金小芽 Jin Xiao Ya

Jin Xiao Ya means 'Golden Little Bud' — a premium grade of ripe pu-erh where the finest golden-tipped shoots are sifted out after fermentation and pressed into this compact 100g mini cake. Material was sourced in 2009 and pressed in 2018 by Kunming Hemei Tea Co. under their Taiyang (太阳) brand. The golden bud grade means the leaf selection was done after pile fermentation (wo dui): only the smallest, most intact tips with visible golden down were kept for this cake. Most of the pile goes into standard blended cakes — the jin ya grade is what remains after sifting. Nine years passed between harvest and pressing, which means the raw material had already settled and softened before the cake was even formed. In the cup this shows clearly: no rough fermentation edge, no earthiness or off-notes. Instead the liquor is smooth, naturally sweet and mellow from the first steep. Dried longan, faint vanilla, a warm woody finish. The 100g size makes it ideal as a first shu pu-erh for someone new to the category, or as a sample size alongside other cakes. Worldwide delivery.