Li Hua Lin Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Tea 2025 Loose Comparable to Single Tree Tea

We have released Li Hua Lin Raw Pu-erh Tea 2025 Loose. This tea is made from material harvested from ancient trees that would normally be processed separately as single tree tea. It delivers the same level of long lasting aftertaste and depth as single tree tea, resulting in a highly premium composition.

High Elevation Ancient Tea Garden at 2100m in Yongde County, Yunnan

Li Hua Lin is the name used for the tea garden owned by a farmer we work closely with. It is located in the mountainous area of Yong De County, Lincang, Yunnan, at an elevation of around 2100 meters. The garden consists of extremely old trees, many of which are over 300 to 500 years old. No fertilizers are applied, including animal manure, and the garden is maintained without the use of pesticides. In Yunnan, spring harvest generally begins in lower elevation areas and gradually shifts to higher elevations as the season progresses. Younger trees and those grown with fertilizer develop faster, so harvesting can begin as early as March even within the same region. In contrast, tea gardens at around 2000 meters typically start harvesting from mid April onward. In unfertilized gardens, the harvest is delayed by an additional one to two weeks. For trees over 300 years old, the first flush only begins in May.

Material Originally Intended for Single Tree Tea

Old trees develop much more slowly, and the first flush only appears in May. Tea harvested in May therefore represents a very late harvest and indicates exceptionally old trees. Such material is normally processed separately by individual tree as single tree tea. However, when a producer owns a large number of ancient trees, their harvest concentrates within a short period, especially in early May. This results in a large volume of leaves arriving at once, and if processed as single tree batches, the number of lots exceeds the capacity of the pan frying process. Pan frying must be completed by early morning so that sun drying can follow on the same day. If processing is delayed, it becomes impossible to carry out these steps under proper conditions. For this reason, the producer does not have sufficient capacity to process all ancient trees as single tree tea, and part of the harvest is therefore combined into a single lot to maintain proper timing. This Li Hua Lin Raw Pu-erh Tea is one such example. While the material is equivalent to single tree tea, the price is set lower. Considering the balance between quality and price, this is a highly valuable offering.

Different Expressions Between Fresh and Aged

The quality is fully comparable to single tree tea, with sweetness and a strong, long lasting aftertaste. Li Hua Lin Raw Pu-erh Tea shows a light citrus character when fresh, reminiscent of lemon and pomelo. Aging begins from the first year regardless of tea type. In the first year, the flavor becomes slightly calmer, and from the second year, aged characteristics gradually develop. From around the third year onward, fruit like notes formed through aging begin to appear clearly, creating a more defined aged profile. With over three years of aging, this tea is expected to develop a grape like character. It can be enjoyed for its citrus profile when fresh, and also for the changes that occur over time. The available quantity is very limited. Please consider securing it early if you are interested.

For more on how raw Pu-erh is made, aged, and stored, see What Is Raw Pu-erh Tea?.