Tea Session - 1997 Loose Leaf (Dry Storage)

Close up of a heavily kneaded tea leaf showing traces of dried sappy residue and micro-activity.

1990s Private Production (Light Wet Stored)

This is a tea drinker's tea. Possessing a charming aged character and vivid flavors.

1980s Bamboo Wrapped Melon - NA

This well aged puerh melon is estimated to be from the 1980s. The tea comes in a simple bamboo tube consisting of 5 pieces, bare and unadorned by labels. For an unlabeled puerh tea there is no hype, no marketing and no brand premium. As a result such a tea can be good value, adding a little excitement and mystery to our tea sessions. However at the same time unlabeled puerh can be a risky proposition for buyers as the quality of the tea greatly varies and is an easy way to pass off fake tea by dishonest merchants. With no written information to clearly reveal the production and origins of the tea an unlabeled tea is judged solely on the quality of the tea leaves and our experience from drinking them.

1997 Loose Leaf (Dry Storage)

This 1997 loose leaf is an intriguing puerh tea. What caught my attention was that this tea represents one of the few very clean dry stored puerh teas of the 1990s going against the trend of traditional (wet) storage which was the general norm at the time. The character of this tea reminds me of the famous Menghai 88 Qingbing dry stored teacake. It is my belief that the combination of dry storage and leaf material made to the standard of Menghai Tea Factory are key contributing factors to this resemblance.

 Earthenware containers are slightly porous and make great containers for storing and aging puerh tea.

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.

1990s Menghai Orange Label (HK Private Commission)

These dark tea leaves possess both potency and stamina. A tea session can last upwards of 10 steeps delivering a deep and full bodied brew that is rich in taste and revealing soft layers of nuances and complexity.

1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Under the reign of Chairman Mao Zedong and the Communist Party private ownership of tea factories became illegal. This hefty 1970s Fuzhuan tea (aka Fu brick tea) from Sichuan Province, Guanxi weighing 3kg represents a united co-operative of the people under a socialist economy. The socialist approach is based on production for use and to satisfy the basic demands and needs of the people for all the people. Unlike capitalism the basis of production is not for profit and therefore not to cater for special groups of consumers with the wealth to make purchases in order to accumulate capital. This tea is symbolic of the belief and idealism at the time and was produced by the people and for the people under the management of the Chinese government.

At the time the new and united nation of “The People’s Republic of China” under Chairman Mao would be marked by rapid changes and grandiose projects that would be pushed by strong idealism. The sense of togetherness and unity that was being projected by the government during this period of time was essential to spread and generate acceptance for government endeavors. The label for this Fuzhuan tea “People’s Unification Tea” represents one of many avenues that would be used by the government to communicate and impact social change and people’s thinking through propaganda.- Note the similar style and design of the tea label to the propaganda posters under Chairman Mao's Era here and here.

1950s Liu An Sun Yishun

The story of Liu An tea is not well known. For this reason the amazing quality of older Liu An vintages have largely gone unnoticed until recently. The pre1950s era remains the pinnacle for Liu An appreciation when this little basket of tea leaves weighing approx. 600g was enjoyed by the Chinese upper class and considered amongst the top teas in China. 

This early 1950s Liu An Sun Yishun represents the last batches of Liu An tea from an old era that was almost permanently erased from history under the reforms of Communism. This tea is symbolic of the wealth, refinery and pursuit for excellence that the upper class in China enjoyed under the Nationalist Government and capitalism. The production of Liu An tea during this time period was catered mainly to the wealthy and as a result the quality of the tea was made to a very high standard. This resulted in a highly meticulous and labor intensive production that is evident today in the quality and elegance of the brew and the astonishing uniformity of the leaves in shape and size that are compressed in these baskets.

Chairman Mao & The Communist Party - A History Recorded by 2 Teas

i) Sailing the seas depends on the helmsman, waging revolution depends on Mao Zedong, ii) 1970s Fu Brick, People’s Unification Tea from the time of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution, iii) 1950s Liu An Sun Yishun

A part of the allure of old teas is the period of time and history that they represent. Each tea has a story to tell and the 2 old teas that I will be reviewing this month are no different. Both teas come from a time of immense upheaval and unrest that coincides with the rise of Chairman Mao Zedong and the rule of the Communist Party of China. The contrasting qualities of the 2 old teas in many ways mirror the two prominent political parties (Kuomintang, KMT and Communist Party of China, CPC) at the time. The turn of events would cause each to take two very different paths.

2003 Chienyun Red Dayi Ripe (Menghai Tea Factory) - NA

The Menghai Tea Factory is the standard bearer for ripe puerh tea. Menghai is one of two factories that pioneered the production of ripe puerh and first introduced the tea to the market in the early 1970s. Over the decades Menghai Tea Factory have established a reputation for producing reliable to exceptional aged vintages of quality ripe puerh. Since the start of their operations Menghai remains the biggest and most reputable factory in China and internationally for ripe puerh tea.

2003 Purple Dayi (Menghai Tea Factory)

The 2003 Purple Dayi is one of a series of reproductions from 2001 to 2004 by Menghai Tea Factory to replicate the iconic 1996 Purple Dayi. The tea is old style Menghai production consisting of plantation raw material that is brutal in character. The tea is made for long term aging. The estimated time for storage is perhaps revealed by a story that tells of a tea farmer who produces puerh tea for his grandchildren to enjoy.

2001 Simplified Character Cloud (Menghai Tea Factory)

The 2001 Simplified Character Cloud is a special production from the Menghai Tea Factory. It is a tea that appeals to both collectors and investors due to its quality and popularity (from being referenced in tea publications and discussed in tea forums). Personally I find the quality of the tea to be good and superior to Menghai’s regular productions. That said it is not a tea to be enjoyed now as its maturity is likely to be decades away.

2005 Gan En Nannuo (Gushu)

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.

2005 Gan En Ban Zhang (Gushu)

The 2005 Gan En Ban Zhang is a tea that does not need much of an introduction to avid puerh enthusiasts. It is a tea with a visible online presence and therefore a history that is worth further research by way of Google for both the famed tea and region. This tea has made the rounds with a number of tea enthusiasts receiving praise and critique towards becoming an item that is both sought after and at times spurned in part due to its Ban Zhang composition that has whipped the market into a frenzy in past years and where demand and high prices continues to soar to this day.