1990s Menghai Green Label

For a long time I drank tea rather indiscriminately without understanding how to optimize the benefits of this wonderful drink to match the lifestyle and constitution of my body. After encountering my own health challenges and improving my lifestyle I became very interested in health and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), often testing ideas by conducting experiments on myself. By being mindful of my body’s reaction throughout the day I have learnt to become more in tune with my body. The changes become very noticable during times when I am consuming food and drinking tea especially the after effects when the body is reacting to what has come in. As a tea enthusiast I enjoy drinking tea on a daily basis and I am always keen to observe how my body reacts to a certain tea under different conditions and environments. As someone who has a Yin constitution I find warming food more suitable towards maintaining my sense of well being.

The 1990s Menghai Green Label was stored under mild wet storage conditions. The tea is warming and grounding in nature.

“Newborn Puerh is astringent and strong, often bitter. It is also unhealthy for the stomach, and ‘cool’ in the Chinese medicinal system, which isn’t good for most people’s constitution. ... Aged Puerh, on the other hand is smooth, woody and sweet with hints of plum, orchids, camphor or other rich flavors. Its nature is ‘warm’ comforting the body and opening up the flow of Qi.”, excerpt from the article A Discussion of Aging Tea: from Science to Spirit by Aaron Fisher from The Art of Tea No.5

Having a cold body type means that my body is better suited toward teas that are more warming in nature. The observations I have made on myself and my body’s reactions to green tea and especially young raw puerh supports this theory. Whilst my body has the ability to cope with a few cups of green tea once my consumption goes beyond my limit of tolerance I will start to feel physically unwell. By selecting and drinking teas that have a more warming nature I am able to maintain better balance within my body and this in turn provides me with a sense of wellness. Furthermore I am not constrained by having to limit my consumption and as someone who enjoys drinking tea all day this allows me to carry out my passion without any ill effects. I find that fermented and aged puerh of 20+ years to best alleviate my yin constitution. Aged teas of 30+ years consisting of Liu an, Fu brick, Liu bao, oolong can also possess a strong and deep warming nature that boost yang energy. Other teas that have either been highly oxidized, heavily roasted, fermented and aged for long enough to transform their nature from cool to warm are all easier on a body with yang deficiency. Fresh raw teas that still retain their potent cooling nature can still be enjoyed but in moderation. - I share my observations as I know that there are other tea enthusiasts who are similarly affected and therefore it may be of interest to others to observe for themselves the comparative effects of the yin and yang nature of teas on their own body’s constitution and sense of wellness.

The Green Label presents a warming and grounding brew much like the 1990s Menghai Orange Label. The tea combines the undeniable dark character of shicang with added complexity and nuances. The brew presents a good mouth feel, possessing a heaviness and depth of character. I suspect that there may be a possible mix of big tree material. The main notes are dark forest, sweet wood, bark, Chinese medicine, herbs combined to create a well balanced, mildly sweet and enjoyable age brew. Drinking this kind of wet stored tea eases the body into a sense of comfort and well being.

A Discussion of Aging Tea: from Science to Spirit by Aaron Fisher from The Art of Tea No.5 This article touches on the history of wet storage in association with older puerh vintages. 

See more teas from the Tea List