. I was using a different type. The one I use for my fish tank :P. But is not the same. Anyway, your descriptions seems very similar to what I am drinking now.
And it also tastes like Dayi to me.
It's no doubt a good tea.

Best wishes my friend.

Maxwell.