Yi Bang Raw Pu-erh
Origin & Legacy
As one of the Six Great Ancient Tea Mountains, Yi Bang (Mengla County, Xishuangbanna) is a living museum of tea history. Nestled in tropical rainforest valleys, its terroir features:
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Elevation: 1,400–1,800m | Climate: 21°C avg., 1,500mm rain
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Soil: Volcanic loam strewn with quartz crystals
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Tree Varieties: Dominant small/medium-leaf cultivars with large-leaf outliers
Production
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Handpicked in spring as "one bud, two/three leaves"
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Sun-withered to preserve volatile aromatics
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Stone-pressed for slow, even aging
Tasting Notes
Aroma
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Dry Leaves: Orchid ice wine meets fresh-cut cedar
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Brewed:
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Early Steeps: Jasmine pearl tea + manuka honey drizzle
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Mid-Session: Stewed quince and sandalwood incense
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Cold Cup: Petrified lily scent lingering like porcelain glaze
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Flavor
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Attack: "Silken tannins"—white cherry sweetness edged with grapefruit zest
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Finish: "Throat aurora"—a 15-minute cascade of honeyed minerality
Mouthfeel
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Texture: Heavy fog—dense yet weightless, coating the palate like liquid jade
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Qi (Energy): Calligrapher's breath—gentle but bone-deep resonance
Uniqueness
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"Imperial Petit Cru": The Burgundy Villages of Pu-erh—small-leaf elegance meets volcanic power
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Aging Potential: Over 20+ years, evolves from floral lace → aged parchment → truffle-ink depth
Details
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Origin: Yi Bang, Yunnan, China
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Cake Weight: 357g
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Harvest Date: March 2021
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Production Date: April 2025
Perfect For:
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Sommeliers chasing tea's answer to Montrachet
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Texture poets obsessed with "weightless density"
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Time architects—its silica-rich structure ensures 50-year metamorphosis