Che Jie the Tea King, Personally Made

2018 Nanuo Mountain Thousand-Year-Old Ancient Single Tea Plant

Appreciation

Year：2017/2018
Grade：Top-grade ancient tree tea from famous mountains
Maker：Handcrafted by Tea Master Che Jie
Origin：Ancient tea trees in Che Jie's family, Banpo Old Village, Nanuo Mountain, Yunnan
Variety：A sexual population formed through long-term natural evolution of the Menghai large-leaf variety, without artificial selection, retaining rich genetic diversity.
Craftsmanship：Traditional manual sun-drying process, integrating the millennium-old tea-making wisdom of the Hani people and the unique secret techniques of Tea Master Che Jie.
Dry tea appearance：One bud with two leaves, plump, vibrant, and with a distinct texture.
Tea liquor colo：Amber with a golden rim on the edge; the surface is glossy and contains tea down.
Aroma：During tasting in 2025, the aroma is mainly dominated by aged fragrance, accompanied by woody and honey notes.

Quality Tasting:

This Pu'er tea originates from thousand-year-old ancient tea trees in Nanuo Mountain, Yunnan, handcrafted by Tea Master Che Jie. Due to the unique flavor of each ancient tree, it is made as single-bush tea. With his exclusive roasting secrets, Che Jie softens the bitterness of raw Pu'er, retains the essence of spring harvest from 1,700-meter-high mountains, and adds extra sweetness and smoothness.

At the first infusion, the tea liquor is amber with a golden rim on the edge; its surface is glossy and contains tea down. The aroma is dominated by aged fragrance, wrapped in woody and honey notes, with a hint of wild mountain charm. On the palate, it has a gelatinous texture, with mild astringency and quick sweet aftertaste, while rock sugar sweetness lingers throughout.

At the second infusion, the taste layers become more distinct—full-bodied with subtle bitter undertones, yet silky and easy to melt. The sweet aroma on the palate and tip of the tongue grows richer, with a noticeable fresh sweet aftertaste.

From the fourth infusion onwards, the aroma remains abundant. Besides honey and woody notes, it exudes a bamboo leaf fragrance. The tea's vitality is mild yet induces a warming sensation in the back, fully embodying the "soft yet strong, profoundly charming" allure of its mountain origin.

Preparation of Utensils  

Main brewing vessels：Purple clay teapots with good air permeability (suitable for aged tea or teas needing aroma concentration) or open-mouthed covered bowls (easy to observe tea color).

Fair cup：Glass is preferred for easy observation of tea color.

Tasting cups：Small porcelain or pottery cups, good for aroma retention.

Auxiliary tools：Tea needle (for breaking compressed tea), tea scoop, tea cloth, etc.  

Tea Leaves and Water

Tea leaves：Tea leaves: Loose tea can be used directly. Compressed tea (cakes, bricks, tuocha) needs to be pried loose in advance and "awakened" for 1-3 months (in a ventilated, light-proof, and odor-free environment).

Water：Qualified purified water is sufficient; never use alkaline mineral water.

(Commercially available mineral waters and mountain spring waters vary in water quality due to different sources; so-called "high-quality mineral water" will likely cause loss of functional components in tea and inhibit its aroma.)

Tea dosage：Use 5-8g of tea for a 100-150ml container (tea-to-water ratio of approximately 1:20; adjust strength to personal taste). 

Steps

Warm and clean the utensils

Rinse all utensils with boiling water to raise their temperature, helping to release the tea's aroma.

Formal brewing

This tea does not require rinsing —

the first infusion is the essence, full of the delicate fragrance of tea down and the sweetness of amino acids. (Only aged Pu'er tea over 15 years old, such as tuocha and brick tea, needs rinsing.)

Infusions 1-3:  Pour boiling water from a height
(When pouring, slightly lift the kettle to let the water flow hit the tea leaves and release the tea's aroma). The infusion time is 5-10 seconds; drain the tea soup quickly to avoid excessive leaching of bitter and astringent substances. (For new tea with obvious bitterness, shorten the time to within 5 seconds; for aged tea, extend it to 10 seconds.)

Infusions 4-7：

Pour water at a medium height (gentle circular flow to keep tea evenly heated); infusion time: 10-15 seconds. Adjust based on taste—if the tea fades, steep for an extra 5 seconds.

