What happens when you skillfully blend Wild Purple "Ye Sheng" Raw Pu-erh tea from with wild arbor ripe pu-erh tea from Mengku? You get something delicious, powerful and complex that is the best of both worlds. It has sweetness of a good ripe pu-erh, it has the umami and savory character of wild purple raw tea and the bitterness of both raw and ripe. The tea is thick and lubricating in the mouth and there is a slight lingering bitterness that transforms into a pleasant mouth-watering sweetness long after the tea has been enjoyed. Cha Qi is powerful but not overwhelming. The wild purple "ye sheng" tea was wild harvested in the Xiao Hu Sai area of Mengku and is Spring 2016 harvest. The ripe tea comes from Mengku's Da Hu Sai village and grows naturally from trees and bushes between 40 and 80 years. The tea was taken to Menghai where it underwent wet piling under the direction of a well-known and skillful wet piling master. The ripe tea is 2015 harvested and 2015 wet piled. It was allowed to age for a year before pressing. The aging prospects for this tea are really exciting. We have many examples of past raw and ripe blends in the world of pu-erh and several have become famous (like the famous "Purple Heaven" bricks and cakes from the 80's and 90's). I created this tea because it's delicious to drink now and encompasses the things I like about raw and ripe pu-erh. The blending is harmonious and there is no need to wait to drink this tea, as it's enjoyable right now for those who are not faint of heart! August 8th, 2016 Pressing 357 grams per cake (7 cakes per bamboo leaf tong Wrapper Design by Meghan Albers (USA)! https://www.meghanalbersdesign.com/#/yearofthemonkey/ This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory for 191 pesticides, and is within the EU MRL limits set for those 191 pesticide residues. For a full list of the 191 pesticides we tested for and more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link .
