This original article was written on September 8, 2015. Original source: https://www.51puer.com/This crowdfunding tea is the Six Mountain Cake (China's first crowdfunded ancient tree tea)
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Never has a tea made me so anxious!
In one week, 66 people participated, and 740,000 yuan was raised. The fundraising went very smoothly, and I was in high spirits, but the raw material poured a bucket of water on me that was below minus ten degrees Celsius but somehow didn't freeze, chilling me to the bone.
Can't find suitable raw material!
During the crowdfunding process, we started collecting information on raw materials. Teacher Huang and I asked tea merchants and material suppliers we had worked with for samples and prices. Later, whenever we heard someone had raw material from the Six Ancient Mountains, we rushed over to verify. The results were either the tea was unsuitable, not meeting Teacher Huang's quality and ecological requirements, or the price was too high, often double or more our budget. By the second week after crowdfunding ended, we hadn't found anything suitable. Various voices filled my ears saying it was impossible, that we couldn't find the tea we wanted at this cost, advising us to lower quality requirements, make a smaller quantity, or refund the money, saying a real man knows when to bend. Some even spread rumors with gloating eyes, waiting to see me fail.
If we can't find it in Kunming, we go to the mountains!
In early April this year, I bought nearly 2 tons of Yiwu tea in Yiwu. At that time, I learned that the situation in the entire Yiwu tea region was not optimistic this year. Many large buyers from previous years were absent, so I thought there should be plenty of tea still unsold in the mountains.
On July 22nd, several core members of our Kunming team met at the Ancient Pu'er Association. The atmosphere was quite heavy. I suggested that I lead a team to go directly to the tea mountains to check the inventory of tea farmers and material suppliers. Teacher Huang also felt we should go, but because we were looking for spring tea at this time, and the quantity was quite large, he advised not to publicize it, to go quietly, first contact material suppliers then tea farmers, and especially not to post on social media or reveal that I am Lü Jianfeng from 51 Pu'er. Many Yiwu tea resource holders already knew I had initiated this crowdfunding tea and was looking for raw materials. Others added a few points, and finally, we reached a consensus on material selection as follows:
1. Reject pesticide residues;
- Scope locked to the Six Ancient Mountains, especially rejecting Jiangcheng tea;
- Focus on this year's spring tea;
- Main material 1.8 tons, price per kilogram not exceeding *** yuan;
- The raw materials must be blended and pressed, with tea energy complementing each other, neutralizing, and the base material should be versatile.
Recruiting people!
I started recruiting people on a small scale, targeting experienced tea makers.
Our core member, Teacher Liang Xiangtian, came from Taiwan. Teacher Liang has worked in tea for nearly a lifetime, with footprints across major tea regions in Yunnan, and knows Yiwu tea well. Another core member, Shen Lien, is in Kunming. He and our VIP member Zou Dazhi have been going to the mountains to collect tea since 2009, both experienced tea merchants. As for me, I'm not exceptionally talented, not particularly handsome, but I've traveled to most tea mountains in Yunnan, visited Yiwu many times, and bought quite a bit of tea. However, I mostly observe superficially without deep research, but there's no choice; I have to make up the numbers. Teacher Huang stayed in Kunming. We sent preliminary selected samples to him, and only if he confirmed they were qualified, usable, blendable, and added value did we proceed. Teacher Huang could also continue collecting samples from other channels in Kunming.
Menghai Trip!
So, on August 3rd, our group of four first arrived in Menghai. Menghai is now a major hub for Pu'er tea, the first distribution center for Pu'er raw material. Menghai not only has the Menghai Tea Factory and Lao Banzhang, but also several tea markets of considerable scale, with material merchants gathering. The major material suppliers I know are all in Menghai. We arrived in Menghai full of hope.
Once in Menghai, we started working. Before coming, we had already done a lot of work, learning about material suppliers in Menghai who had Six Ancient Mountain tea. On the first day, we looked at dozens of samples. After initial visual inspection, we selected about 20 samples to bring back, planning to brew them in the evening.
That night, we were still quite excited. Our VIP member in Menghai, Mengsong Yuwang, who has been in tea for over ten years, also came. The six of us used tasting cups to compare over a dozen samples per round against the standard samples we brought from Kunming. After two rounds, we were very disappointed; basically none met our standard. We comforted each other, saying we'd find better tomorrow, and decided to visit Youle Mountain first.
