Since this is a pre-order, delivery will take place after the teas arrive. Import will take at least one and a half months, so delivery is expected around late June or July.
Ripe pu-erh goes through deep microbial fermentation, so many people assume that loose leaf and compressed tea cakes do not differ much in flavour.
In reality, this is not the case at all. We source our tea as loose leaf, and then have it compressed by trusted craftsmen. This allows us to compare both forms directly.
The difference is very clear, both in flavour and aroma.
Raw pu-erh is made by withering the leaves, pan frying at low temperature, then rolling and sun drying. Because most of the original leaf components remain intact, the leaves still have natural stickiness, so only a small amount of steam is sufficient to compress them into cakes.
Ripe pu-erh is different. Microbial fermentation breaks down many components, and the leaves lose their stickiness and become dry. When compressing, it requires far more steam than with raw pu-erh, and the leaves end up holding a large amount of moisture. If we try to dry them slowly in the shade, quality drops before they dry, so hot air drying is the standard practice.
However, hot air drying, compared to loose leaf, both flavour and aroma change. Tea cakes have their own character, but it takes at least one year of storage after arrival for those qualities to fully develop.
Loose leaf offers something you cannot get from tea cakes. The mouthfeel is softer, the flavour is more complex, and there is a clarity that only exists before compression.
For this reason, we are very eager to offer our newly found ripe pu-erh in loose form. We will release three types of ripe pu-erh in loose leaf form through pre-order.
2024 Mei Zi Qing Ancient Tree Ripe Pu-erh
Mei Zi Qing is one of the well-known tea-producing areas in Yongde County, alongside Ma An Shan, Mang Fei, and Da Xue Shan. It sits at an elevation of around 1,700 metres.
The soil has a yellowish tone and is rich in iron, with properties similar to the raw clay used for Zhuni in Yixing. This type of soil is believed to have a strong influence on the character of the tea.
As a result, Mei Zi Qing tea is known locally for its smooth mouthfeel and very low bitterness, even when brewed strong.
Because of its reputation, tea from Mei Zi Qing has traditionally been expensive, and most of it is produced as raw pu-erh. In the past, it was rarely processed into ripe pu-erh. However, with the recent economic slowdown in China, many producers and wholesalers have been left with unsold stock from previous years, especially higher-grade teas. This created an opportunity for our ripe tea producer to source Mei Zi Qing material at a more reasonable price. Within Mei Zi Qing, well-known areas such as Guo Di Tang are extremely expensive. In those gardens, fertilization with animal manure is commonly practiced, which tends to result in a lighter aftertaste. The tea we selected comes from a less well-known area within Mei Zi Qing, where no fertilization is used and production volume is relatively low. 
A village of grand houses owned by Mei Zi Qing tea producers
2024 Mei Zi Qing Ancient Tree Ripe Pu-erh
When we first tasted this tea, we found ourselves genuinely taken aback. For a ripe pu-erh, the flavour is exceptional, with a long, lingering aftertaste, a smooth, rounded texture, and a clear sense of refinement. It is among the top teas in our ripe pu-erh selection. The profile is centered on dried jujube, layered with notes of raisin, dried guava, dried plum, and melon. There is also a distinct presence of mulberry, supported by hints of wild berries, and a light touch reminiscent of perilla.
