{"title":"Pu'erh Ripe","description":"\u003cp\u003ePu'erh Ripe ferments more quickly than pu'erh raw through a process accelerated by humidity and heat. It is deeper, earthier, less stimulating and more mellow.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"pu-erh-ripe-essence-of-lincang-2017","title":"Essence of Lincang 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Essence of Lincang is a small batch pu'erh ripe made from the leaves of 200 years old trees. It is a blend of spring and autumn harvests, giving it some added complexity. This is an unusual tea because generally leaves from such ancient trees are made into pu'erh raw, as they are considered more valuable that way. We hardly ever find them fermented to this extent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo ripen the tea, the leaves were carefully fermented on wooden pallets off the ground. The temperature and humidity of the room they rested in was strictly controlled. During fermentation, the tea developed the unique aroma of sweet rice wine. The tea was then aged for six months at room temperature, before being pressed into cakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result is a full bodied pu'erh that tastes very vibrant and clean. It is not as earthy or 'underground' tasting as many pu'erh ripes, offering a more nuanced flavour profile. It has notes of sweet glutinous rice, wet stone and jujube dates and a mouthfeel that is smooth and satisfying. This tea gives a sensation comparable to drinking consomme: it is rich in texture and flavor, but with clarity and purity of taste. In this way, it is both a nourishing and uplifting tea.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":32955905343593,"sku":"","price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":32955905376361,"sku":"","price":56.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":32955905409129,"sku":"","price":106.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":32955905441897,"sku":"","price":350.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/IMG_6658.jpg?v=1613012861"},{"product_id":"tuocha","title":"Tuocha 2007","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe acquired 30 cakes of this Tuocha from Xiaguan, Yunnan a few years ago, and have been patiently aging it, letting it develop over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name \"Tuocha\" refers to the dome-like shape of the compressed tea cake. Tuocha pu'erh was usually exported to France, as an easy-drinking and sweet pu'erh ripe for enjoying day-to-day. It is not innately a complex tea, as it does not come from ancient trees. In the case of this Tuocha we taste for the characteristics that come with 15 years of age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven with the depth lended by time, it remains an extremely easy drinking pu'erh ripe. The mouth feel is light and almost refreshing, while still being earthy and sweet. It does not have the richness or brothy texture of pu'erh ripes made from much older tea trees, which is exactly its charm. This is an uncomplicated, high quality pu'erh ripe to enjoy at times when you are feeling a bit lighter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":46946724938008,"sku":"","price":18.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":46946724970776,"sku":"","price":36.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g cake","offer_id":46946725003544,"sku":"","price":65.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/tuocha_36d43661-8dae-402a-b4aa-5938088bf026.jpg?v=1782428380"},{"product_id":"puerh-ripe-xigui-2019","title":"Xigui 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Pu'erh comes from the remote and historic mountain village, Xigui, of Lincang Prefecture. When I visited this village, at the foothill of Daxueshan (Big Snow Mountain), I drove for many hours, winding upwards between the peaks of this dense mountain range. The blue sky reflected in the water of the Lancang River below and, as I gained elevation, I could catch its shimmer coming through the banana and bamboo trees that lined the muddy roads. It occured to me that the mud of these narrow, tired roads was the same dark yellow colour it would have been one thousand years ago, when it was Tea Horse Road - the route used to transport tea to Tibet, Mongolia, and the emperor. Arriving in the village of Xigui, at 3200 ft above sea level, is like having unfolded the mountains to discover a secret they've been conspiring with the clouds to keep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur Xigui comes from the family of Zhang Tianwen, who have been inhabitants of these mountains for generations. The tea trees, at roughly 200 years old, grow on steep hills overlooking the valley and rivers beneath them. These trees are not very tall, nor do they appear very strong: I found them surprisingly delicate looking, with mottled bark, and almost frail seeming branches. Their age is expressed in the moss and the fungi inhabiting their trunks, and their vitality, however discrete, is evident in the width of their branches and the abundance of their dark, shiny green leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name of the village, Xigui, is worth noting for how poetic it is. The first character, xi loosely translates to former times, or 'the past'. The second character, gui, loosely translates to go back to, belong to, return to. The movement in this name is backwards, and also, in-to. It evokes familiar and stabilizing sensations: of belonging, and of the endurance we experience in our childhood and adolescence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this pu'erh ripe so special is that the leaves are harvested from 200 year old trees. In Yunnan, the leaves of ancient arbor trees are almost exclusively used to make pu'erh raw, as they fetch a much higher price. It is very unusual practice to craft a ripe tea from them. The artisan, Zhang Tianwen's, intention was to make a pu'erh ripe using leaves from arbor trees, crafted and fermented with traditional techniques, precisely because such a tea did not exist in the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis pu'erh was fermented for 6 months in small batches, and then aged for 9 months. The result of Zhang's experiment is something very rich and satisfying. The ruby red liquor has a mouthfeel so rich it weighs on the tongue like broth. It is deep and silky, carrying a unique taste not commonly found in pu'erh ripes - one we must attribute to the fermenting of the leaves of 200 year old trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would want this pu'erh in wet or dark weather, for its nourishing sensation, and warm, enveloping qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39712633454697,"sku":"","price":50.