Pu er raw Sheng compressed cake O Yang from Nanmei old trees 2017

This tea comes from a blend of leaves from old trees from 3 different gardens belonging to producers of the Lahu minority located in an exceptional ecological environment at an altitude of some 2000 m in the Nanmei valley located in the Lincang Prefecture, among the northernmost regions of the pu er appellation located in the Yunnan Province.

The leaf was handcrafted by a Han Chinese maker, Madame O Yang, in a contemporary pu er “green” style.

Several 2017 harvests have been assembled in this cake from spring and autumn teas, the most prized harvests for pu er. On the palate, it reveals a rich tannic structure, an aromatic complexity with woody, spicy and slightly honeyed dominants with a fresh aftertaste.

Interesting to compare with other vintages from this tea maker or manufacturer O Yang, as well as the 2018 special edition from a blend developed by Olivier Schneider.

I discovered this tea thanks to Olivier Schneider, one of the great French specialists in pu er teas based in Asia. He has been supporting producers and Madame O Yang for several years to refine and perfect their process, whether it is the finesse of the picking, but also the manufacture of the tea. The pancakes are wrapped in traditional Dai paper designed and hand-screen printed by Olivier Schneider, also a great designer!