The timeless charm of Pu'er tea lies in the gradual maturation under dry storage and the sincere craftsmanship of tea artisans. This Menghai Seven Sons Cake of Bulang Impression ripe Pu'er, collected by Tongxin Teahouse, was crafted by Ms. Du Qiongzhi, former Director of the Fermentation Department of Menghai Tea Factory. Her handwritten signature on the wrapper marks this tea as a unique collectible piece, which has aged for nineteen years since its production.
This tea is made from sun-dried crude leaves of arbor trees from Bulang Mountain, Menghai. Leveraging her decades of expertise in the fermentation of ripe Pu'er, Ms. Du precisely controlled the pile fermentation process, laying a solid foundation for the tea’s inner quality. The cake is neat and well-shaped; its cotton wrapper has turned slightly yellow after years of storage, bearing distinct traces of time. The label dates its production to September 2007. It has been properly kept in dry storage in Shenzhen, shielded from moisture and foreign odors. The tea’s properties transformed gently, losing the harshness of newly fermented ripe tea and developing a mild, restrained charm over time.
After nineteen years of dry aging, the tea sheds the brash character of fresh fermented tea, revealing remarkable texture once brewed. The liquor is rich, glossy and translucent, full-bodied and velvety on the palate without any thin or watery feel. A gentle sweetness slowly rises in the throat after swallowing, with subtle lingering sweetness unfolding gradually.
Its aroma carries no overpowering surface impurities. The restrained aged scent is steady and mellow, unfolding layer by layer along with the inherent mountain character of Bulang tea leaves. Free of fermented odd smells common in new ripe tea and the stale turbid scent from damp storage, years of careful dry storage in Shenzhen allow the flavor to grow more stable with age.
The artisan left her signature, while time nurtures the tea gently. The Du Qiongzhi signed edition of Bulang Impression Seven Sons Cake stands as tangible evidence of traditional ripe Pu'er craftsmanship and a vivid record of nineteen years of storage aging.
Settle down comfortably at Tongxin Teahouse, break off a chunk of this vintage tea and place it in a pot. Let boiling water rouse the tea leaves that have rested for years. As the smooth liquor slides down your throat, taste the original vitality of Bulang Mountain tea and appreciate the wonders of dry storage maturation. Amid the mellow aged fragrance, savor the story of Pu'er spanning nearly two decades.