BULANG DAN ZHU GU SHU SHENG CHA
BULANG SHAN ANCIENT SINGLE TREE
SHENG (RAW) PU'ER
Bulang Shan, Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
1998 Bulang Dan Zhu Gu Shu Sheng Cha is a raw Pu'Er tea produced from single-tree old tea material growing in the Bulang mountain area of Yunnan province, one of the most respected terroirs for powerful and long-aging Sheng Cha. Hand-harvested and traditionally processed, this tea reflects the combination of mature tree material, mountain ecology, and more than two decades of natural aging and transformation. The infusion is deep, dense, and highly energetic, offering pronounced minerality, refined bitterness, returning sweetness, woody and medicinal nuances, and a long, cooling aftertaste with exceptional mature complexity. MORE
250 g brick
AROMA
Woody
TASTE
Woody
300+ years old tree
Hong Kong Traditiona/Natural Storage
HARVEST: Spring, 1998
SHENG (RAW) PU'ER
Bulang Shan, Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China
1998 Bulang Dan Zhu Gu Shu Sheng Cha is a raw Pu'Er tea produced from single-tree old tea material growing in the Bulang mountain area of Yunnan province, one of the most respected terroirs for powerful and long-aging Sheng Cha. Hand-harvested and traditionally processed, this tea reflects the combination of mature tree material, mountain ecology, and more than two decades of natural aging and transformation. The infusion is deep, dense, and highly energetic, offering pronounced minerality, refined bitterness, returning sweetness, woody and medicinal nuances, and a long, cooling aftertaste with exceptional mature complexity. MORE
250 g brick
AROMA
Woody
TASTE
Woody
300+ years old tree
Hong Kong Traditiona/Natural Storage
HARVEST: Spring, 1998
SHENG PU'ER is a traditional post-processed tea made from sun-dried tea leaves that continue to evolve naturally through slow fermentation and aging over time. Thanks to minimal processing and its living microbial ecosystem, this type of tea retains a rich concentration of polyphenols, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, aromatic compounds, and other bioactive substances that gradually transform as the tea matures.
Unlike most tea categories, Sheng Pu'Er continues to develop for decades after production, with aging enhancing its complexity, smoothness, and depth while reducing bitterness and astringency. It is believed that regular consumption of Sheng Pu'Er may support cardiovascular health, contribute to healthy cholesterol metabolism, assist the body's natural antioxidant defenses, and promote healthy digestion. Traditionally, Sheng Pu'Er has also been appreciated for its invigorating Cha Qi, its ability to enhance mental clarity and concentration, support physical vitality, and create a balanced state of energy, calmness, and overall well-being.
Unlike most tea categories, Sheng Pu'Er continues to develop for decades after production, with aging enhancing its complexity, smoothness, and depth while reducing bitterness and astringency. It is believed that regular consumption of Sheng Pu'Er may support cardiovascular health, contribute to healthy cholesterol metabolism, assist the body's natural antioxidant defenses, and promote healthy digestion. Traditionally, Sheng Pu'Er has also been appreciated for its invigorating Cha Qi, its ability to enhance mental clarity and concentration, support physical vitality, and create a balanced state of energy, calmness, and overall well-being.
Learn more about the BIOCHEMISTRY OF A TEA LEAF
SEED-GROWN TEA PLANT
This tea refers to a Qunzi Zhong, a "seed-grown tea plant". Unlike cloned or asexually propagated cultivars, which are created by cuttings or grafting from a single "mother" plant, Qunzi Zhong tea trees are grown from seeds. This results in a genetically diverse population of plants. Each seed-grown tea tree is unique, with slightly different characteristics. This genetic variety helps improve the resilience of the tea garden, making it more resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental stress. Seed-grown trees usually develop stronger and deeper roots than cloned plants, allowing them to draw nutrients and minerals from deeper soil layers, often giving the tea a more complex and rich flavor profile. Qunzi Zhong represents the traditional way of tea cultivation. Because of the genetic diversity, teas made from Qunzi Zhong plants tend to offer more layered and nuanced flavors, reflecting a richer expression of the local terroir (soil, climate, and environment).
