{"title":"map-ao-ne-me","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"spring-2018-ao-ne-me","title":"Spring 2018 Ao Ne Me","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAncient tea trees of Ao Ne Me Village, Ai Lao Shan, Yunnan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicked in April 2018, first flush\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-processed by Wang Qing Cong\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in 357g pu-erh tea cakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a late afternoon of early Spring, we were in Jingmai, right in the middle of our tea making run. We were waiting for tea pickers to come back, by the side of the road in the ancient tea gardens. A car stopped by and a guy came out. His name was Wang Qing Cong, he was from Ai Lao Mountain, in center Yunnan, and he came to Jingmai for a couple of days in order to see how tea was processed here. I liked his approach and we chatted a little bit while waiting for our tea pickers. He left me some samples. As we were very busy at this time, I took the samples but forgot about them. A couple of weeks later, I stumbled upon thos while digging through our collection of mao cha bags. Yubai and I tried it and we were amazed by the quality, we then told him to keep a box of his tea for us this year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe've never visited Ai Lao Shan, it is a vast mountain range oriented North-West to South-East, parallel to Wuliang Mountain. It has a wide variety of tea gardens, including wild species. Ao Ne Me is located in the the Northern part of the mountain range, located in Chuxiong Prefecture. Ao Ne Me doesn't sound like a Chinese name, that's because this village is populated by the Yi ethnic group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWang Qing Cong has three qualities: small trees, big trees and ancient trees. We bought the latter one, these trees grow in the forests above the village, between 2300m and 2500m of altitude. They have large and high trunks, the leaves are not accessible from the ground, you have to climb high before being able to reach them, which makes picking slow and strenuous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea we got was processed very well, it has a pleasant opening fragrance that can remind of Jingmai tea, after the first couple of infusions, the fragrance stays pleasant but takes a secondary role. The mouthfeel is not heavy, but not light either, some slight bitterness is present, not much astringency. What really matters in this tea is the Huigan and Chaqi, both comes together as soon as the second or third brew and they won't leaves until long after the session has ended. This tea has a kind of power akin to good Yiwu tea: it doesn't taste powerful in the mouth, but you feel the effect of tea on the body and in the mouth and throat after drinking. Since the area is out of the beaten path, this tea has a good price for value, it would cost much more if it were growing in a famous mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farmerleaf","offers":[{"title":"357g cake (12.6oz)","offer_id":9069816676417,"sku":"18年 春 哀牢山 357克","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"20g sample (0.7oz)","offer_id":9069816709185,"sku":"18年 春 哀牢山 20克","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/products\/ailao_1.jpg?v=1528530359"},{"product_id":"spring-2019-ao-ne-me","title":"Spring 2019 Ao Ne Me","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAncient tea trees of Ao Ne Me Village, Ai Lao Shan, Yunnan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicked in April 2019, first flush\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-processed by Wang Qing Cong\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in 357g pu-erh tea cakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is our second edition of this Ailao Shan cake. Located in some of the northernmost pu-erh tea producing areas in Yunnan, this tea grew at high altitude on big trees. The area is not famous but the tea is excellent. The lack of reputation may be due to the remoteness of the place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe met Wang Qing Cong, the producer of this tea, while he was taking a trip on Jingmai to perfect his processing skills and learn more about tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt delivers a fairly complex high pitched fragrance in the opening, supported by a decent mouthfeel. But what will amaze you is the Cha Qi that will creep on you after a couple of brews and leaves you with sweating, a powerful Huigan and a great aftertaste. A tea that will strike your body well beyond its price point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farmerleaf","offers":[{"title":"357g cake (12.6oz)","offer_id":28530221252673,"sku":"19年 春 凹呢么 357克","price":94.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"20g sample (0.7oz)","offer_id":28530221285441,"sku":"19年 春 凹呢么 20克","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/products\/0002.jpg?v=1557646162"},{"product_id":"spring-2018-ao-ne-me-neglected-gardens","title":"Spring 2018 Ao Ne Me Neglected Gardens","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOld gardens (40-100 years old) near Ao Ne Me Village, Ai Lao Shan, Yunnan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicked in April 2018, first flush\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-processed in Wang Qing Cong's factory\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in 357g pu-erh tea cakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you've watched this youtube video (https:\/\/youtu.be\/DSBj92BDSg4), you will be familiar with this tea's story. