{"title":"For Alex","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"sacred-mountains","title":"Sacred Mountains 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003ePressed in extremely limited quantities, this is one of the few pu'erh cakes we reserve for private collectors. We were fortunate to receive a small number of these tea cakes directly from our mentor in Beijing. Our mentor prefers remote and small-scale, old grove tea gardens. She is very fond of the 小叶种, or \"small-leaf varietal,\" of pu'erh. However, compared to 大叶种, \"big leaf varietal,\" it is far more difficult to source and much lesser known.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six ancient tea mountains of Yunnan are 攸乐 You Le, 革登 Ge Deng, 倚邦 Yi Bang, 莽枝 Mangzhi, 蛮砖 Manzhuan, and 易武 Yiwu. Sacred Mountain is crafted with tea leaves sourced from two of the oldest and most secluded ones among them, Xikong 习崆 in Yibang 倚邦 and Manzhuan 蛮砖. On account of being so remote, the small number of ancient tea gardens here remain well preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lesser known, and more primitive 小叶种, \"small leaf varietal,\" of pu'erh trees are indigenous to this region and have been growing naturally in this remote area for thousands of years. Compared to the big leaf varietal, the buds and leaves are smaller, shorter and rounder. The tea brews to a vibrant yellow-green color, and their taste is distinctly gentle and nuanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly around 100 kg of tea are produced from the Xikong terroir for the Spring harvest. To make this tea the first harvest leaves sourced from two ancient tea gardens were blended together. 70% originates from Xikong, where the Pu'erh is known for its gentle orchid notes with soft, honey undertones. The remaining 30% originates from Manzhuan, where the Pu'erh is known for being sweet and smooth with strong energy, and a long, lingering aftertaste. We find all of these characteristics in Sacred Mountain, combined to make something very unusual, and so remarkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe liquor from this tea is a strange, light-trapping gold. It is a very balanced tea: as strong as it is sweet. Its more angular floral notes linger for a long time on the palate, giving us an opportunity to breathe them in. The Chinese phrase used to describe the sensation of the tea liquor is 细腻, which translates directly as, fine + intricate + exquisite + smooth + subtle + refined...imagine the synthesis of all of these things in your mouth, that is Sacred Mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39643128463465,"sku":"","price":50.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44540300329240,"sku":"","price":98.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":52393163653400,"sku":null,"price":595.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A1936.jpg?v=1676422652"},{"product_id":"ancient-big-white","title":"Ancient Big White","description":"\u003cp\u003eAncient pu'erh tea trees are not uncommon in Yunnan, however we rarely come across any of the Jinggu Dabai, or \"Big White,\" varietal outside of Yangta Village. This rare varietal is native to Yangta and the trees have never spread far from where they originated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn account of its rarity, the price of fresh leaves from the ancient Jinggu Dabai tea trees has increased steadily in recent years. Despite their climbing market value, Mr. Tang insists on making a small amount of pu'erh from Jinggu Dabai every year, should he be fortunate enough to find fresh leaves on the ancient trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rare pu'erh comes from a grove of 300 ancient Jinggu Big White tea trees near his property. The trees here are approximately 400 years old, and stand together in the only known grove of the ancient Big White varietal to exist! Their newly sprouted leaves are golden yellow, and their branches, covered in moss and lichen, are full of vitality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Jinggu Dabai varietal is subdivided into 9 varieties -- the yellow buds are used to make Ancient Gold Needle, which we also carry, and the other 8 varieties are combined to craft this pu'erh. While blended, this pu'erh is still \"pure material,\" meaning there hasn't been any mixing with leaves from younger tea trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effect that this tea has is unusual: it tastes delicate and refreshing, while delivering a powerful energetic effect. Its mouthfeel hints at it being more substantial than we would guess from its flavour, and we can sense its potency in its extended, mouthcoating aftertaste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soft, gold liquor is viscous and heavy, carrying with it a bright, beguiling taste reminiscent of lemon-yogurt. The activity of this sweet and complex ferment settles deeply in us, transmitting the strong energy of these enduring trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would want this pu'erh on an intentional day. It asks for patience, and seems to slow us down, inviting a contemplative and open-minded state. After several infusions we find our thoughts moving in less familiar ways, which is something worth watching for.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44133623267608,"sku":"","price":65.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44133623300376,"sku":"","price":130.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g cake","offer_id":44133623333144,"sku":"","price":450.