Cloud Forest Tie Guanyin. 2023-4 Winter harvest, Grand Prize Winner Taiwan Muzha Tea Competition! There is a Zen saying 步步清風起, “At every step a pure breeze rises.” This tea has a clarity and purity, like a pure, refreshing breeze that is felt first in the lungs and then spreads everywhere. Notice the wonderful effect on your breathing. As sometimes characterizes winter harvests, this exceptional tea is mellow and wise. The golden honey liquor hints of roasted nuts and dark wood, a bit of black pepper in the finish and gentle fruitiness by the fourth steeping. The infused leaves take their time opening and releasing their secrets, resulting in a gratifying sensual experience that fully lasts through seven steepings. 150 grams, shipped in an elegant tea canister, $195

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Original Taste Tie Guanyin. 2023-4 Winter Harvest, Gold (Second Place) Winner, Taiwan Muzha Tea Competition! Can you afford an award- winning tea as an everyday beverage? Yes! Thanks to my longtime friendship with the farmer, I was able to procure this satisfying Tie Guanyin at an exceptional price and offer it in a larger quantity. Yellow sunshine in a cup, aroma of chestnuts, peach and cherries and a slight wakeful bitterness on the sides of the tongue in later steepings. This tea is a reminder of spring in the depths of winter. 300 grams (more than 10 oz), shipped in an elegant tea canister, $150

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Puerh Tea from Yunnan Province

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Often compared to single malt scotch, puerh is an acquired taste, but once acquired, never forgotten. It can be green (also called "fresh" or sheng in Chinese) or allowed to age and become a dark, peaty, “ripe” (shou) puerh. The green is musky and aromatic with dimensions of flavor and aroma that change with each steeping; the ripe is peaty and famous for its soothing effects on digestion. Puerh Tea comes from  a large leaf varietal of the same plant that produces white, green, and oolong tea. It is found only in Yunnan Province, the original home of tea. 

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Puerh Tea is generally compressed into a round "cake" or rectangular "brick," from which the leaves are easily removed for steeping using a butter knife. In ancient China compressed cakes were a necessity because of ease of transport. A pound of tea can fit into a large, bulky bag or compressed into a one inch thick cake, easily stacked one on the other. Compressed cakes or bricks have an additional advantage. The outside of the cake/brick interacts with the air around it-- oxidizing-- more than the interior. Different oxidation levels create differences in taste and aroma. Thus, when portions of the cake are broken and steeped, there is a richer and more layered sensual experience.

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Green (Sheng) Puerh

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Limited Availability. Mountain Spirit Green Puerh. The great eighth century classic of tea, the Cha Jing, explains that the best tea is made from wild tea trees that grow from small patches of soil on a mountain slope, as though the tree is mysteriously sprouting from the mountain itself. These tea trees absorb mineral content and qi, life force, from the mountain, and when you drink it, you become the mountain! I have lived at 9,000 ft. elevation most of my life and this is the finest mountain qi (energy) tea I have ever had. Wakeful yet peaceful at the same time. Famed tea master Chen Guoyi spent a lifetime searching for this rarest of the rare teas. When you drink it, you can also sense the deep caring and respect shared by mountain and human—the tea picker loves the mountain and the mountain loves him!

    The name of this tea in Chinese is Shi Gan Dang, which actually means Stone Protector, referring to a Taoist martial artist and woodcutter who was said to have the power to scare away demons. His presence was so strong that, today, images or plaques with his name are often displayed at Taoist temples to keep negative forces away. Similarly, this tea may keep adverse qi away by nourishing your strong mountain spirit!  2019 spring harvest.

200 gram compressed tea cake, $175

 

Tea Drunk Puerh. The name of this tea is Cha Zui Wu Yan, literally “Tea Drunk Without Words”. This is the kind of tea that could only be discovered by a dedicated “tea hunter” with refined taste and a deep knowledge of the land. Thanks to Tea Master Chen Guoyi, you can also experience the state of “tea drunk”, in which the senses expand, fully open to the wonder of tea, so that life is experienced directly, without the mediation of concepts and words, and a deep joy of sharing your “nirvana” with tea friends. You will be drunk in the ancient Daoist sense of a spiritual realm free of the rigid structures of convention and society. Harvested in remote mountains in 2015. The leaves produce a smooth, silken, golden infusion, with a captivating cha qi (tea energy/tea breath) that carries the aroma of lotus, ancient wood, sandalwood incense, and honey fragrance lingering in the cup. 100 gram cake, $68

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Remote Mountain Green Puerh. RARE, ONLY 10 PACKAGES LEFT. The name of this tea Gua Feng Zhai literally means Windy Village, referring to an extremely remote region of Yunnan Province, two hours from Yi Wu Village and near the Laos border. The tea trees in this area grow wild in a high mountain forest, about 5,000 ft. elevation. The entrancing aroma and taste--both fruity and floral-- and the ambrosial salivary response (hui gan) are like a trip to paradise. The infusion creates a mood of expansiveness and contentment. Perfect for slowing down and deepening your appreciation of life’s basics—earth, water, sunlight, and sky. Most puerh teas are compressed into tea cakes, creating a unique complexity because the leaves on the outside of the tea cake age and interact with oxygen differently than the interior of the cake. But this tea is “au naturel”, full, loose leaves to create a more unified, consistent, and smooth sensual experience, including the sight of the beautiful large green leaves as they steep in the cup or teapot. Gua Feng Zhai was discovered only twenty years ago, making it one of the rarest and most prized of puerhs. From the exceptional spring 2017 harvest, 50 grams, $95

