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Old Comrade “7548” 2007, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 52.10 – $ 347.0045 years of refined tea mastery
When I first entered Zao Bing Liang’s tasting room, the air is filled with the freshness of the aroma of maocha. Bags of samples from newly collected loose leaves lined up in rows, each marked with a numeric code. The teas were trucked in from the various mountains in the region. Some maybe less than 30 minutes away, others can be a full day. Yunnan is over 10% larger even than the whole of Germany and tea trees exist in almost all of its mountains. Some of these maochas are from highly sought after famous villages or mountains, which will be individually made into products carrying their origin names to demand very high market prices. A new discus from Ban Zhang, for example, can easily be fetching thousands of dollars. Aged ones are even much pricier. Yet there are more others from not as highly demanded origins, but also taste worthy. That’s where Zao’s “formulae” come in. Since the 1970’s, the old master has developed a number of recipes for ganging up harvests from origins of lesser known names for more affordable delicious teas. 7548 is the code name for his most prized and classic shengcha formula. These bags of samples in lines were there for the old master to finalise which batches and what proportion for the mix. He does that every harvest, for every product. Presenting the 7548 cha bing from Lao Tong Zhi ( ie Old Comrade ), Master Zao’s very own tea brand. Batch 701 is the first batch of year 2007. That means the best of the year and matured till now. It is a prime product of old Master Zao’s passion for bringing quality to more people without the price tag of premium origin labels.
There are two product variants to choose from:
A single discus of 357g net weight in the original paper wrap, or a traditional vending form of 7 cha bings bundled in a bamboo sleeve, net weight totalling 2.5 kg.
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Bulang Old Tree 2011, Pu’er shu cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Warm Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 40.40 – $ 252.00Stone Mortar Pressed Shu Cha Bing
Post-fermentation in pu’er production is like black tea processing in that it gives sweetness, roundness and body to a tea, although it is a far more specialised, time-consuming and difficult method to master. The result, however, is a shu cha possible of a far more complex and intriguing taste profile. To achieve that, we need to begin with a good raw material. That’s where the old tea tree forests in Bulang Mountain comes in. The diversity in these wild growing trees and the deep rich soils they grow in offer leaves that are not only rich in polyphenols, but also minerals and amino acids that are the prerequisites for an outstanding tea. That is why the subregion is one of the most renowned in Yunnan. Tea Hong has selected a very small workshop who respects the process so much that they even manually compress the post-fermented tealeaves using traditional style stone mortars rather than a pneumatic press. Their mastery results in a very firmly formed cha bing with a deep full body. Presenting Tea Hong’s Bulang Old Tree 2011. Handpicked first flush painstakingly post-fermented for 75 days before compression. Den matured at Tea Hong for those who want a lot from their shu cha pu’er.
There are two product variants to choose from:
A single discus of 357g net weight in the original paper wrap, or a traditional vending form of 7 cha bings bundled in a bamboo sleeve, net weight totalling 2.5 kg.
