We have enjoyed a good relationship with Changtai since we first started selling tea. We have bought and sold a lot of tea from them including the "Top of the Clouds" and "Memorial". We tried this 2007 offering this year and were quite pleased with it. We bought what we could and are making it available to you now. It is a great value. This tea is in a great place age-wise right now. It brews up with a gorgeous deep caramel color. In the early steeps it has enough bitterness and astringency to keep things interesting. It is very smooth with a thick menthol cooling in the throat. The aromas are fantastic. It has all the woodsy, musty, earthy, aged aromas you hope for in a sheng with some age. This aged sheng puerh comes from the Yunnan Changtai Tea Industry Group. They have been in the puerh business since the late 90's. This 100 gram mini tuo is called "Menghai Cha Tuo". The shape is reminiscent of a birds nest and is called "tuo cha". It has been in use in China for a very long time. Some consider this shape to be superior because you get a large surface area in a small package. Others contend that air gets trapped in the pocket which helps with aging. This tea been stored in hot, humid Xishuangbanna until recently. They are now stored in Kunming. Brewing Instructions Use 5-10 grams of leaves and brew with 75-150ml ( 2.5-5oz ) of water at or near boiling. Rinse once for a few seconds. Start with quick steeps under 10s. With each re-steep adjust the steep time to your taste. Enjoy!
