Spring 2024 Fa Zhan He is Farmer Leaf’s high-altitude “daily sheng” — fast, clean, and surprisingly complete for the price. It’s sweet and thick with balanced bitterness and a lot of fragrance, and several drinkers call out how far it reaches beyond its category: “can compete with much more expensive puerhs.”

The material comes from ecological plantations in Fa Tang village, a small hamlet north of Fa Zhan He, grown at 1900–2100 m — about as high as conventional tea plantations go in Yunnan. The cool climate keeps pest pressure low, which makes garden management possible without pesticides, and naturally limits yields (which is exactly why the leaf quality is strong).

Origin: Fa Tang village, Puerh, Yunnan, China (ca. 2000m altitude)

Cultivar: Seed-grown heirloom vaieties

Age of Trees: ca. 50 years, ecological high-altitude plantations (1900–2100 m)

Harvest: March/April 2024, hand-picked

Taste: Sweet and thick with balanced bitterness, good fragrance, and a “lively bite” — built to last across many infusions, with notes of honey and spice