Guafengzhai Rain Forest 2024

For lovers of deep forest Shengs.

Harvested from Qiaomu trees between 30 and 80 years of age in Mrs. Lü Qiongying’s deep forest garden past Guafengzhai village near the border to Laos, this tea shows every hallmark of a high quality Yiwu Sheng Pu’er. Its reddened stems hint at the style of processing that’s typical for the area, a longer Sha Qing done at a lower temperature, which combines with its sylvan origin to create sophisticated and long-lasting flavors. Reserved at first, it soon blossoms into a sensory spectacle on subsequent steeps: Peach, mango, and the feeling of clean forest air after a brief shower of rain gently coat the palate, with only minimal astringency and a subtle citrus peel bitterness providing a fleeting reminder that this is, in fact, a freshly harvested tea. A balanced Sheng fit for a variety of occasions, but one that rewards paying close attention.

Written by Sigi

The tea garden

In Spring 2024, we personally visited Mrs. Lü Qiongying’s garden. The journey from Yiwu town to Guafengzhai is now smoother due to the newly paved road, but reaching the garden still requires navigating a muddy path beyond Guafengzhai village. The tea trees, initially planted by Lü Qiongying’s grandparents about 80 years ago, have been augmented with new plants by successive generations. Accompanying the photos of the Bing Cha, you’ll find images depicting the muddy road leading to the garden, Mrs. Lü Qiongying gazing up at her trees, two pickers harvesting while standing on branches, and a panoramic view showcasing tea trees amid the forest vegetation.