Highlights:
- Mr Chen’s home Taiwan dry storage
- Multi-layered da ye (big leaves) taste
- Very relaxing deep Qi
Da ye, means “big leaves” left on the tree from the previous months. Da Ye (and Huang Pian) Puerh tends to be soft and have a more yin energy (as opposed to fresh leaves being very yang).
The age? Mr Chen thinks it should be pretty old (70s-80s), I’m not 100% sure on how to date a da ye/huang pian brick as it’s not something I drink often, the taste is closer to a drier stored early 1990s “normal leaves” puerh, but the Qi is calming and deep like an older tea so overall I would say 80s is most likely.
If you value calming/deep Qi, want something unique, or a comfortable-sweet-complex brew this is a great find.
Mr Chen’s introduction
There’s actually a lot of old tea in Taiwan at much more reasonable prices than in mainland China, unfortunately most of what is found in Taiwan is too wet stored. Mr Chen, a personal friend of ours, old time collector, bought a few tongs of various teas during the 90s and early 2000s (before prices skyrocketed), and has been storing them in his home (dryly) since.
This kind of tea in China sells for crazy money, it’s very lucky we’ve access to these at all, Mr Chen has sold them to us at a very generous price and we pass the great deal on to you.
~200g bricks, weight loss due to aging. Single bricks are naked, 4 bricks in their original paper.
Nick M. –
Sweet moss aromas, steeps want to be pushed (for my preference), milky taste, sweet, background wood notes, with fair persistence. Feels cleansing, and induces a settled state of mind.
Gideon Taylor (verified owner) –
Fantastic example of aged yellow leaves, perfect after a feast with friends to settle the mind and body. Sweet aged umami notes, deep comfort.
Dana Paull –
Having a mentally Cloudy day at work, but I brought some
Mr Chen’s Old Da Ye “Cultural revolution” to brighten things up. My first of trying this tea.
This brew is like taking in a wet forest. Peat, loam, soil, wood and green are all offered. Even the sixth brew is igniting the taste buds across the entire tongue.
The qi here is calming. I have the mental clarity I sought, but I no longer care. I’m elevated from my Monday blues. I want more! An “A” in my book.
Tim P –
A lovely aged tea with an almost gravy-like flavour in my first session with it, still with good strength, and with a comfortable and comforting qi. Not long-lasting in number of infusions, but provides for a deeply satisfying session in the character it does bring.
Remo E (verified owner) –
One of our favourite teas from Paolo, Una & mr chen. We always try to keep a bit on our shelves for all special occasions – ceremony between ourselves or when close friends come over. Truly opens the heart, takes you to childhood memories and has such a beautiful refined taste that opens and changes through-out at least 10 steepings you can get from it.