Ban Pen 2017 Spring

Ban Pen, the poor mans Lao Ban Zhang, is literally just down the road from it's more famous neighbour, but has attractive qualities of it's own. It's clean tasting & more gentle than LBZ, with less bitterness & astringency. The aroma has notes of damp hay, green mung beans & plain congee with a sweet finish reminiscent of red dates. The tea flavor centers around a light malty base with sunflower seeds, sugarcane, apricot & tannin. The mouthfeel is bright and alive, with a sweet mineral aftertaste - it's very pleasant to drink even when stewed thick.