You've probably noticed we at Čaj Chai are big fans of wild tea. Wild tea is even better than organic plantation tea because the tea trees thrive in a natural and diverse habitat rather than as a single-crop monoculture. In its natural environment the tea trees exist in harmony with nature and the seasons. They are not irrigated. There isn't anybody to take care of the trees and "help" with insecticides, fertilizers or pesticides.
This tea is extra special because in addition to being "Ye Sheng" wild tea, these leaves come from a naturally ocurrying purple mutation that ocurrs in the wild and can be found in Yunnan, China and parts of Vietnam.
“Ye Sheng” varietal "Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze var. assamica (J. Masters) Kitam" is a primeval varietal that pre-dates Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica and is a naturally occuring non-hybridized varietal. It's a natural bug repellent that grows wild in the forests of Yunnan at an altitude of 1600-2200m. Its strong cha qi arises from its unadulterated nature.
These purple buds are nature's way of resisting damage from unfavorably hot and humid climate as the tea leaves produce anthocyanin which reflects some of the UV rays and gives this tea many additional health properties.
Over the years we've offered Purple White tea, Purple Green Tea and Purple Red tea but this is the first time we've been able to source Purple Shou Puerh.
The purple vartietal makes this puerh extra smooth, sweet, fruity and creamy. You won't find as much of the intense earthy notes we tend to associate with shou puerh. Purple tea is usually known for a certain bitter-sweetness but in this case the fermentation smoothed and sweetened out the rough edges.
Origin: Jinggu, Yunnan, China.
Harvest: Spring, 2011
Color of liquor: deep brownish-red
Aroma: check moist and earthy, leather, roasted sweet potato
Flavor: light, sweet, round, fruity, refreshing
Temperature: 100º c
Steeping Time: 1min; 1,5 min; 2min; 3min; 4min ...
