The Tea Mountains of Yunnan and the impacts of terroir on Pu’er
One of the most important factors in the flavor profile of Pu’er tea is the region where it is grown. Even a few kilometers between mountains can have a monumental impact on the characteristics of tea.
This event is the second edition in a series of tea tasting events with tea connoisseur Paul Murray. At this session Paul will use three carefully chosen and high quality teas to explore some of the various profiles of famous tea mountains throughout Yunnan.
It is worth one more minute to mention that the three old arbor tea that you will taste are all sourced by Paul himself with great difficulties. If you have tried Old Arbor Tea with prices of over 10,000 RMB (per 500 grams), then you will have a chance to try the following very rare old arbor teas at only RMB200:
2013 Jingmai Mountain Tea
This old arbor tea was acquired by Paul Murray in Spring of 2013 and then aged in Lincang for one year before pressing.
2014 Manzhuan
This old arbor tea was acquired, plucked and processed in Spring of 2014. Manzhuan is one of the six famous tea mountains (六大茶山) which formerly were used as tribute tea to the emperor of China.
2014 Laoman’e
Known for its strong bitter character, Laoman’e also has a sweeter variety of tea, which we will be tasting. This old arbor tea was picked and produced by Paul Murray in Spring of 2014.
These three teas will take us on a journey across three distinctive areas in Yunnan and illustrate the clear differences of terroir between different mountains.
All the teas that will be tasted are old arbor (古树) teas. They are entirely handmade and come from very old trees, which produce a very low yearly output of tea. These kinds of tea rarely make it to the market in Beijing (most of the teas at the markets in Beijing (e.g.: Maliandao – 馬連道) are from plantation bushes).
When: Sunday 10th of August, 10am – 12pm
Where: The Courtyard Institute, (Nr.28 Zhonglao Hutong, Dongcheng District, 10009)
Admission: 200RMB
Registration: Please register using this link
Please note: We want to hold this tea tasting in a comfortable setting and allow for a relaxed and close interaction between the participants, Paul and the tea. The event is therefore limited to 8 participants. We apologize in advance should we not be able to take your reservation (please reserve as early as possible). For the beginners, we will organize more introductory level tea tasting events in the future, so more people can participate.
Background
China’s Pu’er tea culture has a rich tapestry of history. The Ethnic minority groups of Yunnan, the former Chinese royalty, and modern Chinese culture have all been involved in the development of Pu’er tea culture. Though Pu’er tea has played many roles in China’s history, the tea is often misrepresented and misunderstood by modern society. Rumors of a miracle weight-loss tea and a glut of fake teas have been used to confuse the public and blur the reality of this mysterious tea. With so much misinformation being presented to the public, the preservation of Pu’er culture has become more important than ever.
About Paul Murray
Paul Murray, owner of White2tea.com and author of Twodogteablog.com first visited Yunnan in 2005 and has been living in China ever since. His love affair with Pu’er tea slowly escalated from casual tea drinking into sourcing and processing his own Pu’er teas under his White2tea label. Paul spends his spring and fall in Yunnan visiting farmers around the region and searching out sustainably produced tea of the highest quality. Paul is dedicated to Pu’er education and the preservation and promotion of tea culture.
