NAN JIAN QI CAI CHA
NAN JIAN QI CAI CHA
COLORFUL PHOENIX
SHU (RIPE) PU'ER★ PESTICIDE-FREE
Nan Jian, Yunnan, China
2008 Nan Jian Qi Cai Cha Tuo is a ripe Pu'Er tea produced by the historic Tulin Tea Factory, known for preserving classic factory-style Pu'Er traditions and traditional Tuo Cha production. Carefully fermented and naturally matured for years, this tea reflects the combination of balanced factory blending, classic compression craftsmanship, and gradual aromatic transformation developed through long-term aging. The infusion is smooth, dense, and richly comforting, offering woody and mineral nuances, dried fruit and sweet grain notes, refined earthiness, and a long, warming aftertaste with mature character and balanced depth. MORE
100 g tuo cha
AROMA
Wood, nutty
TASTE
Woody, milky, medicine
Hong Kong Storage
PRODUCTION: 2008
SHU PU'ER is a post-fermented tea produced through a controlled microbial fermentation process that transforms sun-dried tea leaves into a rich, smooth, and deeply complex beverage. As a result of this unique production method, Shu Pu'Er develops a distinctive composition of polyphenols, amino acids, minerals, beneficial microbial metabolites, and other bioactive compounds that contribute to both its characteristic flavor and traditionally valued properties.
The fermentation process significantly alters the chemical composition of the tea, creating a mellow infusion with reduced bitterness and astringency, a smooth texture, and earthy, woody, and sweet aromatic notes. It is believed that regular consumption of Shu Pu'Er may support digestive health, contribute to healthy cholesterol metabolism, promote the balance of beneficial intestinal microflora, and assist the body's natural antioxidant defenses. Traditionally, Shu Pu'Er has also been appreciated for its warming and grounding nature, its ability to aid digestion after meals, reduce feelings of heaviness and fatigue, and create a calm, stable, and balanced state of physical and mental well-being.
The fermentation process significantly alters the chemical composition of the tea, creating a mellow infusion with reduced bitterness and astringency, a smooth texture, and earthy, woody, and sweet aromatic notes. It is believed that regular consumption of Shu Pu'Er may support digestive health, contribute to healthy cholesterol metabolism, promote the balance of beneficial intestinal microflora, and assist the body's natural antioxidant defenses. Traditionally, Shu Pu'Er has also been appreciated for its warming and grounding nature, its ability to aid digestion after meals, reduce feelings of heaviness and fatigue, and create a calm, stable, and balanced state of physical and mental 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).
PESTICIDE-FREE GARDENING
Pesticide-free gardening refers to a cultivation method in which no synthetic chemical pesticides are used at any stage of plant growth. Instead, this approach relies on biodiversity, ecological balance, and cultural practices to manage pests and diseases. Unlike conventional farming, which often depends on chemical intervention to control infestations, pesticide-free gardening emphasizes prevention through healthy soil, companion planting, and natural predators. This method fosters a more resilient and adaptive garden ecosystem. Without chemical inputs, beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, and native bees thrive, contributing to pollination and pest control. Untouched by harsh agents, the soil remains alive with microbial activity, supporting deeper root systems and more vigorous plant development. Over time, this results in produce with purer, more expressive flavors, reflecting the health of the environment and the grower's intention.
Learn more about Pesticide-Free Gardening
EASTERN (PIN CHA) ★
Temperature: 100 °C
Amount: 3-5 grams per 120 ml of water
Steeping: 10-30 sec x 7+
WESTERN (INFUSION)
Temperature: 100 °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
2008 Nan Jian Qi Cai Cha Tuo is a ripe Pu'Er tea produced by the historic Tulin Tea Factory, known for preserving classic factory-style Pu'Er traditions and traditional Tuo Cha production methods. Carefully fermented and compressed into the classic Tuo Cha form, this tea underwent traditional Hong Kong storage followed by natural storage, allowing the tea to gradually develop greater smoothness, aromatic integration, and mature complexity over time. Years of maturation softened and rounded the tea while preserving its dense texture, mineral warmth, woody depth, and comforting mature character.
