Old Tree Lapsang

This Old Tree Lapsang comes from Wuyi Cai Cha varietal, the tea trees that were growing wild long ago, and continue now. The centuries old trees produce a small amount of leaves each year, there at the birthplace of red tea at 1200-1400 meters in Tongmu Pass, Fujian. Quite a rare treat, these moss covered trees produce a clean flavor and deep nourishing energy.

This year's Old Tree Lapsang is particularly flavorful. I haven't done my tasting with Javan yet so forgive me if I miss but here's what I sense for now. Red wine, shoyu, and caramel in the aroma. Deep red plum mixed with very nice tannins and abundant sweetness in the taste—even something a little smoky. (This is not a smoked Lapsang mind you.) I love how it contains a complexity of flavors with a seemingly pure and straightforward feel—a winning combination.

Peddler's note: My nickname for this tea is the cave of wonders—it just leads deeper and deeper—rubies and sapphires around every turn. The flavor a marvel; the energy profound; this is one of my favorites every year... but seriously, this year is a cut above.

Back info-label coming soon.

Label 43

Tiger Steeping 

Vibrant Stillness

Placing their large ceramic pot on the floor before them, the white tiger enters the timelessness of tea. Their upright posture aligns their circulatory pathways, allowing for deep relaxation in the caverns of their being. As pockets of tension dissolve, the tiger’s thoughts become more subtle. With amulets of tea, scarabs, and small spirit-maps of the four directions to support them, the tiger cultivates a bright and vibrant stillness. 

When the white tiger has a question, they let it steep in their pot—allowing it to unravel and soak in the relaxing warm water. Stripes of insight and openness weave in and out of one another in a play of stillness and motion. The tiger feels no sense of “waiting” or “willing” as the tea steeps pregnantly. There is pleasure to the lingering pause of the intensifying brew.  As they sit and steep, the tiger’s tail coils into an antenna attuning to what the mind cannot grasp—their spirit reaching out to touch a reservoir of energy and inspiration that need not be conceptualized.

Sitting with their timeless steep, the tiger appears ageless. Their upright posture and relaxed muscles look springy and youthful. Their piercing mismatched eyes and grizzled features give a weathered and intensely wise countenance. They invite you into a non-conceptual tea-time, where the subtleties of consciousness are brought to life like the layers of a complex tea.