Chiang Rai Gushu Maocha 2023 - 30g - Weight: 30g

Maocha comes from the Giang Rai region, i.e. from northern Thailand, a well-known area where old tea trees used for puerh production grow. This area, known as the 'Golden Triangle', includes Yunnan, of course, but also Myanmar, northern Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The trees are often in hard-to-reach locations and are always hand-picked.
 
The altitude of the hand-picked trees is around 950 m, the Assamica cultivar and the Gushu trees, the age of the tree is reported by the producer to be well in excess of the base 200 years (Gushu = 200 years or more). The flavour and character of the tea is important, as is the yield in infusions. From this it is possible to distinguish whether it is a Gushu or a shrub tea. 
 
The aroma of the dry leaf is beautifully sweet, spicy, mountain herb. The leaf is meticulously crafted, see attached photos. The taste is sweet, juicy, full, clean with a hint of forest herbs. There is a slight whiff of maocha youth, but with short, almost immediate pourings you can expect countless delicious, delicate infusions. The yield of this tea is excellent.

The tea is also suitable for aging in leaf form, gradually rounding in flavour and showing more notes of dried fruit and sweetness.
 
Packed in 30g due to the size of the leaf.

Preparation per 100ml - Gong fu Cha - 3-4g, 90-95°C, 20-30s first infusion, 10-15s second infusion, followed by immediate steeping until you notice the tea is weakening. I didn't get to this weight though. I'm sipping I think 7/8 infusion as I type.