Pu'er Tea

The rarest and most expensive court-grade ripe Pu'er tea

In the case of ripe tea, the fermented rough tea (coarse tea) is sorted and divided into different grades according to parts. Typically, court, special grade, first grade, third grade, fifth grade, extra (stems), dust, and tea heads are the common grades of ripe tea. The court grade refers to the grade with the highest bud content. Because the amount that can be recovered during grading is very small, it is highly rare and therefore commands a very high price. Due to its high bud content, the taste is extremely smooth and tender, and a strong sweetness can be felt when held in the mouth. However, calcium, which contributes to body richness (physical fullness), is mostly found in the stems, while being very low in the buds. As a result, any court-grade tea tends to give a lean impression on the palate. If you prefer a fuller, more robust taste, it is recommended to try the standard Huocao Mountain Ancient Tree Ripe Tea or Huocao Mountain Tea Heads. Nevertheless, the gentle mouthfeel of court-grade tea can be quite addictive. Based on my experience, brewing it slightly stronger makes it even more delicious.

Ultimate naturally cultivated and wild-grown tea trees

Starting with Huocao Mountain Ripe Tea, up to now we have released tea heads, the standard type, and two types of ripe tea from Huocao Mountain. This newly released Court Golden Tips is also from the exact same production batch. Huocao Mountain Pu'er Ripe Tea uses naturally grown, wild tea leaves as raw material, and that’s precisely why it has such a rich flavor that sinks deep into the throat. Compared to regular court-grade tea, the golden bud parts of Huocao Mountain Ancient Tree Ripe Tea are less uniform in appearance and color. This is due to the extreme wildness of the tea trees. The tea leaves used as ingredients for Huocao Mountain are sourced from wild-grown tea trees. Typically, semi-wild tea trees, unlike well-managed tea gardens, grow at inconsistent rates, resulting in varying bud sizes.

Pu'er tea goes moldy because of quality issues

When it comes to ripe Pu'er tea, do images of mold and the smell of old furniture come to mind? In fact, among ripe Pu'er teas sold for weight loss purposes or purchased as souvenirs, there are many that have unpleasant odors. Many people believe that the musty smell is the natural aroma of Pu'er tea, and some even say, “It tastes better once you get used to it.” However, unpleasant smells are caused by issues with raw material quality or tea processing techniques. In reality, if Pu'er raw tea that has been burnt in the pan is processed into ripe tea, it surprisingly develops a unique, medicine-like foul odor. Additionally, during fermentation, if stirring is insufficient and oxygen isn’t properly supplied, the inner layers of stacked tea leaves become anaerobic, creating an environment for anaerobic bacteria to thrive, leading to off-putting smells. Ripe Pu'er tea made from good raw materials and proper fermentation has a sweet aroma like dried fruits. Especially the Court Golden Tips, made only from buds, offers a fragrant, sweet taste with a smooth texture, and even tastes good with milk added.

From experience, Court Golden Tips is one of the fastest-maturing teas among ripe Pu'er varieties. Because it matures quickly, the dried fruit-like sweet aroma becomes even richer. After 1–2 years post-production, the aroma becomes more mellow, but after several years of aging, it develops an exceptionally rich fragrance. The matured version of this product is expected to offer a thick, sweet aroma reminiscent of dried dates, raisins, persimmon cakes, and rum. Moreover, Court Golden Tips unexpectedly works well as a base for milk tea. With the addition of milk, the flavor becomes fuller, and the overall taste profile becomes richer.