A late-comer out of our 2016 Spring teas, this Mang Fei raw puer is a highly fragrant and enjoyable tea, with a pleasant floral scent. The texture is rich and thick, making this tea an excellent value for those seeking a higher tier of young raw puer that doesn’t break the bank. There is a very nice huigan (sweet aftertaste), but is not one we would consider an overall “sweet” puer, especially compared to some other Lincang region productions. It also has some gentle bitterness and astringency, but is not overly bitter or rough. It’s safe to say that this is a well balanced tea with a noticeable and uplifting cha qi/energy. TMBA comes from relatively old trees in in the 80-100+ year old range. Trees older than this are fairly uncommon in the area, and those that remain have been severely cut down and left to regrow as a result of activities during the Cultural Revolution. There are several theories of origin for the name “Mang Fei”. The most plausible is that this name was ascribed to the area by the ancient Bang Lang people and originally meant “fertile land”. The area is known for producing many other crops besides tea. When converted to Chinese characters (忙肺), the name oddly ends up meaning “busy lung”. While we assure this tea won’t leave you short of breath, it can very well take it away, so to speak. Click here for more information about this tea and brewing instructions. $0.26/gram
