2018 Manzhuan Loose Leaf Sheng

Got a cake of the pressed version when released and had a session then that apparently didn’t make much of an impression on me at the time…probably because I was bombarding my tastebuds with wild teas from Lincang and Wuliang around that time…and because it seems that it takes teas from this area a few months to pick up steam. This morning I dug into my crock and this bing was staring me in the face. The devil on my shoulder said cmon man, you don’t want that mellow stuff. Steep up a Menghai…but the angel on my other shoulder told me to steep this one cos it’d transport me to a warm sunny place on this miserable winter day. That angel was right. Two sips in and I’m on the beach sipping a cocktail comprised of mangoes, green mango powder, coconut milk, unfiltered gold rum and garnished with a spearmint leaf. Does such a beverage exist? It should. That’s what this tea tastes like. It’s also among the oiliest teas I’ve had. Very mouth watering and smooth. This tea passes the mom test (the qi is so pleasant and gentle she would likely get tea drunk without realizing it) and would be a good introduction to sheng for those who like fruity beverages but recoil at bitter, woody, camphorous notes that usually accompany it. I’ve been sampling several Yiwu area teas like Chawangshu and Tongqighe in the $1.50-2 a gram range and I think this tea, while not quite of that caliber, can hang comfortably with those teas at $.56 a gram. Thanks to Glen and Lammu for making this tea available. Highly recommended.

More short notes.

Opening the bag, I was hit with a thick cloud of prune, wood and hay. Warmed leaf smelled of stonefruit, earthy, hay and faint woody cocoa. 10s rinse revealed apricot, stewed tomatoes, chard and prune.

The taste of the liquor was completely different from the leaf aroma. It was smooth and viscous, bright, crisp, juicy and tart. Kind of tropical. Starfruit and unripe pineapple, minerals that induced salivation, soft bitterness. Very active in the mouth. Bright and clear lemon yellow to gold liquor with a fruity aroma. Some relaxation and general feeling of well being with a softening of the gaze. Something made me think of the word ‘song.’ My kind of sheng. Want the cake!