Bulang Old Tree 2011, Pu’er shu cha bing
$ 40.40 – $ 252.00
Stone 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.
Detail on the wrapping paper with the words “Compressed using a stone mortar”
茶香行私藏 2011 布朗古樹茶
 Natural liquorice root yields a smooth, calming sweetness. |
 The sweetness of a monk fruit is cooling, and minty in its own delicate way. |
Taste profile
Nose: My tea assistant says the aroma is rather like a walk in the garden. Indeed the usually procured adjective of “earthy” for shu pu’er isn’t nearly as descriptive as the idea of strolling down small fields of exotic plants and curious little flowers after the rain and under a clear sky. The overtone of “earth” is definitely there though, so the usual adjective isn’t out of place at all, just not enough.
Besides plants and flowers, that garden in her description must be lined also with small baskets of sun-dried longan and strawberries, perhaps a few bunches of raisins, and some truffles too.
Palate: The infusion is tactilely supple, made much lighter in impression because of the minty sweetness that underlies the smooth, full and yet very soft body. This minty sweetness comes as if from a very fine quality liquorice root blended with a little American ginseng and monk fruit. It cools and relaxes the palate for a very long time.
Infusion tips
If you prefer to be carefree with this tea, it is delicious with a wide tolerance of tea to water ratio and infusion time as long as you use near 100°C water and always blanch the leaves before the initial infusion.
A well aged shu pu’er made from a rich material like Bulang Old Tree can be made really dark and can still be smooth and supple. It’s only how dense a liquor your senses have been trained to receive.
To understand the tea’s more sophisticated profile, begin with 5g to each 100ml water for a lighter entry into the tea by infusing for 80 seconds. The beauty of the tea comes in after the second round, 110 sec infusion time.
Repeat for as many rounds as you please, but like any other shu pu’er, it does drop off a little sooner than sheng pu’er, which is logical considering the complex and arduous bio-chemical changes the leaves have to go through to offer such unique taste.
The unique sweetness of the tea does maintain throughout though.
There is no need for using a Yixing teapot for a well aged and well-made shu pu’er such as Bulang Old Tree. That is unless you are experimenting with higher leaf to water ratio to see how dense you can make this tea while maintaining a balanced palate.
Storage
We have stored this tea under our own controlled environment since production for the pristine condition of this product. Once you have broken the cha bing, it is advisable to keep the wrapping paper separately. Keep the discus in the foil bag that we ship to you with, or in any other similarly air tight container. Always touch the naked discus wearing gloves to make sure nothing else grow on that solid mass during storage.
Notes:
For a good comparative study between a shengcha and a shu cha, do taste this Bulang Old Tree against our aged Bulang Silver Spring.
Additional information
| Weight | 510 g |
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| Origin: | |
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| Pack options | 357 gram ( 12.6 oz ) single discus in original paper wrap, 7 discuses in original bamboo bark sleeve, net weight 2.5 kg |
| Infusion color: | |
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Reviews(1)
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Orchid Literati, Phoenix dancong oolong
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As a person continues to discover tea, sometimes finding one with subtle and yet complex fineness seems a lot more exciting than one with strong impressions. That is how we feel when we got hold of this. The locals aptly name it “Cao-lan” (Cymbidium goeringii), the rare orchid which ancient Chinese literati had revered for millenniums for its understated beauty and fragrance*. The long, sweet yet subtle taste and aftertaste of this tea echos the sentiments for the civilized persistence for humanity virtues of the classic eras. If you enjoy our Eight Immortals, Orchid Literati will take you to another level.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack 
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Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack 
Longjing Traditional Supreme, hand-roasted green tea
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Luan Guapian Supreme, traditional green tea
Cold Energy, Green teas, Huangshan & Anhui, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, TeaThe sweetness in a unique bitter green
Unlike other green teas that are prized for plucking early in Spring, leaves of Da Guazi need to be quite grown and spread in order to make a fine Luan Guapian. This gives the proper biochemistry that yields enough pectin for the tea's signature velvety texture and unique bitter character. This is possible only with a special local cultivar — Da Guazi — Big Melon Seed, hence the funny name. Some say it takes enough experience in life for a person to appreciate the bitterness in a food or drink. We think maybe it only takes a person with a truly sensitive taste faculty to understand and prize such a wonderful tea.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
This is a very clean and pristine shu, I’m surprised by both its general roundness and its specific nuances as well. It’s very approachable for newcomers and aficionados alike.
I’ve brewed this up pretty much every way it can be brewed up, from gong-fu style in a Yixing teapot using a 1:10 ratio all the way to a 24-hour long thermos brew using a 1:100 ratio, and water fresh off a rolling boil.
When I brew this up gong-fu style, it becomes more earthy – it reminds me of the aroma of an old-growth forest after a thunderstorm, it has something very addictive and primal about it and I find it very satisfying.
In a thermos, I find the cong wei becomes more focused after a long brew (12+ hours) – it’s a bit incense-like, with notes of moss, bark, and spices that gently lift up the rest of the flavor profile.
Regardless of how it’s brewed up, I always get notes of mint leaf, monk fruit, longan, dark cherries, and I’m sure the more I drink it the more I will discover.
I don’t drink very much shu pu’er but I’ll always have some of this around. The price is amazing… $40 for a cake of old-tree Bulang that has over 10 years of immaculate storage on it? Only at Tea Hong.