On the 5th, we went from Menghai to Youle during the day. Youle is the ancient name, one of the Six Ancient Mountains, now known as Jinuo Mountain. In Youle, we found material suppliers, visited tea factories, surveyed several villages, and collected about ten samples before returning to Menghai. As usual, we brewed and evaluated them in the evening. We dared not be excited. During evaluation, we were quieter than the day before, silently observing the soup color, smelling the leaves, tasting the soup, and finally quietly stating our conclusions.
Tomorrow wasn't better, the results were similar, and so were the day after and the day after that. On the evening of the 7th, the four of us met and unanimously decided to go to Yiwu to find tea directly at the source.
Impression of Yiwu!
I knew that among the Six Ancient Mountains, Xiangming accounts for four mountains, Yiwu and Jinuo each one, but I personally believe that the Six Ancient Mountains are all in Yiwu, the concept of the greater Yiwu tea region.
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Why do I say this?
First, let's talk about Youle. Youle's glory is gone. To exaggerate a bit, it has the name of the Six Ancient Mountains but not the reality. This trip, the worst craftsmanship and cheapest tea were seen in Youle. It is said, and I also believe, that some Yibang tea actually comes from Youle, to the point of having to impersonate others to gain value. Youle's ecology is the most concerning; the densest rubber forests I've ever seen were in the Youle tea area. Of course, criticism is a reminder, a kind one. The reason for criticism is that we still have expectations for Youle, hoping they improve ecological awareness, hoping that in a few years we see some gratifying changes, hoping Youle remains Youle, at least a tea region worthy of its name.
Now let's talk about Xiangming. Geden, Yibang, Mangzhi, and Manzhuan of the Six Ancient Mountains are all in Xiangming. We conducted in-depth research on these four mountains this time. The tea is good, craftsmanship is good, and ecology is also decent, but I still agree with the concept of the greater Yiwu tea region.
First, commerce is in Yiwu. Traces of tea are everywhere in Yiwu town. Tea workshops and factories are everywhere. Even the owner of the Chazhiyuan Inn where we stayed had several rough processing facilities and a tea factory. Merchants buying Six Ancient Mountain tea also choose Yiwu as their base to gather information.
Second, the culture of the Six Ancient Mountains is in Yiwu. Mansha is the only tea mountain on the map that belongs to the Six Ancient Mountains in Yiwu town, but Yiwu is broad-minded. It doesn't promote small Mansha but the greater Yiwu, inheriting the past and promoting the present. Chen Sheng Fu Yuan Chang uses a new voice to tell the past and present of the old tea house Fu Yuan Chang on the ancient tea-horse road with the sound of horse hooves. Xiangyuan's small production area blueprint is increasingly clear. Boss Shi, who is the same age as me, equally handsome, but because he dresses well, looks a bit more handsome than me, continues the glory of Song Pin Hao in Yiwu and Hangzhou. Yiwu Zhengshan has become a new brand for the Six Ancient Mountain tea region today. Where is Yiwu Zhengshan? I don't know; perhaps it's in the hearts of you, me, and consumers.
The Eternal Yiwu Tea
I've been in tea for nearly 7 years and often hear two phrases. The first is that Pu'er tea is the final tea for tea drinkers. No matter what tea you start with, after many years or soon, you'll mainly drink Pu'er or only Pu'er. I have no right to speak on this without investigation. The second is that Yiwu is unavoidable for tea makers and tea drinkers alike, meaning that no matter how you circle around, Yiwu tea is still the best. I at least partially agree with this.
Banzhang is the king, Yiwu is the queen. I think this is the most successful advertising slogan in the tea world, bar none. Lao Banzhang is now at its peak, incredibly popular. Today, our focus is still on Yiwu, the 'queen.' Most of the aged teas that can be found today are from the Yiwu tea region; this is living history. Teacher Deng Shihai's phrase 'the older, the more fragrant' is the cornerstone of the modern Pu'er system, and the evidence is likely based on aged Yiwu teas; this is also history. The Six Ancient Mountains are famous, and the history of the ancient tea-horse road is an enlarged history of Yiwu tea. The long tea-horse road starts from Yiwu and has come to us step by step. This is history.
