RIPE (SHOU) PUERH and other DARK TEAS
We sell premium teas in 2oz packets unless otherwise specified - about 9-10 Gongfu tea sessions
2019 Bulang Shan Lao Cha Tuo "Tea Nuggets" - 2 oz
Lao Cha Tou, "Old Tea Heads" are compressed ripe puerh nuggets found at the bottom of the fermentation pile when the tea is sorted. Ultra creamy and smooth due to high heat fermentation, cha tou are enjoyed by ripe puerh lovers for their mouthfeel, flavor and longevity when brewing gongfu style. This cha tou is made from Bulang Mountain materials and has an easy Meghai flavor and very powerful yet subtle energy . Ready to drink now despite the young age, and great for thermos brews.
2019 Heng Tong Hao Imperial Gong Ting - 2 oz
This is a young puerh made from top Gong Ting (smallest) grade leaf, ready to drink now thanks to master level fermentation ! Thick, rich and deep with notes of unsweetened cacao and dried raisin. Can't go wrong here. Will get even more thick as it ages but a nice everyday shou that brews up well in the pot or thermos now. Made from 2016 materials, pressed in 2019.
2016 Menghai Da Yi "Hou De" - 2 oz
2016 was a good year for Menghai TF teas, so I bought into some. This lovely cake is a fine example of why they are considered to be masters of blending and fermentation. Rich, thick and smooth, ready to drink now. Hou De means "Beyond the Self" and certainly there is an ethereal feeling to be enjoyed while sipping this tea.
2016 Menghai Da Yi "Golden Fruit" - 2 oz
The wrapper is so beautiful, I had to check out this tea. Menghai Da Yi is one of the inventors of the wo dui (wet pile fermentation) process for ripe puerh and they know their business! Even though it is young, the soup has a wonderful smooth and thick mouthfeel, sweet and silky, with notes of chocolate, dried fruit (prune and persimmon) and a hint of ripe peach on the finish. It is ready to enjoy now but has a nice structure that will develop over time.
2015 NanJian TuLin 801 Ripe Tuocha - 100 gms each
This birdsnest ripe tuocha is a special proprietary recipe #801 from famous Nan Jian TuLin tea factory made with tippy WuLiang mountain materials. Dark, syrupy and sweet tea soup, thick and creamy!
2015 Menghai Da Yi 'Elephant Mountain" - 2 oz
Elephant Mountain is a rare Menghai Da Yi production that was last produced in 2005 with much acclaim and is a cake to collect. However, it is not to early to drink this special tea and savor its complexity. Menghai Tea factory makes so great teas and this is no exception!
2014 Yiwu Huang Pian "Golden Stout" - 2 oz
Huang Pian puerh is sort of coming into vogue these days with both ripe and raw puerh lovers. it was usually considered to be a "Farmer's Tea", being the least desired, largest grade leaf on the market, often made into teas the farmers kept for themselves. These large 'yellow' leaves grow up higher on the branch and are sometimes added to puerh recipes to add a little sweetness. But even this humble leaf can be made into a great tea if masterfully fermented, as proven by this brick. This tea kicks down the door with a tons of chachi and an impressive richness, with some mouthwatering jujube and maple sweetness found in some Yiwu teas.
This brick is made from Old Tree (Lao Shu) Xishuangbanna material.
Oh, and context is everything - "Huang Pian" also means another thing all together in Mandarin - if asking for it, know who you are talking to; don't mix them up!
2014 Tie Guo Li "Yin Yang" Dao Cake - 2 oz
This delicious cake is made of Spring, 60 year old wild arbor Menghai materials. This is a stout and burly ripe puerh with some chocolate and coffee notes and a nice, thick tea soup. If you are thinking of giving up the bean, give this a try.
2014 Menghai Imperial Big Tree Gold - 2 oz
2013 Haiwan Palace Tribute Gold Brick - 100 gm each
Elegant, sophisticated, Tribute brick from Haiwan Tea Factory. One of their showcase teas of the year made under the supervision of Mr. Zou Bing Liang. Drink now or put away in your collection to savor in the years to come. This is an iron brick so it will age well with its top notch gongting and golden tip grade Menghai materials.
2013 Lao Shu Pu Yuan Hao Golden Buds - 2 oz
This lovely premium old treecake is full of golden buds, lending it a lot of sweetness. Smooth and light with classic Menghai aroma and an almost sticky mouthfeel. Brews up dark and thick but never too strong. An easy shu pu for everyday drinking.
2012 Lao Man E Village Ancient Tree - 2 oz
2012 Yong De Old Arbor Loose Ripe - 2 oz
Medium body, clear burgundy soup, soft earthy, coffee, and camphor notes with full mouth feel. Grade 5 leaves yield a nice balance of richness and sweetness. A great everyday drinker!
