Lao Ban Zhang is one of the most revered tea regions for various reasons. Every time I come across a sample from there, I always look forward to tasting it. In this session, I tasted a 2018 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees Huangpian Brick.
2018 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees Brick
This batch of tea is from 2018 and it’s huangpian, which means that it’s made using matured/more yellow leaves. I don’t know how much of the leaves is actually LBZ, but that doesn’t really matter that much to me. It’s a sample and I mostly value samples on what’s in the cup and less on what’s in the name.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a list of over 300 online tea shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here
If it’s from a trusted vendor (like puerh.uk), it should have a decent amount of LBZ leaves in the brick. The fact that it’s huangpian also means that it’s usually less expensive than regular leaves.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5g for a 120ml porcelain gaiwan
I see big leaves with a yellow hue and olive tints to them. It’s a fairly loose compression so it’s easy to pick apart. It has a really fruity aroma with a fresh and delicate touch to it.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): the liquor looks super clean and has a light golden color. It’s a subtle infusion but the aftertaste is quite intense already.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the aroma of the wet leaves has hints of pepper and fruits to it. It’s more intense as more of the fruits are coming through. I’m mainly getting notes of clementines and oranges.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): more citrus is coming through and it has a lubricating effect as the sides of my tongue are producing more saliva. The aftertaste is not that prominent.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): the liquor still looks amazing! It almost looks like Champagne. The same fruitiness is coming through and it gets a tiny bit astringent toward the finish. The aftertaste is more intense and it’s mainly citrus fruits and some sweeter fruits.
Infusion 5 (40 sec): it’s similar to infusion 4 but it’s a bit more astringent.
Infusion 6 (60 sec): subtle and pleasant infusion. Mellow citrus that lingers for a while.
Conclusion
This 2018 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees Brick was a really enjoyable tea. Overall, it was rather subtle but the fruitiness was there. Not that prominent, but I felt it was in there.
Unfortunately, it’s not available (anymore) but you can have a look at their other teas here.
