A raw Puer tea from a rather unkempt area of tea garden in Xiao (Da Meng Long) Mengsong at about 1700 metres altitude.

This particular patch only produced 20kg of Spring tea this year. I had 10kg of it and a guy from Guangdong had the other 10.

Meng Song is known for its bitter tea, less so for its 'sweet' tea, which has become more sought after in recent years.

The wet leaves have hints of tobacco and sour fruit, with a honey-sweetness. The 'bei xiang' is floral-fruity.

The 'rukou' is smooth and sweet with a slight bitterness and a very slight hint of smokiness in the first couple of steeps.

The mouth-feel is clean/smooth with a little dryness on the tongue.

There is a slight 'ku se' which comes out if the steeping times are pushed, and the 'sheng jin' is not bad.

Meng Song tea is not a 'heavy hitter' like some Menghai/Bulang Shan teas, but it has a fullness in flavour and enough depth to make it interesting.

The aftertaste is pleasant and lasts well enough in both the mouth and throat.

Please be aware that because raw Puer tea is a 'post-fermented' tea it is in a process of continual change: as it ages, but also from season to season and even day to day, so the description here is a snapshot of the tea's quality and character, which should not differ significantly, but which none-the-less can change.

All Puer teas are hand picked, fired and rolled unless it says otherwise, and sun dried. Cakes are pressed by hand using a stone or in a traditional hand press.