敬昌号 勐宋秋韵 生普洱茶 2013
Raw Pu'er (Sheng) · 2013 · Mengsong Township, Menghai, Xishuangbanna · Autumn Harvest · Xi'an Dry Storage
Mengsong Township occupies the eastern hills of Menghai County in Xishuangbanna. It is one of the New Six Famous Tea Mountains of Yunnan, known locally by two reputations that seem like contradictions until you actually drink the tea: a place famous for fragrance and sweetness, and simultaneously known as the hometown of bitter tea. Both are true, and the way they resolve in the cup is what makes Mengsong material worth paying attention to.
The arbor trees here are predominantly medium-leaf varietal — compact, robust, with thick and well-budded leaf sets that carry abundant aromatic compounds. The growing conditions are serious: high elevation, heavy cloud cover, wide diurnal temperature swings, dense surrounding vegetation. The kind of environment that builds character into a leaf rather than just volume.
This cake was pressed in 2013. It has been in Xi'an dry storage since it left the factory.
Why Autumn
Most pu'er drinkers default to spring tea. Spring has its merits — clarity, delicacy, a certain freshness. But autumn harvest from a mountain like Mengsong tells a different story, and it is worth understanding before you brew.
This tea was harvested in the window between late August and early September — the season local farmers call Guhua Cha (谷花茶): the grain flower harvest, named for the moment when the rice paddies are in full flower and the fields are turning gold. The days are clear and cool, the nights are cold, and the temperature swings between them are at their widest of the year. These conditions are particularly favorable for the accumulation of aromatic compounds in the leaf.
The result is a tea whose defining quality is fragrance. Not the light, airy fragrance of a spring sheng — something deeper and more settled. Fruit, floral honey, a warmth in the aroma that lingers in the cup after pouring and clings to the bottom of an empty vessel long after the tea is gone. The body is rounder and sweeter than spring material from the same mountain, with lower overall astringency. It is a more approachable tea without being a simpler one.
Thirteen Years On
A 2013 autumn sheng from Mengsong, stored dry in Xi'an for over a decade, sits in an interesting position. The green, raw edges of a young sheng have softened considerably. The bitterness — always present in Mengsong material, part of its identity — still arrives on the first sip, but it dissolves quickly and cleanly, and the sweetness that follows is deep and persistent. The fragrance has gained density over the years without losing its height.
This is not a finished old tea. It is a tea in confident mid-development: already genuinely pleasurable, still moving forward, with years of evolution ahead if you choose to keep it. The Xi'an storage has kept the flavor clean and the origin character intact — no storage note sitting between you and the mountain.
In the Cup
The fragrance arrives first and stays throughout: fruit and floral honey, present in the dry leaf, alive in the liquor, persistent in the empty cup. Mengsong teas are known for strong cup-bottom fragrance — the scent that remains in the vessel after the tea has been poured — and this one delivers it clearly.
The first sip carries bitterness. This is not a flaw; it is the mountain. Mengsong is called the hometown of bitter tea for a reason, and trying to eliminate that quality would be missing the point. What matters is what happens next: the bitterness dissolves fast, clears the throat, and opens into a returning sweetness that rises from deep in the throat and holds. The liquor is sweet, smooth, and mountain-wild — a combination that is difficult to describe precisely and easy to recognize when you taste it.
The leaf sets are thick and vigorous. They open fully in the pot and sustain many infusions without fading.
Brewing
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Water temperature: Boiling — 100°C / 212°F. Full heat throughout the session.
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Vessel: A gaiwan or small clay teapot. A gaiwan lets you read each infusion clearly and track the evolution of the fragrance; clay will integrate the flavors slightly as the session progresses.
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Leaf amount: Approximately 7–8g per 100ml. Mengsong material is concentrated — start within this range and adjust to taste.
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Rinse: One quick rinse with boiling water, discarded immediately. Wakes the compressed leaf and warms the vessel.
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First steeping: Around 10 seconds. Pour immediately.
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Subsequent steepings: Pour immediately — do not let the tea sit. As the leaf opens and the session progresses, begin extending steeping time gradually, following your palate rather than a fixed schedule.
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Cup bottom: After each pour, take a moment to smell the empty cup. The lingering fragrance here — fruit, honey, warmth — is one of the distinctive pleasures of this tea at this age.
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Longevity: Expect a long session. The leaf is dense and well-built; 12 or more good steepings is a reasonable expectation.
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Water: Filtered or spring water is worthwhile if your tap water is heavily treated.
Storage
Over thirteen years in Xi'an, this tea has developed cleanly and is in stable condition. For long-term keeping: a dry space with reasonable airflow, away from direct sunlight, humidity, and strong odors. A cardboard box in a clean dry room is sufficient. Avoid sealed containers — the tea needs to breathe.
The Dai mulberry paper wrapper is thin, flexible, and highly breathable — slightly rough to the touch, with the natural, uneven texture of a traditional material. It is not decorative. It is chosen because it allows the cake to continue aging in contact with its environment. Keep it intact when possible.
The 30g sample is sealed for short-term storage. Once opened, keep it dry, clean, and away from anything with a strong smell.
Available In
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357g cake — one full bing, wrapped in traditional Dai mulberry paper
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Tong of 7 cakes — 7 × 357g, bamboo-wrapped; best value for those aging or sharing
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30g sample — for those trying before committing to a full cake
Explore the full range: Return to the Jing Chang Hao collection to see all Jing Chang Hao teas.
