Highlights:
- 100% pure ancient tree leaves picked in 2011, pressed in 2016
- Extraordinary fragrance, aftertaste, sweetness and patience
- One of the deepest Qi experiences available
Aged as maocha from 2011 to 2016 (Taiwan dry storage) it both has little astringency and bitterness (typical of well aged tea), but also feels like a younger tea due to very strong smells and high flavour notes more common to non-aged ancient tree puerh.
I tend to brew it with light clay that doesn’t change the tea very much (or silver) because there are really no defects to hide, I also tend to brew it with colder water at first (~80c) to bring out great sweetness. This tea quickly became a few well-drank long term tea lovers “Favourite Yiwu”.
Real 100% pure ancient tree (not just “old” tree) from a premium area in Yiwu, with more character and depth not just than most Gua Feng Zhai but also various Cha Wang Su (the most famous garden in GFZ), as far as I’m concerned, this tea is the definition of depth in Puerh, both in terms of taste and Qi.
But enough words, try your sample, the tea will speak to you (or not, as the case may be) much more clearly than I can.
Full cakes are available inside Treasures by Puerh.uk.
Puerh.uk Gold Mark Tier 5 Series Introduction
- Pure ancient tree puerh from clean natural tea gardens
- The very best of what real tea masters make for themselves and their friends
- Exclusive pressings only obtainable with relationships (guanxi)
The best tea is not for sale, it’s available only through relationships. Tiny productions made by real puerh masters for themselves and their friends, originally in white paper or with minimal wrappers.
Tier 5 is about 0.01% of available Puerh, with pure ancient tree leaves and with all taste qualities present in overwhelming amount, tea that is basically only found in elite asian circles and via private connections.
For years now I’ve asked real lovers of Puerh to share with me their own not-for-public-sale productions. These tend to always be very very good, but so far only 3 teas, among the many I’ve had the honour to try, have made the cut for Gold Mark Tier 5 Series.
Years of relationships (and months of negotiation) went into obtaining small amounts of this tea. Because it’s not commercially available we’re able to offer it at a very friendly price for the very high quality (particularly to allow as many people as possible to try a real Tier 5 tea). The only catch: we can generally only get a few cakes, rarely few tongs.
Approx. 80-85g triangles.
Corey siles –
The description is spot on.
This is definitely a young tea made from quality ancient tree material. The typical young sheng brighter flavours are dominant at first, but in a very pleasing way.
Firm clean storage is clear, as well as lightly aged maocha.
If not a quarter, I would recommend getting at least a couple sessions worth to see what is going on here.
Aleksei Kurtsanov (verified owner) –
I will comment on this tea as follows: I gave this tea to my wife to try, now she asks me every day – When are you going to brew THAT tea?!
Nick M. (verified owner) –
Recompense for not being able to make it to Brighton for the Puerh open house! My first session with this. Kaleidoscopic aromatics encompassing beeswax, sweet wood and composting leaves. Refined depth of flavour, to my palate no bitterness, with a nice point of intensity and persistent deep-throated cool breath.
gideon taylor (verified owner) –
A truly beautiful and profound tea, never had a puerh better suited for mediative contemplation. Very deep Qi, subtle sweet notes, golden liquor!
Natethesnake –
Among the very best GFZ I’ve been blessed to steep. The thick burly leaves are clearly of the ancient tree variety. With 11 years since harvest, 5 as maocha, the storage is impeccable with aged notes starting to peek through the top notes that surprisingly remain. Early steeps are robust with woody camphor and a nice returning sweetness. Middle steeps are my favorite as strong notes of heather honey that I typically only get in the finest young Chawangshu and WanGong teas emerge. The stamina of this tea is incredible even when pushed hard and the qi is almost narcotic (without the negative side effects). For a tea of its age I can’t imagine it getting much better.
Oto Bayer (verified owner) –
The smell is amazing. When I opened the bag. The taste of tea is great. Flowers, fruits. Perfect.
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Niklas (verified owner) –
Dani Zoltán (verified owner) –
The aged maocha pressing process really makes a huge difference in the dynamics of the tea. A unique and great experience of GFZ, definitely different to the ones that I had before. It seems to me, with this kind of balanced aging, right around that 8-12 years of age the tea can reach some sort of a peak, when the tea still fully retains the kind of signature why you have acquired it on the first place, after that, the tea is starting to becoma something else. Nontheless, this is just perfect as it is, a true representation of natural, foresty kind of yiwu.
Nicholas C. (verified owner) –
John O. (verified owner) –
Only drank once, chi was really really intense, felt like I had to hang on for the ride. Need to revisit and probably go gungfu style with smaller cups, less cups. Not used to sheng mostly drink Shou. Will report back
Colin (verified owner) –
Amazing aroma as the dry leaves tipped into the warmed pot.
Wonderful clear taste & a feeling of deep relaxation that just made me want to brew another pot
Christopher W. (verified owner) –
I accidentally hit this with boiling water on the very first rinse.
Tasting this rinse was a very powerful lightning experience; Beautiful, strong and deep, bursting with all the joy we look forward to in our tea journey!
I would agree that the session is best started with lower temperature water.
Off-the-hook phenomenal quality! 💕
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Guillaume C. (verified owner) –
Depth for sure. Density, richness in flavours, nothing to hide. I tend to brew it in a gaiwan and indeed there’s plenty of room to play with lower temperatures and short/long steeps. Really astonishing frehness of fragances for 2011 leaves.
Michael S. (verified owner) –
Chris Richardson (verified owner) –
It has initial dried fruit notes. It is more of a coversational tea, has a calming qi. Settles in middle jiao.
Paul (verified owner) –
Very educative, especially since i was able to compare ot with the 2006 CGHT Chawang (Autmun), and the 2021 CYH Chawangshu, the parallels are obvious.
CGHT had the most oily mouthfeel, the Gold Mark (probably) the most overall Performance, yet i enjoyed the Chwangshu the most, due to more interesting flavour.
Not sure if Chawangshu or Gold Marl is superior, have to try that again.
Ernesto Martin (verified owner) –