Gentle Giant 2022 Pasha Raw Puer

While this tea has all the power and might to sit you on your ass, it defies expectations with a refined and complex side as well. An initial roughness and kuwei (pleasant bitterness) are loud up front, but this tea settles down quickly, with the flavour remaining, like a long-lasting echo in the mouth. There is a nice huigan and lingering sweetness, but the early and mid portion of each sip highlight a savoury quality. Our experiences with this tea in its youngest state even yielded notes of wild mushroom. The difference quality of material makes is highlighted by a smooth and viscous texture that fills the mouth, along with an uplifting chaqi/energy. The environment for these trees is also exactly what we look for when working with new sources. Aside from spring picking, there is barely any human intervention on the land these trees grow on. Aside from lack of use of pesticides and fertilizer, that also means no weeding or picking during summer, fall or winter (not that anyone picks during winter anyway). We highly recommend trying this tea in comparison with our Great Expectations Pasha (qiaomu), which uses younger tree material from a similarly maintained environment. While this comparison emphasizes the subtle differences between quality of material, there is also a notable difference in terms of fragrance and experience. Picking period: Pre-April 3 $0.85/gram