Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake · Manba Ancient Tree 2020 · 5.29oz/ 150g

Xishuangbanna has cultivated tea for more than a thousand years.With generations of care from its many ancient ethnic groups, the people of the rainforest firmly believe that within the old tea mountains of Xishuangbanna, countless ancient tea trees still quietly preserve distinctive flavors and exceptional quality. To ensure these treasures are not lost to towering mountains or hidden deep within untouched forests, the Rainforest team spent over a decade trekking across every ancient tea mountain in Xishuangbanna.Their mission: to uncover every remarkable tea village and to help the tea-farming families in remote areas benefit from their heritage, walking together toward a better and more prosperous life. Manba (曼捌 bā) is one such village—tucked deep within the famed Bulang Mountain and among the rare few that naturally possess all three major flavor profiles.Its excellence is undeniable, worthy of establishing a factory at the source and bringing the taste of Manba out from the mountains. Located in the southern part of Menghai County, Bulang Mountain is home to several ethnic minorities, including the Bulang, Hani, and Lahu peoples.The region produces bitter tea, sweet tea, and bittersweet tea, each intense, expressive, and beloved by tea enthusiasts.Together, the many tea villages here form a rich and colorful flavor map of Bulang Mountain, and Manba is a stop no tea lover should miss on their journey to seek authentic tastes. The Bulang people prefer living high in the mountains and are skilled hunters—a people blessed with ancient wisdom of survival.For centuries, they have maintained a delicate balance between preservation and development, which is why Bulang villages are often surrounded by dense, flourishing forests.Their ancient tea trees grow taller, and their tea gardens follow the natural rhythms of the land, with higher branching points on the trunks.Manba is yet another rare and pristine ancient tea garden preserved through the careful stewardship of the Bulang people. Nearly ripe malt aroma, intertwined with floral fragrance—in each breath, it feels like stepping into the blooming abundance of spring and summer. Then suddenly, as if fast-forwarding into early autumn,the layers of bittersweet complexity unfold slowly on the palate. The age of the ancient trees adds freshness, richness, and silky smoothness to the liquor,softening the sharp edges of bitterness. The deep, full expression of bitter and sweetis a gift from ancient time itself.