origin Menghai, Yunnan

craft shou (fermented)

flavor notes earthy, chocolatemint, malty

origin Menghai, Yunnan

craft shou (fermented)

flavor notesearthy, chocolatemint, malty

This Emperor Pu-erh is comprised of small hand-picked young leaves and buds, gathered in Spring of 2008 from Menghai County in Xishuangbanna, the lush tea growing region of Yunnan, China. Its a region rich in history and in the unique environmental factors ideal for cultivating good quality pu-erh.

Picked tea leaves are first sun withered, then rolled, twisted and finally roasted to create a maocha, the base green stage of a pu-erh. The maocha is then piled and composted in a controlled process that accelerates the aging of the tea, doing in a year what normally would take upwards of 10 years to achieve if the tea was allowed to age on its own.

This “shou” or “cooked” process introduces a mellow, malty character to Pu-erhs. Inthis example, the result is a rich texture in the mouth, balanced by a bright, luscious flavor with notes of chocolate mint or grass jelly.

Heavily aged or fermented teas like this are incredibly easy to brew, since they tend to have very little bitterness or astringency regardless of water temperature. We recommend starting with the instructions above, and then adjusting to your preference.

Learn the fundamentals of tea brewing and master your technique here.