Sweet and musty with hints of plum.
PALATE
Broad and earthy.
3080
A "second crop" (er shui) tea picked during the months of June and July, this Pu-erh is characterized by fat, succulent leaves which have been pressed into small, convex bowl shapes called Tou cha, and is prized for its distinct, earthy flavour.
Each Tou cha is individually wrapped in paper, a style originating from the trading route of the Tuojiang River. Due to special processing, Pu-erh is low in tannins and has a characteristic earthy flavour. It is one of the few teas that gets better with age and is good for many infusions of the same leaves.
Famous as a medicinal tea, Pu-erh, a large-leafed tea from the Yunnan province, acquired its name from the market town of Pu-er where the tea was originally processed and sold. The leaves are grown high in the mountains and then labouriously carried in shoulder baskets down through the forests and into the town. They are most commonly formed into bricks or cakes and traditionally used as a form of currency.
YIELD 50 cups
PRICE $34.95
YIELD 200 cups
PRICE $104.85
Pu-erh has been drunk by the peoples of the Yunnan-Tibet border region since the Tang Dynasty. It is thought that Kublai Khan and his Mongolian invaders were responsible for introducing Pu-erh and the knowledge of its medicinal values to the rest of China.
The tradition of compressing Pu-erh teas probably originated when transporting Pu-erh along the ancient trade routes to Tibet and Northern China. Such compression made it more convenient to transport by horseback and reduced the damage that would otherwise accrue - the horseback motion would gradually grind and break the delicate tea leaves, resulting in higher oxidation and deterioration of the essential oils.
There is much talk about aging of Pu-erh, which has to be done in carefully controlled humidity, light, and airflow conditions. Although aged Pu-erhs have a complex, nuanced palate, we cannot guarantee the longevity and exact age of Pu-erhs past seven years. As such, our Pu-erh teas are only designated as seven-year vintage.
There is also great debate among Chinese tea connoisseurs as to the inherent value of aged Pu-erh with strong disagreements. As with all our blends, we judge raw materials (teas, herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits) first and foremost from a palate perspective. Short aging of Pu-erh results in darker liquor (similar to that of coffee) and a more mellow, plum-like character.
