Shining Moon Green Pu Erh 2011 Vintage

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This is an interesting and unusual green Pu Erh tea cake which I chanced upon while rooting around in my tea master’s big clay Pu Erh collection urns. The Chinese name Yue Guang Bai means ‘whiteness of the moonshine’ which reminds me of the famous poem by Tang dynasty poet Li Bai:

A Quiet Night Thought 静夜思
Moonlight before my bed,   床前明月光,
Perhaps frost on the ground,   疑是地上霜,
Lift my head and see the moon,   举头望明月,
Lower my head and pine for home.   低头思故乡.

It is a combination of a big-leaf varietal from Yunnan and a small-leaf varietal from southeastern China, formed into a tea cake containing both green Pu Erh and aged white tea.

The slightly twisted, curvy, stocky silver tips of the white tea can be clearly seen, against the darker grey-green of the Pu Erh tea – like a thousand stars in a cloudless, dark sky.

The Pu Erh is still young so its taste is frisky and refreshingly light, with a slight honey sweetness and a hint of floral. If allowed to vintage further, it will assuredly become more mellow and smooth.