Mengku Rongshi 2006 "Qiao Mu Wang" (Wild Arbor King) Raw Puerh

Here is a chance to sample one of the "holy grail teas" in the Mengku Rongshi canon, the 2006 Yunnan Tea Expo Gold Award champion.

Many may be familiar with more recent productions of this blend, but this 2006 is the very vintage that clinched both the Gold and Silver awards in the 2006 Yunnan Tea Expo, with the 500g cake and 1kg brick formats, respectively.

Impeccable clean and dry Kunming storage has preserved every single nuance of the original blend. The considerable substance and "ba qi" (expression of power) is still intact despite 17 years of maturation, but the once-aggressive profile has developed a wonderful rounded texture and cohesion.

The interplay of hardy wildflowers and aged fragrant woods captures perfectly the wild forest spirit and untamed character of the ancient tea mountains of Mengku/Lincang region. Notes of dried apricot and aged orange peel are deep and persistent, while a very pleasant astringency that can be coaxed with longer brewing times moves almost immediately into a beguiling stonefruit sweetness in the throat.

Exceptional tea. 

We are offering a chance to taste this 2006 Wild Arbor King alongside the 2006 "Mu Shu Cha" (Mother Trees) blend of the same year, another heralded vintage. These two highly sought-after vintage teas are known as the "King and Queen" of Mengku Rongshi's lineup, respectively.  Order from the dropdown menu or ask for details.

TASTE PROFILE

A strong herbal / aniseed / licorice character is prevalent upon the first few steeps, which slips quickly into the dried apricot sweetness and wild florality characteristic of Mengku teas. This charming interplay refreshes the palate with clean medium-length finish. The considerable astringency of young WAK blends is almost gone (unless the tea is pushed hard). It manifests instead as a deep rounded glow, deep and layered. 

 It is clear to see that this was a robust blend that has benefitted considerably from aging, but will continue to develop beautifully for decades to come.