TSHU031 - Mansong Shucha 2019

Product detailed description

A delightful shu puer from the Mansong village (曼松) on Yibang Tea Mountain (倚邦山). The tea was harvested and pressed in the spring of 2019. Mansong village is located about 12 km (aerial view) from the township of Xiangming (象明乡) in Mengla County (勐腊县) and there lives more than 450 inhabitants (2022). The tea leaves were harvested from mix of mature and small tea trees (huncai 混采), which were collected across Mangsong tea gardens at the elevation about 1200-1400 m.a.s.l.

The tea was generously provided by Liang, a certified tea master (2013, Shenzhen), senior tea mentor and lecturer at Xishuangbanna Jinlanling Vocational Training School (西双版纳金蓝领职业培训学校) since 2019 who source her teas across twelve tea mountains within Xishuangbanna. During our work trip to Xishuangbanna at the beginning of 2025, we spent quite a lot of time tasting, testing and consulting various aspects of local teas. Additionally, we conducted several interviews with her and discussed contemporary trends in Xishuangbanna tea industry. 

Aroma:

• Wet + dry leaf (Shicha 湿茶 + Gancha 干茶) - pine tree fragrance with sweet honey tones
• Cup aroma imprint (Guabeixiang 挂杯香) - sweet honey and woody tones
  

Color:

• Initial phase (< 5 infusions) - transparent orange-ochre shades
• Development phase (> 5 infusions) - darker red-brown shades
  

Taste:

• Initial phase (< 5 infusions) - woody tones (pine tree skin and fresh cut wood) and sweet pastry (colorful macarons) with tones dark chocolate and molasses
• Advanced phase (> 5 infusions) - countryside feeling (wet wood) and sour fruit (ripe rosehips) with tones of thick honey and bread
  

Body: 

• Thickness (Naipao 耐泡) - medium vitality, which will allow you to make more infusions
• Texture (Chunhounongyu 醇厚浓郁) - smooth body with several layers of flavours and minimal earthy feeling
• Astringency (Se 涩) - none
• Character (Kutianjiaozhi 苦甜交织) - similarly like other teas from Yibang Mountain, this tea rapidly brings intense sweeteness and provides different degrees of exotic flowers, stonefruits and honey (character of the Yibang Mountain). Regarding this tea, both stonefruits and honey are more prevalent
• Balance (Zonghe pinghengdu 综合平衡度) - differences between particular layers of flavours are gradual and symmetrical (i.e. no suprise changes in between the infusions)
  

Aftertaste:

• Sweetness (Huigan 回甘) - pronounced sweeteness within hours
• Mouthful feeling (Shengjin 生津) - pronounced mouth-water-feeling within hours
• Energy feeling (Nenglianggan 能量感) - noticable warming and calming effect within hours