This came as a sample in the mail. From the first sip, I can tell it’s an autumn tea due to its mellowed sweetness and lack of edge or sharpness. The initial steeps are sweet, crisp, clean, and calming. It has a very pleasant warming effect, or cha qi, that moves down the throat towards the gut and spreads throughout the body. This was enough to force me to stop what I was doing and pay attention. The wet leaves have that deep forest sweetness that is indicative to their untamed natural origins along with a slight smokiness that adds more interest to the tea. The empty cup is quite fragrant.
For an autumn tea, I’m quite impressed by what this had to offer, though I can only imagine that its spring counterpart would be that much more impressive. Being that it’s a Mangzhi tea I can understand the price, but I would rather invest in teas with more edge. Overall, while this was an enjoyable tea, the experienced puerh drinker may be left wanting something more.
Try Yunnan Sourcing’s Autumn Mangzhi!