A nice tea from a beautiful area in Northwest Vietnam.
 
The trees growing in this area of Tả Củ Tỷ have leaves that are longer and narrower than the typical Assamica-Shan varietals growing in northwest Vietnam. The leaves used to make this tea come from a mix of old trees (100+ years old) and Ancient trees (200+ years old)
 
This tea underwent about an 18 hour oxidation period after rolling which gave it a much darker appearance and flavor than the typical greener Yunnan Puerh processing. Some people have said it's almost like a combination of a Sheng Puerh and a Dian Hong in flavor. 
 
The fragrance and flavor of this tea is complex and really interesting. Something like menthol with lotus and fragrant woods. You'll notice a building cooling sensation in the throat after a couple of cups of this tea. I'd say the bitterness and astringency is at a 6 out of 10.
 
It brews up strong quickly with a medium-thick body. Nice qi and huigan.
 
Independent review of this tea here. 
 
Season: Spring 2022
Picking Standard: 1 bud, 2-3 leaves
Region: Tả Củ Tỷ, Lào Cai
Elevation: 1100m