WILD TEA
Wild tea refers to plants that grow naturally in the forest or mountains without human planting, pruning, or care. These trees are very old, deeply rooted in the earth, and part of a diverse natural ecosystem. These are tall, old trees, some more than 100, 300, or even 1000+ years old, rooted deep into mineral-rich soil, thriving in diverse ecosystems. Wild tea trees grow tall and strong, with roots reaching deep into the earth. This allows them to absorb various minerals, creating complex, full-bodied flavors that change with each harvest. Growing in remote forests, these trees are untouched by pesticides or fertilizers. Many tea lovers say wild teas carry a unique energy, a grounding, calming, and sometimes uplifting presence. This is believed to be the "Qi" of the mountains, the life force of ancient trees, passed into the leaves. Wild tea is often high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and minerals. Because these trees grow slowly and absorb nutrients naturally, their leaves produce clean, nourishing brews that are gentle on the body but rich in effect.
Learn more about Pesticide-Free Gardening
EASTERN (PIN CHA) ★
Temperature: 99 °C
Amount: 3-5 grams per 120 ml of water
Steeping: 10-30 sec x 7+
WESTERN (INFUSION)
Temperature: 99 °C
Amount: 2-3 grams per 250 ml of water
Steeping: 1-2 min x 3
Learn more about TEA BREWING METHODS
Tea absorbs surrounding aromas and moisture. This type of tea oxidizes when it comes into contact with oxygen and loses its properties, including taste and aroma. Store it in a dry and cool place in airtight packaging. Avoid direct exposure to the sun and high temperatures.
BEST BEFORE: 2 years since production date!
*Suitable for long-term aging. Under proper storage conditions, the tea may gradually develop increased depth, smoothness, and complexity.
BEST BEFORE: 2 years since production date!
*Suitable for long-term aging. Under proper storage conditions, the tea may gradually develop increased depth, smoothness, and complexity.
Learn more ABOUT TEA STORAGE
ABOUT
1998 Bulang Dan Zhu Gu Shu Sheng Cha is an exceptionally rare raw Pu'Er tea produced as a private production from single-tree spring harvest material sourced from a tea tree estimated to be approximately 300 years old growing in the Bulang Shan area of Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. Produced using traditional Sheng Cha techniques, this tea reflects the combination of highly limited old tree material, powerful mountain terroir, and more than 25 years of careful natural maturation. Traditional processing methods including careful hand-harvesting, pan-firing, sun-drying, and stone pressing preserve the integrity, energetic depth, and long-term transformation potential of the leaf material.
The designation Dan Zhu refers to tea produced from a single individual tea tree rather than blended garden material, a category especially respected among experienced Pu'Er tea lovers and collectors for its unique and highly individualized character. Tea material from old single trees is valued for its concentration, energetic depth, mineral structure, and highly layered aromatic evolution developed through centuries of uninterrupted ecological growth. Combined with spring harvest material, this tea expresses exceptional structural clarity, persistence, and complexity rarely encountered in standard commercial Sheng Pu'Er production.
An important part of this tea’s transformation comes from long-term Hong Kong Traditional Storage followed by continued natural aging over more than two decades. The warm and humid Hong Kong environment accelerated the integration of youthful bitterness and promoted the development of deeper woody, medicinal, resinous, camphor-like, and mineral characteristics associated with mature aged Sheng Pu'Er. Continued natural storage allowed the tea to stabilize further while preserving clarity, energetic character, and structural precision. Today, this tea represents a highly collectible and exceptionally limited Sheng Pu'Er intended primarily for real tea connoisseurs and experienced collectors seeking mature old-tree material with profound depth and long-term transformation history.
TERROIR
The Bulang Shan area of Menghai, Xishuangbanna, is one of the most historically important and respected terroirs in the world of Sheng Pu'Er tea, internationally recognized for producing teas with exceptional structure, energetic depth, and long-term aging potential. Tea gardens and old tea tree environments in this region are generally situated at elevations ranging from approximately 1500 to 1900 meters above sea level, where warm subtropical conditions combine with dense forest ecosystems, humid mountain air, abundant rainfall, and rich biodiversity. These environmental conditions contribute directly to the tea’s pronounced minerality, powerful bitterness, dense texture, and strong returning sweetness.
The mountain soils of Bulang Shan are rich in minerals and organic matter, with stable moisture retention and excellent natural drainage. Old tea trees growing in these environments develop extensive root systems that penetrate deeply into the mountain terrain and interact with multiple soil layers accumulated over centuries of ecological development. In the case of single-tree Dan Zhu material, this uninterrupted interaction between one mature tree and its surrounding ecosystem creates a highly individualized expression of terroir, contributing to exceptional concentration, structural precision, and aromatic depth.
