r/puer

Shen Puer from Mengku Factory

A classic that always remains delicious

Hello Sheng lovers,

I have discovered Sheng for myself and while I struggle with some oft the bitterness, I can´t really get enough of drinking sheng.

So far, I prefer older varieties (the Yiwu Sheng 2013 sold by Yoshien, -50g for 18,90 Euros- is my favourite – intense nearly rotten forest notes, complex and at the same time intense fruit notes, vanilla, vegetables and a selection of herbs, also a pronounced calming and uplifting cha qi – and no bitterness. Love it 😊 ), but I want to give younger Shengs a try too.

I have tried the young Lincang Bio Sheng Pu Erh 2025 Loose Leaf, also sold by Yoshien, but found it rather boring, as the intense grassy notes are overshadowing most other flavours and are not really what I am looking for.

But I thought I´d give FarmerLeaf a try, as it was recommended to me repeatedly. If possible, I like to try Shengs that

-have little to no bitterness

-some Cha Qui (I know this is quite different for everyone, but some varieties seem to have that effect on quite a few people, while others don´t)

-if possible fruity notes (love them, but they are not a must)

I also lOVE complexity. But I do realise that this is not always possible with a conveniently priced young sheng

I selected the folowing samples into my shopping bag:

• Spring 2025 Huey Wa - 20g sample$4 USD
• Spring 2026 Tang Fang Liang Zi - 20g sample$6 USD
• Spring 2023 Jingmai Miyun - 20g sample$6 USD
• Spring 2025 Na Lang - 20g sample$13 USD
• 2025 Jingmai Yellow Flakes - 20g sample$4 USD

 

--> Do you think that is a good selection for me? If not, which ones would you rather recommend?

--> Which one would you refer for buying as a whole cake, instead of a sample? (except the Na Lang, this one is too pricy for me for a cake)

 

Would love to hear what you think 😊

i got this gifted. im just starting to try out puer, and this was my first puer. im really enjoying it. it has an earthy taste, that kinda reminds me of matcha. a bit of a fishy smell. the package only says yunnan region, nothing more. its from a small local tea store here in my town. how do i know if its good quality? after research i think this is a ripe one, since the color of the drink is dark. it also stays dark at the 3rd steepings. (didnt have more than 3). sorry, i do not know much!

This tea is a gift from a Redditor friend of mine and honestly...for a boutique Pu'er it is really nice and very interesting. I did a rough "eh just cover the bottom of the gaiwan lah. Agak-agak (just guess-timate) only" amount into the gaiwan and only found out that I actually got it to 8g sharp. LMAOOOOO. Hey that measurement helps. It's 150g gaiwan by the way. Standard of the mill cheap porcelain one. Nothing fancy there.

But the tea itself, after rinse and first infusion onwards - woah. The oil coating, the tiny bitterness and astringency that swifts goes away and what followed are thick honey nectary sweetness with hints of rose syrup and other floral stuff. Truly a light Bai Yin Shan aged sheng puer tea. Light it is yes but the last pic..is at the 10th or 11th infusion.

This tea is easy to drink due to its sweet lightness and yet damn persistent. I can imagine this tea reaching 30–40 infusions without much trouble. The thickness of the 10th or 11th infusion still feels like its around the 3rd or 4th infusion. To put it as an analogy, if a typical pu'er tea tends to peak at a mountain and the gradually fall rather fast by the 5th infusion onwards like well...a pile of rocks...this one works more like a tumbleweed falling over a huge mountain but with gentle slopes. Very cowboy movie imagery I know - yeehaw~

Nonetheless would recommend to those who can get Hojo's teas somewhere. It's a boutique Pu'er thing, some variety to have other than the usual "me being happy" Big factory puer teas that I have (earlier I had 2018 Xiao Fa/7663 Xiaguan shu pu'er tuocha). Hey - variety is truly the spice of life. Cheerio.

Hello, I hope you're all doing good, I'm in the process of moving and tried something new today in hopes of being able to enjoy a strong tea!!!!

- 20G Yunnan Afar

-1L French Press, 750ML boiling water

-Let Steep for 8 minutes (stir half way!!!!)

Iced Shou Liqour with 2% milk (organic)

Came out OK but I added too much cream... tasted like.... Thai Tea or Dark Chocolate.

Would be much better with whole milk (maybe a little sugar) and the Shou liquor itself is amazing in a small tea cup hot : )

First time trying this method, inspiration was the Mei Leaf AeroPress Method & ChiCha Sen Chen cafe style tea presses.

im not on reddit much if I can help link tea equipment etc comment

Thanks,

Dane

Austin,TX

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of white rice with subtle floral notes, light woody/incense funk on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, quick bite moves to a flash of sweet berries, soup has a bit if oily viscosity to it, feeling that sweet fruit on the gums a bit, hints of bubblegum, a base of stemmy wood with hints of moss is starting to set up under the fruity notes

Steep 2 (flash) - the initial fruitiness is still there, moving in a beat before that light bite, red fruit and berries come back after a few seconds, salivation picking up late

