Gushu Raw PuErh from Meng Song made by the Aini tribe to produce a potent and rich tea experience - overflowing with aromatics, forceful with its minerality and deep with its body effects.
This is not a tea for everyone. If you are looking for a sweet and easy-sipping PuErh then look elsewhere, if you are searching for a tea with a clear and easily understandable character then you may want to check out others in our range. If, however, you fancy adding a heavyweight Sheng to your collection then read on.
This tea is made from over 200-year-old tea trees growing in the highest elevation eco-forests of Meng Song - an area well known for making powerhouse, mineral and characterful brews. Much of the Meng Song region tea is produced by the Dai minority group but this Potion Scholar has been picked and processed by the Aini tribe, who, in my view, have added something different to the resulting tea. The leaves look deeper than most fresh Sheng and the character seems to be unapologetically old-school, with a focus on producing a potion rather than a beverage.
The aromatics of this tea are almost overwhelming - sticky and sweet flowers, overripe pears, and baklava. You would expect, from the smell, for the tea to have a rich and sweet taste but in the mouth, it is much more light and ephemeral - shifting and darting flavours of fresh apricots, flowers, herbs and spices. It takes you by surprise and draws you into the unknown, hunting for these fleeting tastes like walking through a herbal apothecary, florist and fruit shop in the dark with a flashlight.
What is unmistakable is the structure and minerality of this tea which flows over your mouth like a wave - gentle but unstoppable. It pulls and dries the mouth before releasing into a sweet flowery aftertaste with a touch of herbal bitters like absinthe.
The body sensation is deep and medicinal - it feels like it fills your whole body with an enlivening power rather than any superficial rush. This tastes and feels like a tribal potion.
We purchased the entire batch of this tea but it is a small quantity with less than 75 tongs. I am so excited to see how this one ages too, so if you are thinking of jumping into the Potion Scholar then I would advise reserving some for long term storage.