Club Gathering Log (BTC-10) | Online Events: 19.09.2025, 21.09.2025 | by: Pink Luk & Nadi Biran
Nadi is checking the progress of Dan Cong roasting, Chaozhou, Guangdong. May 2025
To celebrate the 10th edition milestone of the Blind Tasting Club, we designed a challenging Double Feature - two separate samplers shipped together, bound by a secret botanical concept. As all the 10 teas sourced from ancient tea traditions in Yunnan and Guangdong, we have decided to emphasis the traditional terminology of tea making.
We challenged the club to guess the hidden theme connecting these two flights. The first half of this collection (BTC-10) is entirely dedicated to Qiao Mu (喬木 - Qiáomù), or prominent single-trunk arbor trees. The second half of this collection (BTC-11) explores a contrasting botanical structure to complete the puzzle.
1. Mengku Huang Ye Bai Cha 2025
Harvest: 15.03.2025 - 15.04.2025 | Cultivar: Mengku Da Ye Zhong 勐庫大葉種 - Dà yè zhǒng | Altitude: 1800-2000m
Produced in the Xi Ban Shan area of Mengku (west to the river). In local Yunnan terminology, "Huang Ye" (abandoned/wild) is another way of saying yefang (natural farming). Because these high-end trees are unmanaged, the leaf shape, size, and density are naturally inconsistent. We rested this affordable, highly standard batch in our warehouse before release.
Tasting Notes: Apple, mango, rice, syrup.
2. Tatuo Gu Mao Er Duo Sheng Pu’er 2025
Harvest: 11.04.2025 | Cultivar: 中小葉種 Zhong Xiao Ye Zhong | Altitude: 1800-2000m
Sourced from over 100-year-old gushu trees in Tatuo Village, Yongde County, this is a rare, large-leaf population mutant that mimics the prestigious Mao Er Duo (Cat Ears) profile. It produces a thick, cloudy soup full of "hao" (trichomes). In the modern market, a batch like this is easily passed off by smooth traders as a fake premium Yiwu tea, but we value it strictly for its aromatic, rarity and educational values.
Tasting Notes: Apricot, mango, caramel, broccoli.
3. Wudong Gushu Shui Xian Green Maocha 2025
Harvest: 08.05.2025 | Cultivar: 水仙 - Shuǐxiān
This tea fooled almost everyone into thinking it was a young sheng pu'er from Yunnan. It actually hails from the ancient trees of Wudong Shan in Guangdong - one of the few places outside Yunnan where extreme ancient trees still exist. The processing mimics green tea: outdoor to indoor withering, 10 minutes of shaqing (sun drying), 8 minutes of rolling, and 15 minutes of machine drying only, with absolutely no roasting.
Tasting Notes: Seaweed, parsley, chicken soup.
Winner of the Most Unique Tea Award 🏅
4. Lao Huzhai Sheng Puer 2024
ongde da ye zhong 永德大葉種
While the rest of this collection is fresh, this batch from spring 2024 in Yongde was deliberately held back to rest. The initial aging of loose, young sheng pu'er is crucial. If we had shipped this to you immediately after harvest in a small sample bag, it would not have reached its current stage, missing its potential. Much like high-end wine requires precise barrel aging before bottling, sheng pu'er requires controlled warehouse resting rather than immediate distribution.
Tasting Notes: Mint, lemon-ginger, basil.
5. Wudong Gushu Shui Xian Roasted 2025
Harvest: 08.05.2025 | Cultivar: 水仙 - Shuǐxiān
This is the exact same base material as Tea No. 3, but subjected to a medium fire roast (100-115°C) for up to 20 hours. Experiencing the raw green maocha side-by-side with this velvety, fully roasted version is a profound lesson in traditional Guangdong processing techniques. Yotam was the only club member to correctly identify this connection!
Tasting Notes: Hazelnuts, mushroom, floral.
Winner of the Favorite Tea Award 🥇
We also ran a sensory challenge for this edition, so a massive congratulations goes to Yotam, who won our first prize by correctly identifying that Tea No. 5 was simply a roasted version of Tea No. 3!
