TeaEqualsBliss

Yes- I remember the first time I drank this tea. The man who represents the tiny Xingyang workshop was so excited because I was telling him about coming off trying a bunch of murky shu pu’ers. He brewed this up with a sparkle in his eyes and held it up to the light. He described it as crystalline and explained that the opacity of a pu’er can be a quality indicator. If the pu’er is too opaque and dark,he explained that it was probably fermented too quickly and actually composted. This one is almost 15 years old, and still it is clear. That is good handling. I think you pinpointed the “mellow” flavor that Xingyang is striving for. They do very slow and long fermentation not in huge piles that are sprayed with water but spread out and allowed to absorb the natural humidity of southern Yunnan. The careful process prevents the pungent bit of the average shu. I have been on the phone with my friend at Xingyang, Wang Shilin, and he is sending me some more great stuff from their workshop to try.

That’s awesome! :) I LOVE to hear these stories!!! Keep them coming!!!!