2011 Premium Mengku Min Ripe Tuocha - 2 oz
2011 Long Yuan Hao "Yue Chen Yue Xiang" - 2 oz
Yue Che Yue Xiang means The More Age the Better Aroma. This lovely cake is medium pressed, made with average 7 grade (sized) leaf with some golden buds, and has a clean, dry scent. A light camphor aroma rises off the rinse and the soup is a dark amber color. Notes of prunes, deep roasted malt, fresh cream, sweet earth ,and light ginseng ring in the mouth with a nice, slippery texture that goes down easy. Some of LYH's teas are very good. I am happy with this find!
2011 Langhe TF High Mountain Menghai - 2 oz
2008 Zhang Wu Ming Meng Song Shan Ancient Tree 2oz
2010 Haiwan "Cinnamon Twig Aroma" - 2 oz
2010 Menghai Tai Xiang "Ancient Tree" 2oz
2010 Bulang Shan Golden Tips Old Tree - 2oz
2009 Rare and Wild Purple Bud Puerh Ripe 2oz
From our Rare and Wild Collection. Earthy and sweet with underlying jujube notes. A bit more earthy than our 18year Purple brick . Wild purple leaf tea as rare as the Camellia tea tree will give off only one purple leaf for every 30-50 green leaves. They absorb extra UV rays from the sun to protect the tree, thereby producing an amino acid and chemical profile different from regular tea leaves and considered to be more healthful. Drinking purple tea creates a relaxing, expansive state of consciousness suitable for meditation or socializing.
2008 Lan Cha Fang Menghai Tribute - 2oz
Premium Palace grade gong ting cake with lots of golden tips. Brews up rich, smooth, creamy and chocolatey, and has a bit of the prized orchid aroma . As soon as i tasted it, I bought more. My kind of shu pu. 'Nuf said.
2008 Nan Jian Tu Lin TF 903 Wuliang Shan Certified Organic - 2 oz
2006 'Dark Chocolate' Puerh Bar Ripe 100 gms
2006 Fu Hai TF 7576 602 - 2 oz
2006 Jing Mai Lao Shu "Old Tree" Gongting Puerh Ripe 2 oz
2006 Mengku Imperial Gong Ting - 2 oz
2006 CNNP Red Label Zhong Cha - 2 oz
Shou puerh lovers will be very happy with this lovely tea. There are a good amount of golden buds and small grade leaves mixed into this cake to give it a rich flavor and aroma that has stood up over the years. Its proper storage is evident. A full, juicy mouthfeel with a load of chocolate notes upfront, give way to a silky smooth sweet finish with hints of brulee. Good stuff.
2006 Pengchen TF Menghai Beauty - 2 oz
2005 Menghai Lao Cha Tou - 2 oz
Lao Cha Tou - or "old tea heads" - are the little, ultra-fermented knots of ripe puerh found at the bottom of the fermentation pile. Having not being tossed and turned with the rest of the loose tea in the 45 days or so of puerh fermentation, they were found nestled at the bottom where the heat cooked them a little longer. The result: more compression, extra creaminess and thicker mouthfeel, and extended brewing capacity.
These semi-aged, Menghai-sweet cha tou brew up a clear burgundy soup, with light camphor and malt notes. Smooth and mouth watering, so easy to drink! Pop one or two nuggets in a thermos or pot with boiling water and enjoy happy day of tea drinking.
2005 YPH Peacock Cake - 2oz
As elegant as a peacock.
2006 Hai Lang Hao "Gold Hai Lang" - 2 oz
2005 Menghai Gong Ting Loose Ripe - 2 oz
2004 Jinuo Shan Big Tree 'Farmer's Brick" - 2oz
2002 CNNP Hong Chang Ripe Puerh - 2 oz
Everything I am looking for in a ripe puerh. Very smooth, creamy thick, with deep silky richness and notes of dried prune, cacao and betelnut. Expertly crafted under the supervision of Mr. W X Bei at CNNP> This cake was commissioned by a tea house in Hong Kong. The leaves that comprise this cake are mostly large with some stalks; The richness and depth of this tea after 18 years exemplifies superior fermentation/wuo dui skills. of a tea master.
