A classic blend from the Haiwan Tea Factory, under their "Lao Tong Zhi" (Old Comrade) brand, produced in 2006. Impeccably stored and now not commonly found -- well worth tasting.
This is a delightfully blended cake with a very light fermentation, highlighting the brighter, juicier side of shou puerh, which is an approach seldom adopted by many of the big factories (which frequently adopt medium to heavier fermentation levels). This blend was developed under the watch of Zhou BingLiang (the ripe puerh master of ex-Dayi fame), whose signature is printed on the wrapper.
Notes of golden woods, tangy barely-ripe stonefruit, a gentle aroma of aged leather-bound books lying in a light-filled sunroom. The lighter fermentation and transparency of the blend beautifully highlights the character of the underlying material and makes for a refreshingly nuanced expression of what shou puerh can deliver.