Today's Yiwu does not rest on the ashes of history but innovates and stands independently in the tea world based on history. Yiwu's ecology is evident to all. Yiwu tea in the mountains, Yiwu tea in the forests. Today, Yiwu tea is fully connected with the global trend of original ecology and health. High mountains and mist produce good tea, which is the result of Yiwu people's care for ecology and protection of ancient tea trees. The last Pu'er craze was sparked by Yiwu tea, popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the industry cornerstone of 'the older, the more fragrant' was born, hyped to the point that everyone knew it, leading to a nationwide popularization of Pu'er, creating today's Pu'er situation.
A history of Yiwu tea is the history of Pu'er. How can you bypass history? This is my impression of Yiwu and the origin of this crowdfunding tea.
Yiwu's Gentle Charm!
We tea makers often mention that a tea has an obvious Yiwu flavor. So, the question arises: what is Yiwu flavor?
Many say Dayi tea is good because it has Menghai flavor. I once explored what Menghai flavor is for a long time; I'll analyze it in another article if I have the chance. This crowdfunding tea has already excluded Youle from the Six Ancient Mountains, leaving the greater Yiwu tea region. To make good tea, we must first understand what Yiwu flavor is.
'Yiwu tea doesn't feel strong when you drink it, not intense, gentle, but with a strong aftereffect.' That day, we were tasting Yiwu tea samples at Kangle Tea City, and Mr. Yang from the Gongting Tea Factory said this. I strongly agree. The softest is water, but the highest good is like water. Yiwu tea is brewed with water, letting the water add more tea charm. My understanding of Yiwu flavor is Yiwu's gentle charm. Another common description of Yiwu tea is 'soup fragrant and water smooth,' which is just another interpretation of gentle charm. Gentle, but not weak, like a slender woman who looks fragile but holds up half the sky. 'Gentle with strength, strength with charm' is my understanding of Yiwu's gentle charm. Before departure, Teacher Huang also invited us several times to taste his collected Yiwu tea samples, repeatedly mentioning this 'gentle' character. Making an ancient tree tea with obvious Yiwu characteristics, that is, an obvious Yiwu flavor, was our consensus before departure.
Yiwu, Here We Come!
With the impression of Yiwu and understanding of Yiwu flavor, we arrived in Yiwu. We arrived very late, called for a long time to get into the Yiwu Inn. It's famous but also has many ants. The next day, I insisted on moving. The 15-day Yiwu trip began with memories of ants.
We first paid respects to various 'docks,' roughly going through the major tea merchants and material suppliers in Yiwu. The situation in Yiwu was much better than in Menghai. Tea farmers didn't have much spring tea left. In August, fresh leaves in many Yiwu villages still cost dozens of yuan per kilogram, and some people were still buying.
We based ourselves in Yiwu town and visited as many famous tea-producing villages as possible. The only ones we didn't visit were Guafeng Village and Yaoding (Yao ethnic Dingjia Village). We visited too many places; let me tell you slowly.
Setting the Base Material!
There are two types of raw Pu'er tea: single-origin, which is a single variety from a certain area, requiring distinct characteristics and quantity; and blended, which takes the strengths of various teas to compensate for weaknesses, with multiple materials blended by a blender to present a new taste and sensation. Our tea quantity is 4 tons. With such a large quantity and wrong timing, to find good tea meeting our requirements at this time, blending is the only option. Teacher Huang and Teacher Liang both mentioned that blending first requires a base material. Once the base is set, the rest is easier. The reason is that you need material to blend and know what to blend to add value. You need a base sample as a starting point and reference to find other teas. Blending is not simple mixing. 'A good thing is naturally formed; a clever hand obtains it by chance.' After all, it's rare and hard to find.
We were quite lucky in finding the base material. We found two types with quantity and decent quality. We immediately sent them via SF Express to Teacher Huang in Kunming for a decision. The next day, Teacher Huang replied and settled on one, also giving us a plan. The base material had a neutral tea energy but lacked strength at both ends, the taste was mild and lacked intensity, and the aroma was slightly lacking. He told us to find blending materials according to these directions.
