2006 Xiaguan Pink #4 from the steeping room

Thanks bud, you know who you are.

Xiaguan and I have a rocky relationship. There is a modern term gaining more traction by the day – no contact. Which means, you cut that person (or thing I suppose) out of your life for your own health. I’ve tried going no contact with xiaguan. Those of you who have seen me discuss xiaguan in various discord groups understand my strong dislike for it. But, xiaguan just keeps rearing its ugly head in my life. I think I’m through with it for good, and then one of you rascals sends me some tea to drink. That’s the thing about me – if you send it to me, I’m going to try it.

That brings us to todays post. An unexpected package showed up in the mail yesterday from the steeping room. I did not order this. I was surprised by the arrival of the package. I was not surprised by what it contained. You guys love sending me xiaguan, because you think it’s funny. And that’s what we have here – a 2006 Pink whatever whatever.

So, I’m going to drink it. But before the notes, let’s be clear about what I don’t like about xiaguan. Dali. Northern material is just, well, not good. And many of you have approached me saying – you need to try this xiaguan or that xiaguan or whatever, it’s not smoky. That’s all good and fine, but it’s never been the smoke. It’s what lies underneath it – gravelly, rough, brutal, harsh, cheap tasting horse manure. I actually like a lot of the modern xiaguan productions because so many of them tell you it’s bulang this, or lincang that or whatever. NOT DALI.

Does this pink thing have Dali in it? Dunno. Probably. I can tell you what it doesn’t have on the nose – smoke. By the vendors disclosure, this is Taiwan stored and it smells like it. When I opened the packet, I was greeted with what smelled like a very humidly stored fruitcake that was beginning to mold. Overripe (I’m not talking shou). A very good sign. I do not smell smoke. I do however, smell some of that roughness I mentioned earlier when the leaves get wet. What does the first steep taste like? Not much to discuss here. Tastes like Taiwan stored tea that’s fruity. The second steep is where the pain usually hits anyway.

And like an unwelcomed guest, it shows up in the wet leaf aroma. No, not smoke. That rough, gravelly harshness. If you know, you know. Will it translate to the cup? The broth is a very proper color. It has been well stored if anything. What I’m greeted with is a honeyed sweetness, camphor cooling and yes.. there it is, the classic xiaguan profile. Is it smoky? No. Is it more subdued? Yes. Is it still there? Yes. What isn’t translating to the cup is the fruit on the dry leaf. Where are you fruit? You seemed to be there in the first steep.

Steep three, as xiaguan tends to do when I drink, has more and more of that house character coming to the forefront instead of in the background. There is still sweetness. There is still camphor. But now, it sits in the background instead of dominating. I’m trying very hard to find the fruit. It’s just not there.

Fourth steep is more of the same, except even stronger house character, which is always what happens to me when I drink this stuff. Now, with that being said, this is much better than most of the xiagun I’ve drunk. It’s well put together. Maybe there’s some older leaf in here, but it’s still dali. The storage is impeccable, which undoubtedly helps immensely. I would much rather drink this than any 2005 8653. I don’t care where it’s been stored, what paper it’s wearing, what month, whatever. This is better than all of those I’ve tried. But…

You can give it a bath, brush it down. Maybe spray some perfume, put it in a dress. Give it some lipstick, makeup. Use photoshop on it. But a pig is still a pig. And when it comes to older xiaguan, it’s still xiaguan. And so dear reader, I leave you with this most important statement that summarizes everything I’ve said and everything I ever will say on the given subject matter.

XIAGUAN SUCKS.

See you next time.