Pan Seven Aged Tea Review (Pan Yuqing) + Tea Time in Taiwan Giveaway

 

 Pan Seven Aged Tea

Pan Seven Aged Tea bottle, Photo by Rachel K. Ng

 “Tea tempers the spirit and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.”  – Confucius

 Taiwanese Independent Perfumer Pan Yuqing

Taiwanese Independent Perfumer Pan Yuqing, Photo by Rachel K. Ng©

Taiwanese independent perfumer Pan Yuqing worked as a master of tea and teacher of the tea ceremony before dedicating herself to perfumery and founding the Pan Seven house. A major aspect of Pan’s mission in founding her brand is to explore the world of Taiwanese tea in fragrance. According to Pan, “there are considerable differences between the tea drinking cultures of the East and the West. The tea culture of the West tends to be the afternoon garden scene, so the performance of fragrance notes is more focused on presenting florals; while tea drinking in the East focuses on the combination of Confucianism and Taoism philosophical concepts and artistic conceptions like purity of heart.” This unique perspective, along with Pan’s tremendous talent, won her a 2022 Art and Olfaction Award in the Independent category for her fragrance Pan Seven Aged Tea.

Taiwanese Tea inspired Pan Seven Aged tea

Pan Seven Aged Tea bottle and Taiwanese tea materials, Photo by Rachel K. Ng©

Pan Seven Aged Tea opens with refreshing and gentle notes of green tea. Citrus-edged fresh cut grass notes with apple and pear nuances create a lightly full and sweet-crisp aroma. This addictively fresh opening captures the characteristic scent of Bi Luo Chun green tea, which is exceptionally delicate and pure in character. Within Taiwan, Bi Luo Chun green tea is produced using a sustainable premodern method of farming dating back to the Qing dynasty. The tender leaf buds are harvested and processed (dried to stop oxidation and rolled to concentrate oils) as little as possible to capture their refined aromas. As its name suggests, Pan Seven’s Aged Tea fragrance seeks to explore a type of beverage called Aged Tea (Lao Cha in Mandarin). This special kind of oolong tea is stored for several years (or even decades) in stone or clay vessels for optimal aging. First, the tea leaves are roasted to remove moisture and facilitate aging. Then, every year the farmers carefully examine the tea leaves and meticulously re-roast them over charcoal to remove excess moisture and deepen complexity. Taiwanese Aged Tea thus contains the imprint of multiple seasons and landscapes; it is a kind of condensed memory of the past. If time is a quiet poem, then the opening of Pan Seven Aged Tea is a gentle waft of fresh air from a memory of spring.

Taiwanese tea

Illustration of scholars enjoying tea, Photo by Rachel K. Ng©

In its heart, Pan Seven Aged Tea holds the imprint of another renowned Taiwanese varietal, Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong tea. Jin Xuan is the name of a Taiwanese hybrid cultivar that is known for its creamy, buttery flavor and floral aroma. The tea is grown at the high elevations of Ali Mountain famous for its geographical location and climate ideal for tea production, as well as being the best of its type on the market. Ali mountain is the southernmost high mountain tea producing region of Taiwan (the Tropic of Cancer runs through it). Ali mountain gets direct sunlight and a daily afternoon fog that rises from the valleys below. As Pan Seven’s Aged Tea transitions, pastoral aromas of herbs and vegetation are met with a sweet buttery facet and mild floral undertones. Deepening into a heart of rich, floral-fruity oolong leaves with a hint of peach, complex toasty and wild-honey-like aromas develop on my skin. A dark stone-fruit note emerges to guide us into the dry down. The smoked plum material comes from Prunus Mume; generally referred to as plum in English, it is actually more closely related to apricot. This fruit is smoked and dried to produce a sweet snack. The smoky stone fruit and honeyed oolong heart are unlike any tea fragrance I’ve experienced. The sophistication, nuance, and photorealism of Pan Seven’s Aged Tea is remarkable.

Taiwanese Tea inspired Pan Seven Aged tea

Pan Seven Aged Tea bottle and Taiwanese tea, Photo by Rachel K. Ng ©

Pan Seven Aged Tea reveals its glorious Aged Tea (Lao Cha) dry down with a smoky brewed and woody base. Traditionally, Aged Tea (Lao Cha) is stored for decades before being enjoyed. It has a strong aroma with slight notes of smoked plums, fruits and herbs, a blend unique to Taiwan. Undertones of leather, coffee bean, and berries blend seamlessly with the nuanced wood palette of Taiwanese Cedar, Taiwanese Hinoki Cypress, and Taiwanese Camphor Tree. Perfumer Pan created this fragrance using mostly local Taiwanese materials. The long-lasting dry down is multifaceted and elegant, oolong and camphoraceous wood dominate on my skin, accompanied by smoked plum and the sweetness of longan (Dragon’s Eye, a fruit similar to lychee). The complexity of this fragrance is stunning as its story unfolds on skin. Projection and sillage are soft and intimate. Perfumer Pan notes, “the world is filled with black tea and green tea perfumes, but I wanted to express the attraction of Taiwanese tea which has multiple layers of fragrances that change through the experience.”

