Mr. Li is a second-generation tea producer whose father was a famous Yunnan teamaster. In addition to working in the family fields, Mr. Li spent many years in the famous Menghai Dayi puerh tea factory, where the development of the “wo dui” fermentation process took place. This process for shou puerh approximates the much slower aging process of sheng puerh, creating a drinkable tea much more quickly.

Mr. Li took all this experience back to his family’s land to make his own tea. The family land contains tea trees of varying ages from which he harvests the leaf material. He has perfected a small batch version of fermentation process for this delightful handmade tea. The process is painstaking, requiring all of his expertise and attention to monitor the fermentation process and ensure that it doesn’t go too far.

Provenance:

• Origin: Duoyi Village, Nannuo Mountain, Menghai District of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China
• Grower/Teamaster: Li Shun Lin
• Harvest Date: April 2015
• Cultivar: One of the Da Ye Yunnan Big Leaves Tea Tree cultivars, possibly Camellia Taliensis
• Cultivation: Natural (Organic, no cert.)The tea trees on Mr. Li's land have never had any added manures, pesticides, or soil additives of any kind, and thrive completely on their own in their natural environment. The local tea growers believe that this gives the tea a more genuine character.
• Plucking Standard: 2 open leaves
• Processing Notes:  Hand-made Mao Cha, or loose leaf puerh. Small batch "wo dui" fermentation process exclusive to Li Family
• Nickname:
• History/Pedigree: The Nannuo Mountain area has a long history of growing tea, with cultivation dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-920AD).

Brewing Suggestions¹:

• Water: 205-212˚F
• Tea: 5g per 4oz of water (about a level 1.5 TB²)
• Steep: Rinse, then brew 3 seconds, followed by 8-10 additional steepings increasing number of seconds with each steeping. For a more western infusion, steep for 2 minutes for 2-3 infusions.

Tasting Notes:

Richly flavorful and aromatic, this shou puerh manages to be both richly earthy and pristinely clean at the same time.

¹ Brewing suggestions are just that. Try it as suggested, then experiment. In this case I suggest first experimenting with the length and number of steepings. You could also experiment with the quantity of tea per oz of water. On the western infusion, I sometimes use half the amount of tea. I would keep the water temperature in the range suggested, however.

² Weighing your tea is always the best way to control your dosage. I provide approximate volume measures for convenience but they can be problematic due to the variance in tea leaf shape and size.