We started getting excited again and immediately formulated a battle plan, mainly proposed by Teacher Liang:
1. The blending materials should mainly be first-picked spring tea; first-picked spring tea has strong taste and aroma;
2. Focus on the Yiwu Manzhuan direction, with Wan Gong area as secondary; the reason is the above two;
3. I was responsible for the ecology and body sensation of the raw materials, and the other three were responsible for taste; finally, we all evaluated whether it blended with the base and whether the blend would improve. Teacher Huang and I had been re-learning tea drinking for over two months, and had some understanding of tea energy and ecological body sensation. Normally, we should be far from qualified to participate in actual combat, but there was no choice but to force it. This crowdfunding tea is the second tea Teacher Huang led me to make with tea energy as the baseline. The first was Zhongmu Guchun, which our 51 Pu'er website is already selling. Guchun is an ancient tree ripe cake.
That day, we were quite excited. Teacher Liang had a bit more liquor than usual at dinner, and Xiao Shen and Dazhi accompanied him with some drinks.
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Finding Blending Materials!
Over the next ten days or so, we went around the Manzhuan and Mansha areas. Whenever there was more than ten kilograms of spring ancient tree tea that passed initial evaluation, we took samples. In the evening, we returned to the hotel and brewed for evaluation. In the morning, we went out; in the evening, we evaluated in the hotel lobby. The next day, we sent the selected samples to Teacher Huang for final approval. I personally enjoyed the process of finding blending materials very much. Let me share a few details, and you'll understand.
As mentioned earlier, the three of them are old tea hands, very professional. I'm a super amateur in the tea world, without much systematic knowledge of tea. But in the last ten days or so, when tea farmers or merchants brought out samples, I could almost immediately judge whether it was spring tea, first-picked or late spring tea. Isn't that cool?
During evaluation, samples were laid out in a row. For ecological issues, I could roughly distinguish by smelling the leaves in the first infusion, and then confirm by tasting the soup. I had some theory before, and now I've mixed in some practical experience. Cool, right?
We bought some first-picked Wan Gong ancient tree tea. Guess how much? You guessed too high. You ask me the exact price? Sorry, trade secret, I won't tell you. But we all agreed it was excellent value, especially since it greatly improved the quality after blending. In the village we went to, the tea farmer said no one had come to collect tea since spring ended. Those who kept tea to sell at 2,000 yuan per kilogram were panicking, watching the market get worse and worse. When we entered the village, within ten minutes, at least dozens of tea samples were sent to us, and the prices they offered directly met our expectations. Buying first-picked ancient tree tea that met our requirements in midsummer at great value was simply the greatest joy in life. Happy, right?
For blended tea, it's not that higher quality is always better; suitability is key. This time, we found many good teas. They were excellent when brewed alone, absolutely good teas, but when blended, the improvement wasn't significant. Teacher Huang and Teacher Liang mentioned this multiple times from the start, and I didn't understand until now. This time, I finally got it: tea just needs to be suitable. The ancients said: 'In the morning, I hear the Way; in the evening, I can die.' I figured out many things this time. Happy, right?
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A Running Account!
1. Four people in one group, arrived in Menghai on August 3rd, arrived in Yiwu on August 8th, returned to Menghai on August 22nd, returned to Kunming on August 24th, totaling 22 days;
- Found about 400 tea samples in total; over 160 samples passed initial inspection and were brewed; nearly 30 samples were sent to Teacher Huang in Kunming after brewing; finally, we mixed all collected samples together, weighing over 15 kilograms;
- Saw over 100 summer teas disguised as spring tea;
- Received calls and messages, found people who then said they had no tea, over ten times;
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5. Encountered a landslide with the road blocked by a big tree once;
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6. Ate over ten chickens; drank over 500 types of tea;
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7. Used over ten marker pens for weighing, packing, and marking raw materials; three people spent 4 days evenly mixing the raw materials;
Thanks!
Moxi Zishi sang, 'If it wasn't killed by your own hands, living is meaningless.' I understand it as: when you meet the right people and things, life gains meaning. Thank the 65 brothers and sisters who supported this crowdfunding. Thank Teacher Huang Xiaoyuan for his selfless guidance. Thank Teacher Liang, Shen Lien, Zou Dazhi, and Li Jinxing for accompanying us on the tea mountain trip. Thank the friends in Menghai and Yiwu who supported us. It is you who made this crowdfunding tea possible, and it is you who made this tea exceed my expectations.
Thanks again!
China's first crowdfunded ancient tree Pu'er tea—Yiwu Yishi • Six Mountain Cake (raw tea) Purchase link ↓↓
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