2017 Confidant Raw Pu-erh Tea Mini Cakes Big Snow Mountain

This tea was sourced by Victoria on her 2017 Yunnan tea trip. It is from Da Xue Shan mountain of Mengku, one of the major sought after Pu-erh tea producing regions of Yunnan. Da Xue Shan, literally big snow mountain, the village sits at an elevation of 1800 meters on a ridge of the Da Xue Shan mountain, thus the village name. It is a very remote area, and the mountain road to the village is somewhat dangerous. It was a little scary for Victoria riding in a truck with the farmer to visit the village on the muddy road and the particular distant mountain, which is fairly unknown to the outside world. But it was well worth it, as the micro terroir is so untouched and pristine that Victoria immediately fell in love with the beautiful high mountain Pu-erh tree land. From plucking the leaves to the final pressing, Victoria took great care in monitoring the whole tea production process. Her efforts paid off handsomely.

When Victoria was tasting this tea at the processing facility, she liked it very much and it felt like an old friend that one immediately trusts, loves and appreciates. So she named the tea Confidant. What a treasure find. The first flavor you will notice is the honey sweetness that lasts from the beginning to end. The liquor tastes very clean, like spring water that clears your throat and flows down to your belly, filling you with contentment.  Yes, it is sweet, smooth, floral and fruity, has quick Hui Gan and a juicy mouthfeel with a long-lasting aftertaste. 

A common practice for mini cakes or Tuo Cha on the Pu-erh tea market is to use inferior Pu-erh leaves and very small broken leaves pressing them into such forms. This tea incorporates the whole leaf with no blending of inferior components, so you get the full experience of these exquisite leaves while enjoying the convenience of individually hand-wrapped cakes. It is a great high quality tea and yet affordable as a daily pleasure for Pu-erh tea lovers. 

Each mini cake weighs about 8g, the standard preferred size for one pao or one tea session, good for either one person or several people to enjoy. If brewed in gongfu style, it can sustain up to 15 steeps and 15 cups. 

Name:  遇知己大雪山迷你饼 8g each

Click here for steeping instructions.

Additional Info

Origin:                    Mengku, Yunnan province, China

Harvest:                  Early April 2017

Elevation:               1800 meters

Bush Varietal:         Mengku Da Ye (large leaves)

Tasting Notes

It is floral, honey sweet, mellow, refreshing, very smooth, quick huigan. It has a hint of almond, vanilla, and passion fruit. Slightly astringent if brewed too long.