If you love sweet sheng, this is your ticket.

Dry leaf has that silvery look of another sheng I’ve had from Mengku (Lincang) and is fragrant with apricot, peas, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream. Warming the leaf brought out notes of peach preserves, spun sugar, pudding, beeswax, honey. The rinsed leaf smelled heavenly sweet, creamy and fruity with a buttery peach-apricot pastry and light florals and herbs floating around.

Gotta say, this tea shines with its texture. Incredibly oily, smooth as hell. It sits low in the mouth and slides down the tongue, lubricating every bit in the process. Seems astringent, but the oily coating keeps the astringency at bay. I can feel it deep and warm in my chest and belly. It’s a Lincang tea, and the cooling properties of puerh from this region are very evident in the mouth and body. There’s an interesting mix of warming and cooling in the body with this tea.

On top of that, this has to be one of the sweetest sheng I’ve had. The aroma-flavor reminds of vanilla powder, which has maltodextrin as a base. A very persistent honey-beeswax aftertaste coats the back half of the mouth, lots of retronasal activity. Perhaps related to that — I could feel pressure in my sinuses, eyebrows and cheekbones. Unfortunately, I think the aroma gave me a sinus headache soon after. Something about me and honey doesn’t mix well. An intense calmness swept over me and my body felt heavy yet fluid and airy, a mix of that warming-cooling effect.

With the fourth steep some bitterness and astringency came in, a nice relief from the intense sweetness. The tea remained thick and coating with buttery tastes, honey sweetness and a growing floral presence.

Around the ninth steep, I noted a stronger bitterness and a pungency like thyme. Some roughness on the tongue. The tea continued to become more astringent and I called it quits with the 13th steep due to sinus pressure but there were still flavors and mouthfeel that suggested there was more to give.

Overall, I think this tea’s qualities justify the current price of $0.56/g, though that’s for you to determine. It’s a powerful tea — I used only 5g/100mL for a very rich brew, when my standard is 6-7g. The oily, cooling mouthfeel and the way it sits in the body are incredible. Grab a sample if you like young, super sweet honey-floral sheng. That said, it’s way too sweet for my preferences.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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