2007 Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea (Pride of Menghai)

Yunnan Menghai Jewel Pu-erh Tea

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

This cake is a QS certified Green product made by Nanqiao Tea Factory, a tea factory located in Menghai, Xishuangbanna. As a batch # 701 product it uses 2007 early Spring raw material with a real nice floral smell, and the aroma was very soothing. It had variable hints of honey, floral, fresh grass and the slightest melon.

It is a Gold award winner in Chengdu like Nanqiao 753, some believes that it would become a prized collectable.

• Manufactured by: Nanqiao Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Model: Nanqiao Menghai Jewel - 217

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

The aroma coming off the wet leaves has a nice scent of floral, hint of sweet honey, and I got nothing of melon.

The first sip hit me with bitterness, and a strong flow. The liquid has a potent aftertaste while swallowing. Left a lingering peppery buttery taste on my tongue way after finishing the last cup.

The color was a beautiful golden liquor.

There were no "qi" effects for this puerh.

This is a 2007 puerh and has the potential to be something big a few years down the road. For right now, I am going to put this one on the shelf and age a bit.

Rating: 6/10

2007 Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop
Yunnan Bulang Spring Tips Pu-erh Tea (布郎春尖生饼)

Puerhshop description:

This cake is made by using 2007 Spring materials. The naturely tea leaves (mostly buds and tips) are plucked, panned and kneaded, sun-dried in an open field, and then steamed, finally compressed into a fine tea cake.

It brews a golden liquor with refreshing floral scent, a great starter tea cake because of its value. It beats drinking a green tea!

• Manufactured by: Yunnan Shiyuan Tea Factory
• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 20sec

This sheng is probably the best I have had so far. The leaves after the 1st infusion had a hint of honey and flowers. There was barely any bitterness with this one. Has a very smooth finish to it.

Qi - This tea had a nice mellow sensation. No tingling or spacing out.

The soup has a very nice golden amber color.

Rating: 7.75/10

2006 King of Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

This is a premium Pu-erh cake made by using top grade (wild arbor) leaves from Xishuangbanna. Some very large leaves were hand-arranged on the face in a beautiful pattern while the inside and back also feature the same material. The tea brews a clear amber soup that is tasty with nice aroma and almost no bitterness, a QS certified Green product with tons of aging potentials. Drinking is believing.

• King of Puerh - 4010
• Vintage: 2006 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Special-Reserve
• Manufactured by: Yunnan Tianshi Lao Hao Tea

Tianshi Lao Hao was a famed tea company back in 1923 and its teas are manufactured by Puwen Tea Factory. Few knew that Puwen Tea Factory was one of two factories contracted by CNNP to supply CNNP branded 2007 quality pu-erhs.

Picture taken May, 2007 Picture taken April 2008

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 30sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

Summary

This puerh has a nice smooth taste to it. There is a hint of bitterness, but none that would shake my head to. Slight buttery scent and taste. This sheng made me mellow out for a bit, with slight perspiration. This soup has a nice amber tint to it. Coats your mouth/throat with a nice buttery oolong taste.

I recommend this and will buy this in the future.

Rating: 7.75/10

2007 Rongzhen Imperial Concubine Aromatic Pu-erh Tea Cake (Pride of Menghai)

Pride of Menghai tasting kit - Puerhshop

Puerhshop description:

Early Spring silver buds from one special field (only) in Xishuangbanna are plucked, sun-dried and then compressed into this cake form. Most leaves harvested from this particular field are buds and so have a UNIQUE honey sweetish and very strong floral flavor with little bitterness. An excellent Pu-erh to drink now but can be drunk over the course of the next years with subtle changes in aroma and flavor.

A tea cake that most girls/women love to brew and drink. Most green Pu-erh requires at least 8 to 10 years of aging for its mellow and sweet taste to develop, this tea cake is prime for drinking now.

Update on May 13th. Above taste notes were written when the tea was just arrived. Apparently this tea is in its worst state into the aging. Guess we have to wait patiently for a while before this tea becomes good again, let Nature do its wonders.

• Vintage: 2007 unfermented or raw
• Premium class
• Loose tea leaves
• Caffeine: Moderate
• Special-Reserve
• Manufactured by: Rongzhen Tea Factory
• Concubine Aromatic - 5018

My thoughts:

Boiling Rinse 10sec X 2 then waited 60sec
1st Infusion - 10sec
2nd Infusion - 15sec
3rd Infusion - 10sec
4th Infusion - 30sec

This puerh reminded me of a TKY I had a little bit ago. It tasted a tad bitter , with a somewhat buttery aftertaste. This is a smooth sheng, and if you are a fan of TKY, then I would recommend this to you. The "qi" of this tea gave me a slight tingling sensation throughout my body for a few minutes.

Rating: 6.75/10