The Tulin Tea Factory became respected within Pu'Er tea culture for producing balanced factory-style teas with reliable aging potential and recognizable classic profiles. Compared to more modern boutique productions focused on single-origin expression, factory-style teas such as Qi Cai Cha Tuo traditionally emphasize blending balance, stable structure, smooth texture, and long-term transformation through aging and storage. The compact Tuo Cha compression format also contributes to slower and more gradual aromatic evolution, helping preserve structure and complexity during maturation.
The combination of Hong Kong traditional storage followed by natural storage played an especially important role in shaping the final character of this tea. The warm and humid Hong Kong environment accelerated the early stages of maturation, softening the sharper edges of fermentation and encouraging the development of deeper woody, earthy, resinous, and sweet mature characteristics. Subsequent natural storage allowed the tea to stabilize and integrate further, preserving clarity, balance, and aromatic refinement while maintaining the deep comforting atmosphere associated with mature aged Shu Pu'Er.
Tulin tea factory is located in Nan Jian county, Yunnan province, China. Since 1983, they have produced high-quality pu'er tea using special raw materials harvested in Dali prefecture. The tea material from these places grows high in the mountains, sometimes the altitude reaches about 2500 meters above sea level, which results in a reputation of special quality and properties. Like Xiaguan, the Nan Jian factory uses similar technologies and treatment during the production of their special Tuo Tea. This tea is famous for its balanced aroma and sweet taste.
TERROIR
The tea material used for 2008 Nan Jian Qi Cai Cha Tuo originates from the mountain tea-growing regions of Yunnan, the historical birthplace of Pu'Er tea and one of the most important tea-producing environments in the world. Tea gardens in this region develop under warm subtropical mountain conditions shaped by abundant rainfall, humid air, mineral-rich soils, and dense forest biodiversity. These environmental conditions contribute directly to the tea’s dense texture, mineral warmth, balanced structure, and long-term aging potential.
Like many classic factory-style Pu'Er teas, Tulin Tea Factory productions traditionally rely on blending technology combining tea material from different mountain regions, elevations, and leaf grades to create a stable and recognizable flavor profile. This production philosophy became one of the defining characteristics of traditional Yunnan factory tea production, where blending allows producers to balance sweetness, texture, fermentation depth, aroma, and structural strength within one tea. Rather than emphasizing a single-origin expression, such recipes focus on harmony, consistency, and reliable maturation potential.
The traditional Tuo Cha compression format also influences the evolution of the tea over time. Compared to looser compression styles, tightly compressed Tuo Cha teas often mature more gradually, preserving structural depth and allowing aromatic characteristics to integrate slowly through years of storage. This gradual evolution contributes to the smooth, rounded, and deeply integrated character especially appreciated in mature factory-style Shu Pu'Er teas.
The storage history of this tea became an essential continuation of its terroir evolution after production. Traditional Hong Kong storage accelerated the early stages of maturation, softening sharper fermentation characteristics while encouraging the development of woody, earthy, resinous, mineral, and sweet mature nuances associated with aged Shu Pu'Er. Subsequent natural storage further integrated the tea, preserving balance, clarity, and aromatic refinement while maintaining the deep comforting atmosphere characteristic of mature Tuo Cha productions.
ORGANOLEPTICS
The dry leaves are tightly compressed in the traditional Tuo Cha form and display deep brown, dark copper, and golden tones characteristic of mature factory-style Shu Pu'Er tea. Their appearance reflects careful fermentation, gradual maturation, and the combined influence of Hong Kong traditional storage followed by natural storage. The aroma of the dry leaf is deep, warm, and highly comforting, combining notes of aged wood, sweet grains, dried fruits, warm minerals, dark honey, resin, and soft earthy nuances. In a preheated gaiwan or teapot, the aroma becomes smoother and increasingly expressive, revealing additional layers of roasted nuts, humid forest tones, medicinal herbs, cocoa, tree bark, creamy sweetness, and subtle incense-like woodiness. After the rinse, the leaves fully awaken and the aromatic profile becomes exceptionally integrated, balancing woody maturity, creamy softness, mineral warmth, and refined sweetness.
