Pu-erh You Qiao Mu Xing Bing Cha Shu, 2000

Pu-erh You Qiao Mu Xing Bing Cha Shu 2000 (有机乔木大型饼茶 熟普洱) is a 357g vintage shu pu-erh cake made from organically grown qiao mu (arbor tree) leaves, harvested from tall, seed-propagated tea trees in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Pressed in 2000, this tea represents the early wave of fully fermented pu-erh cakes crafted for long-term aging — using traditional pile fermentation techniques and sun-dried maocha from the region’s large-leaf varietal.

The term Qiao Mu indicates that the leaf was plucked from mature tea trees, not plantation-style bushes. These trees have deeper roots and slower growth cycles, producing thicker leaves with a richer chemical profile — ideal for deep fermentation and graceful aging. The cake was shaped in the Xing Bing style (“Star Cake”), a regional pressing form popular around the year 2000.

After more than two decades of natural aging, this shu pu-erh has developed a deep reddish-brown liquor with a smooth, rounded body and almost no earthy harshness. The aroma opens with aged camphor wood, forest floor, and dried fruit, while the flavor presents dark date, polished cedar, and a mellow sweetness that lingers into the throat. The mouthfeel is thick and silky, with a calm, grounding energy (qi) and no bitterness or sharpness.

This tea is an excellent example of pre-2005 shu pu-erh craftsmanship, before mass industrialization became widespread. Stored under stable dry conditions, its fermentation has fully integrated, yielding a clean, aged profile with elegant depth. A rare find for collectors and an ideal daily drinker for those who appreciate mellow, vintage shu.

Pu-erh You Qiao Mu Xing Bing Cha Shu 2000 embodies the tradition of arbor tree leaf selection, clean fermentation, and time — all working together to shape a tea of lasting smoothness and aged complexity.

// Type: Shu (ripe) pu-erh
// Fermentation: Fully fermented (wet-piling method)
// Roasting: None
// Recommended brew temperature: 90–95°C
// Recommended consumption rate: 6–7g per 150ml
// Withstands: 8+ infusions with steady flavor

Taste: Camphor wood, dried date, forest floor, soft earth, mellow sweetness
Origin: Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China
Harvest & pressing date: April 26, 2000