Sheng Puerh Tea – Xiang Zhu Lin 2023

A remarkable raw gushu Puerh tea with enchanting sweet berry and fruit notes – juicy blueberries, ripe gooseberries, and tropical fruits.

Sheng (raw) Puerh is known for its astringent bitterness, balanced by sweet fruity and floral notes. It is well suited for long-term ageing, during which its flavour slowly evolves. Fresh fruit notes gradually develop into richer flavours, often reminiscent of dried fruits, honey, or syrup.

This tea has already matured for three years (as of 2026). At this stage, it is beautifully sweet and juicy with only a gentle hint of bitterness. I'm confident it will become even more rewarding with years of ageing—if it hasn't all been enjoyed by then. It's already so delicious that saving some for the future will be difficult.

I recommend this tea to both beginners and experienced Puerh drinkers. It is one of the finest raw Puerh teas I have ever tasted.

The tea trees used for this tea grow around the village of Xiang Zhu Lin ("Fragrant Bamboo Forest") at an altitude of 1,900–2,200 metres, close to the famous Bingdao region in Yunnan. Thousands of ancient tea trees still grow in this area, many estimated to be over 500 years old, with some believed to be more than 800 years old.

The tea offers remarkable depth, complexity, and an exceptionally long-lasting finish, characteristic of high-quality gushu raw Puerh. In Chinese, gushu refers to tea made from ancient tea trees, typically over 100 years old. According to the producer, this particular tea was made from leaves harvested from tea trees over 500 years old. While this is certainly possible, it's worth remembering that the age of Puerh tea trees is often exaggerated in the tea trade. Judging by its flavour, however, this tea was clearly made from genuinely old tea trees—at least around 100 years old, and very likely much older. Teas made from younger trees or plantation bushes rarely display the same depth, complexity, and lingering aftertaste.

This tea is available as a 100 g tea cake or as a 15 g sample – a piece broken from the same tea cake.

A tea cake is best separated using a Puerh knife (pick) , although any similar blunt knife or tool will work. The important thing is that it shouldn't be sharp to avoid injuries.

When you purchase the 100 g tea cake, you can receive a complimentary Puerh tea pick. I currently have two spare picks and would be happy to include one with your order. If you'd like one, simply leave a note when placing your order or email [email protected] with your order number and the message: "I'd like to receive a complimentary Puerh pick."

Brewing:

Western Style:

• Tea amount: 3 g per 300 ml water

• Water temperature: 100 °C

• Steeping time: 3 minutes

Gong Fu Style:

• Tea amount: 5 g per 100 ml water

• Water temperature: 100 °C

• First steeping: 1 second

• Next infusions: Add 5 seconds each time

• Infusions: 15-20

• Tip: Rinse the leaves briefly (1–2 seconds) before the first infusion to awaken the aroma.

When brewing gong fu style, try making the first infusions very short – the 1-second infusion time in the brewing guide is not a typo.