The Phantom Valley

Within the already rare varietal of pu'erh, Dabai "Big White," there is an even less common tree called Yellow Bud. It is a revered and seldom seen varietal, the leaves of which were traditionally reserved as Tribute Teas for emperors.

Mr. Tang, who crafted this incredible pu'erh, did so with the intention of honouring the thousands year old tradition of pu'erh making. It is appropriate that he used this ancient, yellow leaf varietal, to do so, as it is commonly believed that Yellow Bud was the first tree ever used to make pu'erh. He has crafted this tea using the traditional shai qing 晒青 process, in which the leaves are dried by the sun rather than roasted or oven-dried.

The cake itself is something to behold. Its soft, mottled surface is notably different from other pu'erh cakes. The thick, long leaves are textured with yellow fur, and in the light their colour looks like variegated gold. Even pressed into a cake the leaves still look wild and alive, an indication of the vitality of the trees they grew on.

This tea awakens us to the ancient tradition of pu'erh making, satisfying an interest in time travel. It has the power to draw you into a place of deep contemplation and expanded awareness.

There is less funk and ferment than we normally find in old tree pu'erh here. The depth of flavour, like caramel mixed with cigar, grounds the perspective-expanding and stimulating energy it delivers.