Notes: Bi Luo Chun Green Tea, Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Tea, Lao Cha Oolong tea, Smoked Plum (prunus mume), Taiwanese Cedar, Taiwanese Hinoki Cypress, Taiwanese Camphor Tree

Bottle my own, opinions my own.

~ Rachel K. Ng, Senior Contributor

Aged Tea by Pan Seven

Pan Seven Aged Tea bottle, Photo courtesy the brand

We have a sample of Pan Seven Aged Tea for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader in the USA only, which is nearly impossible to find in the USA (if you are not sure if you are registered click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). Rachel will also include a very special sample of Taiwanese Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Tea so the winner can compare the real material!  To be eligible please leave a comment on this site with what strikes you about Pan Seven Aged Tea. Draw Closes 7/12/2023

Please spend time with Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen’s essential reporting on the 2022 Art and Olfaction Awards here.

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @rachel.k.ng @p.seven

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We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so “like” ÇaFleureBon and use our  blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

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19 comments

  • Giovannip says:

    I would say what grabs by my attention of this fragrance is that its unlike so many other Tea fragrance, and so complex than all the others.

  • Germaine says:

    Pretty amazing idea to get a sample of the actual raw material to try with the fragrance. Being an overall fan of tea scents this one sounds very nice and the aged tea concept is new to me…pretty cool.

    Gilbert AZ

  • tinab1181 says:

    I’ve been searching for a tea fragrance and this sounds delightful! If I don’t win, I’m definitely going to have to get a sample somewhere.

  • rachel says:

    Wow, a tea fragrance made by a master of tea and tea ceremony with all the knowledge and reverence for these materials sounds out of this world! I first discovered the complexity of tea when I spent a few years in the 90’s living in a zen monastery in California. This was way before Matcha lattes become commonplace in coffee houses in most cities. I loved learning the ritual and mindfulness the contemplation of tea in Japanese culture had. I would love to learn more about Taiwanese tea and this fragrance sounds like a wonderful gateway into that! Rachel had great taste and I trust her nose. Thank you for the wonderful review. In NY USA.

  • rmsssss says:

    I’ve been wanting to try Aged Tea ever since it won the Art & Olfaction Award! I love tea fragrances and stone fruits as well, and the combination sounds so unique and complex. I would love the opportunity to try a sample! Especially with the tea for comparison, as I love drinking tea as well. I’m in MN, USA.

  • castlemicro says:

    Hello from Florida, and thank you to Rachel for the review!

    I love Jin Xuan oolong — it’s so perfectly milky and delicate. It’d be a real treat to try a scent that incorporates these elements, so I’d love to smell Pan Seven’s Aged Tea.
    It’s also wonderful to have the chance to learn about the work of perfumers outside Europe and the United States.

  • Warren says:

    Thank you Rachel as I was curious about PanSeven Aged Tea when it won the art and olfaction award.
    It’s fascinating how perfumer Pan is a tea master and that the winner will be able to also experience the tea it was based on
    There’s no Usa store so I would love to win

  • amanna says:

    Oh my gosh – this fragrance sounds amazing!! I’m a huge tea nerd and have always been disappointed by the tea note in fragrances. It’s almost always generic “green tea” or “black tea” – but what does that mean?
    Good tea is specific, tied to terroir, season, tea master, etc. Pan Seven Aged Tea sounds like a good tea fragrance in that it does exactly that – grounds the tea in the wonderful Alishan terroir alongside two other very specific Taiwanese tea styles (yes, bilouchun is also made in China but the Taiwanese style is unique)…and then situates the tea amidst a Taiwanese forest of hinoki, camphor, and cedar. The fact that the third tea referenced in this composition is Taiwanese aged oolong blows me away – from my understanding, even within Taiwan this type of tea is very niche. It’s something special and precious.
    Finally, the inclusion of smoked ume is such a brilliant move! I remember eating those as a tea snack at a teahouse in Taiwan years ago. Conceptually, it brings the fragrance full circle – from the past, tea grown in the forest and mountain terroir, to the present, tea enjoyed by the drinker in a charming teahouse atmosphere.
    Best wishes from NJ, USA!

  • Ken White says:

    I’m a tea lover. I’d love to win this not only because of its description but because it’s so rare and would be a wonderful addition to my fragrance collection. New Jersey, USA

  • mdellaroc says:

    I love the scent of tea and am very attracted to perfumes with it as a not. I’m interested in this particular take on tea. It is nice so see such variety with the ingredient

  • mmerline says:

    Excellent review! The photo at the top immediately caught my attention—Pan Seven Aged Tea features a truly striking bottle. Pan Yuqing’s philosophy of perfumery is also compelling, exploring the olfactory aspects of Taiwanese tea in detail, and this sounds unlike any tea fragrance I’ve tried. Reading Rachel’s review of Pan Seven Aged Tea makes me want to try Bi Luo Chun green tea, Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong, and Lao Cha; I’d sip with a nose for the fresh grass and fruit notes, hints of vegetation, wild honey and toasted tea notes. The fragrance’s inclusion of smoked stone fruit alongside oolong’s bouquet sounds wonderful, especially in the complex aged tea drydown. I’d love to try this realistic tea perfume.

