Spring 2018 Ao Ne Me Neglected Gardens

Old gardens (40-100 years old) near Ao Ne Me Village, Ai Lao Shan, Yunnan Picked in April 2018, first flush Hand-processed in Wang Qing Cong's factory Available in 357g pu-erh tea cakes If you've watched this youtube video (https://youtu.be/DSBj92BDSg4), you will be familiar with this tea's story. Wang Qing Cong makes tea in a village of Ai Lao Mountain, in the center of Yunnan. We've sold his Ao Ne Me tea since 2018, they come from big trees that he manages, with organic fertilization, soil tilling, pruning and weeding. He also sources leaves from a village nearby, but the farmers there don't want to listen to him! They don't take care of the gardens as he would like them to do, because they lack of workforce. The gardens are younger, the trees not as big as in Ao Ne Me village. But these gardens are not fertilized, the soil is not tilled and pruning and weeding are minimal. Wang Qing Cong thinks this tea is inferior to the Ao Ne Me tea due to this difference of practices. Compared to the Spring 2019 Ao Ne Me, we find this tea having less Cha Qi, which might be due to the smaller size of the trees, but being more straightforward, a bit more punchy and expressive in the first brews. Consider that these two teas have a similar terroir, the difference is in the age of the trees and in the agricultural techniques. You are the judge.