Lao Banzhang (老班章)
archetype: King of the mountain
A king of the mountain in a thick hide: a regal might, a dense bitterness, a powerful strength, a long honey return.
History
Lao Banzhang is a small village in Menghai (Yunnan), on the slopes of Mount Bulang. The canonical sheng from here is the 'king of bitterness' of Yunnanese puer: a powerful dense bitterness turning into a long honey sweetness ('hui gan'). The style is so strong that Lao Banzhang has become a brand, and today it is faked like no other sheng. A real Lao Banzhang is only from the 'mother' mountain and in marked cakes.
The old men of Bulang say: once a tiger lived on the mountain. No one hunted near him because the leaf of the bush growing on the slope was so bitter that the hunter would fall asleep and forget why he came. The tiger drank that bitter leaf every day, and so he became a king. When he died, his hide was hung on the branches of the bush — and ever since the leaf of Lao Banzhang has had a 'royal bitterness': hard at first, but afterwards it gives back all your strength.
Terroir
1700–1900 m. red lateritic clay with the organic matter of an ancient forest. tropics at altitude, cool nights, dense fogs. 'Mother' gardens are the villages of Lao Banzhang and the neighbouring Xin Banzhang. Old trees (300+ years) give the most powerful profile; for one kilo of finished tea, hand-picking is done from dozens of trees.
Leaf
dry leaf: large dark-green dense leaves from old trees, pressed into a cake
warmed: the warmed leaf — a dense bitterness, forest honey, mountain stone, warm wood
after pour: after the infusion — bitterness, honey, stone, flower pollen
taste: a dense bitterness, forest honey, mountain stone, a long powerful return
finish: very long; the returning sweetness lasts 40–60 minutes — more powerful than any other sheng
Properties
TCM: cool, powerful; clears heat, moves qi, descends a risen yang; strong, careful with the stomach
Modern: very high content of catechins and caffeine; strong stimulation, for an experienced tea body
Cha qi: powerful, dense, regal; felt as 'the weight of a crown on the head'
Caffeine: high (55–75 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 100 ml gaiwan — a strong leaf needs short steeps; 100 °C; 6 g / 100 ml. 4s — the first strike: a dense bitterness, honey; 5s — the peak of strength: mountain stone, a tigerine density; 6s — a huge hui gan — the sweetness rises; 9s — a regal length in the throat; 15s — a late powerful trail; 28s — the finale — a slow honey throne; 50s — a far returning sweetness.
When to drink
day — never evening. spring and autumn. when a regal bitterness is needed, for the experienced, for long work. dark chocolate, bitter marmalade, dried fruit, aged cheese — after a heavy meal. an experienced guest; a solitary tasting
Tea meditation
- The king does not explain.
- Take the bitterness as a gift.
- When the sweetness comes, do not thank it — that is its nature.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Lao Banzhang?
a 100 ml gaiwan — a strong leaf needs short steeps; 100 °C; 6 g / 100 ml. 4s — the first strike: a dense bitterness, honey; 5s — the peak of strength: mountain stone, a tigerine density; 6s — a huge hui gan — the sweetness rises; 9s — a regal length in the throat; 15s — a late powerful trail; 28s — the finale — a slow honey throne; 50s — a far returning sweetness.
What does Lao Banzhang taste like?
a dense bitterness, forest honey, mountain stone, a long powerful return
How much caffeine is in Lao Banzhang?
high (55–75 mg)
What are the effects of Lao Banzhang?
very high content of catechins and caffeine; strong stimulation, for an experienced tea body
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