    I’m in the USA. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • selkienorr says:

    What an absolutely beautiful sounding fragrance, and an equally beautifully evocative review; I’ve learnt a lot! I’m in the UK so unfortunately can’t partake in the giveaway, but I definitely must buy a sample!

  • Christie says:

    That was so informative, Rachel! I loved hearing about the difference in the way that cultures enjoy tea drinking. Also, reading about the way that Aged Tea is made was fascinating.

    Pan Seven Aged Tea sounds like a unique experience. Like a peek into another culture. How can I not want to experience it?

    Tea scents have always been interesting to me. They are so meditative. When I feel like I want to center my mind. A tea fragrance is a favorite choice of mine.

    Thank you for the giveaway sample. It’s a great idea to share a bit of the actual tea to compare. I’m in Virginia, USA.

  • chrisskins says:

    Wow! Multi-layed tea from Taiwan with a sultry drydown – sounds beautiful. This creation sounds like it totally came from the heart and I’d love to try it. Thanks to Pam and Cafleurbon for the opportunity! I live in NY.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    Please enter me for the giveaway. Rachel’s review caused me to be under the impression that Pan Seven Aged Tea is something I have to try. I think that the aged Taiwanese tea in the fragrance is very interesting. I appreciate Rachel’s description of this fragrance, and it seems to have many enjoyable aspects to it. I like when Rachel says: “The complexity of this fragrance is stunning” and also when she says: “The long-lasting dry down is multifaceted and elegant”. I’m guessing it is multi-faceted because a lot of different ingredients are mentioned, and I’m under the impression that I would like all of its different aspects. I’m guessing that Rachel discovered this fragrance and that she liked it very much to the extent that she wanted at least one of the Cafleurebon readers to experience it too. I hope I get to try it. I live in MD, U.S.A.

  • Teresa C says:

    I’m loving this plethora of tea-related fragrances! This one sounds exceptional and the plum addition makes my mouth water. I adore those salty preserved plum candies and would love to smell a smoked plum in a fragrance. I live in the USA

  • dakota says:

    Amazing to see that translated into perfumery. In the review it was mentioned how often tea scents are skewed towards the surrounding environment, so I would love to try another take on it

  • Caliwas says:

    What strikes me about Pan Aged Tea* is that Lao Cha tea is age for decades as the Perfumer of Pan says, “the world is filled with black tea and green tea perfumes, but I wanted to express the attraction of Taiwanese tea..” the amazing giveaway. Greetings from the USA.

  • riley says:

    I can’t believe I found this post on the day the drawing closes! I’ve been semi-stalking P.Seven’s perfumes for months now, and happened to find your blog while googling them today as well.

    What strikes me about Aged Tea? Tea and perfume are two things I really love, so the combination of them here, in the particular way P.Seven seems to promise — elevated craftsmanship from a founder with feet in both the tea and perfume worlds; the focus on local Taiwanese tea, ingredients, and culture; the meticulous dedication to produce what I’ve read so many people describe as an unmatched multidimensional scent with tea truly at its fore — makes me really excited. Out of the different types of tea scents, aged tea in particular is one that intrigues me as being really rare and special. It’s a nod to a particularly rich and deep yet delicate tea; to preservation and tradition; perhaps even to an older era when tea turned empires and was indispensable to all the cultures that produced and consumed it. Past the basics, I don’t know much about Lao Cha (yet!) but what did come to mind was a Korean post-fermented tea called Chungtaejeon: small tea cakes strung up to dry in hanging rows and then fermented in pots in the ground. Chungtaejeon is now recognized as a luxury tea that was grown in the country’s most fertile areas, part of the tea tradition centered around Buddhist monasteries in the countryside, and perhaps offered to the king in yearly tribute. I imagine that Lao Cha’s history is related, and similarly complex and rich. To put that in a bottle..?

    So far, all of the tea scents I’ve found in the U.S. strike me as taking tea as a sort of sweet dessert note, or as inspiration meant as a background complement to other notes — often musky, smoky ones that drown out the tea entirely. The only exception I’ve come across is J Scent’s Roasted Green Tea. But that’s a Japanese brand and also hard to source in the States.

    In short, I’ve been looking for a way to get hold of this perfume for a while now without breaking my back on shipping fees, and was thinking that I might wait until I can afford to take a trip to Taiwan in a few years, who knows. (I’m a broke recent college grad who studied literature, with particular interest in Korean and East Asian studies.) So seeing this blog post and a chance to win a sample — or at least write a few paragraphs about tea and perfume — really unexpectedly made my day.