After working with this family for seven years, the legendary King of Pu'er is finally up for grabs.  Select large trees estimated to be between 3 and 500 years in the backyard of the Yang family's mansion comprise this batch.

As we all know Lao Banzhang can be very expensive.  Having followed the prices and tasting the teas since I first started working with the Yang family, I think I waited for the right moment for this specific grade.  The usual mixed big tree / ancient tree blend they call gushu hasn't ever felt like a good representative, and for old school customers prices have begun to come down slightly.

Good Lao Banzhang is said to contain a potent cocktail of the following: huge Banzhang flavor framed in a vivid texture/mouthfeel, immediate and long-lasting huigan, bitterness transforming into sweetness, penetrating energy that will get you sweating.  In my experience it needs to have a sweet, unique fragrance as well.

There's only a small margin on this tea.  And while it still might be out of reach for some, I hope more people can have a true ancient tree Lao Banzhang experience for both market educational purposes and enjoyment.

Does the tea experience back up the hype or is it all marketing?  I highly recommend everyone trying it out to decide for themselves.

filming in the Yang family gardens

Yunnan Field Trip: taste and compare all of the Banzhang Villages to find out if LBZ's high price is worth it. (Some of the other villages are just a handful of miles away and taste very similar)