2024 FengHuangWo Extra Tall Single Ancient Tree (T5*, Benchmark)

Highlights:

• 1 single extra tall (gaogan) ancient tree in the deep forest
• Just near BoHeTang, but not as overpicked = even higher quality
• Arguably the best garden in the whole Yiwu Guoyoulin (state protected forest), with full forest character
• Powerful backbone, high taste density but low astringency
• Really long and deep aftertaste, sweetness, aroma depth
• The highest level of deep forest ancient tree Qi: fully comfortable (mind+body)

Perfectly balanced between Strength and Refinement, this is simply the very best (new) ancient tree tea from Yiwu we sourced. It competes with Bangdong Jigushu for crown of highest quality ancient tree we ever sourced, what is better will depend on people’s specific taste: this tea is stronger than Bangdong, but the Bangdong tree is older (King trees old like that are not found inside Yiwu at all, but Yiwu guoyuolin is, in my and most experts opinion, the best area for Puerh).

While BHT (BoHeTang) is now picked 3 times a year (from 2019) rendering the resulting leaves a bit weaker than they used to be, FHW (FengHuangWo) is not overexploited and as a result the quality is even higher, and the price is still lower than same quality BoHeTang (single extra tall ancient tree grade 1 gushu BHT wholesale price is higher than what we sell our FHW at). No doubt the price of this tea will rise to the same levels as the market and collectors realise how good this tea is. We only got 1 kg this year (2kg in 2022), we hope to be able to make it next year but it might not be possible, if the usual wealthy collectors realise just how good this is and start requesting it, the game is over. Do me a favour and keep this secret, would you?

How old are these trees?

All tree ages are approximations, and one should always doubt when an age is given as a single number. There are no certain scientific methods to identify the age of a tea tree. The only possible way to tell how old (and healthy) a certain tree is is by drinking its leaves and comparing it to its neighbours: the older the tree is, the thicker the soup and the more comfortable the ChaQi and your body in general.

The consensus among the most reliable tea experts about the age of the oldest standard puerh varietal trees in Yiwu/6 Famous mountains tea area is approx. 500-800 years. However people, even experts, have very different opinions about what age of tree is in a specific area.

So there always is uncertainty in this topic and we won’t pretend otherwise, we simply say: If you or your favourite expert think there are 500+ years old in Yiwu/Manzhuan, this is one such tree. This is type 1 gushu, the best category of ancient tree available in the area. Best largely means oldest, but healthiest/biggest is also very important.

You can find more details about reference tree ages on the Benchmark ancient tree introduction under “Age of trees”.

Puerh.uk Benchmark Ancient Tree Series Introduction

• The best possible ancient tree tea that can be obtained in a given specific garden
• Our most significant contribution to making available a type of puerh that was not available before
• Super strict quality criteria (standard puerh varietal only, classic puerh areas only, 1st spring pick, extremely clean environment, ancient trees that have never been cut, healthiest and biggest trees only chosen for single trees production)

The best tea is not for sale, it’s available only through relationships. Tier 5 is about 0.01% of available Puerh, with ancient tree leaves only with all taste qualities present in overwhelming amount, tea that is basically only found in elite asian circles and via private connections.

Benchmark ancient tree Puerh is a subset of Tier 5, and particularly means: this is highest expression of ancient tree puerh from a specific garden, so it can be used as “benchmark” to tell whether other puerh is truly ancient tree or not.

Puerh of this quality has never been made before in history (only in the last 10 years), this is the most exciting frontier of tea at the moment as far as we’re concerned. Please see the full Benchmark ancient tree introduction page for more info.

30g ceramic jars (a bit more than 1oz) containing chunks of cake, 200g cakes.