I received a couple of samples from puerh.uk and one of those samples was the 2006 Xi Zi Hao Ban Po Lao Zhai. The other teas from their collection were great, so I wanted to try this one as well. The weather has been really good the last couple of days so I had tea outside.
2006 Xi Zi Hao Ban Po Lao Zhai
This 2006 Xi Zi Hao Ban Po Lao Zhai is a tea from 2006 made with material from Nannuo mountain. It went through more traditional storage in the early days but has been stored in drier natural Taiwan conditions for the last few years.
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Tea tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5g for a 120ml zisha teapot
The dry leaves look interesting as they have a faded brown color and I see some light brown buds. Fairly big leaves that don’t seem to be broken at all. The aroma has strong notes of dry wood and a touch of hay. Once the leaves are wet, some slight hints of berries are coming through in combination with incense.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): the liquor looks really thick when it’s coming out of my teapot. The color is a faded kind of orange. Once I take a sip, I’m greeted by a stony minerality. It reminds me of when it hasn’t rained for a couple of weeks and the first rain falls on hot concrete. The energy is something else! I’m feeling a bit light-headed and it’s only the first infusion. Curious to see where this is going.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the color is darker and the liquor is super clear, which is usually a good sign. Some of the fruity incense is coming through right from the start. This feels like a really nice tea to drink in summer to refresh the body and mind. The fruity incense moves through the infusion and lingers for a short while in the aftertaste. The energy is focused on my temples and my face. The aftertaste pops up a couple of minutes after swallowing and feels like those juicy exotic summer fruits.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the liquor is still really clear and thick. It almost looks like syrup. Less incense and more of the fruits are noticeable. I feel really light-headed right now and that is something I haven’t experienced that much while drinking tea. The aftertaste is sweet and fruity. It feels like eating one of those sweet and sugary ice creams, but in a good way.
Infusion 4 (45 sec): dark color and the liquor is clear and thick. I’m getting some incense again in combination with summer fruits. The energy is focused on my eyes during this one. The fruits are staying around for a long time in the aftertaste.
Infusion 5 (60 sec): the leaves have a strong energy to them. Definitely still enjoying it. I feel the incense is getting more intense, but some of the fruits are still there beneath the surface.
Infusion 6 (long): the color and flavors are not changing that much anymore. The energy is still really impressive. There are also some slight hints of smoke coming through in the finish and aftertaste.
Conclusion
The thing that amazed me was the energy of the 2006 Xi Zi Hao Ban Po Lao Zhai. Throughout the session, I felt light-headed and the energy shifted its focus several times. It started around my temples and face and moved to my eyes. Definitely a nice experience and really enjoyable tea, especially how it evolved over the session.
The flavors were nice as well as I got sweet and refreshing summer fruits. Overall, this was a great tea session and I’m happy I had it outside.
If you want to try this tea, you can buy it over here.
