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I decided to purchase MGH 1206 Green brick since the 1109 Mangfei and the 1214 Eco Big Tree left a good impression on me. Turns out this one is even better.

I’m using a yixing teapot dedicated to raw pu’er (the result differs with the type of brewing vessel). The wet leaves are have a pleasing flowery, honey-like fragrance. There’s no bitterness or smoke here. It has notes of ripe fruit, honey, camphor, minerals, thyme, and a very long sweet aftertaste that can last for 5 mins or more. Lots of good body with this one and a very pleasing feeling in the throat.

Honestly, I did not expect this to be THIS good, and I can’t believe how inexpensive it is ($9). I think I’m also better gauging the appropriate water-to-leaf ratio. Essentially more leaf (2 teaspoons), 5 sec short steeps with hot (non-boiling) water.

This isn’t like any tea I’ve ever tried. The brick is so dense it requires a chisel. For sure, this is not typical cultivated tea. The previous tasting note called this thing “Wild Child”. I don’t think I could’ve come up with a better name. I’m picking up deep forest flavors (something I love in sheng pu’er): pungent herbs, vegetal sweetness, pine, camphor, smoke, and pleasant tobacco notes (there is such a thing). I don’t detect any bitterness since I’m doing 5 second steeps. That said, DO NOT over brew this one. This one is full-bodied, interestingly textured, has a long aftertaste and strong cha qi, moving from the mouth down towards the gut and through the rest of the body after each sip. Given it’s potency and complexity, I’d say it would age nicely.

There is a lot going on in this tea. I’m a big fan of zairai (base species grown from seed) since they always provided unique and complex flavor profiles with underlying mineral notes. The leaves a deep rich green and are highly fragrant, both dried and steeped. The liquor is a bright yellow/green. Flavors are uplifting, savory, sweet, deep, and complex, with notes of chestnut, pine, minerals, pistachio, and kale. It is reminiscent of organic upper-tier high mountain Chinese green teas.

If you’re looking for a soothing, calming, and comforting sheng pu’er, this is it. This came as a sample with my order. I very much enjoy huang pian (large yellow leaf) sheng pu’er, and this tea is no exception. It arrived as small broken leaves, which made me suspect it would be quite bitter. I only learned recently that tea leaves broken into small bits need to be steeped quickly or they’ll make a bitter brew. I brewed it only slightly shorter than normal (45 seconds for the first steep), and there was barely any bitterness. The leaves have a sweet fruity aroma, and it brews into a bright golden liquor. It has a wonderfully rich mouth feel and is easy on the stomach. I’m picking up notes of sandalwood, autumn leaves, kiwi, and hints of orange peel. The bottom of the cup has a honey-like fragrance. Very good bang for your buck.

Unique, delicate, savory, honey-like, and fragrant. I used hot (non-boiling) water. The leaves are olive green, intact, and have an unusual orchid-like aroma. The first steep is somewhat monotone, but the second steep is where the flavors begin to reveal themselves. It has that wonderful sweetness that reminds me of a deep pristine forest in the summer. The tea brews bright yellow with very little astringency, and leaves an unusual up-lifting sensation in my mouth and chest. Even without reading the description, it’s clear these tea leaves were well sourced from a pure environment.

I received this as a sample along with another order. The leaves are light brown and mostly crushed. That lowered my expectations quite a bit, as I’ve read that crushed leaves negatively effect the tea’s flavor. That being said, this tea is unexpectedly fragrant, with aromas of wild honey and roasted barley. It brews into a cloudy, light orange soup, and packs a strong flavor, even with steeps lasting a few seconds. If I look beyond its initial punch, I can pick up roasted, woodsy, and citrus notes in the first and second steeps with refreshing, palate-cleansing astringency at the end. It leaves my mouth feeling dry and satisfied. It’s got that familiar factory tea flavor that many tea bloggers seem to talk about.

This tea left a lasting impression. It’s aromatic and robust like a good long jing, but has more tannin and mineral notes. It’s sharp, flowery, grassy/herbal, and piney, with a very long sweet finish that reminds me of a good sheng pu’er. It’s refreshing sharpness is makes it a perfect morning pick-me-up. I’m thinking of getting more now to take advantage of the weak yen.

Jim thoughtfully included this sample in my last order. I’ve never had pu’er this young before, but I am quite pleased. The dried leaves in the teapot have a flowery fragrance, but when brewed remind me of a campfire (not BBQ) in an old growth forest. Very rustic and deep. Brewed leaves are green and the tea liquor is golden. I’m surprised by how pleasant it is to drink now!

The first steep is sweet, aromatic, herbal, with hickory tones that compliment the overall flavor profile rather than overwhelm. True to its description, I’m left with a very long, pleasant sensation deep in my throat. Quite remarkable.

I’ve made a few edits to this note, as the tea has changed and I’m using a higher quality yixing jiang po ni teapot I purchased in Beijing’s Ma Lian Dao (马连道) or “Tea City” this summer (a place I highly recommend).

Over the past 2 years, I’ve noticed more sweet whisky and camphor notes, after having sat for 7 months. I also shortened the steeping time to 10 to 15 seconds and increased water temp to around 95 C.

Dried leaves in a moist teapot actually smell like chocolate, but once brewed have an initial pleasant smokiness that changes into a deep forest aroma that is sweet and herbal.

First steep: Bright yellow liquor. Crisp, medicinal/grassy, faintly flowery, subtly astringent, and with a long smooth finish that is refreshing and leaves a rejuvenating warmth (cha qi) that spreads from the throat to the chest.
*Edit: The cha qi has intensified a lot to the point where I begin to feel tea buzzed.

Second steep: similar to the first steep, only thicker and rich minerals notes. The medicinal/grassy flavors are more pronounced and become savory with a long sweet finish.
*Edit: Stronger, and longer sweet aftertaste. Later steeps are more vegetal than I remembered, but also more camphor-like.

This is basically a robust green tea, but more complex, easier to brew, and has infinite aging potential. All that being said, it’s not for those with weak stomachs, but highly recommended for lovers of sheng!
*Edit: Green notes are gradually replaced with notes of fuji apple and more whisky.

At $23, this is another great bargain at Puerhshop.com. Online blogs and forums like TeaChat have tainted PuerhShop’s reputation for rare instances of questionable authenticity of some of their high-end famous pu’er cakes, but I began my humble collection with their own curated MGH/American Hao cakes and I can confidently say that they those are worth the purchase and they are consistent in quality. I highly recommend overcoming any unfair bias by trying some of their samples. Fast and cheap delivery is another perk.

Delicious, beautiful and affordable, this sheng pu’er is sweet, savory, and complex in flavors as it transforms with each steep. The tea broth is very pure tasting, fruity, spicy and smooth. I’m inclined to say it has an oolong-like quality to it.

I’m willing to wait for teas that need to age a few years, but this one is perfect now. It may be one of the best teas I’ve ordered from Puerh Shop yet. See flavor profile below. I recommend using more leaf to experience the full potential of its flavor profile.