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44540236300568,"sku":"","price":98.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/xigui_puerh_ripe_33f2b3ca-4323-4373-84f2-db407acc00c6.jpg?v=1782428379"},{"product_id":"yunnan-red-heicha","title":"Yunnan Red Heicha","description":"\u003cp\u003eHeicha is a fermented tea from the Hunan province in China. It is a lesser known tea, however its craftsmanship has a very rich tradition worth describing in detail. The preparation of Hei Cha dates back to the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century. Traditionally there are ten steps in crafting it: the tea is fermented, steamed, slowly roasted over charcoal, and then compressed into dense bricks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart of the wonder of Hei Cha, and why it is so highly regarded, is that, as the brick of tea ages, many little \"golden flowers\" form on it. These flowers are a probiotic called Eurotium cristatum. Over centuries of human interaction with them, these golden flowers have come to be understood as a very precious substance. Firstly, they contain enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of proteins in tea leaves, turning them into sugars, thus making the tea taste sweeter and more smooth. Secondly, the golden flowers convert the polyphenols in tea into beneficial and more available substances for the human body. Eurotium Cristatum is also found in thousand-year old reishi and cordyceps mushrooms, and has been the subject of medical research for a very long time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile its makers use very traditional craftsmanship and work in small batches, this Yunnan Red Hei Cha is an experimental tea. Normally Hei Cha would be prepared using tea from big-leaf trees high in the mist-covered mountains of the Hunan province. With this tea, the makers have used black tea from the Yunnan province instead. The black tea from Yunnan, harvested in 2018, is a blend of delicate bud-and-leaves from 300 years old arbor trees. When fermented as a Hei Cha, it is transformed into something a bit unbelievable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is as though this experiment has added an invisible milk to the Yunnan black. The enzymes from fermentation have produced an incredible softness, and a sweetness. In the mouth, the spaces in the structured tannins of the black tea have been filled with something dense and even. When the tea is first prepared it tastes like dulce de leche. After a few infusions the sweetness gives way to the taste of dried leaves. The auburn coloured liquor gradually intensifies with each infusion - never getting as dark as a fermented pu'erh, but still pointing towards the earth. For being so fascinating, it is a very comforting and grounding tea to drink.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39916523782249,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":39916523815017,"sku":"","price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/IMG_4415_0603a363-bb86-4487-a855-6d43cd54c127.jpg?v=1646956312"},{"product_id":"puerh-ripe-bulang-mountain-2021","title":"Bulang Mountain 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis pu'erh ripe is crafted with tea leaves from 2 villages: 100 year old trees from Bulang Mountain, and 200 year old trees from the ancient village of Nanben in Menghai. The cake is a custom pressing, crafted under the supervision of Taiwanese tea veteran, Zeng Zhixian.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZhixian is a highly regarded tea scholar famous for his book, \u003cem\u003eThe Fate of Fangyuan: Deep exploration into Pressed Teas\u003c\/em\u003e, which has had a profound influence on today's pu'erh industry. He opened a small studio in Hangzhou with his sons in 2019 where they could put their deep knowledge and understanding of tea into practice, crafting small batches of custom pressings of pu'erh raw and pu'erh ripe. This one, Essence of Bulang, is from their limited release in 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea cakes are made in small batches, with the entire fermentation process happening off the ground on wooden pallets. It was fermented for 6 months, which is on the lighter side for this style of tea, and then aged for 6 months before being pressed into cakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a very satisfying pu'erh, especially considering how young it is. The liquor has a glutinous texture, coating the palate with a mellow sweetness, and its grounding notes of dates, wood, and dense earth are expressed in a refined measure. This tea offers gentle, sweet and fortifying company.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44134804029720,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44134804062488,"sku":null,"price":56.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":44134804095256,"sku":null,"price":108.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g cake","offer_id":44134824935704,"sku":"","price":195.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A0709.jpg?v=1676418097"},{"product_id":"seeds-of-virtue-puerh-ripe","title":"Seeds of Virtue 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor Mr. Tang, crafting beautiful teas from a clean and balanced ecosystem is sacred. He is deeply dedicated to the craft of traditional tea making; this philosophy guides everything he does, and is embedded in every tea he makes. Alongside being an expression of their terroir, his teas are distinctly peaceful and feel extremely clear, just as he feels as a person.