Yiwu Sheng (易武生普)
archetype: Forest spirit by the ancient trees
A forest spirit steps from the mist among ancient trees: a soft sweetness of an old wood, a honeyed coolness.
History
Yiwu is one of the 'Six Famous Tea Mountains' of Xishuangbanna and is considered the 'king of the female' style of sheng (soft, even, enveloping) — opposite to the 'king of the male' Lao Banzhang. The Six Famous Mountains shaped the tradition of Yunnanese tea back in the Qing era, and Yiwu among them is the most 'peaceful': its leaf does not strike but caresses. The best cakes are made of leaf from old trees ('lin gushu') of 100–300 years.
It is said that in the Zhenshan forest there lives a forest spirit — an old deer with a silver horn. When the tea-makers come for the leaf, they leave him a cup of honey at the root of an old tree. If the spirit is pleased, the next morning the leaf smells of forest and honey. Yiwu sheng is 'the deer's tea': drunk when one wants the forest to speak.
Terroir
1300–1800 m. red lateritic clay with a thick layer of forest organic matter. tropics at altitude, dense fogs, long rains. The standard is leaf from 'old trees' (gushu) on the slopes of the villages of Guafengzhai, Mansong, Manzhuan. 'Young' gardens give a similar but less enveloping profile.
Leaf
dry leaf: large dark-green twisted leaves from old trees, pressed into a cake
warmed: the warmed leaf — a honeyed sprout, forest berries, a light haze
after pour: after the infusion — honey, forest berries, haze, warm fog
taste: a honeyed sprout, forest berries, a light haze, a soft enveloping sweetness
finish: long, enveloping; the returning sweetness lasts 20–30 minutes
Properties
TCM: cool, soft; clears heat, nourishes yin, calms the shen
Modern: rich in 'soft' catechins and theanine; gentle stimulation, easily digested
Cha qi: even, soft, warm in the upper chest; felt as 'a forest fog in the shoulders'
Caffeine: moderate (35–50 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 110 ml gaiwan; 100 °C; 6 g / 110 ml. 6s — the first honeyed sprout, forest berries; 8s — the peak of softness: haze, forest sweetness; 10s — an enveloping note, a warm fog; 15s — a long honey trail; 22s — a late forest sound; 35s — the finale — the spirit goes back; 60s — a thin echo — a honeyed coolness.
When to drink
day and early evening. spring and autumn. for a soft forest, when an enveloping sweetness is wanted, for cosiness. forest berries, honey, white chocolate, walnut, warm pastry. two in unhurried conversation; a solitary forest evening
Tea meditation
- An old forest hums below the frequencies.
- Don't ask questions — listen.
- The forest spirit comes out if you do not call him.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Yiwu Sheng?
a 110 ml gaiwan; 100 °C; 6 g / 110 ml. 6s — the first honeyed sprout, forest berries; 8s — the peak of softness: haze, forest sweetness; 10s — an enveloping note, a warm fog; 15s — a long honey trail; 22s — a late forest sound; 35s — the finale — the spirit goes back; 60s — a thin echo — a honeyed coolness.
What does Yiwu Sheng taste like?
a honeyed sprout, forest berries, a light haze, a soft enveloping sweetness
How much caffeine is in Yiwu Sheng?
moderate (35–50 mg)
What are the effects of Yiwu Sheng?
rich in 'soft' catechins and theanine; gentle stimulation, easily digested
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