Year of the Rabbit 2023 Yiwu Raw Puer
$3.50 – $245.00
- Description
- How to Brew (Dragon Balls)
- About the Land
- Additional information
- Reviews (6)
Description
A yearly standard in our spring puer collection, this daily drinker of a tea represents everything an Yiwu tea should be, with a pleasant fragrance, soft character and underlying sweetness.
The overall quality and character of this tea remains consistent year on year, however, each year’s weather still puts its own stamp on things. For those who have picked up our Tiger, Bull, Rat or even earlier pressings, this makes for a great vertical comparison and demonstrates just how much of an impact weather can have on the results.
With 2023 being an exceptionally dry year, this year’s Rabbit produces a soup that is full, but still gentle. The body and texture are quite nice, and bitterness and astringency are kept very low. The initial sweetness leans more towards a sugary quality as well.
Although our 2020 Rat and 2021 Bull also experiences a dry spring, this tea stands out as being more balanced. The flavour is dense and unique, but with less bitterness, making it most similar to the 2018 Dog, which up until now was our favourite pressing.
Our experience storing this tea over the last 10+ years has been the development of even more noticeable honey and fruit notes within 3-5 years.
In previous years (2017-2018) we tested this tea against the EU Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 191 and 440+ pesticides, both passing with ease. Although this particular year’s tea has not been tested, the tea is from the same land and our confidence in this tea and relationship with the farmer remains strong. If you would like a copy of the lab results for previous years, please contact us.
This year’s wrapper features artwork by Minneapolis based artist, DC Ice. Make sure to check her out on Instagram, and more of her awesome work here.
Picking period: 1st and 2nd flush, March 20-30
$0.11/gram
Many of our samples for spring 2023 are in dragon ball form. While these balls will perform the same as the cake, they can be slightly trickier to brew. Here’s how we do it:
As we highlight each year, a big draw with this tea is the quality of material used. The trees were planted by this farmer’s family over 45 years ago, at which point plantation style terraces were more common. However, since the 2000s, these trees have been converted to fangyang (放养, or “left to grow”). This means no pesticides, weed killer, pruning, fertilizers or over-picking.
While this style of farming isn’t ideal for producing maximum output, it does contribute to much higher quality tea than neighboring taidi productions, which adhere to conventional farming methods. The other downside is that the trees left to grow taller on their own tend to compete for space and may require relocation, which isn’t always successful. Additionally, manual weeding is a laborious task that takes at least a month each year to complete. Picking tall trees, even if they’re only middle-aged, is also a more difficult task than pruned bushes.
But if we had our way, every tea would be like this. The deeper roots and more concentrated yield produce a tea richer in fragrance and flavour than typical plantation productions in this price range. And of course, all this without the presence of any pesticides or harmful substances.
Additional information
| Weight | N/A |
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6 reviews for Year of the Rabbit 2023 Yiwu Raw Puer
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M.Ö. –
I’ve sampled this tea for 3 years now, and this year seems to be the one yet. Very soft, friendly sheng that unfortunately brews out faster than any other sheng I’ve tried. Can see this filling the role of a quick, casual session or a way to introduce fragile people to sheng puerh.
Masha –
First time trying this tea. Very soft, smooth, and reliable puer. My husband, who is new to tea drinking, was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it, so I think it is an excellent choice for beginners. Slight floral notes, but nothing overpowering. Would definitely like to try in comparison to the future years.
@cozinhacomcha (verified owner) –
De todos que provei, desde o raw puer do ano do rato, esse foi o que achei menos complexo, com aroma e sabor que se vão relativamente rápido. Não é tão amargo ou adstringente, mas também não traz tanta complexidade. Vale a pena comprar para deixar envelhecer, ou usar como um chá do dia a dia. Para iniciantes parece uma ótima introdução ao mundo do puer.
dbuck42 –
My first *real* Yiwu and I was not ready for how soft this is; a feeling I’ve never felt until trying this tea. It’s like velvet or a soft, plushy baby blanket on my tongue. Wow! The sweetness comes through fast, too. As I’m relatively new to puer (only a few months under my belt), I can see how this would be a good tea for beginners. Now I’m very intrigued to sample even higher quality Yiwu teas.
TNation (verified owner) –
I will admit up front that I don’t drink much sheng that is this fresh, so my points of comparison are limited. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed what I’ve drunk in the first year, and am having to force myself to stop and let it get a little age on it. It is sweet, refreshing, and rather light, which I expect will fill out with time.
Alexandra Verville-Paris –
Great everyday tea!
//Smell: Sweet flowers, honey pastries, butter, pie dough, broth, hint of fruit underneath all the previous smells
//Texture: Cold at the beginning of the mouth vs expansive heat at back, thick and oily texture, smooth
//Taste: Vegetable cream made of a rich & oily broth, butter, sweet dough, floral
//Body sensation: Comfortable heat, tired eyes, good mood, calm, contentment