Suan Zao Shu village is one of the most remote villages in the Jinggu area, taking nearly 2 hours from Jinggu town to arrive there. The winding dirt roads stop about 5 kilometers before you arrive and the remaining distance must be traversed by foot. Suan Zao Shu village lies at an altitude of 1800 meters and is home to tea trees ranging in age from 50 years up to 400 years. Our Suan Zao Shu tea cake is made from tea leaves harvested 200-300 year old tea trees in the Li family tea garden. Suan Zao Shu tea is very strong in flavor, aroma and cha qi. The white tea processed version of this tea is fruit and honey with a light touch of umami tart. It has a thick mouth-feel, and a warming yellow-orange tea soup with tons of body! Why it’s special Old-arbor material (200–300 yrs): Thick, sturdy leaf from semi-wild trees gives depth, stamina, and a palpable energy. High mountain remoteness: Clean air and large day–night swings at ~1,800 m concentrate aroma and sweetness. Minimalist white-tea craft: Long wither and sun-drying preserve the downy tippy character and nuanced aromatics. Pressed for aging: Stone pressing keeps the large, intact sets whole, making storage tidy and evolution steady. Tasting notes Aroma: Wildflower honey, dried jujube/date, fresh hay, light broth/umami, white mushroom. Liquor: Pale gold deepening to light amber over steeps; silky-round, medium body. Flavor: Honeyed fruit (jujube, pear), sugarcane, meadow herbs; a tidy vegetal bitterness and a whisper of tang that add dimension. Finish: Long hui-gan with mouthwatering shengjin, soft mineral lift, and a centering cha qi that many find pleasantly “stupefying.” (Brewed leaves show the characteristic dark-olive hue; large, thick, stout-stemmed.) Origin & processing Village / Area: Suan Zao Shu, Jinggu, Yunnan (remote; final 5 km on foot) Elevation: ~1,800 m Trees: Old arbor (200–300 yrs) from the Li family tea garden Season: April 2025 Craft: Hand-picked • long wither • minimal handling (no kill-green, no roast) • sun-dried • stone-pressed Total production: 50 kg Wrapper design: Elena Marie Honzáková Format: 250 g per cake (7 cakes per bamboo-leaf tong) Brewing guide (Good water makes a big difference. Keep pours light early to highlight sweetness.) Gongfu (recommended) 5–6 g / 100 mL 90–98 °C (194–208 °F) Optional very quick rinse to awaken (don’t wash off the down). Steeps: 8–10+, starting 5s • 8s • 10s • 12s • 15s , then add gradually. Early steeps: honey/flower and soft broth; later: jujube fruit, gentle herb, clean bitterness. Western 3 g / 300 mL (10 oz) 90–95 °C • 2–3 min 2–3 infusions , adding 20–30s each round. Grandpa style 1–1.2 g / 100 mL 85–95 °C , top up as you sip. Ultra-easy, all-day honeyed meadow with a calm lift. Cold brew 6–8 g / 1 L , room-temp water; refrigerate 6–8 hours. Crisp pear, light honey, gentle herb, very low astringency. In Summary Caffeine: Medium-low to medium (gentle rise, steady focus) Storage & aging: Store cool, dry, odor-free, away from light; allow mild airflow. This style ages beautifully, deepening honey/jujube and smoothing the bitterness over 3–10 years+. Name: 2025 “Suan Zao Shu” Old Arbor White Tea Region: Jinggu, Yunnan (remote mountain village; final 5 km by foot) Elevation: ~1,800 m Trees: 200–300-year-old old-arbor Harvest: April 2025 Process: Traditional Yunnan white tea (long wither, sun-dried), stone-pressed Net weight: 250 g per cake (7 cakes per tong) Production: 50 kg total Wrapper: Artwork by Elena Marie Honzáková In short: A remote-mountain, old-arbor white tea from Suan Zao Shu honeyed fruit and meadow sweetness over soft broth and clean bitterness, finishing with a long, mouthwatering hui-gan and unmistakable cha qi stone-pressed and beautifully poised to age. Previous Yunnan Sourcing pressings of Suan Zao Shu are listed below: 2016 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2017 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2018 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2019 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2020 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2021 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2021 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2022 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor White Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Black Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory for 404 pesticides, and is within the EU MRL limits set for those 404 pesticide residues. For a full list of the 404 pesticides we tested for and more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link .
