Suan Zao Shu village is one of the most remote villages in the Jinggu area, taking nearly 2 hours from Jinggu town to arrive there. The winding dirt roads stop about 5 kilometers before you arrive and the remaining distance must be traversed by foot. Suan Zao Shu village lies at an altitude of 1800 meters and is home to tea trees ranging in age from 50 years up to 400 years. Our Suan Zao Shu tea cake is made from tea leaves harvested from 200-300 year old tea trees in the Li family tea garden. Suan Zao Shu tea is very strong in flavor, aroma and cha qi. The flavor is that of fruit with a honey-like sweetness and a touch of sour, as well as having a bitter and savory edge as well that adds to its depth. The aroma is hard to describe, brothy and mushroom-like. This tea has a very strong mouth-feel, returning taste (hui gan) and the cha qi is a bit stupefying (in a good way). The brewed leaves are mostly dark olive in color, large (in scale), thick and stout stemmed. Why it’s special Remote, high-mountain origin: Clean air and big day–night swings at ~1,800 m; access is on foot for the last stretch. True old-arbor material: Leaf from 200–300-year-old trees in the Li family garden—thick, sturdy, energy-rich. Traditional craft: Stone-pressed sheng to protect the mostly intact sets and encourage graceful aging. Tiny production: 60 kg total —a focused expression of this famous Jinggu site. Tasting notes Aroma: Wild honey, white mushroom/broth, fresh hay, dried jujube, light woodland florals. Liquor: Pale gold deepening toward light amber; bright clarity; medium body with a silken, mouth-filling texture. Flavor: Honeyed fruit with a touch of sour/tang , sugarcane, meadow herbs; tidy vegetal bitterness and a faint savory edge for depth. Finish & feel: Long, cooling hui-gan with persistent shengjin and a notable, “stupefying (in a good way)” cha qi . Origin & processing Village / Area: Suan Zao Shu , Jinggu, Yunnan (final 5 km on foot) • ~1,800 m elevation. Trees: Old arbor (200–300 yrs) , Li family garden. Season: April 2025 (first-flush spring). Craft: Hand-picked • sun-withered • rolled • sun-dried • stone-pressed . Form: 250 g cake ( 7 cakes per bamboo-leaf tong ) • Total production: 60 kg . Wrapper design: Elena Marie Honzáková . Quality note: Batch tested against 404 pesticides to EU MRL limits. Brewing guide (Great water helps. Keep the first steeps short to highlight sweetness and perfume.) Gongfu (recommended) 6 g / 100 mL 98–100 °C (208–212 °F) Quick rinse, then 5s • 8s • 10s • 12s • 15s , adding gradually for 10+ infusions . Early: floral–honey and cane sweetness; mid: greener herb and citrus pith; late: mineral and gentle wood. Western 3–4 g / 300 mL (10 oz) • 95–98 °C • 2–3 min 2–3 infusions , adding 20–30s each round. Favor shorter times to keep bitterness tidy. Grandpa style 1–1.2 g / 100 mL • 90–95 °C Top up as you sip. Calm, honeyed meadow with a clean green snap. Cold brew 8–10 g / 1 L • room-temp water • refrigerate 6–8 hours . Crisp florals, cucumber-mint cool, and a clean, sweet finish. Pairing & occasions Keep snacks neutral—plain nuts, mild crackers, fresh pear—so Suan Zao Shu’s perfume and structure take center stage. Ideal for focused gongfu sessions or comparative tastings with your Suan Zao Shu white or black pressings. In Summary Caffeine: Medium Storage & aging: Store cool, dry, odor-free, away from light; allow normal airflow. This cake is poised for steady development over 3–10+ years as bitterness mellows and honey/jujube deepen. Name: 2025 “Suan Zao Shu” Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh (Sheng) Region: Jinggu , Yunnan (remote mountain village; final 5 km on foot) • ~1,800 m Trees: 200–300-year-old old-arbor (Li family) Harvest: April 2025 Process: Traditional sheng; stone-pressed Net weight: 250 g per cake ( 7 cakes per tong ) Production: 60 kg total Wrapper: Artwork by Elena Marie Honzáková In short: A remote-mountain, old-arbor Suan Zao Shu sheng—honeyed fruit and meadow sweetness over savory–brothy aromatics, tidy green bitterness, and a long, cooling hui-gan with commanding cha qi —stone-pressed and produced in tiny quantity. Previous Yunnan Sourcing pressings of Suan Zao Shu are listed below: 2016 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2017 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2018 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2019 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2020 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2021 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2021 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2022 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor White Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Black Tea Cake 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Autumn Suan Zao Shu" Old Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory for 404 pesticides, and is within the EU MRL limits set for those 404 pesticide residues. For a full list of the 404 pesticides we tested for and more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link .
