Ajirogasa

Ajirogasa is the bamboo hat monks wear when they go on pilgrimage. And this is a wonderful tea to take along. It is a classic, loose-leaf 8592 Menghai shou puerh from the late 1980s, though it could be a bit later. It is impossible to accurately date such teas, so we must rely on trustworthy friends who stored the tea and our experience comparing such aged loose-leaf teas. This tea is rich, with the classic Menghai piling. Because the leaves are very mature (ninth grade as the recipe indicates), the tea is very Yin and thinner than some similarly aged puerh teas. But it is delicious with a wonderful earthy Qi and that wanders and roams. This tea feels spacious, like an open-ended journey.