We commissioned this production of carefully selected huangpian (yellow-flake) raw puerh tea from old-growth trees this spring. Huangpian are the older (usually 4th or 5th) leaves that, after processing, are deemed to be less visually appealing, and are then usually hand-separated. Drunk on their own they yield a softer, more mellow flavour with more sweetness and less caffeine. Historically worth significantly less than ‘full’ material in the domestic Chinese market, and often kept by producers to drink for themselves, buying huangpian provides a very high value way to drink tea from much more expensive trees. A fantastic candidate for long-term ageing, and as an introduction to the characteristics of premium, old-arbour raw pu-erh tea. The material here is soft, supple, and sweet.
Note: on the printed wrapper, the name is misspelled ‘Chixculub’ rather than the correct ‘Chicxulub’ (whoops).
Spring 2022 material, 200g per compressed cake, with five cakes in each traditionally wrapped bamboo tong.