Cultivar: Old arbor puerh

Harvested by hand: Spring 1990

Origin: YiWu Mountain, Yunnan, China

Process: raw, sun dried, loose.

One of the advantages of the loose form is that there are many whole leaves to be found. This makes studying the origin, type and quality of the leaf material easier. It's also easier to prepare small samplers. And the price per gram is also lower than for pressed cakes, because it comes without any wrapping paper and neifei. It's like a 'no label' product. (Unfortunately, even mao cha, loose leaves, have seen their prices rise sharply in recent years). The result is a very clear and clean cup of light brown tea. This is a sign that this puerh has been stored in a pretty dry place. Also, there are no wodui, fermentation smells. The camphor and old wood scents are sweet and bright. The taste is deep and pure, sweet and long. So long that it remains in my mouth until my next cup! The tea's energy is potent, warm and harmonious. The mouth is cool and clean. It feels young and old at the same time! I would wish that it would feel even older: a more refined, concentrated taste and darker scents. In 10 years? Only the slow passing of time can preserve the incredible energy of this tea. Attempts to hasten the aging end up diminishing the tea, destroying what makes it so wonderful. Phil Collins sang 'You can't hurry love'! You can't hurry aging raw puerh either! At 24 years, these leaves still feel and look very young. They all open up after brewing. The buds and small leaves almost turn green again, while the big, mature leaves and stems are dark brown.