Dense forest vegetation and humid mountain conditions support relatively slow and balanced leaf development while protecting the tea trees from excessive environmental stress. Frequent mist and cloud cover moderate direct sunlight exposure, helping preserve aromatic freshness and complexity within the leaves, while periods of stronger mountain sunlight contribute to concentration and powerful polyphenol structure. This balance between altitude, humidity, biodiversity, and mountain climate produces teas with strong body, pronounced energetic character, and exceptional transformation capacity through long-term aging.
The spring harvest period plays a particularly important role in the final character of this tea. After winter dormancy, the first spring leaves develop slowly and accumulate concentrated aromatic compounds, balanced amino acid content, and refined structural depth while maintaining freshness and energetic clarity. Combined with mature single-tree material and the mountain ecology of Bulang Shan, these conditions produce Sheng Pu'Er with remarkable persistence, mineral complexity, and profound long-term aging potential highly valued among experienced collectors and tea connoisseurs.
ORGANOLEPTICS
The dry leaves are large, mature, and deeply aged, displaying dark brown, olive, and copper tones characteristic of long-matured old tree Sheng Pu'Er. Their appearance reflects traditional processing, decades of natural transformation, and careful storage while preserving the integrity and dense structure of the leaf material. The aroma of the dry leaf is exceptionally deep, concentrated, and highly integrated, combining notes of aged wood, medicinal herbs, dark resin, humid forest tones, warm minerals, old books, camphor, and subtle dried fruit sweetness. In a preheated gaiwan or teapot, the aroma becomes significantly richer and more layered, revealing additional notes of incense-like woodiness, tree bark, herbal medicine, dark honey, soft spice, humid earth, and cooling camphor-like freshness. After the rinse, the leaves fully awaken and the aromatic profile becomes increasingly smooth and profound, balancing woody maturity, mineral depth, medicinal complexity, and refined returning sweetness.
The liquor is clear and bright, with a deep amber-red tone reflecting more than two decades of traditional aging and transformation. The aroma of the infusion is mature, layered, and exceptionally persistent, combining warm minerals, aged wood, medicinal herbs, resinous notes, humid forest nuances, dried fruits, dark honey, and pronounced cooling camphor-like freshness. The texture is dense, thick, and highly coating, showing remarkable concentration and structural integration developed through long-term maturation. Initial bitterness remains present yet fully refined and controlled, gradually transforming into exceptionally strong Hui Gan, deep returning sweetness that develops continuously throughout the palate and throat. Layers of aged wood, herbal medicine, warm minerals, resin, incense, dried fruits, forest humidity, and cooling sensations continue evolving throughout the session while maintaining extraordinary balance between maturity, energetic depth, complexity, and clarity.
The aftertaste is exceptionally long, cooling, and deeply persistent, with returning sweetness and mineral freshness remaining in the throat and mouth long after drinking. As the tea continues to open, the structure becomes increasingly integrated, soft, and expansive while preserving its powerful Bulang mountain identity and profound aged complexity. In the empty cup, the aroma remains warm, dense, and highly expressive, revealing lingering notes of aged wood, medicinal herbs, resin, dark honey, humid forest tones, incense, dried fruits, and pronounced camphor undertones.
1998 Bulang Dan Zhu Gu Shu Sheng Cha is an exceptionally rare raw Pu'Er tea produced as a private production from single-tree spring harvest material sourced from a tea tree estimated to be approximately 300 years old growing in the Bulang Shan area of Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. Produced using traditional Sheng Cha techniques, this tea reflects the combination of highly limited old tree material, powerful mountain terroir, and more than 25 years of careful natural maturation. Traditional processing methods including careful hand-harvesting, pan-firing, sun-drying, and stone pressing preserve the integrity, energetic depth, and long-term transformation potential of the leaf material.
The designation Dan Zhu refers to tea produced from a single individual tea tree rather than blended garden material, a category especially respected among experienced Pu'Er tea lovers and collectors for its unique and highly individualized character. Tea material from old single trees is valued for its concentration, energetic depth, mineral structure, and highly layered aromatic evolution developed through centuries of uninterrupted ecological growth. Combined with spring harvest material, this tea expresses exceptional structural clarity, persistence, and complexity rarely encountered in standard commercial Sheng Pu'Er production.
An important part of this tea’s transformation comes from long-term Hong Kong Traditional Storage followed by continued natural aging over more than two decades. The warm and humid Hong Kong environment accelerated the integration of youthful bitterness and promoted the development of deeper woody, medicinal, resinous, camphor-like, and mineral characteristics associated with mature aged Sheng Pu'Er. Continued natural storage allowed the tea to stabilize further while preserving clarity, energetic character, and structural precision. Today, this tea represents a highly collectible and exceptionally limited Sheng Pu'Er intended primarily for real tea connoisseurs and experienced collectors seeking mature old-tree material with profound depth and long-term transformation history.
