In the world of Yunnan Pu'er tea, the six ancient tea mountains hold a pivotal position. These six tea mountains, also known as the six tea mountains within the Jiangnei area, consist of Youle, Gedeng, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manzhuan, and Yiwu. Each mountain has its unique charm and profound history, giving birth to Pu'er teas with diverse styles.
Today, let's focus on the Mangzhi tea mountain, one of the six ancient tea mountains. Mangzhi tea has a long history, especially the pure ancient tree material, which is extremely rare in the current market. The "Mangzhi Ancient Tree Dragon Ball Raw Pu'er Tea" brought to tea enthusiasts by Tongxinshe Teahouse is truly a rare treasure.
Mangzhi tea, also known as "Nü'er Tea" (Daughter Tea), has a sweet and soft soup texture. From the Qianlong period to the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, the Mangzhi tea mountain reached its peak. During the spring and autumn seasons every year, caravans of horses came to Niuguntang to transport tea in batches, creating a bustling scene. On the ridge of Niuguntang, there is still an ancient path that is three meters deep, which is the trace left by the horse caravans in those days, carrying the glorious past of Mangzhi tea.
However, historical upheavals have had a huge impact on the Mangzhi tea mountain. Starting from the 1940s, the Mangzhi tea mountain gradually became desolate and remained unattended until the 1980s. The tea mountain became mixed with other plants, inadvertently laying the foundation for the unique floral and honey fragrance of Mangzhi raw Pu'er tea.
The raw material of this "Mangzhi Ancient Tree Dragon Ball Raw Pu'er Tea" is taken from the first picking of ancient tree pure material in the spring of 2021. The tea trees grow on the red soil, endowing the tea leaves with high sweetness and strong fragrance, giving it unlimited potential. In terms of craftsmanship, it is made into dragon ball shape following the ancient method and has been aged for 4 years. After the precipitation of time, its floral and honey fragrance is rich and gentle, and the taste is even smoother.
Looking at the dry tea, the strips are plump, and the pressing is moderately tight. When brewed with boiling water, the tea soup presents an orange-yellow and bright color, which is very attractive. When sipping it, it is delicate and soft in the mouth. The upper palate can clearly feel the sweet honey flavor, and the woody fragrance is also very prominent. After swallowing the tea soup, the throat feels sweet and refreshing, and the fragrance lingers in the mouth for a long time. After careful tasting, this tea performs excellently in terms of aroma, soup texture, aftertaste, salivation, and viscosity. Especially, its astringency in the mouth is very obvious. As ancient tree tea, its internal quality is much richer than that of ordinary small tea trees, which not only makes the current tea-tasting experience more wonderful but also is more conducive to later transformation and has a higher value-added space.
If you want to savor this tea better, there are also some tips for the brewing method. It is recommended to choose a 150ml purple clay teapot as the tea ware and the tea quantity is 8g. The brewing water can be purified water or mountain spring water, and the water temperature should reach boiling point. When brewing, first rinse the tea with the first infusion. Then, pour the water slowly at a fixed point. For the first few infusions, pour out the tea immediately after brewing. As the number of infusions increases and the tea soup becomes lighter, you can soak it for an appropriate amount of time to fully release the charm of the tea leaves.
This "Mangzhi Ancient Tree Dragon Ball Raw Pu'er Tea" is a gift from time and nature, and it is a fine tea that Pu'er tea lovers should not miss, taking you to appreciate the unique charm of the Mangzhi tea mountain and the profound connotation of Pu'er tea.