2026 Bull's Head Ridge Gushu Puerh

FatBat Private Pressing Gushu Raw Puerh 牛头山 (布朗) 古树 A fascinating, unique example of a Menghai tea that is from deep jungles. This material from the mountains in the vicinity of Hekai and Bulang has the wild profile of deep forest trees which is uncommon in this region, where most teas are from closely managed gardens growing just outside the famous villages. Minerally sweet, with a fleeting hint of bitter, pink peppercorn and Bulang tang that barely obscures a delightful floral nature. The Bulang bite is present, but overlaid with an elegance rarely seen in this region. A tea for the long haul, which will mature wonderfully and develop further complexity. TASTING NOTES Strong minerality in the throat and upper palate, giving a powerful salivation. The bitterness is gossamer light, floating above the tongue, fleeting and barely perceptible, unlike the heavier, thicker bitterness of garden-type Bulang teas. The clarity is remarkable for a tea from this region, likely due to the undisturbed ecology of these jungle-type groves. The classic Bulang meaty/mushroomy umami gets ever more present as we move through the session, chewy and savory. Powerful sweetness and silky texture. Mid session, a strong sensation of sticky candied sweetness occurs after each swallow. This is a tea for the long haul -- we will enjoy watching how this tea matures in the longer term – it brings all the complexity of Bulang with an elegance rarely found in this region. TERROIR Bull’s Head Ridge is a section of completely wild forest sitting at the boundaries of Hekai and the outer limits of the Ban Pen village gardens. With the large production capacity of the famous Bulang villages, this wild area has been largely overlooked by producers even up till now, as they are far more difficult to access and have a lower yield than the typical Bulang/Hekai managed gardens close to the villages. These groves are fascinating as a rare example of deep forest-type trees (森林系), growing in an area (Hekai/Bulang) which is overwhelmingly known instead for its managed, garden-type (茶园系) trees. The unique micro-terroir makes this material worth tasting to see how this region benefits from the purity of wilder-growing groves. These are old trees, true gushu, which have benefited greatly from growing amongst wild vegetation in a remote ecology – the result is a complex, textured and extremely pure tea.