Cha Ping 2020

For lovers of true excellence in tea.

This deep forest Sheng Pu’er comes from the Cha Ping garden in the Guafengzhai area, which can only be reached by hiking through dense thickets for several hours where it grows unburdened by civilization. Its long and twisted dry leaves exude a subtle fragrance, slightly dry and sweetly resinous. A splash of water opens it up, carrying notes of wood, honey, red fruits, and even hints of something floral through the air. The vibrant orange tea soup feels heavy as it’s poured into the cup, portending an experience that is best enjoyed with full focus. True to its origins, this tea provides sweetness from the first sip, coupled with a flavour reminiscent of a forest’s undergrowth right after the rain clears. This sweetness is deep and layered, as it evolves from gentle beginnings to a key player that interlocks with other nuances to cover a variety of fruity aromas, much like the nuanced taste of starfruit at various stages of ripeness. A light acidity evokes apples, which transforms to a more citrus-like sensation as it ramps up. A mild astringency that slowly builds over the course of the session brings the impression of pear on later steeps, while a grape and nectar sweetness are ever-present in the background. Viscous and almost oily, it coats the mouth and lets these flavours play with each other for long after the tea is swallowed. Much like a stroll through the forest, this tea is tranquil at first, calming you down and making you focus on the moment, but it builds up energy across the whole session, leaving you reinvigorated once you exit the woods and return. If you’re looking for a tea that gets every little detail right, this is the one. A truly exceptional experience.

We only have a very limited quantity of this tea, as it is meant to combine with the Laobanzhang Gushu King Tree Garden 2020 for a comparison between two top-tier representatives of Gushu in Xishuangbanna, one from the Menghai area, the other from Yiwu.

Written by Sigi