2026 Yunnan Sourcing "Ba Da Horse" Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake

Early-spring 2025 material from 60–80-year-old naturally grown trees (老太地 / 野放茶) on the southern slope of Ba Da Mountain, not far from Menghai (Xishuangbanna). Ba Da is a distinctive corner of Menghai, often blended away rather than presented solo, so this single-area pressing gives a rare, unfiltered look at Ba Da’s voice: pine and tobacco hints in the opening steeps, firm but clean bitterness, and a fruit + pine-needle sweetness underneath.

Pressed into 250 g cakes (7 per bamboo-leaf tong). 100 kg total (400 cakes). Wrapper design by Dave Bailey.

Tasting notes (2026)

• Aroma: Pine resin, sweet tobacco leaf, wildflower honey, citrus peel, light grain.

• Liquor: Pale gold, light amber; thick, textured mouthfeel with bright clarity.

• Flavor: Measured bitterness (Bu Lang–like) framed by fruit and conifer tones; cane sweetness and a gentle mineral line build through mid-steeps.

• Finish & feel: Long hui-gan, persistent shengjin (mouthwatering return), and a steady, uplifting energy.

Origin & processing

• Mountain / Area: Ba Da Mountain, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna (Yunnan)

• Slope: Southern aspect

• Trees: Old arbor (60–80 years); naturally grown / semi-wild

• Season: Early Spring 2026 (first spring pick for this cake)

• Craft: Hand-picked • sun-withered • hand-rolled • sun-dried • traditionally pressed

Brewing guide

(Great water helps. Keep early steeps short to showcase fruit and manage the bite.)

Gongfu (recommended)

• 6 g / 100 mL

• 98–100 °C (208–212 °F)

• Quick rinse, then 5s • 8s • 10s • 12s • 15s, adding gradually for 10+ infusions.

• If the bitterness peaks early, shorten the first 2–3 pours or brew at 95–96 °C.

Western

• 3–4 g / 300 mL (10 oz)

• 95–98 °C • 2:00–2:30

• 2–3 infusions, extending 20–30s each round.

Grandpa style

• 1–1.2 g / 100 mL, 90–95 °C

• Top up as you sip. Pine-sweet, clean, and refreshing.

Cold brew

• 8–10 g / 1 L, room-temp water; refrigerate 6–8 hours.

• Cool conifer lift, gentle cane sweetness, minimal astringency.

In summary

• Caffeine: Medium-High

• Storage & aging: Store cool, dry, odor-free, away from light; allow gentle airflow. Expect bitterness to settle, resin/honey to deepen, and texture to grow silkier over 5–15 years. Longer term aging will only increase complexity and desirable traits!

• Region: Ba Da Mountain, Menghai (Xishuangbanna), Yunnan

• Trees: 60–80-year-old, naturally grown / semi-wild

• Harvest: First-Flush Spring 2026

• Process: Traditional sheng; stone-pressed cake

• Net weight: 250 g per cake (7 cakes per bamboo-leaf tong)

• Production: 100 kg total (400 cakes)

• Wrapper Design: Dave Bailey

In short: A characterful Ba Da sheng, pine and sweet tobacco in the opening, a clean Bu Lang–like bite, and a fruit + pine-needle sweetness that lingers, delicious now and poised to deepen with age.

This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory and has passed the MRL limits for 404 pesticide residues as established by the EU Food and Safety commission. For more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link.