The region of Nannuo is famous for its old tea trees which range from being hundreds to well over a thousand years old. Many of the finest old and rare vintages of puerh tea today is believed to comprise of raw materials collected from Nannuo. The Menghai Tea Factory built in the 1940s was strategically located to ensure that the factory could have access to good raw materials from its surrounding tea regions. As a result the tea leaves from Nannuo became a part of the factory’s many blends and formulations. It is believed that even the old teacakes from the Masterpiece Era under Menghai Tea Factory such as the 1950s Red Label, Blue and Green Mark were comprised of tea leaves harvested from the Nannuo region.
The world of puerh tea has undergone unprecedented and large scale changes in the 21st century. The escalating value of gushu (old tree) material leading up to the Puerh Market Crash in 2007 changed how these old trees were treated. As the value of gushu climbed these old trees that grew naturally with marginal interference by man came increasingly into the spotlight and became greatly over exploited for their valuable leaves leading to a decline in quality. The “Old Flavor” of gushu became increasingly hard to find in the market. As a result I have come to recognize and appreciate the quality in a well made older gushu like this teacake all the more. The smooth brew carries rich and deep flavors touching on a primal trait that appears to be intrinsic within these leaves. The mild sweetness makes the tea all the more enjoyable and after a few cups I feel warmth radiating from inside my body. After many years of drinking and enjoying this tea I feel that I have yet to fully peel away its layers. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by new facets within the tea as it matures.
Additional Note: After an experimental phase of gushu (old tree) production in the mid to late nineties, the revived puerh industry came to recognize the superiority of gushu raw material in the early 2000s. Thereafter the following 5 years became noted for the first big wave of old tree production that saw tea factories compete aggressively for gushu raw materials. The low yields and newly recognized quality of gushu material compared to plantation material swayed market demands overwhelmingly in favor of gushu and initiated a large price division between the 2 categories (that had not existed prior). As a result the years from 2000 to 2005 will be remembered as the emergence of gushu teas and a start towards a better appreciation of a truly unique and distinctive ancient variety of tea made from the leaf of old trees that can be several hundreds and even over a thousand years old.
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