Showcasing the rich character of the most legendary area for PuErh. A blend of aged and old tree Yiwu villages with resinous sweetness, syrupy fruits and mineral brightness all in one luxurious sip.
In 2023, we released some of my private collection 'Seven Village Yiwu', and it went down a storm with the Teahead community.
By combining multiple villages from the famed Yiwu mountains, we were able to experience a tea that brought together the contrasting characters of different terroirs into one cohesive and complementary whole.
Ever since 'Seven Village Yiwu', I have been trying to find a PuErh with a similar approach and have been playing with blending during our sampling.
At the beginning of 2025, I tasted many Yiwu teas specifically to find some semi-aged material for my homage to that original tea, and I crafted Glam Countess.
The leaves to make this tea come from old trees (estimated 100 years) picked in April 2019 from a few villages in Yiwu (Mahei, Gua Feng Zhai and Gaoshan).
These legendary villages from the area known as the 'Queen of PuErh' all produce spectacular single-origin teas. And sometimes, that is exactly what you want to drink - a tea which represents the purity of one village, one land, one producer.
But sometimes you crave the unique complexity of a blend (so long as it is crafted with precision and intention).
Glam Countess is a gorgeous mix which expresses the joys of Yiwu in one cup.
Importantly, the blend is cohesive and complete with a deep fruity and sugared sweetness and soft mouthfeel, which are key to Yiwu tea.
But, the blend and the 6 years of ageing add so many new elements.
The fruits and sugars become cooked down and resinous with notes of oud, myrrh, incense and sticky strawberry jams. There is also a fortified quality to the tea reminiscent of port and dark prune juice.
One of the most surprising delights of Glam Countess is a wave of minerality which rises and fades in a beautiful show with every sip. It is quite an experience!
As the minerals disappear, the wave leaves behind a glorious coating of sweet aromatics - honeysuckle, kiwi, mint and caramel.
Glam Countess is a powerful woman - soft, sweet femininity combined with strength, vigour and spice.
The body sensation on this tea is similarly mesmerising. After 10 infusions, I am left in a blurry and buzzy high place with a cool, fresh and floral caramel taste lingering for hours.
Glam Countess is Yiwu dialled up to maximum volume, and she is sounding so sweet to my ear.
I can't even fathom how glorious this tea will be as it continues to age. Tong-worthy!
