pearls of mishlei- Bana Sheng Pearls

8 tevet 5781

i bought 50g 2020 sheng puer from Bana. ancient trees, a reputable vendor, good price. great, i am excited to try this. 

the ‘pearls’ came individually wrapped in little paper and they were sent in a gold fine mesh bag. the packaging was very nice, buuuuut, unsurprisingly, they felt pretty dry and the pearls were hard to break apart and when they did, they got crumbly. all this aside, how did it taste?

 

my first times drinking it i was disappointed. the ‘pearls' were very tightly compacted which was annoying for deviating from the 5g serving size. the brews taste fairly one dimensional and have an unpleasant soapy aftertaste. there is very little sweetness, floralness, or fruitiness. the main flavor is a more savory quality with touches of herbs like oregano, but there isn’t much beyond that. the leaves are also chopped up bits without any nice whole ones.

but, i kept trying it and i think i like it? i am still confused. i think i prefer it with less leaves, around 2.5g for my 60ml gaiwan. the flavor is still pretty bland, including minimal bitterness, but the feel of the tea is very smooth. it is not thick, it does not coat my throat, and it does not have that hui gan. but oddly, i keep on wanting to go back to it. it feels nice to drink, its not over powering, its very mellow, and it makes me keep thinking there is more under the surface i just haven't found yet.

 

also, i like the qi it carries. the qi is nice and pleasant and feels focused. i feel it rising starting at the top of my back and going up along my spine. later it progresses into a sense of calm (something also felt with a Laotian Gushu from One River Tea). its nice to have a young sheng i can drink and not worry about getting too ratchet.  

 

i am assuming these ‘pearls’ were composed of the less desired throwaway leaves. i wish i was more experienced to know what makes this tea lacking. maybe its even me and it is good tea and i am not able to fully appreciate it.

 

i am going to keep on trying this tea and see how my opinion changes. if i get bored of it maybe i can trade this tea and see if whoever gets it feels similarly. look out strangers on the internet, there might be some 'pearls' of wisdom in your future. tea hee hee hee.