The Bulang tea harvesting area is located in south-west Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, close to the border with Burma. There are several different tea harvesting areas on Bulang Mt. and each area is inhabited by a different ethnic group who makes unique tasting tea based on the types of tea trees they have and on their individual cultural preferences on how their tea should taste.
This mini beeng cha is made from a Bulang Mt. blend of mao cha made from early spring pluckings of tender leaves and tips. On the wrapper in English is the word prevernal which is used to indicate this very early leaf material.
Bulang Mt. teas are known for their strength and vigor and power in the taste. This tea fits that description. The weather here is hot and humid so the mao cha and the finished cakes tends to gain strength from the weather which can jump-start maturity.
The cake is composed of an attractive blend of various sized leaf with a good bit of silvery leaf dispersed over the surface of the cake. A Chinese friend said that these cakes are a good representation of the style of Bulang Mt. teas, and that they are very well-made. The tea is not smoky tasting and is not too astringent or bitter, which many Bulang Mt. teas can be. The tea is aromatic and delivers un-expected sweetness at the finish. The expectation is that these are a good investment for those looking to add a few reasonably priced, well-made and distinctive sheng Pu-erhs to their collection.
But beyond that and knowing the name of the tea factory that made it, we do not know much about this cake. We have had these mini beeng cha in storage for some time now and decided that it was time to let our customers have at it and see what they think. If you try one and love it, order more soon as we don’t have many of these.
Note:
Sheng Pu-erh is also known as ‘un-cooked’ or ‘raw’ Pu-erh. It is the un-fermented version of Pu-erh.
Sheng Pu-erh is un-fermented tea when it is young but microbial activity on the leaf will allow the tea to slowly ferment over time when the tea is kept under good storage conditions. Sheng Pu-erh can be drunk now or stored for years to allow this slow microbial transformation of the tea to turn the tea into something rich and full. Similar to young wines that will, over time, transform into much more substantial wines, Sheng Pu-erh is prized by collectors and tea enthusiasts for this ability to age and improve over time.
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