2023 Kunlu Shan Imperial Tribute Tea

FatBat Imperial Tribute Tea Series

困鹿山皇家茶园

This is an extremely representative tea in the Imperial Tribute Garden style. The aroma is high-pitched and delicate floral, with a subtle sweetness and minimal spice. On the palate, the liquid is cottony and pure -- the sweetness is that of a just-bloomed white orchid warmed gently by the morning sun. There is a subtle green freshness of jasmine leaves dampened by morning dew. The delicate flavor is direct with zero interference from unwanted flavors, testament to the purity of ecology and absence of agrochemicals. 

Each Spring, we spotlight one of the 4 historical Imperial Tribute Tea Gardens. 

• 2022 - Xu Li Shan
  
• 2023 - Kunlu Shan
  
• 2024 – MiDi

Kunlu Shan is probably the most famous of the 4 main Imperial Tribute puerh tea areas. This year’s tea is picked directly from within the old Imperial tea garden itself, situated right at the top of Kunlu Shan mountain at high elevation (approx. 1900m). The location of these imperial tea gardens receive an ideal amount of sunlight, occasionally shrouded in mists, providing excellent humidity. These gardens enjoy an almost perfect terroir -- with moderate slopes and surrounded by massive trees of other species, adding to the biodiversity of the land. The “Kunlu King Tea Tree” and “Small-leaf Queen Tea Tree” are all located in this Imperial Tribute garden.

Our objective is to showcase a very representative, classical expression of this Imperial tea. Like most tribute Puerh teas, the flavor profile of teas from this core garden is distinctive, with a focus on absolute purity of aroma and delicacy of taste. Almost simplistic/zen in approach, a tea to be enjoyed in stillness and self-focus.

TERROIR

Kunlu Mountain, situated in Pu’Er county along the ancient tea trading route, is best known for being the site of the ancient Qing Dynasty Imperial tea gardens.  The buzz word “imperial tea garden” has attracted much attention. The nearest municipal town is Ning-er, which was historically the area’s capital, before Simao (later renamed to Pu’Er) rose to fame.

Based on our observations, the Imperial Garden trees differ from those outside in the following ways:

• The Imperial Gardens have a strict no-agrochemicals rule enforced by the government, as well as picking limitations for individual trees and season. Due to these preservation efforts; the yield is low every year.
• Trees in Imperial Gardens are majority comprised of “small & medium leaf varietals” (not the "big leaf” and “wild tree” varietals), in line with the Qing Dynasty Imperial garden standards, just as in the other Imperial Gardens of ManSong and Midi.
  

This yields a very distinct profile and quality, hence these this material is highly valued vs. the trees growing elsewhere on this big mountain (no matter how old).

*Note that so-called "wild varietal" Kunlu teas available in the market are different product from the semi-cultivated varietals. The wild tea trees are grown not inside the Kunlu Imperial Tribute Garden, and it is found to be in what locals call the "rear hill" area where the roads become less accessible, into a totally wild forest. 

TECHNICALS