Steep 3 (5s) - that light bite has faded a bit, the flavor seems to be coming from my gums more than the tea itself, thickness in the mouth giving a bit of a red twizzlers vibe

Steep 4 (15s) - little bit of a push brings just a touch of a bite back, hints of anise joining in as red licorice continues to take the lead note, sweetness not intense, but definitely in the right proportions to support the fruit here, hints of juniper berries and pine join the aromatics in the open mouth, gums throat and tongue are coated with flavor, light tingle on the lips

Steep 5 (20s, reboil) - added heat brings a quick bite back up front, red berries holding more or less straight through, some green and woody notes mid-sip meld quite well with the berries, touch of mintiness

Steep 6 (30s) - not pushing hard, but not backing off either, and this is really shining from this approach, that light bitterness and body continue to support the fruity aspect nicely, nice complexity in the top notes, this tea is really singing for me tonight

Steep 7+ (45+) - citrus mixes in with the red berries, keeps going deep

Overall Impression - This tea checks every single box for me. Nice heft, nice mouthfeel, long huigan, complex and balanced flavor profile, and that elusive red licorice flavor and mouthfeel combo that I completely gravitate to when I find it. This has been a great season for young sheng, and this is right up there as one of my favorites so far this year.

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - faint aroma - lightly sweet and woody, funky/woody notes on gaiwan lid

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep but a medicinal bite right away, woody/mossy notes, a bit of slickness on the tongue and drying on the cheeks, light minty coolness a few beats in, bitterness fades slowly, hints of fruity sweetness mixing in with that mintiness late

Steep 2 (flash) - bite up front that fades quickly into a lower, more clingy bitterness on the tongue, some drying astringency on cheeks and gums, but slickness on teeth and tongue, low sweetness moves in with cherries on the back end

Steep 3 (5s) - less initial aggression although still has an initial oily/medicinal note to it, middle bitterness expanding and pushes the finish further back

Steep 4 (10s) - middle section of clingy bite and astringency stretching out, some citrus zest in the finish without a lot of sweetness to support it yet, fruit and some sweetness increasing deeper into the finish with some patience

Steep 5 (15s, reboil) - initial punch back up momentarily, minty notes return, intentionally waiting between sips to let huigan rebuild

Steep 6 (25s) - sweetness and citrus coming back up, mint sticking around as well, interesting mix of flavors with mint and fruit over a bittersweet that slowly picks up some balancing sweetness

Steep 7+ (40s+) - with time the late fruit and sweetness take over the lead role, although the bitterness still hangs out as a light accompaniment

Overall Impression - After last year's Trade Secret being an easy drinker with lots of berry notes, this year's version is definitely a big contrast. This drinks like a Banzhang/Bulang-heavy blend. That bitterness does eventually convert to sweetness, and there is a cooling mintiness that provides some interest. It gets there eventually, but it does take some investment to reach the payoff here. Priced like a daily drinker, but probably not daily drinker material unless you really like punchy young sheng.

Just been in Shenzhen to visit a wholeseller. It is crazy how many different teas and varieties there are. In my hometown I am Happy to choose between 5 Pu'ers but Here... So I Just Had a 2 hours tasting and learned about the culture.

But by listening I Just learned how Basic my knowledge is. Funny as I was Just thinking about opening a small tea Shop Just Last year.

Review in comment.

Opened my tea bins to air them out as I do every few days and went to grab this raw cake to brew and saw this. Its the only cake with his on it. It doesnt really rub off when I scrape it witb my finger nail.

8g/120mL, just off boil

Wash (10s) - aroma of cooked rice, cotton candy, faint floral highlights, gaiwan lid adds a tangy impression

Steep 1 (flash) - light steep, clean, faint candy sugar note, greens and twigs, sweet floral nectar in open mouth, that tangy note is there but not tied to any specific fruit

Steep 2 (flash) - a bit of a bite up front, white wine, hints of passionfruit funk, sweetness starting to develop on palate, huigan sweetness developing into the finish paired with remnants of that vinous note

Steep 3 (5s) - that initial bitterness is still there, rounded and lingers for a bit but not clingy, really unique flavor candy and fruity-floral, has some similarities with Muscadine grapes and the funky side of passionfruit but not directly reminiscent of either, mouthfeel is soft without being watery

Steep 4 (10s) - orange juice up front, lingering winy note in the middle as the sweetness builds into the finish, faint slickness on the tongue, huigan has a ridiculously long buildup, definitely muscat grapes hanging on my uvula 4 or 5 minutes after a swallow

Steep 5 (15s, reboil) - freshly heated water brings that light initial bite back, still going from OJ > wininess > long slow buildup of sweetness

Steep 6 (25s) - some minerality is now coming in giving a bit of an Alsatian Gewurztraminer vibe

Steep 7+ (45s+) - just taking the time for each sip to play out its evolution from dry and minerals white wine to sweet grapes

Overall Impression - Such a unique flavor profile here, with a big evolution over the course of the sip and the session. I can see this not being for everyone, but this really presents as nice, complex tea with a rewarding finish.