Bingdao Aged Raw Pu-erh Coin Cakes — Mengku Rongshi

Raw pu-erh from Bingdao's core growing area, made from 2020 harvest material that was aged before being pressed and released. Mengku Rongshi — the brand widely credited with establishing Bingdao's reputation — has been sourcing from this area since 1984. Classic Bingdao character: rock-sugar sweetness, a clean cooling finish, and strong salivation that stays long after the cup is empty. Compressed into 8g coin cakes, packaged in small boxes of five. Available as a single box (40g) or a full set of eight boxes (320g).

Mengku Rongshi and Bingdao

Bingdao is now one of the most recognized — and most sought-after — tea origins in China. Mengku Rongshi has been sourcing from the area since 1984, long before it was a name anyone outside the local tea trade knew. When the brand released their first Bingdao tea, the "Mother Tree" ( 母树茶), in 2005, it was among the first to formally introduce this material to a wider market.

This is not a brand that discovered Bingdao recently. They were there before the reputation existed.

The Material and the Aging

The raw material for this tea was harvested in 2020 from high-grade Bingdao area gardens — one bud plus two leaves, selected to the same standard as the brand's other Bingdao products.

Rather than pressing immediately after processing, the brand held the material in dry storage at their Yunnan factory — allowing it to settle, integrate, and develop before compression. The first batch was pressed and released in 2023 after aging in dry storage. Subsequent batches — released in 2024, 2025, and 2026 — draw from the same 2020 material, pressed and released in their respective years.

After leaving the factory, the tea has been stored in Xi'an, in northwest China. Xi'an's climate is dry, with low annual humidity and clear seasonal variation — a natural dry storage environment that allows aging to continue cleanly and slowly, without the intervention of high ambient moisture.

A Note on the Year Marked on Your Box

This product is released in batches: the first in 2023, with subsequent batches in 2024, 2025, and 2026. All batches are made from the same 2020 raw material.

Orders are fulfilled starting from the earliest available batch. The production year printed on your box reflects the actual pressing and release date of that specific batch — not the harvest year, which is 2020 for all batches.

What this means in practice: whichever batch you receive, the raw material is the same. If anything, later batches have had more time to age before you open them.

If you have a preference for a specific release year, feel free to contact us before ordering and we'll confirm current stock.

What Bingdao Raw Pu-erh Tastes Like

Bingdao has a flavor profile that's distinct enough that experienced drinkers can often identify it blind. The defining characteristics are:

Sweetness: Not the mild background sweetness of many teas — Bingdao sweetness is forward and specific.

Cooling finish: After swallowing, there's a noticeable cooling sensation on the tongue and at the back of the throat.

Salivation: Strong, active, and lasting. The mouth stays lively for several minutes after each sip.

Soup: Pale gold to light amber, clear and bright. The texture has weight to it — not thin, not heavy, but substantial for a raw pu-erh.

Bitterness and astringency: Present, as they are in all quality raw pu-erh, but not dominant. They resolve quickly into sweetness.

On drinking now vs. aging further: This tea is at a good stage to drink.

The Coin Format

Each coin weighs 8g and is scored with a cross, dividing it into four 2g quarters. For gongfu brewing, one coin is a practical starting amount for a standard 100–120ml gaiwan. Breaking the coin into quarters lets you fine-tune without having to pry apart a larger compressed cake.

The small-box format — five coins per box — also makes this easy to give. It's a compact, complete package for someone who wants to try Bingdao raw pu-erh without committing to a full-size cake.

Packaging

Produced in compliance with Chinese national food safety standards (GB standard).
Mengku Rongshi tea-making tradition recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Scan the QR code on the label for tea details and brewing instructions.

Session estimates use a fresh portion of dry tea each time. Each portion can be infused repeatedly.