It took almost two years to produce this shu puerh. After receiving our request for a specific profile, Master Xiang created several samples of shu puerh made from Gu Shu raw materials sourced from different tea gardens with varying degrees of fermentation in 2023.
In the samples, we were primarily interested in the flavor depth derived from ancient tea trees (Gu Shu), combined with Master Xiang’s signature fruity notes typical of her shu puerhs. When it comes to shu puerh, using Gu Shu raw material does not guarantee success. The master’s technique is extremely important, especially during the post-fermentation (wodui) stage. If the profile is poorly selected, this rather aggressive process can easily turn the finest tea raw materials into a mediocre shu puerh.
Out of all the samples, only one met our expectations. The master successfully reproduced it in the following season, fulfilling our full order.
Thus, tea raw material was selected from ancient trees aged 150–200 years in the Da Ya Kou tea garden located in Maden. Master Xiang chose a lower fermentation level and mineral water for the Wo Dui process. She strictly uses only manual techniques: harvesting, rolling, and fermentation in large baskets.
Because of this, all her shu puerhs develop a distinct fruity profile. This shu puerh is no exception.