Lao Ban Zhang, located in China's Yunnan Province, is famous for its premium Raw Pu-erh tea. This rare and highly sought-after tea is known for its exceptional quality, unique flavor, and bold, mellow earthy taste. Its limited production contributes to its high price, making Lao Ban Zhang one of the most expensive teas globally and earning it the title "King of Pu'er tea."
The Ecological Environment of Lao Ban Zhang Ancient Tea Gardens
The ancient Chinese saying "高山云雾出好茶" highlights that high-altitude areas with thick mountain mist produce better tea. Lao Ban Zhang village, with its diverse ecological vegetation, abundant sunshine, and fog, is particularly suitable for ancient tea tree growth.
Villagers have followed traditional methods of manual cultivation, hand-picking leaves, and sun-drying since ancient times. Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh tea is produced without inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, or chemicals, making it a pure, natural, pollution-free, and ecologically original tea.
Reliable Source of Lao Ban Zhang Materials
In 2007, Mr. Chen Shenghe founded Menghai Chen Sheng Tea Co. and created the Chen Sheng Hao Pu-erh tea brand. Following the 2007 Pu-erh tea market bubble burst, the company and Lao Ban Zhang village signed a 30-year agreement to create the "Chen Sheng Lao Ban Zhang" collection, benefiting both parties by ensuring a stable income for villagers and a unique advantage for the company.
Made with Single-region Tea Leaves
Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh tea is made from the fresh large-leaved tea tree leaves from the ancient tea gardens in Lao Ban Zhang village. Chen Sheng Lao Ban Zhang selects single-origin materials from ancient trees aged more than 300, allowing tea lovers to taste the pure and true Lao Ban Zhang flavor.
Dry Leaves
The dry leaves have a lustrous dark green color, with coarse and hairy strips, relatively large serrated leaves, and plump buds with a lot of fuzz. Before prying open the Lao Ban Zhang tea cake, a woody mountain aroma is evident. The old, deeply rooted ancient tea trees and soil formed by years of fallen leaves create a distinct woody fragrance, reflecting the tea's connection to a distant era.
Tea Liquor & Taste
Lao Ban Zhang tea has a golden, transparent, and bright soup color. It is renowned for its distinct and intricate taste, characterized by a strong bitterness balanced with a subtle sweetness. This sweetness emerges following the initial bitterness and lingers in the mouth. The tea also possesses an astringent quality that enriches its flavor, accompanied by a persistent fragrance known as "throat rhyme" or "喉韵." As a Pu-erh tea, Lao Ban Zhang features an earthy, woody flavor, stemming from its aged, deeply-rooted tea trees and the soil in which they grow.
The aroma of Lao Ban Zhang tea lingers in the teacup, revealing a unique mountain and woody fragrance when lifted. This scent gradually transforms into a honey and orchid fragrance with a slight sweet aftertaste. Smelling the tea's aroma is reminiscent of experiencing deep valley orchids, providing a refreshing and unforgettable experience.
Infused Leaves
The infused leaves display unique characteristics such as thick, plump leaves, large buds, and prominent white hairs. The leaves are thin, soft, and cottony, with a resilient texture that doesn't break easily. Even when wrapping a tea stem around your fingers, it feels like a flexible rubber band that resists breaking.
