Pu Er Shou 2016 Jingmai Organic

A loose-leaf ripe (shou) 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 pu-erh. 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.

Grown 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.

The large leaves yield a very dark infusion, true to the family's Chinese name, hei cha (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.

Easy to enjoy and enveloping, one of the most approachable expressions of the style.