The liquor is clear and bright, with a deep ruby-brown tone reflecting careful fermentation and years of gradual maturation under different storage conditions. The aroma of the infusion is dense, smooth, and highly persistent, combining warm wood, sweet grains, dried fruits, creamy chocolate-like notes, warm minerals, resinous nuances, dark honey, and subtle herbal complexity. The texture is exceptionally smooth, dense, and coating, filling the palate with deep warmth and remarkable softness while maintaining balanced structure and mature depth characteristic of factory-style Tuo Cha Shu Pu'Er. The taste is mellow and highly refined, with almost no roughness, gradually developing into pronounced mineral sweetness and long-lasting warming sensations throughout the mouth and throat. Layers of aged wood, cocoa, dried fruits, roasted nuts, sweet grains, minerals, resin, dark honey, humid earth, and soft medicinal nuances continue evolving throughout the session while maintaining remarkable harmony between maturity, smoothness, depth, and traditional aged Shu character.
The aftertaste is long, warm, and deeply comforting, with sweet mineral and creamy sensations remaining in the throat and mouth long after drinking. As the tea continues to open, the structure becomes increasingly rounded and integrated while preserving the deep mature character associated with well-aged Tuo Cha productions. In the empty cup, the aroma remains warm and expressive, revealing lingering notes of aged wood, cocoa, dark honey, sweet grains, dried fruits, humid forest tones, medicinal herbs, resin, and subtle camphor undertones.
2008 Nan Jian Qi Cai Cha Tuo is a ripe Pu'Er tea produced by the historic Tulin Tea Factory, known for preserving classic factory-style Pu'Er traditions and traditional Tuo Cha production methods. Carefully fermented and compressed into the classic Tuo Cha form, this tea underwent traditional Hong Kong storage followed by natural storage, allowing the tea to gradually develop greater smoothness, aromatic integration, and mature complexity over time. Years of maturation softened and rounded the tea while preserving its dense texture, mineral warmth, woody depth, and comforting mature character.
The Tulin Tea Factory became respected within Pu'Er tea culture for producing balanced factory-style teas with reliable aging potential and recognizable classic profiles. Compared to more modern boutique productions focused on single-origin expression, factory-style teas such as Qi Cai Cha Tuo traditionally emphasize blending balance, stable structure, smooth texture, and long-term transformation through aging and storage. The compact Tuo Cha compression format also contributes to slower and more gradual aromatic evolution, helping preserve structure and complexity during maturation.
The combination of Hong Kong traditional storage followed by natural storage played an especially important role in shaping the final character of this tea. The warm and humid Hong Kong environment accelerated the early stages of maturation, softening the sharper edges of fermentation and encouraging the development of deeper woody, earthy, resinous, and sweet mature characteristics. Subsequent natural storage allowed the tea to stabilize and integrate further, preserving clarity, balance, and aromatic refinement while maintaining the deep comforting atmosphere associated with mature aged Shu Pu'Er.
Tulin tea factory is located in Nan Jian county, Yunnan province, China. Since 1983, they have produced high-quality pu'er tea using special raw materials harvested in Dali prefecture. The tea material from these places grows high in the mountains, sometimes the altitude reaches about 2500 meters above sea level, which results in a reputation of special quality and properties. Like Xiaguan, the Nan Jian factory uses similar technologies and treatment during the production of their special Tuo Tea. This tea is famous for its balanced aroma and sweet taste.
TERROIR
The tea material used for 2008 Nan Jian Qi Cai Cha Tuo originates from the mountain tea-growing regions of Yunnan, the historical birthplace of Pu'Er tea and one of the most important tea-producing environments in the world. Tea gardens in this region develop under warm subtropical mountain conditions shaped by abundant rainfall, humid air, mineral-rich soils, and dense forest biodiversity. These environmental conditions contribute directly to the tea’s dense texture, mineral warmth, balanced structure, and long-term aging potential.