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Big Snow Mountain Fresh Puerh. Rather than a succession of aroma notes revealed slowly the longer one sniffs the moist leaves, this exceptional tea from Da Xue Shan (Big Snow Mountain) is a unified symphony of fragrance and taste. But listen carefully and you will sense the “instruments” in this symphony: damp forest and leaves after rain, ancient earth and invigorating minerality, dark chocolate, and mellow chen xiang (agarwood) incense. The qi of the tea brings one to a state of calm alertness and unity with the comforting qualities of Mother Earth. Spring 2023 picking from centuries old tea trees, perfect level of compression, the leaves, still green, flake off easily. This tea will mature, deepen, and get even better over time. 200 gram cake, $149

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Azure Sea Fresh Puerh. Fine “silver needle” (yin zhen) grade puerh gathered in the spring of 2004 among old growth trees in the Menghai area and then expertly aged for 3 years before being compressed into cakes. Although grown in the interior forests of Yunnan, this tea has the feeling of a coastal rainforest, with notes of pine trees, earth and bark, hint of wild berries in early spring, honeycomb and apricot aroma lingering in the cup. I sense the energy of the tea going to the heart and lungs and then expanding, spreading, dissolving blockages. Excellent tea qi and tea spirit; it nourishes the soul. 250 gram cake, $75

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Verdant Trail Fresh Puerh. Spring 2018. Puts you immediately in a realm of sensory wakefulness, reminded me of walking through a spring forest, the symphony of aroma from the earth, the pine trees, rushes and reeds in marshlands, the hint of peppery bitterness from medicinal sweet-flag. The forest seems to be talking: “Listen to me” she says, creating a state of resonance and inner harmony. A great everyday tea, completely hand-made, grown at 5,000 ft. elevation in one of the highest tea gardens on Jingmai Mountain. 357 gram tea cake, $115

 

Peaceful Mountain Green Puerh. Spring 2015. Grown at 6,200 ft. elevation in the southern portion of the Wu Liang Mountains. Unified taste and aroma, smooth without bitterness, pure notes of sub-tropical forest and earth. Honey, magnolia, and rose in the drying cup. And a most unusual impression—this tea has the feeling of the area’s rich wildlife: monkey, gibbon, bear, herons, and pheasant. Carries the qi of comfort, patience, and kindness, as though the Earth herself is saying, “Relax and enjoy the beauty of nature!” 357 gram cake, $135

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Purple Bud Puerh. An extremely rare tea varietal found only in a very limited area, gathered from high elevation wild trees between 500 and 1400 years old. The leaves are picked only in the early spring when they sprout purple buds, high in anthocyanins, the antioxidant-rich pigments that give blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and wine their color. The color of the tea is a stunning obsidian black, yet the leaves are green when steeped and create a liquid gold infusion. Use a small amount of leaves and short steeping time to prevent bitterness and to bring out the aroma notes of plum, cherry, clove, and earth, with magnolia and honeysuckle lingering in the cup as it dries. Qi impression: a river lined with river-willows in a tranquil meadow. 2018 vintage. 357 gram tea cake $175

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Purple Dawn Puerh Autumn (2013). Great everyday green puerh, from rare purple hued leaves, the same healthy pigmentation found in wine grapes. Viewed in a heat tempered glass cup, the infusion is cloudy golden-bronze. Initial aroma of lilac, leather, and a cedar forest after rain, only slight astringency with pure woodsy taste. The qi is gently penetrating, going to the heart and then then spreading through the rest of the body and connecting you with the earth. Grown at an elevation of more than 4500 feet in the famous Menghai region of Yunnan. This tea is crafted under the direct supervision of one of the most famous Puerh Tea Masters in China, “Mr. Old Comrade,” Zhou Bingliang, who began his career as a co-founder of the famed Menghai Tea Company in 1957. . 200 gram tea cake, $75

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Pasha Ancient Arbor Green Puerh. In the language of the Aini Tribe of Yunnan Province, Pasha means “tall and straight forest.” It is the name of their village and the nearby famous tea mountain. The tea was picked in April of 2017 at an elevation of 5,900 ft. The great skill of the tea farmers is evident in every aspect of this tea, from the shape of the leaves to the color of the infusion and, of course the aroma and taste. The leaves are a beautiful dark forest green. The color of the infusion is clear gold without any cloudiness and an unusually smooth and soft texture, like silk on the tongue. The aroma—ancient wood, plum, cherry, and clove, with distinct honey in the drying cup. The qi of Pasha tea expands awareness beyond boundaries, beyond the personal self into a state of oneness with the mountains. Tranquility and harmony in a cup. 357 gram tea cake, $110

