From the tiny village of Ma Tai (马台) on the banks of the Lancang river comes this ancient tree (gushu) pu-er tea. The term gushu refers in Yunnan to tea from plants that are known to be over 100 years old. The terrain in Ma Tai is very rocky, similar to that of the famous tea area Wuyi in Fujian province. Much like the tea from Wuyi, Ma Tai tea has a distinct minerality in its flavor. In the dry leaf, it carries a strong aroma of apricot, while once brewed it smells more of stewed greens like collard or mustard. The flavor is reminiscent of berry skins without the tartness as well as leather and dry oak on top of the rocky minerality mentioned before. This is a young raw pu-er and has some bitter elements that increase with more steeps.
