$76 USD
Lao Man E village, Menghai area
Big trees from the ancient tea gardens surrounding the village, sweet varietal.
Handmade by Ai Xiang Nan
This year, we decided to source a 'gushu' version of Lao Man E. For this harvest, Ai Xiang Nan selected trees from the sweet varietal only. As a result, you still get a punch in the mouth, but the pain will fade away within seconds.
Lao Man E is my favorite village, and this tea delivers. It is powerful but not overly aggressive, expansive and sweet. Astringency is moderate, bitterness vanishes quickly.
Lao Man E is often known for its bitterness, but this is a wrong image. There is bitter tea in all South-Western Xishuangbanna and even beyond the Chinese border, in Myanmar. What makes the reputation of Lao Man E is the overall power it consistently delivers.