2024 Yiwu - Jin Chang He (Farmer Series) Puerh

FatBat Private Pressing Raw Puerh

金厂河

The village of Jin Chang He lies in Yao tribal lands of southern Yiwu, neighboring the more renowned Tong Qing He region. Like its famous neighbor, it is known for producing tea with a certain level of aggression and weight (relative to most softer, sweeter Yiwu teas), while exhibiting a powerful, intense character of “wildness”. This wild character stems from the remoteness of these groves, the lack of human presence and the perfectly preserved ecology of the area.

* Driving from the Yiwu town, we spent 2 hours on windy roads, passing through endless villages, until we reached Tong Qing He and nearby Bai Hua Tan villages, where majority of traffic ends. Then another 40 minutes of driving, without encountering much cars on the road, except sometimes farmers on the motorbike carrying mushrooms and fruits. Farmers in the village say rarely see producers came to this area, as the time and effort to commute to nearest trading & lodging town is too much, given the tight schedule.

The Yao families are known for managing their lands in a more “natural”, low-intervention manner. Trees are seldom over-picked (perhaps also a consequence of their tea gardens being very remote from their villages) and agrochemicals almost never used. The fresh leaf from Yao lands are regarded as some of the best in Yiwu. However, their processing methods sometimes tend towards the rustic, so careful selection of finished maocha is essential.

This tea was entirely picked and processed by the Deng family (after sampling countless bags of their maocha, we finally selected a batch from trees owned by Brother Deng’s elder sister). It is a seemingly uncomplicated tea, with an intensity of tangy-sweetness, a shadow of underlying bittersweet orange-rind and an astringency that fades quickly. Despite the rustic processing, the quality of the base material and untainted environment shows through in the purity of flavor and persistent sweetness.

A great chance to experience this lesser known, obscure region of Yiwu. This robust, exciting tea is ready to enjoy now, but will show a more genteel character with age. 

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