Harvest Location: Menghai, Yunnan
Harvest Date:  1995
Cultivar: Da Ye
Elevation:  approximately 1500m - leaves pressed from maocha harvested from different tea gardens in the menghai region.
 
Crafted in 1995 by the state-run Menghai Tea Factory,  this tea represents a rare example of early shou (ripe) Pu’er aged in loose-leaf form. Rather than being pressed into cakes, this batch was stored in a traditional bamboo basket, allowing for gentle, even aging over the decades.
 
It has been dry-stored in Kunming since production, benefiting from the city’s clean air and stable climate — ideal for preserving purity while allowing flavor to evolve. The loose-leaf format allows greater airflow than compressed cakes, resulting in smooth, transparent aging with clear character and deep flavor integration.
 
The tea brews a glowing burgundy-red liquor that’s exceptionally clear and vibrant. The aroma rises with strength — think aged camphor wood, dried Chinese dates, and soft earth, with just a whisper of antique spice. The taste is clean, mellow, and complex, with a soft herbal sweetness and absolutely no bitterness — a mark of both its age and quality.
 
The mouthfeel is plush and coating, and the aftertaste stretches into the throat and chest, leaving a cooling, calming hui gan. This is a refined, comforting shou with nearly 30 years of careful storage behind it.