2019 Zi Ya "Purple Bud" Myanmar-Menghai Ripe Pu-erh | TEA SIDE
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2019 Zi Ya “Purple Bud“ Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake

Origin: Thailand
Fermented in: 2019
Producer: Menghai, Yunnan
Availability: In Stock
$105.00
-+
Reward Points on purchase: 21 Details

This pu-erh is the younger brother of our bestselling 2014 MM shu. The same material from 200-year-old purple trees of Myanmar, the same Menghai masters who did the fermentation. They managed to replicate the flavor, practically one-to-one except that the 2019 cakes have a little more chocolate and almonds, but that's subjective.

Pay attention to the ink-black color of the cake, this is how the purple material looks after fermentation. In general, purple ripe pu-erhs are quite rare. And considering the quality of processing and as a result it’s flavor palette, I’d say this tea is rather unique. I have never come across such a profile: chocolate, almonds, dried dates, cherry, rich peat, sandalwood.

This shu wins all the parallel tasting I do for customers at our warehouse. It can be only beaten by the expensive older specimens, which require not only money but also a significant pu-erh experience. People of average and little experience are captivated by this tea immediately and for a long time. And there's no hiding it, I drink it 2-3 times a week myself.

The purple material for shu holds a special awe for me, my “Idle Buffalo” was made from a similar material and I miss that pu-erh dearly as it is completely sold out.

Back to the organoleptics. The flavor is dense, velvety, brimming with almond and chocolate notes, finishing with a sandalwood aftertaste. There is no wateriness in it, which is often found in plantation shu pu-erhs, even if brewed lightly, not to the point of "oil".

The tea is easy-to-drink, it goes smoothly and generously saturates with cha qi. Use a moderate ratio, it has quite a bit of caffeine and holds up well to multiple infusions.

Bottomline, this shu is a beautiful full-bodied tea rich in many flavors. Perfect for both every day drinking and refined tea sessions. With cream cakes this tea goes together like bread and butter!

Reviews (1)

Absolutely beautiful tea. Qi is powerful and serene. Chocolate and almonds is a good description of the profile, but there's more going on. Smell is warm, deep, sweet, and complex. Texture is thick, smooth, and lubricating. Very good endurance. Even once it's mostly brewed out after about 1 L for 5 g, it's still delicious.

This is my new "baseline" shu that I compare samples to in this price tier and above to decide if they're worth my time. It has already bested several other boutique teas with its sheer hypnotic power. Zi Ya is definitely one of the teas I'm happiest I blind caked. I'm glad this is in the "bulk buy" section, as I hope that means there will be plenty of it to enjoy in the future.

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