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Qilan means rare orchid (奇蘭 or 奇兰), traditionally from Wuyi, Fijian. Menglin sais there's an incense note in the back, lingering, but never too obvious.
Verdant Tea Qilan
Western (21 III 19): peach kernels, christmas dough. Eine speckige Komponente! Cup: slightly bitter; stone-like, not terribly complex or pleasant. As it chills, more speckig still!
Western (Premium) (21 III 19) similar, more intense? doesn't have this speckige Note, more hot olive oil? Similar bitterness in cup, chloride stone. Stoney-ness more intense. A bit boring.
Blind Western (4 IV 19): cup a bit bitter, a bit metallic. not terribly rich. richer, but faulty.
Blind Western (19 VI 19): Nose is crazy nice, deep, old fruit, fruity leather. Soup thick, a bit sweet, but also a bit of acidity. Orchid cake? As it chills, acidity becomes mineralic; still thick. Not so bad this time!
Qilan 2011 Mingjiang
Western (27 II 19): Sweet, very pleasant nose. A bit of fresh pineapple. Cup oily, fresh. Some mint, not peppermint, a tamer mint; quite simple in taste, but thick texture.
Menglin compares this tea to the lonely elegance of the orchid.
Western (2 III 19): Sweeter nose, easy drinking. Fresh & easy.
Blind Western (2 IV 19): fruity and elegant, restrained; I already think Qingxin. Sweet vanilla and candied flowers; narcissus big time! Sweet vanilla and narcissus continues in the mouth. Chilling, more succulence and flower stalks.
Qilan 2011 Fujian
Western (2 III 19): Very distinct nose, it's a mix of cucumbers, orchids. In the cup, quite interesting: dry, but not astingent, a bit woody, but not tanninic. Cucumber taste (very distinct), a bit of chloride, a bit of wood.
Blind Western (10 III 19): more earth; animalic, leathery in the mouth. Pleasant. Almost a bit rocky, but also a faint greenery in the back.
Western (21 III 19): subtler, fuller, more sandalwood? A bit of greenery. Cup: very nice, round, also some bitterness, aber eingebunden in eine leichte Fruchtnote. This is very nice.
Blind Western (16 IV 19): little bit woody, quite fruity, quite direct. not too heavy, but clearly discenible. Cup sweeter, but also succulence. Tastes like a lighter cultivar with heavier processing. Leaves almost a fresh feeling in the mouth. Bitterness and cucumberi-ness only become obvious when it chills.
Western (19 VI 19): Nose lighter than verdant, soup also thick, but has the green lightness to it. It's obviously a better tea. It also has a slight metallic tinge.
Blind Western (24 VI 19): Intense juicy, deep fruity nose; a bit of incense wood, but mostly dried apricots. Thick soup, not a whole lot of taste.
* 7 X 19 (Blind Western): big, sticky, petrified. A lighter tea, cultivar or roasting? Metallic tinge; and flatter as it chills.