"108" Old Tree Ripe 2020

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“From Mengku comes this very rare ripe tea treat. What makes this different? For one, a lot of ripe teas are made using young bushes/trees, 20 to 40 yrs old. Our “108” cake is from much older trees (120 yrs old) and you can literally taste the minerals from deep in the mountain due to much deeper root growth.

But that’s not all that distinguishes this cake from most. The way in which this spring 2019 picked leaf was processed also accounts for the incredibly well-balanced flavor. Rather than being pile fermented for shorter times, this leaf was meticulously cared for using a method that employs wood platforms during the piling, allowing for greater control of airflow through the leaves and ensuring a more even ripening of the leaves. Great skill and attention went into this leaf from start to finish.

We had the fortune of tasting this leaf just after it had been dried following the piling and we were greatly impressed, buying some of the small batch to press 300 of these magnificent cakes.

An aroma of thick, sweet, damp earth – a treat for the olfactory system just to smell of the leaf following the initial rinse. Truly take the time to enjoy this part of your session. Minerals abound on the palate with a slight tannic edge akin to dark chocolate balanced by the creamy vanilla sweetness. The aftertaste round, later infusions really bring out the sweet flavor of this incredible offering."