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A6392.jpg?v=1670020547"},{"product_id":"ancient-gold-needle","title":"Ancient Gold Needle","description":"\u003cp\u003eAncient pu'erh tea trees are not uncommon in Yunnan, however we rarely come across any of the Jinggu Dabai, or \"Big White,\" varietal outside of Yangta Village. This rare varietal is native to Yangta and the trees have never spread far from where they originated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn account of its rarity, the price of fresh leaves from the ancient Jinggu Dabai tea trees has increased steadily in recent years. Despite their climbing market value, Mr. Tang insists on making a small amount of pu'erh from Jinggu Dabai every year, should he be fortunate enough to find fresh leaves on the ancient trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rare and unusual pu'erh comes from a grove of 300 ancient Jinggu Big White tea trees near his property. The trees here are approximately 400 years old, and they stand together in the only known grove of the ancient Big White varietal to exist. Their newly sprouted leaves are golden yellow, and their branches, covered in moss and lichen, are full of vitality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Jinggu Dabai varietal is subdivided into 9 varieties -- the yellow buds are used to make this Ancient Gold Needle, and the other 8 varieties are combined in crafting the Ancient Big White, which we also carry. This pu'erh is \"pure material,\" meaning there hasn't been any mixing with leaves from younger tea trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang's intention for Ancient Gold Needle is to craft a top-grade tea that exemplifies the finest characteristics of the rare Jinggu Dabai pu'erh trees. He understands that they express themselves best when handled according to uncompromising local, traditional methods, and has been meticulous in his craftsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result is a pu'erh that will captivate you for many reasons. It is surprisingly delicate on the palate at first, with soft apricot notes and evaporating references to flowers. As its structure develops, a network of energy distributes quickly and evenly throughout the body. There is a dense, fabric-like quality to this pu'erh, and this tightly bound meshwork seems to gather us. As we spend more time with it, we start to feel more integrated, or even woven together.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44134773489944,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44134773522712,"sku":null,"price":140.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":44134783123736,"sku":"","price":950.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A6583.jpg?v=1670020674"},{"product_id":"jiutaipo-puerh-raw","title":"Jiutaipo Ancient Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor the past few years Tang Wang has been looking for abandoned pu'erh tea trees in the mountains and jungles by his tea farm. He has experimented with harvesting their leaves and making them into different pu'erh raws. Last year he released the first small batch of this pu'erh raw, made from leaves he collected on his foraging trips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a privilege for us to present this special pu'erh raw from the ancient trees of Jiutaipo. \"Jiutaipo\" is the name of a very small, remote village in Jinggu, Yunnan. There are only 41 households here, and nearby them stand some of the oldest and most difficult to access tea gardens in Jinggu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea comes from a beautiful alpine garden at 6000 ft elevation. The tea trees are of the indigenous Mengku \"Big-Leaf\" varietal, and are all between 150-200 years old. They were planted by people in the late Qing Dynasty, with the intention of producing tea for export to Myanmar, Hong Kong and Macau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea garden sits on the west side of the mountain, receiving plenty of sunshine while surrounded by a healthy old growth forest. There are no built roads leading to the garden, making it very hard to find and reach. The tea trees are considered semi-wild, because while they were planted for cultivation centuries ago, they have survived untended, with minimal human intervention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTraditional practice is to only harvest these trees once-per-year, in the spring. For this one special harvest only the first leaves are picked. The first harvest leaves are then crafted into a cake using a traditional sun-drying technique that best preserves their powerful energetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2026 harvest is less metallic and more mineralic, this harvest still conjures melted rock as it pushes warmth through the body. We feel the force and clarity of its energetics and a pleasing lemon note coming from the ferment on the finish. If you smell the wet leaves you will immediately detect how much energy they contain. This tea cake has so much to offer, it's very well suited for aging.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":45605945016600,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":52415778816280,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g Cake","offer_id":45605945114904,"sku":null,"price":440.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/cultivate-june-17-2025-tea-cake-2-v1-6012.jpg?v=1752353719"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/for-alex.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}