1996 Cow Heart Sheng Pu'er (牛心熟普洱, Niú Xīn Shú Pǔ'ěr, "Cow Heart Ripe Pu'er") - From the collection of Master Zhang Qimin, this 250 gram, mushroom-shaped tea cake is known as a 牛心沱 Niuxin Tuo "Cow Heart Tuo" (a tuo being a rounded cake of compressed tea). Produced from a small batch of ancient Lincang tea trees for a private client by Zhang's colleague Master Bai, this shape of tea is traditionally produced for the Tibetan market.
Stored since 1996 in Guangdong province, this nearly-30-year-old tuo typifies the earthy, mellow character of aged, naturally-fermented tea. The darkness and complexity of this tea defy description in English and can best be articulated by the Chinese word 醇 chun, which describes the quality of aged wine that makes it superior to fresh wine - the harmonizing and unifying of disparate flavors into one cohesive state. If you've ever tasted aged sheng pu'er and wondered why it doesn't taste anything like shu (fermented) pu'er, this tea is the missing link that will connect the dots for you. Available first as a whole cake and later in smaller 10, 30, 50, and 100 gram denominations broken off from a 250 gram cake. The whole 250 gram cake, with its distinctive shape, makes a striking addition to any tea collection and are especially suitable for further aging.