Nanmei gushu hong 2023

During our expedition in 2018, we were exploring Mengku 勐库 county in Lincang prefecture, which is one of the major puer tea producing area in Yunnan province. Nanmei village 南美村 is situated in the vicinity of Lingcang city and 20km away from famous Bingdao puer tea mountain. The connection to this place was paved by many obstructions, so we had to hire local transport to get there. Nanmei village seems to be a touristic destination which is obvious from the developed  luxurious bungalow style accommodation and culture centre. Our aim was to find some good old tea trees and producer of puer teas. And we have found one. Mrs Li Fudong do not speak much, but his tea is speaking for him. The profound art of his calm panfriying of tea leaves gives the tea calm profoundness.  As it would be the essence of his life. This tea is dry leaves reminding me chinese big leaf tobacco and a bit of smell of Luo-han-guo (Siraitia grosvenorii). It is quite deep in taste. First I had sense of  dried apricots, but further it becomes more like wet wood and rainy forest leaves in autumn with slightly bit of cocoa bitterness. Definitely a good bargain tea.