Yiwu Duoyishu – High Pole Ancient Tree Sheng Puerh

Every few years a new name emerges in Yiwu and quietly captures the attention of experienced puerh drinkers. During the last decade, Duoyishu (哆依树) has become one of those rare tea gardens.

Hidden deep within the protected forests of Yiwu, opposite the famous Bohétáng, Duoyishu is home to towering high-pole ancient tea trees (Gaogan) that grow naturally among tropical rainforest vegetation. Reaching the garden requires hours of travel by mountain vehicle, motorcycle and finally on foot, while harvesting the leaves means climbing the trees by hand. Production remains exceptionally limited, making Duoyishu one of Yiwu’s most sought-after micro-terroirs.

This tea comes from one of the two families who own most of the famous high-pole trees in Duoyishu. Rather than using only Gaogan material, Mr. BigRiver carefully blends leaves from these majestic high-pole trees with carefully selected ancient Gushu trees. In his experience, this creates a tea with greater harmony, richer texture and a more complete flavour profile than tea produced solely from individual high-pole trees, while keeping the tea accessible in price.

A Tea That Continues to Surprise

Even the first rinse hints that something extraordinary lies within these leaves. The liquor is clean and elegant, but only after swallowing does a delicate floral aftertaste quietly emerge, spreading across the palate like the fragrance of a mountain meadow.

From the second infusion onward, the tea transforms dramatically. The liquor becomes so dense, oily and concentrated that it feels more like a rich tea broth than an ordinary infusion. Before the cup even reaches your lips, aromas of honey, wildflowers and ripe fruit rise effortlessly from the pitcher.

Its flavour is beautifully layered. Sweetness, lively bitterness and rich floral notes continuously intertwine, while a deep syrup-like texture gives every sip remarkable body. As the session progresses, fruity notes become increasingly expressive without ever losing the vibrant floral foundation that defines this tea.

Around the fourth and fifth infusions, a striking minerality begins to emerge. It carries an almost resinous character, reminiscent of myrrh or frankincense, adding a fascinating dimension that is rarely encountered in Yiwu teas. Throughout the session, the tea develops exceptional sweetness and abundant Huigan, accompanied by generous sweet saliva that keeps the flavours alive long after every sip.

Alongside its extraordinary flavour comes equally impressive Qi. It does not arrive abruptly but moves through the body like a gentle ocean wave—steady, powerful and deeply calming. Despite its remarkable concentration, the tea never becomes tiring. Instead, it grows increasingly refreshing, inviting one infusion after another until, almost without noticing, you find yourself drinking it as effortlessly as cool spring water on a warm summer evening.

Even after twelve infusions, the leaves continue to produce rich, vibrant liquor with remarkable stamina, revealing new layers of fruit, flowers and mineral sweetness with every brew.

The Character of Duoyishu

Duoyishu occupies a unique place among Yiwu teas. It combines the elegant sweetness and refined texture for which Yiwu is celebrated with an unusually powerful mountain energy and remarkable depth. Many experienced tea drinkers describe it as bringing together the strength of Banzhang-style Qi with the sweetness and elegance traditionally associated with Bohétáng.

This is not simply another famous Yiwu tea. It is one of those rare teas that reminds you why you fell in love with puerh in the first place—rich yet refined, powerful yet elegant, endlessly evolving and impossible to forget.