500-Year-Old Tree - Ban Zhang Gu Shu Sheng Pu-erh

500-Year-Old Tree - Bān Zhāng Gǔ Shù Sheng Pu-erh (Raw)

€13,00

Taxes included.

Clear Focus
Sheng Pu-erh
High caffeine

Fresh wood • Resin • Wild herbs • Dried apricot • Lingering sweetness

Before us, there were trees.

Size 25g 50g 100g cake (357g)

about 10 mugs or 5 gongfu sessions

Before the stories, before the roads, before the names we gave to places. This tea comes from ancient trees that have been growing in the mountains of Ban Zhang for more than five centuries. In Yunnan, they are known as Gu Shu - old trees whose roots reach deep into the living memory of the land. Its bitterness arrives first. Its sweetness stays longer. Perhaps that’s how wisdom has always worked.

The ritual (Gongfu Cha):
bring your fresh water to 90-95°C. Measure 5-6 grams of this potent tea per 100 ml into your gaiwan or teapot. Pour with care and let the first true infusion steep for a quick 10 seconds to tame the beast, then gradually increase to 15–20 seconds on subsequent rounds. Watch the leaves unleash their power, shifting gracefully from an aggressive, bitter peak into an endless, sweet-fleshed meadow across 8–10 generous infusions.

The cozy mug (western style):
for a direct, focused cup, place 2–3 grams into your favorite mug with 250 ml of 90–95°C water. Let the leaves settle for 2 minutes. This single-steep method yields a lighter yet incredibly crisp and awakening brew, acting as a direct pathway to mental clarity.

A note for those new to tea: Raw Sheng Pu-erh stands completely apart from conventional, standard teas. Because it is less sweet and carries a much more robust, unrefined profile, its vivid mountain energy can occasionally feel a bit intense for a beginner's palate. Appreciating its profound character is a rewarding journey - one that usually deepens and unfolds beautifully over time :)

Body: intense, robust, and muscular, delivering a dense, commanding texture with an undeniable "metallic" mineral strength that vibrates across the palate.

Liquor: pale, luminous gold that shifts into a warm yellow-amber as the steepings progress.

Finish: Driven by the legendary huigan—a powerful, initial wave of complex wormwood and herbal bitterness that instantly transforms into an incredibly prolonged, echoing sweetness.

This tea is a masterclass in classic Sheng Pu-erh (Raw) craft, bypassing all artificial wet-pile processing to prioritize pure, uninhibited character.

The fresh green leaves are briefly sun-withered, pan-fired to instantly stop natural oxidation, rolled, and laid out to dry. By intentionally preserving the raw catechins, caffeine, and chlorophyll, the leaf remains vibrating with living nutrients.

Rather than experiencing immediate change, this tea undergoes a slow, natural post-fermentation over the decades. As it rests, the internal elements naturally evolve, gradually softening the initial bitterness and deepening the tea's ancient soul over time.

Ban Zhang (班章) is known throughout the tea world as the undisputed "King of Pu-erh," a region synonymous with unmatched power, authority, and prestige.

Hand-harvested during the prized spring season, this raw Sheng Pu-erh is sourced from ancient, large-leaf assamica trees growing wild at high altitudes between 1,600 and 1,800 meters.

These magnificent 500-year-old trees carry what locals call the "fire of the earth" and the spirit of the ancestors. Drinking their leaves offers a visceral, unmediated connection to roots that have gripped the mountain soil for half a millennium.

We always recommend sipping all our teas solo to appreciate its pure, unmasked character. But if you wish to pair it with a bite, choose mindfully :)

If you're pairing, try these:
- Raw nuts like almonds or pine nuts to cut through the heavy herbal notes.
- Sun-dried fruits such as apricots and figs that mirror the tea's latent sweetness.
- Ultra-dark chocolate with minimal sugar to echo the initial bitterness.
- Savory, salted cheeses like Camembert, or young goat cheese.
- Vegetarian Asian cuisine featuring steamed rice, glazed tofu, or wild mushrooms.

Ancient strength and quiet certainty. It awakens an ancestral power, bringing a state of absolute alignment, internal fire, and the focused presence of a warrior.
It feels like an invisible energetic shield, sharpening your awareness while grounding your core.

Before water. After water.

When to drink:

Mornings, the start of an ambitious day, or right before a significant event. It is the ultimate companion for creative breakthroughs, heavy mental shifts, or high-stakes moments where you must maintain unflinching confidence and razor-sharp focus.