A tea you can set your watch to, this tea represents what Yiwu sheng is all about, with a great fragrance, soft character and gentle sweetness.
Since we press this tea each year, it creates an excellent opportunity for vertical comparison of the same material year on year, going all the way back to the Year of the Monkey (2016). While the core of each pressing remains the same, there are inevitable differences due to varying weather from one spring to the next.
The weather this year bucked the recent trend of ultra-dry springs in Yunnan, with periods of rain interspersed throughout the season. As a result, this year’s tea is much more balanced, with a fragrance forward profile and noticeable sugar-sweetness.
Our experience storing this tea over the last 10+ years has been the development of even more noticeable honey and fruit notes within 3-5 years. Based on this experience and feedback from customers, we’re confident in this tea for long-term storage.
In previous years (2017-2018) we tested this tea against the EU Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 191 and 440+ pesticides, both passing with ease. Although this year’s tea has not been tested, the tea is from the same land and our confidence in this tea and relationship with the farmer remains strong. If you would like a copy of the lab results for previous years, please contact us.
This year’s wrapper features artwork by a most excellent Zurich based artist and illustrator, Alice Hoffman.