Black Velvet 2021 Laos Ripe Puer

If you’re looking for a unique shou puer, then you’re in luck. This tea offers just that, with a smooth (dare we say velvety ) texture, stonefruit sweetness, a nice huigan, and even floral notes that are uncommon for ripe puer. This tea’s impressive results are owed to the combination of using Laos Guogan (a tall varietal of tea tree also found in Yiwu area), that was both processed by Chinese producers and brought to Menghai for proper fermentation. One of the common issues with border teas (puer-style teas originating outside of Yunnan) is that while the source material and environment can be excellent, there is often a gap in processing expertise, delivering a tea short of it’s potential. This is not always the case, nor a knock on border teas, but has been our experience in many instance. $0.17/g