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWang Qing Cong makes tea in a village of Ai Lao Mountain, in the center of Yunnan. We've sold his Ao Ne Me tea since 2018, they come from big trees that he manages, with organic fertilization, soil tilling, pruning and weeding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe also sources leaves from a village nearby, but the farmers there don't want to listen to him! They don't take care of the gardens as he would like them to do, because they lack of workforce. The gardens are younger, the trees not as big as in Ao Ne Me village. But these gardens are not fertilized,  the soil is not tilled and pruning and weeding are minimal.\u003c\/p\u003e\nWang Qing Cong thinks this tea is inferior to the Ao Ne Me tea due to this difference of practices. Compared to the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.farmer-leaf.com\/products\/spring-2019-ao-ne-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eSpring 2019 Ao Ne Me\u003c\/a\u003e, we find this tea having less Cha Qi, which might be due to the smaller size of the trees, but being more straightforward, a bit more punchy and expressive in the first brews.  Consider that these two teas have a similar terroir, the difference is in the age of the trees and in the agricultural techniques. You are the judge.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farmerleaf","offers":[{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":31371097669697,"sku":"18年 春 凹呢么 357克","price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"20g sample","offer_id":31371097702465,"sku":"18年 春 凹呢么 20克","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/products\/MG_3001.jpg?v=1579001098"},{"product_id":"ao-ne-me","title":"Spring 2021 Ao Ne Me","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApril 2021, tea is only harvested twice a year!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMade of selected old tea trees which grow at extreme altitude (2200 to 2500m)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou will enjoy the freshness and pine like fragrance of this tea, until the Cha Qi creeps on you...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLow bitterness, low astringency.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA tea of apparent simplicity that will surprise you in  the middle of the session. Recommended if you have at least an hour free to fully appreciate it. \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- split --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eDon't judge people on a first impression\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur discovery of Ao Ne Me started in Jingmai in Spring 2018. While waiting for tea pickers by the side of the road in the tea gardens, a stranger stopped by. He was visiting Jingmai to expand his knowledge of tea processing. I had never heard of the place he mentioned, somewhere in \u003cstrong\u003eAi Lao mountain,\u003c\/strong\u003e right in the middle of Yunnan, a pretty remote area. He left us a sample and left. This approach was highly unusual, never in Jingmai someone tried to sell us tea by the side of the road. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin: 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx; float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.cn\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/files\/Wang_Qing_Cong_tea_producer_480x480.jpg?v=1591694722\" width=\"480x480\" height=\"480x480\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eYou don't find good tea, good tea finds you\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe forgot the sample on a shelf until the end of the season, when, on a slow day, it fell under our eyes. We tried it, it was ok at the start, until the \u003cstrong\u003eCha Qi\u003c\/strong\u003e crept up, after four or five brews. The mild and pleasant high pushed us to contact the producer, whom we had met for 3 minutes on a roadside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuying on a sample is always a gamble, trust matters more. We felt we could trust this guy simply because his approach was unusual. After all, trust is a gamble too...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe received the tea and it was of similar quality as the sample, maybe even better. The village name was Ao Ne Me. A peculiar name that doesn't sound Mandarin. Actually, the village is inhabited by the Yi minority. It is \u003cstrong\u003every remote\u003c\/strong\u003e, about 9 hours away from Puer by car, and that's the shortest road. We will visit one day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin: 0pxpx 27.9167pxpx 0pxpx 27.9167pxpx; float: none;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.cn\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/files\/Ao_ne_me_location_in_yunnan_1024x1024.jpg?v=1591695062\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's always hard to talk about a tea without having been to the place, but that's what most tea sellers have to do. Fortunately, Wang Qing Cong, the street salesman of Jingmai, who produces this tea, told us his story. It is fascinating, and we have it on video, look down here!