It is with great pleasure that we present to you the 2014 pressing of our famous Wild Monk sheng pu’er. The reception of the 2012 Wild Monk by our customers around the world has been so positively overwhelming that we had no choice but to carry on the tradition of truly wild tea.

This particular pu’er is very special in that it was picked from tea trees grown entirely in the wild, surrounded by all the native floral and fauna, exposed to nothing but clean air, high altitude, healthy rain and sunshine. Grown in Yong De in the Yunnan province in China, this special tea is packed with goodness. The tea grows quite dark, almost purple as it has adapted to the high levels in sunshine in order to protect itself from the UV rays. For us humans that means that we get a tea that is higher in antioxidants than other teas.

The leaf for our 2014 offering was picked in the autumn of 2013, making for a slightly different expression than the spring 2012 pressing. Because the smokiness of the 2012 is much more in the background here, some may find the tea liquor even more interesting in that it allows some of the more subtle characteristics (mint, bamboo, cinnamon, sweet potatoes) to be brought to the forefront of the experience. A total of 500 cakes is all that was produced of this tea and we are also making the mao cha available for sale, as well.

Almost no bitterness is present in the infused tea liquor, even when brewed at higher temps. And while we here at the shop brew this tea with 212 F water, many of our customers are brewing this at temps of 195 F and slowly increasing water temps as infusions get longer. It is delicious when brewed in the tea glass/tea thermos style of brewing, as well, but should definitely be brewed gongfu style at least once!

The dry leaf has a sweet and slight smoky aroma. Even those who normally find smokier elements unattractive are fans of this tea. You will find yourself reaching for this again and again for the energy of this tea is beyond compare. Many customers and reviewers are calling this the “feel-good tea”, suggesting that it has anti-depressant elements and leaves them feeling uplifted, energized and content. We concur.

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