Autumn 2023 harvest, big trees (Da Shu) Hints of smoke, powerful sweetness, intense mouthfeel, powerful Huigan An intense experience! Ba Ka Noy is located in the South of Menghai. The area seems to have a soil well-suited for puerh tea cultivation. It is populated with many famous tea mountains, from Hekai in the North, to Lao Man E in the South, and at the core of it, the village of Lao Banzhang. All the teas there are powerful, but they feature noticeable variations. Ba Ka Noy is a small Lahu village located in the South-West, in its ancient tea gardens lay a good amount of massive trees, which produce a particularly sweet tea with a cooling aftertaste. Unlike the neighbouring village of Lao Man E, the tea in Ba Ka Noy is not particularly bitter nor astringent. This is a tea that’s often sold labelled as Lao Banzhang, due to the proximity to the famous village, and a certain equivalence in terms of overall power. Yet, the tea from Lao Banzhang tastes different, Ba Ka Noy has an identity of its own, one of the sweetest teas you can get in Menghai area. The locals sell their tea in three qualities: small trees (Xiao Shu), big trees (Da Shu), and ancient trees (Gushu). Just like many villages in Banzhang area, the average size of the tea trees is much larger than in other mountains. This tea offers a deep experience. The processing is not as polished as what you’d get in Lao Man E or Lao Banzhang, and it gives a certain charm to this tea. It tastes like the Puerh teas you’d get ten years ago, and a tasting session will give a good amount of nostalgia to the seasoned Puerh tea drinker. You need to dedicate at least an hour to this tea. It takes a couple of brews to open up and demonstrate its full power. A cooling aftertaste build up in the back of the throat as the session goes. After a dozen brews, you’ll end up both energized and relaxed, with a complex fragrance lingering in your mouth. You can check our video on the Banzhang area to learn more about this village:
