Lincang

This 2013 raw Pu-erh cake from Mengku Rongshi offers a journey into evolving flavors. Expect a robust body with developing earthy undertones, complemented by hints of dried fruit and a distinct minera. It leans earthy, fruity and mineral.

Water around 95–100 °C (203–212 °F). In a mug, steep 3–5 min. For gongfu, use 5–7 g per 100 ml, 10–20 s steeps (10–20+ rounds). You'll get to see how the flavor changes across multiple rounds. Rinse the leaves once with boiling water before your first real steep. It cleans off storage dust and gets the flavor going.

Grown in Yunnan, China from the Da Ye Zhong cultivar. This batch is from the 2013 harvest.

Starts at $3.99 from King Tea Mall, or about $0.23/g. A 7g package gets you around 1 gongfu sessions at ~6 g each, which works out to about $1.38 per session. Explore more dark teas on Teadar.