2011 Yunnan Sourcing "Man Tang Hong Gong Ting" Ripe Pu-erh

This tea is pretty mellow and overall has a somewhat dry flavor profile that I find to be particularly unique. It has some of the deep florals and savory type flavors that I associate with ripes that have a prominent compost camphor petrichor profile, only this tea has the camphor etc tuned way down. Also there is some chocolatey things going on though without the wetter bready fruity flavors I associate with chocolatey ripes. So yeah dry mellow flavor.

Mouthfeel decent. Nothing to complain about.

Sessions with this tea are steady going. Not particularly dynamic. It’s not a very dark tea though it doesn’t lose color for many steeps. I’m actually surprised by how long this tea steeps out considering the conventional wisdom that says smaller leaf grades steep less times.

So definitely worth trying. Probably won’t drink this tea often and am undecided weather I would buy another cake if I ran out though I am glad to have it. It’s good quality “wild arbor” material. It’s good for varieties sake. It’s easy going and easy to enjoy without having to concentrate on it too hard. Steeps out many brews. Not exciting though very comforting.

I was inspired by the videos from Scott so yesterday I drank Man Tang Hong Number 2 for the first time and today I’m revisiting the Man Tang Hong Gong Ting. I bought the 2011 sampler with both a few months ago so they’ve had plenty of time to rest. The dry leaf of this one smells like dark chocolate and both it and the tea soup are more pungent than Number 2. That said, Gong Ting is actually rounder tasting and sweeter with a sharp cinnamon taste that quickly fades to more of a feel that goes well with the general thickness of this tea. This tea is definitely smoother than Number 2 with a plummy tartness that emerges in the aftertaste that really rounds out this tea. This tea also leaves a sugar sweetness on my lips like the 2013 Golden Needle White Lotus but this actually has character to it. Number 2 really is a drier tea with more spice flavor and less sweetness. Both definitely share a lot of character and are really nice teas. This one is more of a daily drinker for me due to the more rounded character.

A thick, creamy, rich tea. For me, a good ripe is like a good Irish stout – an earthy and creamy richness balanced with a grainy dryness that hints at sweetness but never quite gets there. I would say this tea fits squarely in that sort of realm.

This tea definitely shines when you use plenty of leaf – don’t be cheap otherwise you will left with a brew that is a little too dry and sawdusty. I used 9 g for 90 ml and was a very happy (and caffeinated) camper.

The only drawback is that I feel like it does not develop a great deal. This could be due to two things: 1) it is not a blend of different leaf sizes, thus leading to a more uniform experience, and/or 2) I’m not a ripe connoisseur and generally find most ripes to be a little less complex than other teas. Take what you will from that!

Either way, definitely well above cheap ripes – no off flavors or wateriness here. Quality brew.
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Dry leaf: EARTHY – rich soil, coffee grounds, cream of wheat. In preheated vessel: nutty sweetness, cherry cordial

Smell: EARTHY, WOODY, SWEET – cream of wheat, oatmeal, cherry wood, dark chocolate with cherry, rich soil, cola

Taste: EARTHY, SWEET – cream of wheat, oatmeal, coffee grounds, cocoa powder, pumpernickel bread, faint cherry wood sweetness, hints of dried date and fig, hints of bourbon in later steeps

While doing a comparison between a new yixing pot and a gaiwan, i tested this tea today.
After a rinse of about 20 seconds, i started with like 10 – 20 secs brews (hard to tell exactly, the pot is pouring slow). The first 2 infusions are overwhelming, way too earthy for my taste. The brew is really dark, looks like coffee.

(Maybe next time i really should do two 30 secs rinses to skip this initial taste.)

There is already a creamy mouthfeel.
The next infusions (still at 10-20 secs) are better, the earthiness scales back and there is a hint of cacao and maybe oranges. Thick and creamy mouthfeel.

It’s a cool , damp, & drizzly day, & it seemed like shu would be the perfect fit, & it is, although it I’d though it through I probably would have gone with sichuan caravan, or maybe some chai, but this is a really nice rich cup of sweet earth.

This has been a rough week for me. I broke a finger on wednesday & am having surgery to repair it on monday. There will be no harp playing for 4 – 6 weeks! I’ve been able to set up replacement harpists for the weddings I was supposed to do tomorrow & next saturday, but the other 3 performances had to be cancelled, because I’m the only jazz harpist around.
Financial losses for the next 10 days alone is abut $1000. I haven’t done the math for november yet, in part because I’m hoping for a miraculous healing, LOL.
Denial runs deep!
I’ve been through the 5 stages of grief several times in the last few days: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, & acceptance.
Life goes on.

A nice little shu. It has good thick body, and a nice basic ripe pu-erh flavor. Not a very complicated flavor profile, but a very respectable everyday tea.