2011 Haiwan Lao Tongzhi - Classic 1999 100g Ripe Pu-Erh Tea Cake

3 Individual Cakes left in stock

These little 100 gram cakes are composed of a blend of fine grade (small size) fermented leaf material from Menghai County, Xishuangbanna. It was compressed in March of 2011, and has been stored in Dallas, TX since May, 2011. This tea is smooth and sweet, with a moderately thick mouthfeel that reminds me of gong ting (imperial grade) ripe tea. While this tea would certainly benefit from further aging, this tea is quite drinkable now with relatively little fermentation taste for its young age.

About Yunnan Haiwan Tea Industry Co:
Mr. Zou Bingliang, the owner of the Haiwan Companies, was the manager of Menghai Tea Factory before leaving in the late 1990s to form Haiwan with two of his closest associates. Mr. Zou was in charge of all operations at the Menghai Tea Factory, including overseeing all aspects of the closely guarded secret fermentation methods used in the production of Menghai's famous ripe Pu-Erh teas. Using the experience and expertise of Mr. Zou and his comrades, Yunnan Haiwan Tea Industry Co was founded in 1999, and this factory has established a solid reputation for producing high quality sheng/raw and shu/ripe Pu-Erh tea during its short history.

The brand "Lao Tongzhi" (老通知, Old Comrades) is one of the brand names Yunnan Haiwan Tea Industry Co produces tea under, and was named for the two friends or comrades who started the company with Mr. Zou. "Jingdian 1999" (經典1999; Classics 1999) is a product line named they named after the year the company was founded.

For general steeping guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable "how to" video on Gong Fu style tea preparation, please visit our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.