After infusion 8：

Pour water at a low height (close to the bottom of the pot/bowl to reduce impact); gradually extend steeping time (add 5-10 seconds each time). Aged tea can be steeped for 1-2 minutes until the flavor fades. 

Tasting

After pouring the tea into the fair cup, divide it evenly into tasting cups. Smell the aroma while it's hot (raw Pu'er often has floral, fruity, nectar-like, or wild mountain notes). Sip slowly to feel the bitterness, sweet aftertaste, salivation, and lingering throat sensation.

Tips

1.Time control

A batch of tea should be brewed within 30 minutes. If not finished immediately, store it in a container. When you want to drink again, reheat the brewed tea—suddenly, the room fills with aroma, enchanting you.

Never leave brewed tea in the covered bowl for a long time (e.g., an hour or two) before rebrewing. Oxidation will deepen, weakening the fresh taste and volatilizing aromatic substances, resulting in a bland flavor. Such brewing reduces a rare fine tea to a lackluster experience.

2. Adjust based on age.  

Aged tea (over 15 years old): Mellow in taste; this style can be steeped for a long time, brewed slowly, or even simmered.

By properly controlling water temperature, infusion time, and pouring method, the "richness, intensity, freshness, and briskness" of raw Pu'er or the "mellowness, smoothness, agedness, and fragrance" of aged tea can be fully displayed. It's advisable to adjust flexibly according to the tea's characteristics to find your ideal taste balance.

Packaging

Hand-woven bamboo baskets

Storage

Store in a clean, odor-free environment
Keep away from light and moisture

Ideal humidity：60%~70% (moisture protection required in southern regions)

Optimal temperature：20~30℃, avoid drastic fluctuations (e.g., direct exposure to heating or air conditioning)

Ventilation and Light Protection

Maintain moderate ventilation (avoid complete sealing) but isolate from odors (e.g., cooking fumes, cosmetics).

Light-proof storage: Ultraviolet rays damage the tea’s internal components; use light-shielding containers or store in dark places.

Cleanliness and Odor-Free

Keep away from odor sources like kitchens and bathrooms to prevent absorbing unwanted smells

Storage Containers

1. Purple clay jars/pottery jars

Good air permeability, suitable for long-term storage; check humidity regularly (use cautiously in southern regions).

Clean with boiling water and dry thoroughly before use to avoid residual moisture.

2. Cartons + bamboo shoot husks/cotton paper

An economical, practical combination: Bamboo shoot husks resist moisture and allow breathability; cartons block light and stack easily.

For cake tea, store whole batches (unopened in bamboo shoot husks) to minimize external interference.

3. Sealed bags (for short-term use)

Suitable only for short-term storage (within 1 year); long-term sealing hinders aging.

Use food-grade aluminum foil bags; squeeze out air and seal after adding tea.

Notes

Refrigeration is incorrect: Low temperatures inhibit fermentation, and refrigerator odors are easily absorbed by tea.

Complete sealing is incorrect: Pu’er requires trace oxygen for transformation; vacuum packaging is unsuitable.

The Myth: “New Tea Needs Sealing to Reduce Bitterness”

Folk wisdom claims, “New Pu’er is bitter and harsh; seal it for 3 years to ‘cool its heat’” — but this only applies to teas from poor ecological origins.
For Pu’er made from top-grade materials like thousand-year-old ancient trees or Bingdao old village tea, the new tea phase is the start of its flavor peak.

Take such ancient tree spring tea: It boasts rich wild floral aromas, fresh liquor, prominent rock sugar sweetness, and layered depth, fully embodying the essence of primitive ecology. Its charm lies in the unpolished vitality of the new tea phase.

Practice shows that after 5 years of storage, it shifts to a “classic aging trajectory” and loses its uniqueness.

For fine tea, drink it when new — savor its annual transformations.
Allow moderate air exposure in the first 3 years of storage to preserve the new tea’s ecological essence.

5-10 years: The tea’s nature mellowss; woody and aged aromas emerge.

Over 15 years: The liquor turns rich reddish-brown; the taste becomes mellow and full.

The storage philosophy of top-grade ancient tree tea is, at its core, reverence and preservation of primitive ecology.