Elephant on Pause 2023 Bada Raw Puer

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This 50-50 blend of qiaomu (arbor) and big tree material tea comes from the forested area near Zhanglang village in Bada mountain, which is home to the largest Bulang population in Xishuangbanna. Sandwiched between the more well-known and well-traveled Bulang mountain range and Jingmai mountain, Bada tea tends to fly under the radar, but in our opinion lacks nothing compared to its neighboring mountains.

After spending the better part of a day exploring the nearby forest and villages, we were impressed by not just the environment, but the kind people and the tea as well. This tea is as solid as they get, with a rich quality that is still down to earth.

Similar to Bulang teas, there is a prominent kuwei (pleasant bitterness) that quickly dissolves into sweetness and a lasting huigan. This is overlayed with a unique and intriguing fragrance that truly set it apart though. The addition of big tree material in this blend shaves off some of the roughness and makes for a well textured soup that sticks to the mouth.

This is a strong value tea with excellent ageing potential. In a year like this, it’s an affordable candidate for either picking up a tong of, or at least doubling up on to enjoy now and with some added age.

To highlight the differences tree age can make, we highly recommend comparing this tea with 269, which is comprised of gushu material from a nearby section of land.

Picking period: April 1-8