SHU (COOKED) PUER - 2019 Bing Dao Ba Wai

This 2019 Shu Puer comes from the village of Ba Wai坝歪, one of the five famous tea producing villages collectively known as the Bing Dao Five Villages in Mengku Town, Lincang County,  southwestern of Yunnan Province. Ba Wai is renowned for having the most extensive and best-preserved stretches of ancient tea among the five villages. The village itself consists of only a few dozen households, sits halfway up a grand, towering mountain, surrounded by lush forests, with vast stretches of ancient tea gardens all around.

This Shu Puer has a distinctive expression of Ba Wai ancient tea gardens. The tea produces a thick, mellow liquor with strong tea energy and a deep, lingering aftertaste.  Upon opening the paper wrapping, the aroma is immediately released – rich and inviting, with a unique orchid-like fragrance, complemented by strong notes of wood, grains, and nuts. 

The flavour is vibrant yet mellow, rich yet smooth, with a distinctive structure that feels both steady and multidimensional. After swallowing the tea liquor, a delicate touch of bitterness enhances the natural sweetness and stimulates salivation, deepening the overall balance. Each sip is refreshing and pleasing, revealing the tea’s remarkable potential forfurther aging and transformation.

ORIGIN: Bing Dao Ba Wai Village, MengKu Town, LinCang county, Yunnan Province

ELEVATION: The ancient tea garden is located at an altitude of 1500 meters.

HARVEST AND PROCESSING: The tea is made from Mengku large-leaf variety tea trees, hand-picked in the spring 2019, and it then underwent a carefully controlled wet-piling fermentation process to develop its rich, mellow character. 

BREWING TIPS: 

Water & Preheat: Use 100°C water and preheat your teapot or gaiwan.

Rinse the Leaves:

• Loose leaves: 5 seconds
• Compressed leaves: 20 seconds
  Removes dust or small particles accumulate during storage, opens the leaves, and activates aroma and flavour.

Brewing:

• Light flavour: 5g / 100ml, 1:30 min first infusion
• Richer flavour: 8g / 100ml, 1 min first infusion
  The tea’s full character shines from the second infusion (around 1 min).

Subsequent Infusions: Repeat as desired, increasing infusion time as the tea weakens.

Vessels: A well-seasoned Yixing teapot is ideal, but a porcelain gaiwan works perfectly.