Another old growth small production from the Hé family, we are excited to offer this spring sheng cha from the famous gardens of Luo Shui Dong. Just 7 kilometers north of Yiwu town (about a ten minute drive away), Luo Shui Dong is closer to the Hé family's territory. When we visited Luo Shui Dong in 2019 we became enamored by its natural, clean ecology; practically a wilderness chiseled and shaped with a light yet consistent touch from humankind.
With a petite and exquisite mouthfeel, infusions of this tea yield a fine golden liquor whose effect on the mindbody is markedly physical. The body buzzing, expect a shimmering milky vegetality with this one — an exotic, addictive hit. This tea is recommended for those that especially enjoy young sheng pu'er, as it is able to be brewed a variety of ways without becoming bitter and gristly. Like an impressive engine, it purrs while coasting yet can gracefully handle any more power you dare to give it; its structure as sound and enjoyable if brewed long and strong. Quality material like this will age well, making this a prime collector's time traveling companion.
Back when we sampled this tea, we knew we had to offer it. Unfortunately, only a limited amount of this tea was available at its relatively steep market price and we were only able to procure a small amount. Our hope is to continue to source more small production offerings from the Hé family like this one in the future.
More on the Hé family: if you have checked out Jinghong Zhang's book Pu'er Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic then you are already familiar with the Hé family, as senior Mr. Hé is written about as a prominently featured tea producer that proves successful in his endeavors to retain the classic feel of the home production Yiwu tribute tea while meeting new QS standards by investing in new state of the art production facilities. See both Mr. Hé and his son (who has now taken over the business) in this episode of Jinghong Zhang's fascinating mini documentary.
Other teas that we carry by the Hé family:
The view from Luo Shui Dong
Hé Xìnpíng pouring up the goods
This tea is amazing! Definitely try if you like high quality Pu’er experiences. Some of the best I’ve ever had.