401 Blend

Two harvests. Three decades of aging. One extraordinary tea.

401 is a rare vintage ripe pu’er from Lincang, Yunnan, blending two batches of tea produced in 1996 and 1998.

It was originally made in small quantities for experienced pu’er drinkers: Grade 3 loose-leaf ripe pu’er that went through three more years of maturation after production, then decades of aging.

Its storage story

Early exposure to humid storage in Hong Kong and Yunnan transformed the leaves. Later years in drier conditions in Yunnan and California let the tea keep developing more slowly.

In the cup

Deeply matured, rich and rounded, with a sweetness that becomes more noticeable over successive infusions. Its character unfolds pour by pour, and the leaves can be brewed again and again, often 8 to 10 infusions or more.

Tea details

• Type: Ripe Pu’er (Shou Pu’er)
• Vintage: Blend of 1996 and 1998
• Origin: Lincang, Yunnan, China
• Leaf grade: Grade 3
• Form: Loose leaf
• Aging: Approximately three decades
• Storage: Humid storage, then lower-humidity maturation
• Character: Deep, mature, rounded and gradually sweet

Sizes

• Bag (111g)
• Sample (15g), a good first taste

How to brew (Gongfu)

Start with about 5 grams in a 100 ml teapot or gaiwan. Use boiling water and begin with short infusions, gradually steeping longer. Take your time with this tea. Its story is revealed one infusion at a time.

Shipping

Free shipping in the US. International orders pay shipping at checkout. Orders ship from San Francisco within 2–5 days.

One taste. Thirty years in the making.