Jinxiu Longzhu (Big Tree Dragon Ball)
Sheng Puer Ball 8g 2020
A very clean and sweet sheng puer made from the tender leaves of old growth forest tea trees. Delicate yet complex and layered, with distinctive fruity notes of pineapple and rich wildflower and strawberry-like aromatics. Hand-rolled into individual 7-8 gram single serving balls.
- Tea Origin
- Jinxiu Village, Xiaowan Town, Fengqing County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China
- Tea Bush
- Yunnan Daye Quntizhong (Yunnan Large Leaf Heirloom Tea Tree)
- Tea Maker
- Han Fengqin
- Harvest Time
- April
- Plucking Standard
- One bud, two leaves
This sheng puer comes from the high-elevation forest tea gardens of Jinxiu Village in the mountains of Fengqing County (2,100m). Its tender spring leaves come from mature old growth tea trees. Using leaves from mature tea trees like these makes for a much smoother sheng puer flavor with minimal astringency and no bitterness.
The very clean and light flavor is still full, sweet, and juicy. A distinctive preserved pineapple character is followed by a subtle savory aftertaste of fresh steamed greens. The dusty golden infusion turns a bright mango orange with longer steeping times. Due to the diverse forest growing environment of these tea trees, the surprising strawberry-like fruity aroma also develops a rich complexity like spring wildflowers as the leaves unfold.
The complex and layered flavors of this tea change as you drink through the infusions, making for a fascinating tea drinking experience. As the convenient single-serve balls are a hefty 7-8 grams each, this tea lasts for many flavorful brews.
Processing
Once processed into mao cha, the leaves for this puer will be rolled by hand into single-serve balls. The tea makers will weigh out 8g of mao cha at a time in a small stainless steel cup with a hole at the bottom, then steam the tea for a few seconds through this hole. Then they wrap the serving of leaves in a piece of cotton cloth and roll it into a ball shape. Once shaped, the balls will be allowed to air dry for five days.
Origins
Jinxiu Village (also known as Qiangzhuqing) is home to one of the world’s largest and oldest tea trees, known as the Jinxiu Tea Ancestor or the Qiangzhuqing King Tea Tree. This immense old tree is thought to be over 2,000 years old. Although this tree is no longer harvested, it is lovingly cared for by the village family it belongs to, with the assistance of tea scientists interested in preserving its legacy.
No chemical fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide was used in the production of this tea. Click here to read more about our promise to fair trade and the environment.
