Autumn 2024 Lao Man E is Farmer Leaf’s take on one of Bulang Shan’s most famous — and most notoriously bitter — villages, here in its gentler autumn dress. Lao Man E is legendary for a deep, leathery bitterness that breaks fast and gives way to a long, honeyed sweetness; the autumn harvest keeps that signature but softens it, trading raw aggression for balance and remarkable endurance. Expect moderate bitterness that disappears quickly, mineral and earthy depth, faint floral tones, and a huigan that lingers for hours — “a quiet but unstoppable force” across 20+ infusions.

This cake is pressed from the sweet varietal of Lao Man E (the village grows both a bitter and a sweet type), grown in the Bulang area south of Menghai at around 1200 m. The trees are only a few decades old but grow vigorously in the area’s fertile soil.

Origin: Lao Man E village, Bulang Shan, Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (ca. 1200 m altitude)
Cultivar: Sweet varietal, seed-grown
Age of Trees: A few decades old, ecological gardens
Harvest: Autumn 2024, hand-picked
Taste: Moderate, fast-breaking bitterness over mineral and earthy depth, faint floral tones, and a long honeyed huigan with excellent endurance