2026 Bama

• 300-600 year old trees
• 2026 Spring first pick
• Sourced by Guniangzhai 42, Produced by Ma Xiaobo
  

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Guniangzhai 42 sourced this tea from Ma Xiaobo, a maternal cousin of CJ’s who lives in Shitou Laozhai. This tea comes from ancient tea gardens with around 80 ancient trees aged between 300 and 600 years old on Xiabo’s 20 mu plot. The gardens are picked and weeded once a year, and this tea comes from the first (and only) spring picking.

Bama Zhengshan (拔玛正山), often confused with the nearby village Bamazhai (拔玛寨), is a prestigious Nannuoshan tea region southwest of Shitou Laozhai (石头老寨) with ideal conditions for tea (remoteness, forest density, soil composition, elevation, sun exposure, and temperature regulation from nearby streams).

The result is a well-balanced tea. It builds sweetness and fragrance across brews and comes across fruity and alpine. It has low bitterness, aside from a quick pinch at the sides of the mouth, and mild astringency that you can feel way up in your gums. Together with medium thickness and a spooky huigan that seems to phase through the upper palate, the tea has an entertaining mouthfeel.

While this tea has a rounder fragrance and more multifaceted texture, Guniangzhai--farther north on Nannuoshan--has a more composed mix of florality and minerality. Together they show how different teas can be, even when produced by relatives on the same mountain.