Made from leaf grown in Jing Gu in Pu'er prefecture, an area known for an easy-drinking, floral and fruit-sweet character with light bitterness. Still young, Jing Gu sheng like this usually shows its character plainly. From KingTeaMall — a 2023 sheng (raw) puerh cake in the Jing Gu line.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2023 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 100g cake · KingTeaMall
- Compression & dry leaf: This is a 100g cake with a firm, tight compression. Look for visible buds in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: The liquor is golden yellow, as is usual for young sheng.
- Taste: On entry there is only a light bitterness and slight astringency, balanced by a natural sweetness. Through the middle infusions it shows a floral and fruity character over a sweet and balanced base.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick.
- Aftertaste: The finish should bring a little returning sweetness (hui gan).
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a first-time puerh drinker.
Brewing Guide
Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Warm the pot and cups, then add about 5g of leaf per 100ml.
- Rinse the leaves once with boiling water and let them rest, covered, for about 10 minutes.
- Steep the first rounds for 10–15 seconds, adding about 5 seconds with each round.
- Pour every steep into a fairness pitcher before serving.
- Serve. Sheng puerh resteeps well for many rounds.
Treat these as starting points rather than fixed rules. Try high or low pours, fast or slow, and brew in different seasons to find the method that suits you. Brewing the same tea well in any year, season, weather or place takes practice, and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Keep the tea ventilated, cool and dry, away from sunlight and strong odors (kitchen spices, smoke). For long-term aging, paper or clay containers breathe better than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur, especially in teas with more years of storage.
- Small dark specks: tiny dark specks may appear on the wrapper or tea edges of naturally stored puerh. They are harmless and can be brushed off before brewing.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spots may appear and can come from natural tea oils. They are not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: small tears or holes in the cotton paper may happen during storage and handling. The tea inside is unaffected.
