Washan 2022 Pu'erh Raw

阿佤山生普洱 2022

Harvest
April 2022

Origin
Awa Mountain, Lincang, Yunnan

Washan, is made up of 2 characters. “Wa” is the name of the minority people that are native to the area. “Shan” translate into “Mountain”. The locals sometimes call it “A Washan”.

It is not a specific mountain, but an area that is inhabited by the Wa people centered around Cangyuan in Yunnan, collectively referred to as “Washan”. A remote area, as recently as the 50’s and 60’s, the Wa people still lived a primitive life of slash-and-burn cultivation and wood carving.

Washan is the source of the almighty Lancang River, and it borders Myanmar. The ancient primitive forests are lush, abundant with wild fruits and vegetables. The area has many caves, serving as refuges for wild animals to inhabit and reproduce. Many exotic wild animals still roam Washan area, including Bengal tigers, leopards, gibbons and pythons.

This Washan pu’erh is new and fresh. It is from 100-150 years old tea trees in an abandoned tea garden. The tea garden is filled with a diversity of plants, the weeds grows up to 5 feet tall. Therefore the tea trees, in order to compete for sunlight, strives to grow tall, up to 16 feet high.

Being a young and fresh pu’erh, it is simpler and uncomplicated, with fragrances of mountain flowers. Sweeter and softer on the palette with a bright and crisp mouthfeel.

I reach for this tea on a crisp morning with breeze, when I want something uncomplicated but still with depth. When I am feeling lighter-hearted, when I feel like I want to be refreshed, something to cleanse my palette, something lighter for the soul.

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Brewing guide

The key to  making this tea is using boiling water.