A Swampy Baptism of Light
Greetings Tea Voyagers!
Have you ever been baptized in swamp light? If not, drinking this tea is the perfect opportunity to experience such a thing.
I ordered this Puerh from West China Tea.
This is part of their description:
Ancient Tree Black Rain Shu Pu’er Tea Coin (古樹熟幣, Gǔ Shù Shú Bì, “Ancient Tree Ripened Tea Coin”) – This tea is somewhat unique in being a Shu (ripe/cooked/fermented) Pu’er made from Gu Shu (ancient tree) material. Pu’er tea is made from the Big Leaf breed of tea plants native to Yunnan province. These tea plants grow into trees as opposed to bushes and can live for centuries. Tea harvested from ancient trees is especially prized among Pu’er aficionados for its powerful Qi.
(sidenote: they are currently not selling this tea in loose leaf, but only in coin or “toucha” form. So I pulled the description from this page.)
As the description from West China Tea mentions, it does indeed have powerful Qi.
In my opinion, this is the most impressive element of Ancient Tree Black Rain.
The Qi is something like receiving the darshan of a great great grandmother tree.
It’s a sacred feeling— ethereal, yet rooted.
Fresh, brand new, yet older than time.
Benevolently felt in the crown of the head.
A swampy baptism of light.
Why do I say swampy?
Well, the fragrance smells something like a damp pile of leaves. It’s musky. A bit like decaying bark. A bit like a swamp.
And the flavor reminds me of moss in a wet paper bag with maybe a dried peach. Or like licking a wooden wagon that’s been left out in the rain.
It’s hard to describe, and not exactly my favorite flavor profile for a Puerh tea.
I don’t dislike it, but I couldn’t ever see myself longing for it.
The Qi, on the other hand, is so lovely I feel it is worth a try if you are curious about Ancient Tree leaves.
Here is a gallery of the steep breakdown: steeps 1-6.
Not bad! Stays a beautiful, rich mahogany color for at least 6 steeps.
Anyway, in the spirit of Spirit…
Here is a poem from Bai Sao to ruminate upon. He was an old Chinese monk from the Tang dynasty, living entirely on his earnings from brewing tea from a humble tea cart.
Blessings upon you! Until next time 🙏🏼
Tea Voyager 