To many, the Xi-Zhi Hao (more properly Xizhihao) brand requires no introduction, for the last 3 years Mr. Chen (a Taiwanese man with a passion for Pu-erh) has created some of the most highly acclaimed tea cakes on the market. He is extremely dedicated to his work and has been known to hike the mountain trails of Xishuangbanna scouting out the best wild arbor raw material. In this way, he guarantees that if the cake says its "Nan Nuo" or "Pa Sa", it really is! He selects the best "mao cha" from these areas and oversees its processing from start to finish to make sure it turns out just as he needs it to be!
What if you were to take one of the most famous blend recipes of all time and re-invent it by using only the highest grade material from wild arbor trees? This is exactly what Mr. Chen (with the help of ex-Menghai Tea Factory master tea blender Ms. Dong Guoyan) has done! It is a living tribute to the great heritage of blended recipe Pu-erh! In this case they have used only the best raw material and small batch processing, taking the drinker back in time 20+ years to a time when MOST of the raw material used to make these classic recipe cakes was really excellent quality! This is the 8582 cake, a classic Menghai Tea Factory recipe first formulated in 1985!
Production area: Meng Hai County
Other Comments: Highest Grade Pu-erh from Ancient Trees. San He Tang Company Production - (Pressed and packaged in the Mengyang Guoyan Tea factory in Jinghong)
Posted by Tom on 13th Jan 2011
This tea is excellent. The 25g sample I ordered had big flaky leaves that easily fell of the chunk of beeng I received. Nice long supple leaves on the edges of the cake. The first steeps brought a spicy and woodsy musk out of the gaiwan. Leathery, with golden tobacco, a bit of moss, and plenty of earthy spice. The flavor was similar, but buttery smooth. Velvet on the palate, with just enough astringency in the back of the throat for balance. This tea puts me right in an Alder bog amongst the Balsam Fir trunks, heavy with lichen and moss. A wet late spring morning in a copse of poplars flows into my mind. This is a beautiful tea.
Posted by Unknown on 1st Jan 2011
Of the three mid-range, Xi-Zhi Hao offerings on Jas e Tea, the 8582 is my preferred cake.
Full, chunky leaves result in a thick, consistent brew. Slightly more body, character and bitterness than the other two, this cake may be more suitable for long term aging. I've had three cakes of it aging for 3 years and I've been pleased with the progress thus far.
Choose a currency below to display product prices in the selected currency.