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Bulang Autumn Mountain Green Puerh. Harvested in 2016 by members of the Bulang Tribe, probably the first in the world to grow tea, at an average of 4,500 foot elevation in small tea gardens fed by pure mountain water. Here 20 to 30-year old plants have had a chance to spread roots and absorb minerals from the rich soil. Bulang puerhs are noted for an initial bitterness and vegetal astringency mixed with woodsy notes. When you finish the tea and smell the cup, you will be delighted by the subtle background of musk, sandalwood and rose. The second infusion includes notes of damp leaves and earth after rain. The taste gets smoother with each steeping. 100 gram cake $49

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Yi Wu Mountain Wild Green Puerh (2002). Wild teas, compared to terraced or farmed, are increasingly rare, as they are harder to find and more labor-intensive to pick. This tea was gathered entirely from wild tea trees in the early spring, stone pressed into perfect cakes, and then stored carefully for 10 years in a tropical environment, where the air is perfect for correct aging of Puerh Tea (like storing cigars in a humidor). Yi Wu Mountain Puerh is called “the Queen of Puerh Teas,” and it was here that the art of Puerh tea making was revitalized after the Cultural Revolution. The leaves produce a gorgeous golden amber brew, with initial earthy and spicy notes, followed by magnolia and honey sweetness. Complex, yet smooth, with a strong balance of earth, forest, and mountain qi. Exceptional price for a 20 year-old tea cake of this quality: 380 gram cake $135

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Ripe (Shou) Puerh

 

Long Life Premium Puerh. Life is too short for anything less than the best tea! This dark, ripe puerh has a rich, silky texture in the mouth and a pleasant minerality that carries the qi of the mountains, permeated by subtle hints of sugar cane, roasted chestnuts and alpine fir. The sensual experience and enjoyment of this tea grows with each steeping. The tea comes from the famous Kun Lu Mountains (a Dai Tribe word meaning a paradise for birds and plants), considered a living tea museum because of the groves of ancient tea trees. There is a legend that Shen Nong, the spirit of Chinese herbal medicine, discovered the healing properties of tea in these mountains. Picked in November of 2023. 357 gram teacake $135

 

Menghai Golden Needle Puerh. Great cha qi (tea energy), earthy, slightly woodsy, aroma of medicinal roots and lingering cool, fresh mountain air, slight licorice sweetness at the finish. Absolutely smooth, with a pleasant hui gan (moist mouth response) normally found in green puerhs. Premium “golden needle” grade leaves picked near Menghai in 2013, then carefully aged for 6 years before being pressed into 357 gram cakes in October of 2019. $68

 

Gold Tip Imperial Puerh. Gold-tipped ripe puerh, perfect balance of wood, bark, earth and slight cherry fruitiness. Leaves are cut small to allow quick steeping, maintains flavor/aroma over multiple infusions. Hand harvested in 2004 near Jinghong, Xishuangbanna (Yunnan Province), home of the Dai Tribe and twelve other ethnic groups. The region is suffused by the spiritual energies of Buddhism and Shamanism, with a nearby tropical rainforest and the Mekong River Basin, one of the most biodiverse environments in the world. Deeply comforting and expansive, the peaceful spirit of this tea stays with you long after the last sip. ¼ lb loose leaf $39

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Interesting Fact: Puerh that is picked fresh and green (sheng) and allowed to naturally age gets better and more expensive over time, a “drinkable antique.”

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Black Tea

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Sun Moon Lake Black Tea. Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake is a place of elegant beauty, balance, and culture, an ecological sanctuary named for the huge lake shaped like the sun (in the east) and moon (in the west). The lake is blessed by temples with ancient Buddhist relics and by the great Wen Wu Temple to Guan Gong, spirit of friendship and courage. It is also home to Taiwan’s most famous black tea. If you like black teas, this is the one to try. Completely unique, not at all like the popular Chinese Keemun, which I find lacks subtlety, nor does it have the musky aroma of an Indian Darjeeling. Sun Moon Lake Black Tea is exotic and rich with notes of clove, citrus, pepper and pine. Its refreshing qi spreads like a breeze through a spring forest. Certified organic, spring 2023 harvest. Rare, unavailable for a year after current supply is gone. To preserve freshness (or to have an extra gift package), it is sold as two 50 g packages for $49

 

Pine Smoked Black Tea. I love pine trees. On Chinese New Year it is common to wish someone “the longevity of the pine.” The Chinese character for pine is composed of two parts: the word for tree and the word for grandfather. The pine is a wise elder and inspiration to mountain poets and hermits. This is a strong tea, like the pine, a black tea smoked over the wood of the Chinese red pine, so it is infused with a pine resin-like aroma. It is the tea that accounts for the delightful smokiness of Russian Caravan Tea. Our Pine Smoked Black Tea is energizing and inspiring, harvested in 2021 in in the original home of all black teas, the Tongmu region of the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China. 100 grams, $38

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HOW TO ORDER

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Shipped by USPS Priority or First Class Mail to US Addresses Only

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To order teas, please fill out Tea Order Form. All orders include detailed instructions on tea preparation and storage.