TERROIR
The Bulang Shan area of Menghai, Xishuangbanna, is one of the most historically important and respected terroirs in the world of Sheng Pu'Er tea, internationally recognized for producing teas with exceptional structure, energetic depth, and long-term aging potential. Tea gardens and old tea tree environments in this region are generally situated at elevations ranging from approximately 1500 to 1900 meters above sea level, where warm subtropical conditions combine with dense forest ecosystems, humid mountain air, abundant rainfall, and rich biodiversity. These environmental conditions contribute directly to the tea’s pronounced minerality, powerful bitterness, dense texture, and strong returning sweetness.
The mountain soils of Bulang Shan are rich in minerals and organic matter, with stable moisture retention and excellent natural drainage. Old tea trees growing in these environments develop extensive root systems that penetrate deeply into the mountain terrain and interact with multiple soil layers accumulated over centuries of ecological development. In the case of single-tree Dan Zhu material, this uninterrupted interaction between one mature tree and its surrounding ecosystem creates a highly individualized expression of terroir, contributing to exceptional concentration, structural precision, and aromatic depth.
Dense forest vegetation and humid mountain conditions support relatively slow and balanced leaf development while protecting the tea trees from excessive environmental stress. Frequent mist and cloud cover moderate direct sunlight exposure, helping preserve aromatic freshness and complexity within the leaves, while periods of stronger mountain sunlight contribute to concentration and powerful polyphenol structure. This balance between altitude, humidity, biodiversity, and mountain climate produces teas with strong body, pronounced energetic character, and exceptional transformation capacity through long-term aging.
The spring harvest period plays a particularly important role in the final character of this tea. After winter dormancy, the first spring leaves develop slowly and accumulate concentrated aromatic compounds, balanced amino acid content, and refined structural depth while maintaining freshness and energetic clarity. Combined with mature single-tree material and the mountain ecology of Bulang Shan, these conditions produce Sheng Pu'Er with remarkable persistence, mineral complexity, and profound long-term aging potential highly valued among experienced collectors and tea connoisseurs.
ORGANOLEPTICS
The dry leaves are large, mature, and deeply aged, displaying dark brown, olive, and copper tones characteristic of long-matured old tree Sheng Pu'Er. Their appearance reflects traditional processing, decades of natural transformation, and careful storage while preserving the integrity and dense structure of the leaf material. The aroma of the dry leaf is exceptionally deep, concentrated, and highly integrated, combining notes of aged wood, medicinal herbs, dark resin, humid forest tones, warm minerals, old books, camphor, and subtle dried fruit sweetness. In a preheated gaiwan or teapot, the aroma becomes significantly richer and more layered, revealing additional notes of incense-like woodiness, tree bark, herbal medicine, dark honey, soft spice, humid earth, and cooling camphor-like freshness. After the rinse, the leaves fully awaken and the aromatic profile becomes increasingly smooth and profound, balancing woody maturity, mineral depth, medicinal complexity, and refined returning sweetness.
The liquor is clear and bright, with a deep amber-red tone reflecting more than two decades of traditional aging and transformation. The aroma of the infusion is mature, layered, and exceptionally persistent, combining warm minerals, aged wood, medicinal herbs, resinous notes, humid forest nuances, dried fruits, dark honey, and pronounced cooling camphor-like freshness. The texture is dense, thick, and highly coating, showing remarkable concentration and structural integration developed through long-term maturation. Initial bitterness remains present yet fully refined and controlled, gradually transforming into exceptionally strong Hui Gan, deep returning sweetness that develops continuously throughout the palate and throat. Layers of aged wood, herbal medicine, warm minerals, resin, incense, dried fruits, forest humidity, and cooling sensations continue evolving throughout the session while maintaining extraordinary balance between maturity, energetic depth, complexity, and clarity.
The aftertaste is exceptionally long, cooling, and deeply persistent, with returning sweetness and mineral freshness remaining in the throat and mouth long after drinking. As the tea continues to open, the structure becomes increasingly integrated, soft, and expansive while preserving its powerful Bulang mountain identity and profound aged complexity. In the empty cup, the aroma remains warm, dense, and highly expressive, revealing lingering notes of aged wood, medicinal herbs, resin, dark honey, humid forest tones, incense, dried fruits, and pronounced camphor undertones.
SHENG (RAW) PU'ER
Explore more Sheng (Raw) Pu'Er from AN SHIM TEA Collection.