The 2016 Ma An Shan puer sheng (raw) tea is a product carefully selected by Tea Soul to offer an even more in-depth tasting and learning experience of the complex puer tea variety. The gardens where the leaves of this sheng come from are located on Ma An Mountain in Zhenkang County and thus in the westernmost part of Lincang bordering Myanmar.
The peculiarity of this area is that it has soil rich in iron and minerals that give the tea a very distinctive flavor and body.
Ma An Shan puer sheng (raw) tea varies greatly in taste during tasting but, at the same time, always retains a pleasant oily, full-bodied feel to the sip. The most interesting flavours of this tea are certainly those that can be traced back to the vegetable sphere. Particularly on the palate, there are hints of the tomato plant and the skin of its fruit.
This very unique appearance is also accompanied by a slight metallic and acidic hint (most likely given by the soil of Mt. Ma An). It is also possible to feel the first effects of leaf maturation in the liqueur: in fact, at the back of the palate, you will be able to appreciate sweet woody tones that are somewhat reminiscent of oak. Despite the complexity of the flavor profile in the cup, this tea can be enjoyed and amaze both seasoned consumers and those new to the puer world.
Discover the selection of Puer Tea Soul.
Place of origin
Ma An Shan – Yunnan, China
Production
After the harvest the leaves whither under the sunlight for a certain period of time depending on the tea masters evaluations before going into the “killing of the green” phase which is similar to the practice adopted for green teas.
In this case, however, the leaves are heated in the iron wok with a lower temperature than the usual standards for a green tea so it is possible to preserve some enzymes capable of changing the the taste of the tea through the time. After being pan-fried the leaves rest during the night time before the last drying phase under the sun in the next day.
In this stage the product is called maocha and it is ready to be (eventually) pressed in order to have the best conditions to being transported and aged. To press the leaves, the producer exposes a certain quantity of the product to a strong steam jet for few seconds in order softened the vegetal mass and then wrap all up in a kind of sock or sac to imprint the final, usually discoid, form.
To maintain the desired shape the sac is put under an heavy stones for several hours or under a mechanical press while the leaves loose the residual moisture caused by the steam in the previous phase.
Preparation of puer sheng (raw) Ma An Shan tea 2016
We strongly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.
Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C: conduct a short rinse of the leaves and then an initial 15-second infusion. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (15 – 20 – 25…).
This tea has a longevity of about 8 infusions.
For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 2.5 grams of leaves in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 2-3 minutes.
For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the brewing time is over. The infusion timings we suggest can be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
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