We’ve spent quite a bit of time looking for aged raw puerh that meets the holy trinity criteria of being:

1. Quality material
2. Decently old, and well-stored 
3. Affordable 

This production comes from a relatively small Taiwanese company, Gan-en Cha Chang (Gratitude/Gratefulness). The front wrapper says ‘Jingmai Mountain’ with 2007 as the listed year of production. This tea was stored in Taiwan from 2007 to 2023 under well balanced storage conditions. Since 2023, this tea has been stored alongside other raw puerh teas, under optimised storage conditions in Melbourne, Australia.

This tea offers a unique herbaceous fragrance, lingering sweetness, and low bitterness that is characteristic of well-stored and well-aged raw puerh tea. When brewed, it yields a pleasantly vibrant orange-brown colour, followed by notes of incense, camphor wood, and dark honey in both its fragrance and flavour. 

Jingmai tea material is known for being light but fragrant when fresh, and this tea still retains its base material's character - as all tea does - but with additional depth gained from its long-term ageing. Overall, this tea is smooth and easy to drink; and offers a good idea of what time and well-balanced storage can do to raw puerh. 

At this price point, the material is not ever going to be gushu (old trees), but based on our perception it is most likely made from high quality xiaoshu (small trees, not bushes) growing in the forest. It’s definitely not taidicha (plantation tea), and the leaves are well-processed and whole.

This tea comes as a 357g cake, which is larger than our usual 200g cakes. The cake was formed under medium compression, and is easy to break apart for brewing. Thanks to its excellent storage conditions, this tea smells and tastes clean and smooth. 

Given its base material, age, and storage conditions, we highly recommend this tea to those who:

1. Haven't tried many aged teas
2. Have only drunk aged tea from commercial factory productions
3. Want a solid, well-aged raw for regular drinking without blowing out the budget
4. All of the above, or just because 

Please note: As to be expected of significantly aged puerh, this tea's wrapper has been slightly eaten by paper bugs (hence the holes). This does not damage or affect the tea itself, as thankfully there are no bugs or pests that want to eat (or are capable of living in) puerh tea.

Pictures by Pingle Pictures.

2007 material produced in Yunnan, China, stored in Taiwan from 2007 to 2023.

357g per compressed cake, with 7 cakes per traditionally wrapped bamboo tong. 25g samples are cut or broken from the cakes and sealed into bags.