Review topics: ["taste","price","bitterness","tea","aroma","notes","sheng","drinker","session","nose"].
Reviews
It's just ok for me. Good beginner sheng.
"I just finished a sample I got back in 2023. I did a couple 3. 5 ish gram sessions in 50 to 60ml gaiwans etc but am in to my 140ish ml clay pots these days and decided it was time to clear house from all of my samples which I keep in mylar bags with bovida 65% humidity packs, like everything in my collection. I'm serious about puerh is what I'm saying. So this Yunnan Sourcing "Wu Liang Mountain" Wild Arbor Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake made in 2019. For me it's light in aroma and flavor. I started with the remainder of my sample, 9. 1g, in 2 chunks so I did a 7 second rinse then let it sit about 8 minutes with the lid on the pot. Did my first steep at about 15 seconds which was a mistake, should have gone 30 because these nuggets are dense. Tea was very light but had some nice notes when it was cool. After another steep at 25 seconds that was also a bit light I shook the pot to separate the tea a bit then went for a full minute steep. Finally got some vegetable notes and florals. Hint of bitterness. Last try I went for a full 3 minutes and got the surprisingly dark color for a young sheng but, alas, not the strength I expected for the color. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad tea and it has pretty well behaved bitterness that won't really come out unless you abuse it. For me it's mostly the material. It's nearly completely chop. I dumped a good amount on my hand and spread it out and it's all short stems with partial leaves and bits of leaves with only a few full leaves in my handful. It reminds me of the way really cheap machine picked oolong looks. (I'll attempt to upload a couple pictures) So for me as an everyday tea I'd consider it if it were on sale for around $40 or maybe for a new puerh enthusiast gift at around $50. Any more than that and I think you have options with better material in that price range."
— NYCJay (3/5)
3g in about 6cL (porcelain).
"3g in about 6cL (porcelain). Starting at 10sec but this was a littkle weak. The nose is very "round", generous, on the fruit category, I would say cooked plums and maybe dried figs. From the 4th brew, I get some sweet notes, mixed with a mild biterness. From the 6th or 7th brew, it became dryer and weaker on the palate, while the nose remained intense and very pleasant. You could probably make 10 infusions if playing with the parameters in the right way. In the middle of the session, I felt a little warmth coming up in the body but nothing extreme."
— Sabrina B. (4/5)
Wonderful young sheng
"This is an enjoyable young sheng, tastes a bit floral but most noticeably of stone fruit. There is occasional fleeting bitterness that is outlasted by the sweetness. Mild but noticeable cha qi in the first few steeps. Makes for a delicious and interesting session."
— Serena (5/5)
Classic YS quality pu erh
"I've source from numerous vendors, and there's a lot of good tea out there, but I don't think any other Western-facing seller can match Scott for products like this - great quality pu erh for a great price point. An excellent well above-average daily drinker now, and doubtless something really special in 12+ years"
— Sam S. (5/5)
Great buy for young sheng drinkers!
"A simple, positive review would suffice to communicate the quality of the tea: it is durable, rich in thick, savory vegetal and pungent fruity notes – almost foody overall. In this young stage, still quite floral in aroma as well, wafting invitingly through the immediate area. Bitterness and astringency are a distant note, yet present enough under it all to power things pleasantly. I find the tea comforting in Qi, but also upbeat. It’s neither too strong, nor unsatisfying, suiting well my ‘at-work’ tea slot. What I really wanted to note however, was that while this Wu Liang is a fraction of the price of some higher end shengs, it is by no means a fraction of the tea. It is as good or even better than some, based on the growing selection of 2019 samples & cakes I’ve been enjoying. Thus, I feel it defines what I think about YS: Solid tea at fair prices. A great buy for young sheng drinkers!"
— Kelly S. (5/5)
Beautiful bargain
"Wu Liang Mtn Wild Arbor is quite nice. It has a beautiful "sheng musk" that's clean and clear due to the excellent processing. This forms the foundation of the aroma profile, along with subtle hints towards some floral and (fresh, not dried) fruity notes (I think the other reviewer got it right that the fruitiness is in the stone fruit direction). The tea soup is perfectly clear with a light golden hue, and emits a strong aroma. It is a viscous, lubricating brew with great retronasal aromas, a pleasant flavor that is slightly sweet, a tad bitter in a good way, and subtle tinge astringency that makes the mouthfeel sparkle a little. This is a really great tea for drinking any time, and is ready to drink young. The price is a total bargain for this tea. Definitely recommend."
— Christopher R. (5/5)
sweet peach taste
"For me "Wu Liang Mt." wild arbor raw pu-erh 2019 is a tea with fresh sweet peach taste, which is connected with a bit bitternes, the pleasant taste lasts in the mouth for a long time. I enjoyed the tea very much (also with its colour, smell and the illustration of the cake cover). If somebody has tried "Spring morning" raw pu-erh 2019 and/or "Hai Zi Zhai" raw pu-erh 2018 as well, I could place the "Wu Liang Mt." wild arbour raw pu-erh 2019 in between: I would say the "Spring morning" has more intense, but more simple sweet taste, "Hai Zi Zhai" on the other hand has more complex taste: peach sweet, bitter, maybe a bit spicey, the tea also lasts in the mouth a very pleasant feeling."
— Peter S. (5/5)
sweet peach taste
"For me "Wu Liang Mt." wild arbor raw pu-erh 2019 is tea with sweet peach taste, which is connected with a bit bitternes, the taste lasts in the mouth long time. If somebody had tried "Spring morning" raw pu-erh 2019 and "Hai Zi Zhai" raw pu-erh 2018 I would say the "Spring morning" has a more simple sweet taste and it can be more bitter, if you last the tea in gaiwan too long; "Hai Zi Zhai" has on the other hand for me more complex taste: as "Spring morning" and "Wu Liang Mt." wild arbor. Also this tea has a sweet peach taste and a bit bitterness, but also something more that lasts in the mouth a pleasant feeling (and I don´t know how to describe it :). I would suggest to order first all three samples and than decide according to your feeling. I have decided for "Hai Zi Zhai" raw pu-erh 2018."
— Peter S. (5/5)
