{"title":"Pu'Er \u0026 Aged Tea","description":"\u003cp\u003ePu-erh and aged teas are made to be kept, not rushed. Grown mostly in Yunnan, China, and sometimes pressed into cakes or bricks, they're aged for years rather than enjoyed fresh, developing character the way a good wine does over time.Raw (sheng) pu-erh mellows slowly and naturally, while ripe (shou) pu-erh is fermented to fast-track that same earthy depth. Either way, expect a smooth, evolving cup, notes of damp earth, dried fruit and warm spice, that deepens with every year in the tin.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bai-mu-dan-2021","title":"Bai Mu Dan 2021","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-details__description-wrapper m-wysiwyg m-wysiwyg__regular\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBai Mu Dan, \"white peony\" in Mandarin, is one of the four classic white teas of Fujian, traditionally loose-leaf. This example takes a different path: the leaves and downy buds have been compressed into small 4-gram squares and left to age. It's a lesser-known but long-standing Chinese tradition, one where compression and time transform the tea's delicate freshness into something deeper, honeyed, and remarkably enduring, much like fine white tea moving through the years toward a life of its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCrafted by Mr. Zhang Zheng Ku, a long-standing partner of Camellia Sinensis in Fujian, this vintage was pressed in 2021 from the Fuding Da Hao cultivar, the classic white-tea variety of the region. The seductive appearance of each mini-cake owes as much to the mastery of the pressing as to the quality of the leaves themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe infusion opens refined and unhurried, with sweet notes of dried tropical fruit and spring honey. Subtle herbal nuances follow, reminiscent of tall grasses in midsummer. Generous and thirst-quenching, the cup carries beautifully across multiple infusions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Camellia Sinensis","offers":[{"title":"Small Pouch - 3 bricks","offer_id":57325267615910,"sku":null,"price":13.2,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Regular Pouch - 9 bricks","offer_id":57325267648678,"sku":null,"price":31.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large Pouch - 15 bricks","offer_id":57325267681446,"sku":null,"price":46.2,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/files\/54501909570_f3ea600a36_b_e04a230b-6fb3-4b5d-a401-9569111830cf.jpg?v=1789015421"},{"product_id":"pu-er-shou-2016-jingmai-organic-1","title":"Pu Er Shou 2016 Jingmai Organic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-details__description-wrapper m-wysiwyg m-wysiwyg__regular\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA loose-leaf ripe (\u003cem\u003eshou\u003c\/em\u003e) pu-erh from the high-altitude tea gardens of Yunnan, the ancestral home of the tea plant, and the only region whose fermented dark teas can bear the name \u003cem\u003epu-erh\u003c\/em\u003e. Unlike raw pu-erh, which ages slowly over years, shou pu-erh is post-fermented through a controlled wet-piling process that mimics decades of natural maturation, giving it a rounded, mellow character from the very first sip. This particular vintage was pressed in 2016 and has continued to settle gently in the years since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGrown at 1,600 metres from the large-leaf Da Ye cultivar and produced to full international organic standards, certified by Ecocert Canada, the leaves come from ecological plantations tended by Mr. Cai, a long-standing partner of Camellia Sinensis in Yunnan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe large leaves yield a very dark infusion, true to the family's Chinese name, \u003cem\u003ehei cha\u003c\/em\u003e (dark tea). The liquor is surprisingly light in texture, carrying its signature notes of damp soil and humus, with clay-like minerality and gentle woody nuances of oak. A fruity thread of dried prune runs beneath, brightened at the finish by a subtle menthol lift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEasy to enjoy and enveloping, one of the most approachable expressions of the style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Camellia Sinensis","offers":[{"title":"Small Pouch - 15g","offer_id":57325268172966,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Regular Pouch - 40g","offer_id":57325268205734,"sku":null,"price":38.4,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large Pouch - 80g","offer_id":57325268238502,"sku":null,"price":67.2,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/files\/53454477222_3cec830388_b_22e55fc7-d598-4aaa-b0f9-be26239308b4.jpg?v=1789015423"},{"product_id":"pu-er-shou-2021-yongde-1","title":"Pu Er Shou 2021 Yongde","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-details__description-wrapper m-wysiwyg m-wysiwyg__regular\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA young shou (ripe) pu-erh from Yongde, a region in Yunnan quietly regarded as the modern hub of Chinese post-fermented tea. While most of Yunnan is celebrated for its raw \u003cem\u003esheng cha\u003c\/em\u003e, the green, unfermented style of pu-erh that ages slowly over decades, Yongde has built its reputation on the opposite craft: carefully controlled, wet-piled fermentation that gives dark teas their signature depth from the outset. It's become