Bright Spring Sheng '23

This is a sheng with a bright, open character — lively enough to hold attention, yet light enough to return to often.

The tea was made from leaves harvested in spring 2023 on Yibang Tea Mountain, one of the historic tea regions of southern Yunnan. Tea gardens here are scattered across forested slopes at approximately 1,500 to 2,100 metres above sea level, where altitude, mountain mist, abundant vegetation, and changing exposure to sunlight create a remarkably nuanced terroir.

Yibang has long been valued for teas that combine refinement with a clear inner structure. Rather than expressing itself through heaviness, the local material often feels lifted and precise, carrying the freshness of the mountain environment together with a quieter, more mature depth.

The leaves come from mature arbor tea trees, known as qiaomu (naturally growing, tree-shaped tea plants). Their established root systems allow them to draw from deeper layers of soil and support a tea with greater persistence, clarity, and potential for transformation over time.

The material was processed by Master Liang, a Han (China’s largest ethnic group, with its own long-established regional craft tradition) producer working with premium teas from both the newer and ancient tea mountains of Yunnan. His approach preserves the vitality of the spring leaf while giving the finished tea enough balance and structure to develop gracefully with age.

The 2023 growing season was marked by unusually dry conditions. Although the drought reduced the overall harvest, the limited rainfall also slowed the growth of the leaves and concentrated the character of the material. In the finished tea, this is expressed through a vivid, well-defined presence rather than sheer weight.

What we appreciate most is the balance between freshness and composure. The tea feels light on its feet, gently sweet, and pleasantly astringent, with an uplifting energy that unfolds without becoming aggressive. It is youthful, but not unfinished — a clear and spirited expression of Yibang with excellent potential for further ageing.