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DSBj92BDSg4\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eHarsh living conditions\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAo ne me is located at an altitude of \u003cstrong\u003e2200m\u003c\/strong\u003e, the mountains surround the village peak at 2800m. The tea gardens are located on the upper slopes of the mountain, above the village. This is the limits of what Camellia Sinensis can tolerate, and we can guess the varietals have had to adapt to the \u003cstrong\u003eharsh climate\u003c\/strong\u003e. Frost, especially, is a common killer for the tea trees, and only the naturally more \u003cstrong\u003erobust trees\u003c\/strong\u003e would survive in such an environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cold makes the harvest \u003cstrong\u003every scarce\u003c\/strong\u003e. Wang Qing Cong picks these gardens twice a year only. In Spring, the harvest only lasts for a week, during which he and his team make about 500kg of dry tea. As tea producers, we can tell you this is very hard work if you're short handed, that means 2 tons of fresh leaves, 300kg a day. In Jingmai, our maximum capacity is 150kg\/day. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin: 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx; float: none;\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea drying in small bamboo baskets\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.cn\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/files\/20200609171200_1024x1024.jpg?v=1591695135\" width=\"1024x1024\" height=\"1024x1024\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eWhat really makes the taste of tea?\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHigh altitude is often paired with better fragrance, and we can say that is the case here. Wang Qing Cong likes to process the tea on the \u003cstrong\u003egreener side\u003c\/strong\u003e, like we do in Jingmai. A high temperature start, followed by a long low-temperature marathon towards a well made tea. With this processing, the fragrance is not explosive but rather contained in the tea soup, it only comes out after you've swallowed the tea soup. Due to the high altitude, you get a bit of both, you can get fragrance both in the nose and in the throat with this one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut fragrance is just a detail for the hardcore Pu-erh aficionados, isn't it? If you're still reading this lengthy description, you're probably here for the mouthfeel, Huigan and Chaqi. The tea soup is on the lighter side, it has \u003cstrong\u003elow bitterness and astringency\u003c\/strong\u003e, do not expect a Menghai style brew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soup does have a certain \u003cstrong\u003eoiliness\u003c\/strong\u003e, characteristic of big tree tea. It flows down easily through the mouth and leaves a trace of sweetness throughout. But once more, this is not the main selling point of this tea...  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eHere is the mystical part: the Cha Qi\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat will stun you in this tea is the \u003cstrong\u003ebody feel\u003c\/strong\u003e, like a lot of fine pu-erh teas out here, you won't have a blast at the first brew, you need to be patient and let the tea deliver its power over ten or twenty minutes. Do not be tempted to brew the tea strong at the start, you'd surely get a more powerful brew but you would miss the fine fragrance, which shows variations around a common theme in the first couple of brews. Feel free to increase the steeping times later in the session. It will be hard to outlast this tea, you will probably end the session before the tea has given out all its content, unless you are in search of lost time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin: 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx 0pxpx; float: none;\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea in bowl\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.cn\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/products\/teabowlwithpu-erhtea_1024x1024.jpg?v=1591693586\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farmerleaf","offers":[{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":31977270575169,"sku":"21年 春 凹尼莫 357g","price":128.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"20g sample","offer_id":31977270607937,"sku":"21年 春 凹尼莫 20g","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/products\/DSCF7907.jpg?v=1656011557"},{"product_id":"spring-2023-ao-ne-me","title":"Spring 2023 Ao Ne Me","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOld gardens from Ailao Mountain, Ao Ne Me village.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnique fresh tasting profile, great body feel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea is highly fragrance, you can feel the trees grow at high altitude, it tastes like a forest covered in moss just after the rain, and this is actually the kind of landscape it grows near. Slight smoky notes. The soup feels brothy and refreshing. And yet, taste is not the main selling point of this tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt would be fairly unremarkable if it weren't for the amazing body feel this tea provides. If you are sensitive to Cha Qi, you will feel in heaven after a couple of brews.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe met Wang Qing Cong in Spring 2018, and we've sourced tea from Ao Ne Me regularly since that time. It truly is a unique tea experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere is an interview with the producer:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DSBj92BDSg4?si=1MBRCA9-YiE0FaVd\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farmerleaf","offers":[{"title":"357g cake","offer_id":44832626049211,"sku":"23年 春 凹尼么 357克","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"20g sample","offer_id":44832626081979,"sku":"23年 春 凹尼么 20克","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1318\/5761\/files\/DSCF5838.jpg?v=1700655265"}],"url":"https:\/\/farmerleaf.live\/collections\/map-ao-ne-me.oembed","provider":"Farmerleaf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}