2018 Three Cranes Liu Bao 2503 - 50 gms
Liu Bao is a Hei Cha, or "dark tea", from Guangxi, China. Being a post-fermented tea it is similar to its cousin, Yunnan's shou puerh - but from a different tea varietal and Province. Nowadays, Liu Bao is fermented then aged in bamboo baskets for up to 3 years before being "released" to drink (this tea was fermented in 2015). Much like puerh tea, the older the better. However, this tea is delicious now and it is difficult to keep it stock for long; if you don't drink it, I will!. In the olden days, Liu Bao was shipped in great quantity to Malaysia as a ration for Chinese immigrant tin miners. Appreciated for its healthful, detoxifying and thirst quenching properties, Liu Bao tea was an essential ration provided along side their wages. When the tin industry dried up, the workers returned to China, leaving warehouses full of cheap Liu Bao to ripen for years in the hot and humid atmosphere, producing (by accident) what is now regardes as a connoisseur's tea. Some teas from the 1960's can for for more than a hundred dollars an ounce!
This Liu Bao is from one of the most famous producers, Wu Zhou Tea factory AKA Three Cranes TF, and is their 2503 recipe - a blend of teas of various fementation levels to produce a rich, satisfying cup with classic notes of betel nut, chocolate and mushrooms. Enjoy brewed Gong Fu style or in a pot with boiling water much like puerh tea..
2016 Anhua Ben Se Ju Tian Jian 2 oz
We are always on the hunt for unusual teas for our customers.
This wild, Spring Tian Jian hei cha from Hunan is made from handpicked leaves and buds and slow roasted in traditional style to create a complex and aromatic tea with powerful energy. Dried fruit, floral, tobacco, mineral notes are highlighted. Delicious!
2016 Wild Tian Jian Basket He Cha - 2 oz
This hei cha or "Dark Tea" from Hunan, China is made from hand plucked leaves and buds that are slow roasted over low temperature to create a full bodied and complex tea soup with a taste profile that falls somehwere in between an aged Sheng puerh and a Wuyi oolong.
2009 Wuzhou Liu Bao "Betelnut Aroma" - 50 grams
A delicious Liu Bao with a nice characteristic betelnut flavor and aroma! We picked up on notes of chocolate, camphor, star anise and sandalwood as well. Yum! Good tea. If no one buys it, we will drink it all no problem.
2009 Xinhua Qu Jiang Bao Pian Hei Cha - 6 pcs
This rare find from Hunan Province, China is a tea of old, re-invented by a researcher who combed through ancient books and visited village folk to save this tea from extinction. Premium materials from the Fengjia and Tianmen mountains are fermented and pressed into coin shapes that brew up a aromatic, flavorful tea. Stock is very limited!
Brew with boiling water in gaiwan for several steepings.
5 pcs (about 1 ounce)
Xinhua County, Hunan Province, China
2008 Anhua Bai Liang Hei Cha - 100 grams weight
Brew with boiling water or simmer the traditional way.
Anhui, Hunnan Province, China
2007 Yiyang Fu Zhuan Hei Cha - 2 oz
This 2007 Hunan Fu Zhuan is specially made for for the Tibetan "Po Cha", or Tibetan Butter tea. Leaves and small stems are coarsely chopped and pressed into traditional brick shape for transport. in Tibet and Mongolia, small amounts of tea are simmered for a time then poured into a churn called a dong mo along with hunks of Yak butter and a little salt and vigorously mixed until aerated and emulsified into a thick, delicious, nutrient-dense broth. Sometimes toasted barley flour or tsampa is stirred in by hand to make a light porridge.
Nowadays, unless you have a Yak in the back, we would use grass-fed butter and a blender (and I like to add a bit of 1/2 and 1/2). Some folks like sugar instead of salt. Either way, it is a delicious tea and good for the brain and energy levels. in fact Po Cha is the inspiration for the Bulletproof craze.
I bring thermos-fulls to work and even newbies love it!
Also delicious brewed up gongfu - style with boiling water. has a nice medicinal sweetness with straw and fungal notes.
Tibetan Po Cha:
1 1/2 T Yiyang Fu Zhuan
3 cups water
1 T grass-fed butter
1/4 c milk or 1/2 and 1/2
1/4 t good sea salt (or 1 t sugar)
Simmer tea in water for 30-45 minutes until reduced down to 2 cups. Strain into blender. Add milk, butter and salt or sugar. Blend (be careful, hot!). Pour into thermos and sip throughout day.
2003 Sun Yi Shun Liu An - 2 oz
Liu An is a wonderful, "hei cha" or "Dark tea" from Keemen County, Anhui Province in China. Made from a small leaf tea varietal that is fermented and then lightly baked over a wood fire. The tea is stored in a bamboo basket and it is traditional to add a piece of the bamboo along with Liu An for your steeping. Aroma is strong petrichor, and the soup is amber, super clean and syrupy sweet.
This tea is always delightful; i love pouring it for seasoned puerh drinkers and watching their reaction of suprise. i brew it gongfu-style with boiling 212 F water.