Spring 2014 Kunlu Mountain Wild Tree Sheng / Raw Puerh 100g Cake

Kunlu Shan Wild Tree

'Yeshu' ( 困鹿山 '野树' )

In the Spring of 2014 my wife and I spent 3 months in Yunnan, China; the home of puerh tea. We walked the Ancient Tea Horse Road, we explored the tea markets, and we visited 6 unique tea mountains. In each of these mountains live traditional minority tea farmers whose families have worked the land cultivating puerh tea for countless generations. This tea was entirely hand picked and hand processed. This tea reflects both the unique regional terroir, and the individual skill of the farmer who is responsible for turning raw leaf into puerh tea. 

The tea from Kunlu Shan ( pronounced 'coon loo shah-n' ) was so highly prized in the Qing Dynasty that the Chinese Emperor quartered a portion of his army here to ensure his tribute. In Spring, Kunlu Shan is dry, dusty, and littered with scrub pine. The terroir is remarkably similar to the Alpine climate of the Eastern Cascade Mountains of Washington State. The farmers we work with take great pride in their tea.

The farmers we work with told us of magical trees far into the mountains above village #10 that takes half a day of hiking to get to. The trees are not part of a cultivated garden and are considered wild. They are called 'yeshu' ( pronounced 'yes-shoe' and means 'wild tree' ) The trees are huge and when asked the farmers told us that they are as old as the earth itself. We did not get a chance to visit the trees ourself and could only afford to bring back a very small amount. We have 5 cakes in total to sell.

• Prefecture: Pu'er
• Village: #10
• Tree Age: 'as old as the earth itself'
• Elevation: 2000+m

Brewing Instructions

Add 6 ounces of boiling water to 5 grams of leaf. Rinse once for 3 seconds. Steep quickly for 6 seconds. This tea is generous and can be resteeped many times. Add 10-15 seconds each re-steep.