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have been asking Mr. Tang for a pu'erh ripe for many years, but making this fermented tea requires a production facility where the humidity and temperature can be controlled. Mr. Tang did not have access to a facility like this until very recently. In 2017, his good friend Qing Shui invited him to bring some of his high quality pu'erh raw to ripen at the Jinggu Tea Factory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang selected the leaves of 100 year old tea trees from Jinggu and blended them with tea leaves from Bulang Mountain. His thought was to combine the roundness and sweetness of old tea trees from Jinggu with the depth and intensity of tea from Bulang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea leaves were harvested in the Spring of 2017 and fermentation started later that year, lasting for 6 months. The tea was then air-dried and aged until 2020, before being pressed into cakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang named his first pu'erh ripe \"Shu Zi,\" a phrase taken from the philosophical works of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Chuang Tzu (Zhuang Zi). Its name means, \u003cem\u003e\"with deep plowing and careful and repeated weeding of the seed, my harvests were rich and abundant.\"\u003c\/em\u003e In this way, Mr. Tang dedicated this tea to a meticulous, fastidious, and honest approach to farming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of our favourite pu'erh ripes. It has the rare quality of maintaining a light, almost refreshing mouthfeel, while still being earthy and soothing. It's a tea that we would drink everyday in the winter, when we want something grounding and close to the earth, but not too heavy in texture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44540158902552,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44540158935320,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":44540158968088,"sku":null,"price":102.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/seeds_of_virtue_b79b0fa7-3ded-44b3-8daa-d422ce67bfc4.jpg?v=1782428381"},{"product_id":"2008-pu-erh-aged-orange-peel","title":"Pu’erh \u0026 Aged Orange Peel","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe do not have much of this very special Pu'erh Ripe from 2008, and are very happy to be able to share what we do. Our tea mentor in Beijing has sent us 7 cakes of it, enthusiastic about the results of this combination of pu'erh ripe and aged orange peel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea in these cakes is hand harvested 'one-bud-two-leaves' from Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The leaves are combined with aged orange peel (Chen Pi) from red mandarin oranges grown in Xinhui, Guangdong, (the most well-known village for producing aged orange peel).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrange peels are revered as both a medicine and a deeply satisfying flavour in China. They must be aged for at least six years before being used in tea; any younger and their moisture and sugar content will cause the tea cake to grow moldy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe orange peel in this tea, now 20 years old, is gently aromatic, and deeply ingrained in the tea it has been pressed with. The experience of drinking this pu'erh ripe is mellow and sweet, sustaining its balanced flavour through many infusions - an indication of its quality. Its liquor remains very red and has a clean, succinct aftertaste. This is the perfect digestif tea: it will soothe the stomach and aid digestion after what may have been a celebratory meal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44540236398872,"sku":"","price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44540236431640,"sku":"","price":148.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A1684.jpg?v=1676421531"},{"product_id":"imperial-puerh-in-red-mandarin2010","title":"Imperial Pu'erh in Red Mandarin","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lange Tea Factory has been making red mandarin pu'erh since the 1970's, and has a reputation for doing it more rigorously, and to greater results, than anywhere else in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey source chen pi from Tianma, the most prestigious village for producing the mandarins. Fruit for this tea was selected from their oldest trees, with peels that are thick and full-bodied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe imperial pu'erh ripe that fills the hollowed mandarins is from Menghai, Yunnan. The trees are 70 years old, and as imperial grade, only the tips are selected in making it. The tea was crafted using traditional methods, and sun-dried to finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea and the orange have been aging together, one densely packed inside the other, for 16 years. This is a remarkably long time compared to most versions of this tea available on the market! At this point the dried orange looks as though it was cast in bronze -- we can still see the perfect dimples on the rind, frozen in time. Aged this long, dried orange peel is considered a medicine and has a lot of depth and complexity in flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidering its potent health benefits, this tea tastes remarkably gentle. It is very clean and direct, with a weight and softness that feels hydrating. The full essence of the orange peel comes out in second and third infusions: its sweet, oily flavour envelopes the taste of the tea, mimicking the way this tea was aged. The orange peel lifts the earthy taste of the pu'erh, and their flavour is so fused, it's difficult to taste them apart. This tea will be enjoyed by people who aren't usually pu'erh ripe drinkers, as it has been so thoroughly changed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":46566355042584,"sku":"","price":38.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":46566355075352,"sku":"","price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":46566355108120,"sku":"","price":145.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A8972.jpg?v=1696033260"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/puerhripe\/style-experimental.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}