Shitouzhai San Cha 2019

This Gushu Shu Pu’er from Shitouzhai, a region renowned for its high-quality post-fermented teas, stands out in two ways. First, it isn’t pressed into a bing but offered in loose-leaf form, which allows the tea to air out more quickly after the wet-piling process (渥堆; wo dui). Second, the caramel-brown leaves reflect traditional fermentation techniques from the 1990s—now quite rare to encounter. Guided by a veteran specialist formerly with the Dayi Pu’er Tea Factory, these methods avoid excessive fermentation, ensuring the tea retains strong potential for future aging.

Together, these features create a tea that is unusually complex while still retaining the richness and comforting qualities that tea lovers often seek in a Shu Pu’er. The aroma of the warm, dry leaves manages to combine the syrupy sweetness of bourbon caramel with the heartiness of mushroom stew. After a short rinse, notes of cookie dough, candied nuts, vanilla, and wet wood take over—and if you give the leaves time to cool, even a hint of florality emerges.

The clean, mahogany-brown liquor is as full-bodied and oily as it looks, offering a broad spectrum of flavors. Up front, there are notes of dark chocolate, walnut, and antique wood. In the throat, the sweetness of fennel seed and an iron-like minerality emerge. A bittersweet aftertaste and a deeply warming sensation in the body round off the experience of an exceptional Shu Pu’er—at a fair price for its refinement.

Written by Sven