I’ve got the Power 2025 Laomane Ripe Puer

One of the five villages that make up the Banzhang villages, Laomane separates itself from the domineering and renowned Laobanzhang, with a more noticeable kuwei (pleasant bitterness).

Even though the region has both bitter and “sweet” varietal tea trees, both can be considered firmly on the bitter side of the tea scale, and in most cases are picked together to give a more complete overview of the land. The only time bitter trees are picked separate are for commissions, some gushu, or single tree pickings (danzhu).

When blended with tea from some of the other villages, like Banpen, Laomane also plays a key role in dialing in a “Laobanzhang” flavour.

We spent considerable time in Laomane this year, not just drinking tea, but taking part in the local Bulang New Year celebration as well (泼水节). As a result, we came away with a healthy selection of teas from the region that span several processing styles. Laomane teas are unique regardless of how they’re processed, which makes comparisons between these even more captivating.

For a direct comparison of the same material in various forms and deeper dive into all things Laomane, we highly recommend picking up a set that includes our sheng, shou, white and black teas, all in a convenient one-click package.

And for a comparison between tree age and varietal, we recommend comparing this tea with our Bitter End Pro Gushu and 3X Selected Trees (bitter varietal).

For a more approachable version of this tea, those who are bitter-curious can opt for our Soft Power, which is comprised of the huangpian pickings (older yellow leaves that are sorted out) and has reduced bitterness.

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