Like an octopus that can change both the color and texture of its skin, so too does this tea represent a dynamic experience that shifts and flows in ways which seem impossible to capture… yet here we are. And like Mike Tyson, this Bing Dao has a powerful punch to it – it’s insanely strong and unbridled, drinking this tea makes me feel like there’s a balloon swelling in my brain. I can feel my heart beating behind my eyeballs. This really should come with a warning label – not for the faint of heart, but certainly for those who want to blast off to the moon. In terms of its overall flavor profile, it’s a bit more introverted and subtle than it is in-your-face, but the evolution of flavors is quite remarkable, and the clarity of the individual flavors is excellent despite their somewhat shy and introverted nature. I might not drink this for its flavor, but I definitely would drink it if I needed to melt a glacier in Antarctica with nothing but my body heat. The difference between how this tea opens up versus how it finishes is a beautiful thing to witness. The huigan is amazing, it’s planted firmly in the throat and sits there for a very long time. Make sure you sniff the bottom of an empty cup as it cools, especially in the first half of a gong-fu session… it’s sublime. It presents a totally different set of aromatics than what the broth contains. A whole cake is but a single sample – this tea really is that complex. Did I mention this thing is a qi monster? This is a completely different realm of sensations and feelings than what most teas are capable of achieving. Bing Dao is known for that, and this particular offering from Tea Hong really hits the spot. Pun intended – I’m tea drunk, in case you can’t tell. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go sprint run a marathon in the middle of winter.
