<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a small production with white wrapper pressed by a long-time friend of ours! She's finally decided to sell the tea after so many years! This was pressed in 2006 from Menghai "gong ting" grade tea leaves and then aged in Kunming until now. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tea itself is smooth and velvety in the mouth with a fruity mushroom broth taste and a viscous mouth-feel that is never drying or rough. The tea has a kind of returning sweetness and coolness to it (licorice?) and has energizing cha qi without the buzzy overstimulating element found in some younger teas. This is a very clean and well-aged gong ting ripe that is delightful and nurturing, but never at the expense of being boring or bland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">About "Gong Ting" Ripe Pu-erh:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gong Ting (aka Palace Grade) Ripe Pu-erh tea is the smallest and tippiest grade of Ripe Pu-erh available. When a wet pile batch is completed and the leaves are separated by leaf grade (this is based on their size) Gong Ting grade is the least of any grade by weight. As such the price Gong Ting Ripe Pu-erh is higher than other grades (like Te Ji, Grade 1, Grade 3 and so on). A good quality Gong Ting ripe will be potent both in taste, aroma, and cha qi, and will be flavorful as well.</span></p> <p><span>Pressed in 2006</span></p> <p><span>White wrapper, no date stamp.</span></p>