Yibang Dahei Shan 2026 - Wild Sheng Pu'er (Raw)

Wild Yibang Dahei Shan is a small, lesser-known tea area in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna, where only a handful of families continue producing this wild, heirloom tea managed as Ye Fang Cha 野放茶 without any human interference throughout the year, left completely wild. Accessing material like this took us years of building relationships with tea producers in Yunnan. Such material almost never reaches the open market. Harvested in early April, the tea grows at 1,600–1,900 meters in a mountain environment receiving around 12 hours of daylight during the growing season. The slightly acidic, mineral-rich soils, naturally containing elements such as iron and zinc, create the conditions for slow, steady leaf development and give this small area its own distinct expression.

The garden grows in weathered rocky soil, where broken stone and earth provide excellent drainage and airflow. The raw material comes from Yibang's local heirloom zhongxiao ye zhong 中小葉種 (medium-to-small-leaf tea population), a wild native population well adapted to these conditions. Rather than being known for a famous name, this tea quietly reflects the character of its origin.

The mouthfeel is sticky and high-toned, gradually becoming silky through the session. Early infusions show a delicate salty note with a light minty freshness before giving way to lifted yet restrained aromatics, more sweetness than sourness, and a long huigan 回甘 (sweet aftertaste). We prefer brewing it with short gongfu infusions to appreciate how it develops from one brew to the next.