Like many classic factory-style Pu'Er teas, Tulin Tea Factory productions traditionally rely on blending technology combining tea material from different mountain regions, elevations, and leaf grades to create a stable and recognizable flavor profile. This production philosophy became one of the defining characteristics of traditional Yunnan factory tea production, where blending allows producers to balance sweetness, texture, fermentation depth, aroma, and structural strength within one tea. Rather than emphasizing a single-origin expression, such recipes focus on harmony, consistency, and reliable maturation potential.
The traditional Tuo Cha compression format also influences the evolution of the tea over time. Compared to looser compression styles, tightly compressed Tuo Cha teas often mature more gradually, preserving structural depth and allowing aromatic characteristics to integrate slowly through years of storage. This gradual evolution contributes to the smooth, rounded, and deeply integrated character especially appreciated in mature factory-style Shu Pu'Er teas.
The storage history of this tea became an essential continuation of its terroir evolution after production. Traditional Hong Kong storage accelerated the early stages of maturation, softening sharper fermentation characteristics while encouraging the development of woody, earthy, resinous, mineral, and sweet mature nuances associated with aged Shu Pu'Er. Subsequent natural storage further integrated the tea, preserving balance, clarity, and aromatic refinement while maintaining the deep comforting atmosphere characteristic of mature Tuo Cha productions.
ORGANOLEPTICS
The dry leaves are tightly compressed in the traditional Tuo Cha form and display deep brown, dark copper, and golden tones characteristic of mature factory-style Shu Pu'Er tea. Their appearance reflects careful fermentation, gradual maturation, and the combined influence of Hong Kong traditional storage followed by natural storage. The aroma of the dry leaf is deep, warm, and highly comforting, combining notes of aged wood, sweet grains, dried fruits, warm minerals, dark honey, resin, and soft earthy nuances. In a preheated gaiwan or teapot, the aroma becomes smoother and increasingly expressive, revealing additional layers of roasted nuts, humid forest tones, medicinal herbs, cocoa, tree bark, creamy sweetness, and subtle incense-like woodiness. After the rinse, the leaves fully awaken and the aromatic profile becomes exceptionally integrated, balancing woody maturity, creamy softness, mineral warmth, and refined sweetness.
The liquor is clear and bright, with a deep ruby-brown tone reflecting careful fermentation and years of gradual maturation under different storage conditions. The aroma of the infusion is dense, smooth, and highly persistent, combining warm wood, sweet grains, dried fruits, creamy chocolate-like notes, warm minerals, resinous nuances, dark honey, and subtle herbal complexity. The texture is exceptionally smooth, dense, and coating, filling the palate with deep warmth and remarkable softness while maintaining balanced structure and mature depth characteristic of factory-style Tuo Cha Shu Pu'Er. The taste is mellow and highly refined, with almost no roughness, gradually developing into pronounced mineral sweetness and long-lasting warming sensations throughout the mouth and throat. Layers of aged wood, cocoa, dried fruits, roasted nuts, sweet grains, minerals, resin, dark honey, humid earth, and soft medicinal nuances continue evolving throughout the session while maintaining remarkable harmony between maturity, smoothness, depth, and traditional aged Shu character.
The aftertaste is long, warm, and deeply comforting, with sweet mineral and creamy sensations remaining in the throat and mouth long after drinking. As the tea continues to open, the structure becomes increasingly rounded and integrated while preserving the deep mature character associated with well-aged Tuo Cha productions. In the empty cup, the aroma remains warm and expressive, revealing lingering notes of aged wood, cocoa, dark honey, sweet grains, dried fruits, humid forest tones, medicinal herbs, resin, and subtle camphor undertones.
SHU (RIPE) PU'ER
Explore more Shu (Ripe) Pu'Er from AN SHIM TEA Collection.