the region's trademark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCrafted from the large-leaf Da Ye cultivar at 1,800 metres by Mr. Liu Yong Cheng, this 2021 vintage shows a smoothness rarely found in young fermented teas, a quiet mark of a fermentation gently and expertly guided. Where many shou pu-erhs of this age still carry the sharpness of the pile, this one has already found its balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLight, earthy aromas caress the palate, drawing gently into a sweet finish of cocoa and warming spice. Comforting, easy to enjoy, and endlessly re-steepable, the kind of tea that quietly earns a place in the daily rotation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Camellia Sinensis","offers":[{"title":"Small Pouch - 20g","offer_id":57325268500646,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Regular Pouch - 40g","offer_id":57325268533414,"sku":null,"price":22.4,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large Pouch - 100g","offer_id":57325268566182,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/files\/54690343282_e2109cbd33_b_cd451712-51f9-4151-9ab2-3587389d2dac.jpg?v=1789015426"},{"product_id":"pu-er-sheng-2023-yongde-da-shan-old-trees","title":"Pu Er Sheng 2023 Yongde Da Shan Old Trees","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-details__description-wrapper m-wysiwyg m-wysiwyg__regular\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA young \u003cem\u003esheng\u003c\/em\u003e (raw) pu-erh from the remote forests of Yongde, in the Lincang prefecture of southwest Yunnan. Where the \u003cem\u003eshou\u003c\/em\u003e style is deliberately fermented to give ripe, earthy character from the outset, \u003cem\u003esheng cha\u003c\/em\u003e takes the opposite path, pressed young and left to mature slowly over years, sometimes decades, gaining depth and complexity as it goes. This tea can be enjoyed now for its bright, youthful expression, or set aside to unfold in its own time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe leaves come from 70-year-old tea bushes in the Da Shan area, \"big mountain\", tended by the producer Yang Wen Bin at 1,200 metres. Old-tree pu-erh is prized for the depth and clarity that only mature root systems can deliver, and here the material shows in every sip: a careful blend of long leaves and unbroken buds, worked according to methods steeped in tradition and expertise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe infusion opens with sweet vegetal and fruity flavours reminiscent of dry straw and ripe melon. A gentle line of tannins gives the tea its structure, drawing the palate through to a smooth, syrupy sweet finish. Beautifully approachable for a young sheng, a rare thing at this price, and equally suited to daily drinking or long-term cellaring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Camellia Sinensis","offers":[{"title":"Small Pouch - 15g","offer_id":57325268697254,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Regular Pouch - 40g","offer_id":57325268730022,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Full Cake - 200g","offer_id":57325268762790,"sku":null,"price":140.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/files\/53220055808_59bd55ec7f_b_b5d75607-8340-4394-b904-77fd50411cf1.jpg?v=1789015428"},{"product_id":"gong-mei-2018","title":"Gong Mei 2018","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGong Mei, \"tribute eyebrow\", is one of the four classic white teas of Fujian, made from more mature leaves than its better-known sister, Bai Mu Dan. That maturity is precisely what makes it such a natural candidate for aging: where younger white teas are prized for their delicacy, Gong Mei carries the depth and structure to gain complexity over the years. This tablet was pressed in 2018 from the Fuding Da Bai cultivar, the classic white-tea variety of the region, and has been quietly settling into itself ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCrafted by Mr. Zhang Zheng Ku, our long-standing partner in Fujian (also the producer behind our Bai Mu Dan 2021), the tea comes as a compressed cake of leaves and buds. One small chunk gives a generous infusion, enough for two full cups (500 ml).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe liquor pours a rich, ochre yellow with a syrupy, thoroughly satisfying texture. Completely free of bitterness, the cup opens with fruity flavours of dried plums, then unfurls into pleasant, subtle notes of hay, tobacco, and camphor. A quietly beautiful expression of what time can do to a well-made white tea.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Camellia Sinensis","offers":[{"title":"Small Pouch - 3 bricks (17g)","offer_id":57325268861094,"sku":null,"price":19.18,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Regular Pouch - 9 bricks (50g)","offer_id":57325268893862,"sku":null,"price":47.52,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large Pouch - Cake (100g, 18 bricks)","offer_id":57325268926630,"sku":null,"price":84.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/files\/54950900477_ab7d5fe08a_b_88c97686-a5cc-4342-825a-79c31536720c.jpg?v=1789015431"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/1185\/4502\/collections\/53201962543_6b356476d5_b_79c33a9d-7b0d-4af6-8247-79e4e62d00bc.jpg?v=1789021009","url":"https:\/\/teaatelier.nz\/collections\/puer-aged-tea.oembed","provider":"Tea Atelier","version":"1.0","type":"link"}