Please click below to see either options. -
Lao Ban Zhang 2016, aged Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 64.40 – $ 408.00Renowned origin harvest by a small producer
Lao Ban Zhang is one of the, if not the most sought after origin for premium pu’er. Rather like pursuing a rare wine, people don’t expect a sweet or easy palatial experience but one with character and strength. The tea is known for its long lasting linger. Some refer to it as “cha qi”. A really good one from the “old estate” costs a crazy fortune nowadays. Yet one from a good fringe area by a small workshop can be a lot more accessible. Let us know how you like this compared with other pu’ers.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Bing Dao 2014, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 81.00 – $ 515.00Stone-pressed first flush from old trees
Old native tea trees populate the rich forests in Lincang, a revered sub-region in Yunnan. Productions from the most famous mountains here almost always come from inside an area called Mengku. One mountain is Bing Dao, which is in fact the name of a lake 1400 meter above sea level. Mountains surrounding this long stretch of water, enriched by the ecology, yield tea leaves rich in minerals and amino acids. Bing Dao is not famous for floral nor fruitiness, but for the power and length of its “cha qi” — tea energy. Tea Hong’s house matured Bing Dao is a top quality representation of the name at an exceptionally friendly price. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
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Tea Taster’s Box: Shengcha Pu’er Cha Bings
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Pu'er teas, Tea, YunnanIf perhaps breaking that beautifully formed tea discus is a little too harsh for your sensitivity, or a bit too inconvenient for your precious teatime, we are doing the job for you; Tea Hong’s Shengcha Pu’er Cha Bings Tea Taster’s Box is a collection of 4 of our tea discuses each in a 30 gram package in small chunks. Now you can sample our most prized Pasha 2013 plus three others high price varieties at the price of an average cha bing. Since we break one piece of each at a time by hand so as to keep the chunks freshly chipped, there are 9 packs only each time. Be prepared for sudden out of stock until we can do the chipping again. Have fun tasting! Contents: 4 packs of chipped cha bing, approx 30 g net weight each pack, in corrugated card box$ 59.80 -
Shenshan Laoshu 2012, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 59.00 – $ 374.00Deep Mountain Old Trees
There are harvests from less than famous areas that can be taste worthy. That is why each producer has their own products carrying more generic names as “Deep Mountain Old Trees”, and sell them at much lower price than those with names from more sought after mountains. Some are better value than others. To me, I think this Shenshan Laoshu from Huimin Tea Factory is worth at least three times its ticket value for a body and aroma worthy of a place in the famous mountain rank. It is actually one the best generic name discus we have ever tasted, regardless of the price. One reason they can do that is their collection points spreading deep in Lincang, an area famous for its many famous tea mountains. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 280.00 – $ 1,813.00Zou Bing Liang’s master piece
In the first decade of my tea career I used to neglect shengcha puer as an over-hyped lot. Poor products flooded so much of the market that the category alienated itself from me as a tea lover. Pasha changed all that. Its beautiful complexity converted me. From there on I have made a conscious effort in screening true gems amidst crowds of trite. ( Isn’t that true in all other tea varieties as well?) Shengcha from various subregions now has earned a place in my own repertoire. That from Pasha, however, is still my most preferred. Master Zou’s ( Lao Tong Zhi ) team has certainly done a very good job in making this cha bing. This batch was exactly the same one that I tasted in his workshop in Yunnan and when I was converted and decided that I would carry the tea. These years of maturing have most wonderfully brought more depth and body to both the aroma and taste. We have set it at the lower market price available anywhere in the hope that more can experience this amazing tea. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings. If you are interested, a loose leaf Pu'er shengcha also from Pasha is available in the shop: Pasha Old Tree
Net weight per discus: 500 g (17.6 oz)
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Yiwu Zheng Shan 2018, Aged Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 130.00 – $ 810.00Huimin authentic old tree series: Mount Yiwu proper
This aged Yiwu may present itself a little softer in the start, but its energy lingers and grows, alive beyond the taste faculty. Yiwu maybe known as one of the softest in the shengcha category, yet properly infused, it can actually be quite powerful. Originated in the deep mountain ranges along the border with Laos, where the weather can be as unpredictable as the wild life one may encounter, the biochemistry of the leaves is as lively and interesting to learn. There are people who prefer this tea quite fresh, but in our opinion it is better aged for a few years. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Bulang Peacock 2018, aged Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 39.00 – $ 238.00A Xishuangbanna classic
Some believe that tea originated in an area bordering Yunnan, Laos and Myanmar. Bulang Mountain lies in the middle of that within the province of Yunnan on the southern tip of an area called Xishuangbanna. Shengcha from this area is rich with flavours and not overtly strong. We have picked a good value production as an optional entry point for exploring this category of tea. Southern Yunnan is also home to the peacock, the beautiful bird that the indigenous tribes love as a symbol of grace and peace. A good tea is exactly that.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack:
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