Long-awaited follow-up to 'Gem Juice Outlaw' - this is a Ripe PuErh made from the purple sprouting Zi Juan variety full of blackberries and blood orange.
This is a totally unique tea and one that needs to be in any Ripe PuErh collection. The purple Zi Juan variety is a relatively new cultivar which is often used to make Black tea. It has a light and fruity character (think Grenache in the wine world) which I think makes tasty but quite thin Black tea. But I LOVE this variety when fermented to make Ripe PuErh.
The fermentation of the Zi Juan variety seems to maintain its berry fruitiness whilst adding depth and complexity. We first experimented with this type of PuErh a couple of years ago with a limited edition 100g cakes called 'Gem Juice Outlaw' and it was such a hit with everyone that we had to find another Ripe Zi Juan. The 'Bling Rock Kingpin' more than lives up to the reputation of its predecessor with even more fruit and taffy sweetness.
I highly recommend this tea for those who are looking for a brighter and fruitier Ripe PuErh to add to their collection and for anyone dipping their toes into Ripened tea who are not so into the deep, cavernous notes of more conventional PuErh.