Banzhang Shou Puer Cake:

Banzhang Shou Puer is a 2014 tea cake from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. It has the classic earthiness that is characteristic of shou puer.

Banzhang is one of the most famous tea mountains in Yunnan. Our high regard for this tea area began when we visited for the first time in 2005. It takes a few hours to get to the tea forest by way of a mountainous dirt road. A small community of around 140 families are native residents of the area.

The Hani people of Lao “old” Banzhang and Xin “new” Banzhang villages are descendants from a branch of the ancient Qiang people, a nomadic tribe from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. They are famous in Xishuangbanna for their abilities in harvesting and producing tea. The tea forest is largely wild growing with large old growth tea trees and an assortment of wild, medicinal herbs and plants that grow around the base of the trees. Because of the high elevation and the age of the plants, the tea from here is considered quite flavorful and commands some of the highest prices for leaf in Yunnan.

Ingredients: Puer Tea Leaves.

Flavor Profile:

Classic shou puer earthiness with notes of sassafras, vanilla bean and tamarind.

Brewing Instructions:

Every tea is different and can be brewed in different ways. The chart below is not a hard-and-fast guide for brewing this tea, but rather a place to get started. Steeping time may vary based on your personal taste or on how many infusions have already been done. Experiment with the brewing of your tea to discover its unique character.