Man Lai Shan Gu Shu

I was given a packet of this by a good friend who has decided she does not like puerh teas. This is naturally a deplorable occurrence, but one which has worked significantly to my advantage, because this loose puerh is rather good. I had to guess a bit about quantities and steeping time but previous experience stood me in good stead. As a result, when I drank this tea I got a solid hit of honey and grape followed by a tongue-puckering, grape-like dryness in the aftertaste. Further resteepings led to a mellowing of the honey flavour, but the grape persisted throughout as did the astringency. Beyond the flavour, this tea has happy and relaxed qi. It filled me with a sense of well-being after I drank it, which was most welcome. One thing I did not notice was the bitterness that the company’s website suggested should be there. I’m not going to complain about that though. This tea is a tea you experience with your whole body and the lack of the advertised bitterness does not detract from that experience.