Origin: Blend, The Tao of Tea

Plucking Season: Summer

A combination of strong, smooth, dark cooked style Puer, and the delicate balance of organic mandarin orange essence so as not to overpower the natural leaf taste.

The sweetness is well balanced to pair dry and spicy foods.

The history of Puer tea originates from the small town of Puer in Yunnan.

Teas shipped along the Silk Road to Tibet, India and beyond, gained a characteristic earthy, musky aroma and smooth, sweet slightly smoky taste due to the humid environment and long journey. 

A special tea processing technique emerged to allow the leaves to continue to ferment over time, and so that the mature taste would develop at the end of the long caravan journey.

The leaf processing imitates the effects of the long journeys and humid environments.

Tea scholars have also contributed that there is an inherent special characteristic in the tea plant varietal Da Ye (‘Big Leaf’ varietal of Camellia assamica). This varietal is abundant across the entire Yunnan Province, parts of Burma, Assam in India and Northern Thailand.

While classic Puers are made from old growth tea plants (several hundred years old and wildgrown), cooked style Puers are mostly made from newly propagated plants that are cultivated every season.

Brewing Instructions:

Water Temp: 190°F (88°C)

Quality of Water: Best with Spring water

Quantity of Leaf: 1 tsp per 8oz water

Steep Time:  2-3 minutes

Infusions: 3-4

Dark, cooked Puer are characterized by their rich, earthy smoothness and require higher temperature water to infuse.

Their unique lack of astringency keep them from over-steeping and make them ideal for long, low-maintenance infusions and steeping Chinese style in a cup or pot.

We recommend one teaspoon of leaf per 8 ounce cup (two teaspoons for large, loose leaf), rinse the tea briefly with hot water then steep with 190 to 200 F water for 2 to 3 minutes.

This should provide at least 3 to 4 good infusions, although some Puer will give many more.