Fancy Tea Review: Double Power Tiger Pu-erh

Septimus
3 minutes ago
2 min read

I finally placed an order with Yunnan Sourcing. They’re trusted among pu-erh drinkers for sourcing small-producer teas and providing clear provenance info.

Tea: 2022 Cha Nong Hao “Double Power Tiger” Bulang Ripe Pu‑erh

Source: Yunnan Sourcing (free cake with orders over ~$90 CAD)

Cost: $15 USD for 100 grams

Name breakdown:

Cha Nong Hao (茶农号): Literally “Tea Farmer Brand.” It signals small-batch pressing by local farmer‑producers.
“如虎添翼” (rú hǔ tiān yì): “Add wings to a tiger” – implies extra strength or potency.
Bulang: The renowned pu‑erh mountain region in Menghai.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Earthy, straw‑like. Classic ripe pu‑erh scent.
First brew: Dark red, not inky. Smooth, woody, slight smoke, light body.
Overall: Clean, even‑keeled. I enjoyed it most among the nine pu-erh samples I got from YS. Surprising that a free gift topped my list.

My notes align with user impressions online. One Redditor on r/tea said “It brews up a really nice smooth full body tea and provides many pours. Can’t beat it for the price.” And on Bana Tea Company’s Bulang ripe page: “Fantastic price point for the quality… bold and earthy.” A Steepster review called it “not very complex… good basic tea for the price,” with notes of dark chocolate and paper.

I found it subtle yet satisfying—a solid, reliable everyday pu‑erh, not meant to stun but to steady.

And my general takeaway from ordering 15 tea samples from Yunnan... well, considering the freebie was my favourite, I'm not sure their sample packs really give a great range. For example, most of the eight other pu-erhs I ordered tasted more or less the same. For my next order, I'll be more discerning.

Pu‑erh Context: Ripe vs. Raw

Pu‑erh is fermented tea traditionally from Yunnan. There are two main styles:

Raw (sheng): Naturally fermented over time, sometimes aged over decades. Bright, vegetal, sometimes astringent when young (could be confused for a green tea in appearance).
Ripe (shou): Undergoes a faster wet‑pile fermentation process, producing a dark, mellow, earthy brew. Ripe can be great, but at the higher end, tends to lack the complexity that you can get from a raw.

Ripe pu‑erh emerged in the 1970s to meet demand for drinkable tea without decades of aging. Bulang-region ripe teas often carry deeper body, smoother mouthfeel, and earthy complexity. Aging can mellow further.