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Our current selection of aged teas hail from China, the origin domain of all Pu Erh teas (sometimes spelled, pu'er). We feature both styles of Pu Erh in our collection, sheng and shou, in addition to hei cha (a precursor to shou-style fermentation). Like a finely aged wine or whiskey, you can taste the time in a perfectly fermented tea cake, with notes of chocolate, tobacco, and richly moist soil. Pu Erh is commonly sipped in China after meals and acts as a digestive aid. Ever-increasing in popularity among tea and coffee drinkers in the West, we recommend giving Pu Erh tea a try if you like dark chocolate, coffee, and getting multiple steeps out of your leaves (sometimes up to 10 steeps!).
In the shortest of possible explanations, sheng (raw, green) Pu Erh is allowed to develop and age naturally while shou (ripe, black) Pu Erh is exposed to an accelerated fermentation process. This is why you will often notice a price difference between the two styles of Pu Erh tea, but does not necessarily mean that one is "better" than the other - both are excellent examples of an ancient style of tea with different production lengths. Which style of Pu Erh you prefer will probably depend on your taste buds (and even the tea itself)!
Pu Erh teas are meant to be contemplated over, explored, and savored. We invite you to visit our blog for more health and cultural information about the different styles of Pu Erh tea.
$ 38.00
Tasting Notes: Rich amber liquor with notes of fruit and spice.
A gorgeous example of a sheng-style Pu Erh, this young tea cake from Yiwu, China is ready to drink or continue aging gracefully in your cupboard. Count on 600+ steeps when brewing in the traditional manner.
Bright and lively in fruit and spice, with just a bit of the edginess characteristic of a young fermented green tea, the 2007 Yiwu Jing Long Pu Erh is ideal for both aged tea novices and long-time Pu Erh tea drinkers. This delicate yet rich infusion yields flavor elements that remind us of moments hiking through pines with cascading rays of sun in the Adirondack Park.
The 250g bingcha of 2007 Yiwu Jing Long sheng-style Pu Erh offers up 100 portions of tea, resulting in 600+ steeps. When you steep Pu Erh in the traditional manner using a gaiwan or small pot (yixing), you can expect upwards of 6 steeps per portion, turning this tea cake into 600+ fantastic brew moments. Western-style steeping will result in ~4 steeps per portion, turning your Pu Erh tea cake into 400+ steeps.
$ 14.00
Tasting Notes: Silky rust-red liquor gives way to notes of a lakeside forest floor.
This organic shou-style Pu Erh tea is produced at 1600m from medium sized leaves in the Lincang region of Yunnan, China.
The 2008 Jingmai infuses to a crystal clear brick red liquor, complex with loamy notes of rich soil, cereal sweetness, and a certain marine quality that brings to mind undisturbed, forested mountain lakes. Silky smooth and very easy to drink, the 2008 a great first Pu Erh to try for aged tea initiates.
A 2oz bag of the 2008 Jingmai will yield approximately 20-25 portions of tea. Brewed in the traditional manner using a gaiwan or small clay pot (yixing), these portions may be steeped 6 or more times, resulting in up to 150+ delightful cups of Pu Erh.
For more information on Pu Erh, how to brew, health benefits, and more, visit our blog here.
$ 1.75
Tasting Notes: Deep and rich coffee-like liquor with notes of earth, spice, and leather.
This shou-style Pu Erh is our best seller in the category. Pressed into mini tou cha (bird's nests) in 2012, this aged tea is an excellent introduction to Pu Erh and the perfect tea for coffee drinkers looking to branch out.
The 2012 Menghai produces a nearly opaque black infusion that is smooth, earthy and just a little spicy. Coffee and whiskey drinkers may notice aromas of peat and leather that remind them of their favorite brew or bottle.
Each tou cha of 2012 Menghai Pu Erh is its own portion of tea and may be steeped upwards of 6-8 times, depending on infusion method. For more information on Pu Erh and how to brew using traditional teaware, visit our blog here.
Sold out
Tasting Notes: Smooth and round with notes of earth and florals.
This style of post-fermented 'hei cha' tea may have inspired the development of 'shou' Pu Erh, as it is one of the oldest ways of fermenting black tea. The 2013 Three Cranes Liu Bao Heicha was grown near Liu Bao township, Guangxi and is a medium-light fermented tea that was aged for 2+ years and then pressed into 100g cakes in 2015.
This fermented tea has a smooth, delicious, mouth-feel with a fresh florality. Enjoy an earthy sweetness with only light balancing astringency that enlivens the mind and body.
Each 100g tea cake yields approximately 20-25 portions of tea. Brewed traditionally in a gaiwan or small clay pot (yixing), you can expect up to 6 resteeps of this aged fermented tea from each portion, resulting in nearly 150 delightful cups of tea.
$ 14.00
Our Cigarillo dark wood tea needle will help you carefully open up your pressed tea cakes of aged tea into beautiful individual leaves, ready for infusion. This pick is very beautifully made and is safely stored with a secure screw top.
As with many tea accessories, the traditional tea needle is going to be the best way to carefully pick apart your Pu Erh tea cakes. A delicate process that our go-to brute-force instruments like knives just can't hack, picking apart a pressed tea cake of aged, fermented tea without pulverizing the leaves is best done with a tea needle. (While the brute force approach may be quicker, and therefore tempting, it is best to pick your tea cakes apart carefully so that leaves remain whole for rich, complex infusions.) Just as we may tell someone beginning to prepare matcha at home that their one must-have accessory is a bamboo matcha whisk (or, chasen), the must-have Pu Erh accessory is absolutely a tea needle.
For best results, only pick out the leaves you need for your current infusion.
