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.
Terroir
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
a honeyed sprout, forest berries, a light haze, a soft enveloping sweetness long, enveloping; the returning sweetness lasts 20–30 minutes
Properties
rich in 'soft' catechins and theanine; gentle stimulation, easily digested even, soft, warm in the upper chest; felt as 'a forest fog in the shoulders' 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