Maestro: Concerto 2023 Banzhang Ripe Puer
Price range: $13.50 through $739.00
- Description
- Master Li
- Additional information
- Reviews (2)
Description
Our Maestro lineup of shou puer connects modern production with the earliest days of its development. Overseen by Master Li, a shou puer technician/wizard since 1975, these teas preserve the best parts of traditional processing, while taking advantage of decades of expertise. Make sure to check the About Master Li tab for more details.
The crown jewel of this series of shou, this tea delivers as promised. Its heavy Banzhang character translates to a thick, inky tea that’s full in the mouth and has an excellent depth of flavour. With a slight date flavour and nuttiness, this tea has a gentle, but pleasant bitterness. This is complemented by plenty of sweetness in the soup and a pronounced huigan.
The “Banzhang” quality is thanks to a carefully formulated blend that includes plenty of material from the Banzhang 5 villages. Using entirely early spring old tree material, this formula includes tea from Xin Banzhang, Laomane, Hekai, Mengsong, and some Bakanan.
Its bold flavour is matched by an uncommon elegance, making it instantly stand out compared to common shou puer productions.
$0.83/gram
Picking Period: Early Spring 2023
Region: Laomane, Xinbanzhang, Hekai, Bakanan & Mengsong, Yunnan
A distinguished second-generation tea artisan, Master Li’s experience producing shou puer dates back to 1975, the pivotal moment when this style of tea was transitioning from trial batches to full-scale production.Her career began at the renowned Menghai Tea Factory, initially in a production-focused role. As she gained an intimate understanding of each stage of the fermentation process, her expertise became crucial for evaluation and quality inspection.
In the half century that followed, she has developed her own unique techniques, while honouring traditional methods. Now in her 80s, she still personally tends to each production, gathering and blending samples from various sections of the pile to evaluate the progress. We were fortunate enough to join her for one such evaluation session. Although the tea was pulled fresh from an active pile, it was surprisingly clean and sweet, with none of the strange funk associated with lower-quality shou production – a true testament to her ability.
Mastery can come in various forms and guises, especially in the world of tea. Our firsthand experience watching Master Li work and sitting to drink with her left no doubt that we were in the presence of a master of the highest order.
Additional information
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2 reviews for Maestro: Concerto 2023 Banzhang Ripe Puer
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Alexandra Verville-Paris –
Strong tong contender. Beautiful bronze-brown color from the first infusion (opaque and pure). Comforting despite its energetic side. It feels familiar even though I’m drinking this tea for the first time. So simple yet so complex at the same time — I loved it so much!
// Smell: Orange peel, medicinal, mushroom, dry leaves, winter conifers, a burning piece of wood, cool earth, stuffed mandarin
// Texture: Tingling across the entire palate, thick and hot wave (yet it feels light in the mouth), heavy cheek coating
// Taste: Spicy, fruity lightness, warm earth, cabin, dried nuts, stuffed mandarin, conifer syrup, cough lozenge, mushroom
// Body sensation: Slightly rough tongue, quickened heartbeat right at the beginning of the session, pulsation in the hands, building energy
mineralitea_E.C. –
A complex ripe puer with layers of mushroom savouriness, woodiness, wet forest floor, and herbal bitter-sweetness. The tea liquid is deep and inky, and the texture is soft and thick. I’m curious about how it will develop going forward.