2018 Zi Ya Purple Bud

The Zi Ya "Purple Bud" is a unique and distinctive pu'erh raw from one of our favorite tea craftsmen, Mr. Tang in Jinggu Yunnan.

The first time we acquired the Zi Ya Purple Bud Pu'erh raw was in 2020 - we intentionally aged the cakes for one full year before drinking it in the spring of 2021. We were struck by its beautiful and plump leaves with a dark blue sheen, and also the clarity and gentleness of the tea. It has distinct elegant floral notes, and slightly smoky.Late last year, we were extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire five precious cakes from the 2018 vintage year from Mr. Tang himself, from his own personal collection. His aged pu'erh cakes are rarely available as they are always snatched up by pu'erh connoisseurs and collectors as soon as they are release.

I was astonished by my first experience with the 2018 vintage. The mouthfeel is amazingly silky smooth - I could have mistaken it for an old-grove oolong if I didn't know it was a pu'erh raw. It is exceptionally sweet - with no smokiness that I had experienced from the 2020 year. On the palate, it had distinct caramel, molasses and burnt sugar notes, followed by dark chocolate. When I smelled the lid of the gaiwan that I was using to brew it, it had notes of sweet dried prune.

I was amazed at how much the Zi Ya pu'erh raw has aged in 3 years! I had always known that Mr. Tang's pu'erhs age exceptionally well, and to expect a substantial change every three years, but the experience still blew me away.