Lancang Ancient Tea Company 2017 "Bang Wai Ancient Tea Mountain" Ripe Puerh

Lancang Gu Cha's reputation for making some of the best shou puerh in the industry is properly vindicated by this premium ripe, using high-end material which could easily be used for raw productions.

This cake uses a range of aged material from old trees collected over 2009 - 2016, solely from the ancient Bang Wai tea mountain. Light fermentation, making for a lighter-bodied but layered tea, closer to aged raw puerh in character (though never really the same). This lighter processing also promises for great aging prospects. 

A nuanced and evolving tea, like a cup of light cocoa spiked with toasted orange peel, showcasing the lighter side of shou puerh rarely represented by the major factories. Highly recommended if you find most other ripes too earthy for focused tasting sessions.

[For a side-by-side tasting of single-origin raw and ripe, processed by the same producer, we suggest ordering the "Sheng-Shou Tasting Set" from the menu.]

TASTE PROFILE 

The just-wet warm leaf gives off aromas of baking chocolate, sundried tomato and cedar. This translates into a taste profile of chocolate shavings, fragrant blond woods and a subtle dried fruit / citrus rind tang. Flash-brewed, it is closer to a powerful yet smooth aged raw puerh, only with a stronger mouthcoat and darker aroma.

A lovely camphor and herbal fragrance is beginning to develop with age. Later steeps bring on a further wheat-like sweetness and aromas of sweet pipe tobacco. Top notch complexity and elegance with flavor and fragrance in equal balance.