Lao Ban Zhang is often considered the King of Puerh. It is highly sought after. We were lucky to get the material that we pressed into these dragon balls. We didn't purchase very much. This is pricy material. The leaves used in these tea balls are the "Feather Varietal" that grows in select areas of Lao Ban Zhang.

The Feather Varietal is named after the shape of the leaves. The leaves are supposed to look like feathers. Does it make a difference in the tea or is it all some new marketing buzz? All that aside, these leaves were picked with purpose and attention and processed with love and skill.

This tea brews bright with rich orchid aromas and fruity notes. The aroma is so sweet like honeysuckle in the Spring. There are hints of aging in there but overall it still feels fresh and vibrant. It has good energy. It really is a fresh and clean brewing tea. The thickness grows through the steeps. There is bitterness but it melts quickly. This is a very drinkable tea with an amazing throat sweetness.

The price is per ball. If you want more you need to buy more.

Brewing Instructions

These steep super easy! Drop one ball into your brew vessel of choice 75-100ml or so. Add boiling water slowly. Let it steep for 30s and watch the ball open up. Discard this initial rinse; or drink it if you want! Wait 5 minutes with the lid on and the tea ball will be open and ready to brew. Start with quick steeps under 10s. With each re-steep adjust the steep time to your taste.