Sheng (Raw) Pu-erh Tea Cake – Xiang Zhu Lin (100 g, 2023)

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

Raw (sheng) pu-erh is known for its astringent bitterness, balanced by floral and fruity notes. It is an excellent tea for long-term storage. As the years pass, the bitterness gradually softens, the liquor becomes smoother and sweeter, and the fruit notes grow more pronounced. Well-aged raw pu-erh can even develop a syrup-like sweetness.

This tea has already matured for three years (as of 2026). Its youthful sharpness has mellowed, revealing a gentle natural sweetness. I am confident it will become even more impressive with a few more 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 pu-erh drinkers. It is one of the finest raw pu-erh 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 pu-erh. 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 pu-erh 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.