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“Gongfu! Enjoyed this session while diving into a new manga. Since BLT just dropped their first batch of Spring pu’erh, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this past year’s pressing. This...” Read full tasting note
A yearly standard in our spring puer collection, this daily drinker of a tea represents everything an Yiwu tea should be, with a pleasant fragrance, soft character and underlying sweetness.
The overall quality and character of this tea remains consistent year on year, however, each year’s weather still puts its own stamp on things. For those who have picked up our Tiger, Bull, Rat or even earlier pressings, this makes for a great vertical comparison and demonstrates just how much of an impact weather can have on the results.
With 2023 being an exceptionally dry year, this year’s Rabbit produces a soup that is full, but still gentle. The body and texture are quite nice, and bitterness and astringency are kept very low. The initial sweetness leans more towards a sugary quality as well.
Although our 2020 Rat and 2021 Bull also experiences a dry spring, this tea stands out as being more balanced. The flavour is dense and unique, but with less bitterness, making it most similar to the 2018 Dog, which up until now was our favourite pressing.
Our experience storing this tea over the last 10+ years has been the development of even more noticeable honey and fruit notes within 3-5 years.
In previous years (2017-2018) we tested this tea against the EU Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 191 and 440+ pesticides, both passing with ease. Although this particular year’s tea has not been tested, the tea is from the same land and our confidence in this tea and relationship with the farmer remains strong. If you would like a copy of the lab results for previous years, please contact us.
This year’s wrapper features artwork by Minneapolis based artist, DC Ice. Make sure to check her out on Instagram, and more of her awesome work here.
Picking period: 1st and 2nd flush, March 20-30
Company description not available.
Year of the Rooster 2017 Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasYear of the Bull 2021 Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasYear of the Rat 2020 Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasYear of the Monkey 2016 Spring Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasYear of the Dragon 2024 Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasYear of the Dog 2018 Yiwu Raw Puer
Bitterleaf TeasGongfu!
Enjoyed this session while diving into a new manga. Since BLT just dropped their first batch of Spring pu’erh, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this past year’s pressing. This session showcased a lot of the elements that really make me love Yiwu productions. For starters, the liquor has notable body but is also very round and soft feeling. It’s also fairly sweet, with more of a fruity profile than anything else: stonefruits such as honeyed peaches and apricot but lightly tinged with a bit of citrus. Very approachable but without lacking in interesting nuances of taste and texture.
I always wonder if my tastes in raw pu’erh will shift away from what Yiwu offers, and though they’ve definitely broadened since first getting into sheng I can say with confidence that this is definitely still my favourite pu’erh producing region. I’m so excited to add another cake of BLT’S “Year of The” Zodiac series to the pumidor – it’s a Spring tea highlight of mine every year!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C64dw4FOqL5/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9bZzagXa20
I’m planning a mass tea tasting once I get my hands on the Year of the Dragon. I want to compare it to the Rat, Bull, & Rabbit.