Bojun Ripe Pu-erh 2019 (500g Cake) — Mengku Rongshi

Bojun was introduced in 2017. By 2019, after two years of refinement and market feedback, the formula had found its form. Stored since production in Xi'an's dry northern climate, it now carries years of clean aging. One format: a single 500g compressed cake.

Why 2019

Mengku Rongshi launched Bojun in 2017 as their first serious departure from conventional ripe pu-erh — a different fermentation method, a different flavor target. By 2019, the process had stabilized, the recipe was dialed in, and the tea started drawing consistent attention within the industry.

This is not a retrospective judgment. The recognition happened in real time: 2019 Bojun sold steadily, held its price, and became the reference point for what this tea could be. The following year — 2020 — Bojun was officially selected as one of Yunnan's Ten Famous Teas, a recognition that in part reflected what the 2019 vintage had demonstrated.

The cake itself reflects the maturity of that moment. The dry leaf is well-formed: tightly compressed but not overly so, reddish-brown with visible bud tips, the material consistent throughout.

The Tea

Raw material: One bud plus two leaves, from vine-trained Mengku large-leaf trees in Shuangjiang, Lincang. The same selection standard used for Bojun sheng (raw) pu-erh.

Fermentation: The brand's own method — material is sorted and fermented in separate batches, each one managed precisely for temperature, humidity, turning schedule, and duration. Blending happens after fermentation, not before. This approach results in a higher proportion of aromatic compounds (floral and fruity) and a lower presence of the "pile smell" that comes with conventional large-pile wodui fermentation. Fermentation is intentionally kept on the lighter side, which preserves more active compounds and results in gallic acid levels above what's typical in conventional ripe pu-erh.

Aged in Xi'an

Xi'an sits in northwest China — dry climate, seasonal temperatures, low annual humidity. It's a natural dry storage environment: aging proceeds slowly and cleanly, without the intervention of the warm humid conditions you'd find in Yunnan or Guangdong.

Years in this climate have done what dry storage does well. The core Bojun character — the floral and caramel notes, the sweetness, the texture — is intact, with some additional depth that wasn't there at production.

A Note on Price

Because Mengku Rongshi held firm pricing discipline on this vintage from the start, the 2019 cake has always carried a premium — and that hasn't changed. If your main interest is experiencing what Bojun tastes like, the 2020 cake is a genuine alternative: the same tea, one year younger, at a more accessible price point. The 2019 makes sense if the vintage specifically matters to you, or if you're buying with long-term storage in mind.

The Bojun Series

Bojun is currently available in four editions, each pressed as a 500g cake. Click through to compare:

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