2026 Yunnan Sourcing "Yi Bang Village" Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake

A distinctive single-village ripe pu-erh made from Yi Bang Village tea, harvested in Spring 2025, wet-piled during 2025, and pressed on February 26th, 2026 into 357 gram cakes. This is not a typical Menghai-area ripe. Yi Bang is famous for its primitive small-leaf varietal, and that unusual leaf material gives this tea a character all its own: incredibly smooth and sweet, yet dense, pungent, and persistent through many steeps.

Yi Bang lies in the northern part of the greater Yiwu area and has long been prized for teas made from its old small-leaf population. Unlike the broader, heavier large-leaf assamica material more commonly associated with pu-erh, Yi Bang leaf often gives a cup that is more refined in texture, more aromatic, and lighter on its feet without sacrificing depth. In ripe form, that translates into a tea that is silky and sweet, but still vivid and complex, with a fragrant lift and a lingering, concentrated taste that sets it apart from richer but more generalized shou blends.

Why it’s special

• Made entirely from Yi Bang Village material, a rare origin for ripe pu-erh
• Distinctive small-leaf varietal character brings unusual fragrance and elegance to shou
• Exceptionally smooth and sweet, but with a pungent, dense flavor that remains present through many infusions
• Unlike other ripe teas in the lineup, with a more refined and aromatic village profile

About Yi Bang Village

Yi Bang is one of the historic tea areas in the northern part of Yiwu. What makes it especially notable is its primitive small-leaf tea population, which has been growing in the area for centuries, and perhaps much longer. Compared with large-leaf pu-erh material, small-leaf Yi Bang tea tends to produce a lighter, smoother, and more aromatic liquor, often with more fruit and perfume in the profile.

That is what makes a single-village ripe from Yi Bang so interesting. Fermentation adds body, sweetness, and depth, but it does not erase the nature of the leaf. Instead, it turns Yi Bang’s refined, pungent character into something rich yet elegant: a ripe tea with softness and density, but also fragrance, complexity, and a village identity that remains intact.

Tasting notes

• Aroma: warm sugar, dried fruit, soft wood, and a lifted fragrant sweetness
• Liquor: rich reddish-brown, glossy, and smooth
• Flavor: deep sweetness, mellow earth, dark fruit, and a dense, lingering pungency that stays active in the mouth
• Mouthfeel: thick, silky, and rounded without heaviness
• Finish & feel: long-lasting sweetness, satisfying kou gan, and a calm but steady warming energy

Origin & processing

• Area: Yi Bang Village, northern Yiwu area, Xishuangbanna
• Harvest: Spring 2025
• Material: primitive small-leaf village tea
• Wet pile: during 2025
• Pressing date: February 26th, 2026
• Type: Ripe Pu-erh (shou)
• Weight: 357 grams per cake
• Production: 100 kilograms total

Brewing guide

Gongfu (recommended)

• 6–7 grams per 100 ml
• 100 °C
• Two quick rinses recommended
• Start with 8–10 second infusions, then increase gradually
• Expect 8–10 rich, even infusions

Western

• 4–5 grams per 300 ml
• 100 °C for 3–4 minutes
• Re-steep 2–3 times

Thermos style

• 1–1.5 grams per 100 ml
• Use boiling water and steep for 30-60 minutes

Aging notes

This tea is already wonderfully smooth and expressive, but its dense flavor and high-quality material suggest that it should continue to deepen and integrate with time. Expect the sweetness and fragrant complexity to become even more harmonious as the tea rests. Store in 50-65% RH and 70-90F, in an odor-free area, with minimal airflow.

In Summary

• Name: 2026 Yunnan Sourcing “Yi Bang Village” Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake
• Region: Yi Bang Village, northern Yiwu area
• Harvest year: Spring 2025
• Wet pile: 2025
• Pressing date: February 26th, 2026
• Net weight: 357 grams per cake
• Total production: 100 kilograms
• Packaging Design: Anna Malec

In short: a rare and elegant single-village ripe made from Yi Bang’s small-leaf material, offering unusual smoothness, sweetness, fragrance, and a dense lingering complexity that makes it unlike any other ripe in the lineup.

Each cake comes in a free matching gift box that features the full uncropped illustration by the artist. The matching gift box is not available for purchase separately.  NOTE: If the gift box arrives with creases or cosmetic blemishes we cannot provide a free replacement.

This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory for 404 pesticides, and is within the EU MRL limits set for those 404 pesticide residues. For a full list of the 404 pesticides we tested for and more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link.