SPECIAL ORDER PU'ER BRICK
SHU (RIPE) PU'ER
★ PESTICIDE-FREE

Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Authentic Shu (Ripe) Pu'er is made from high-quality raw material and aged in Hong Kong for 20+ years. This 860 g brick is made for a 'Special Order' by HK's Temple for their own daily needs and has accidentally been lost before being found in the early 20's. MORE

860 g brick

AROMA
Woody, cacao beans
TASTE
Nutty, wood

NATURAL HONG KONG STORAGE
HARVEST: Late 1990's

ORIGIN

I've got this interesting exhibit from a good friend of mine who owns a warehouse in Hong Kong and has been in the tea business for decades! According to him, the history of this tea is very unusual, and this is the case when the “legend” is the main thing in pricing, but the legend is so interesting that no pu'er tea connoisseur cant stand it.

There is a monastery in Hong Kong where the monks drink pu'er tea daily during their practices and they have their preferences for the taste and effect of the tea. For a long time, they have been ordering tea from manufacturers (China) based on their preferences and goals, and receive a product that seems ready to drink, but there are several nuances.

Firstly, in Hong Kong, old tea lovers have their tastes and preferences, and tea very often undergoes secondary “processing” in the so-called Traditional Hong Kong Storage in a relatively humid environment. After this “artificial aging,” the tea acquires that very note of camphor wood, which makes the tea mellow, sweet and deep. Secondly, having gone through such a process, with the participation of an experienced master, the tea was stored in a warehouse 'natural storage' for the next 20+ years! A small batch of this tea was lost over time and did not reach its destination, but it became a pleasant surprise for connoisseurs of pu'er tea. The exact age of the harvest is not known, but most likely it is the late 90's. The tea still has a fairly bright aroma and taste, which indicates its rather mild Hong Kong influence.

ORGANOLEPTICS
The degree of pressing is light, and the tea is very easy to separate by hand into individual layers and leaves. A large number of young buds and leaves of medium grade indicates a quite traditional approach to the production of such tea. The sweet, woody, camphor aroma of dry leaves reveals deep woody motifs when heated, evoking associations of nature and the forest after the rain. The aroma contains a sweetness similar to condensed milk and cocoa, most likely due to a large number of young buds. After washing the leaves, the aroma develops into bakery, nutty notes.

The taste is soft, sweet, and deep. Stunningly clean taste without a hint of fermentation or storage conditions. Notes of cocoa beans and hazelnuts noticeably distinguish this tea from other representatives of Hong Kong tea in our collection. The pure, dark amber colour of the infusion. The silky, creamy texture is a Hong Kong signature property and leaves a sweet and fresh aftertaste. With a longer infusion, the tea goes into a deep, rich woody universe, having notes of sandalwood and agarwood. The tea has a very soft, calm 'Cha Qi', creating a peaceful state of purity and emptiness.

This tea is the pearl of our collection, in very limited quantities and for a short time, delighting us with its presence!

Check out SHU PU'ER COLLECTION for more authentic pu'er tea!