{"product_id":"gushu-mengku-sheng-pu-erh-tea-cake","title":"\"August\" Mengku GuShu Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake (100g)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSifu Lao Cha was passing through Mengku and stopped at a teahouse:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e– Which side of the river is better? – he asked the old woman pouring his tea.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e– Depends on what you like,– she said. – The eastern slope is bright and floral. The western slope is deep and mellow. Try and decide for yourself.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nanmeng River (南勐河) cuts through the middle of Mengku and splits the tea mountains into two: Dong Ban Shan (东半山 – \"Eastern Half Mountain\") and Xi Ban Shan (西半山 – \"Western Half Mountain\"). The two sides sit not that far apart, but yield different tastes. The eastern slopes catch the morning sun and tend to produce brighter, more floral tea. The western slopes face the afternoon light and are known for deeper, fuller-bodied tea with more structure and better aging potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea cake is from the western side. The leaf comes from ancient tea gardens on Xi Ban Shan, sitting at roughly 1,800 meters, from trees over a hundred years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe aroma is strong and comes through right away: dried apricots with orchid sitting behind them. The taste follows the same fruit-forward direction but goes somewhere different. There is apple pie in the opening, sweet and baked, then ripe dark plums in the mid-palate that give the cup weight and a slight tartness. The finish is mineral and long, the kind that keeps going well after you've swallowed. The mouthfeel is thick and mellow. – It feels just like August.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a Sheng that is drinking well right now, but the mineral finish and the body both suggest there is more to come in a few years of storage. At 100g, it's an easy format to buy two of, drink one and set the other aside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Place of Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Xi Ban Shan (西半山), Mengku Town, Shuangjiang County, Lincang City, Yunnan, China\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Altitude:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1800m\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Harvest Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 10, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Pressing Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 28, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Picking Standard:\u003c\/strong\u003e one bud, two leaves\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Aroma:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dried apricots \u0026amp; orchid\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Taste:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sweet apple pie, ripe dark plums, mineral finish\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Tea Tree:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mengku Da Ye Zhong (勐库大叶种)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrewing guidelines:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 18px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 18px; float: none;\" alt=\"Water temperature\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/thermometer_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e212℉ \/ 100℃\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Western-Teapot_45649ad9-ec24-45d3-907f-2a0efe273c28_50x50.png?v=1616729997\" alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio for Western Brewing\" style=\"margin-bottom: 00px; float: none;\"\u003e1g per 70-100ml\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e3-5min\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Gaiwan_Yixing_0f85d4d2-7572-4ccc-8863-e496a3933739_32x32.png?v=1616730143\" alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio. Gong Fu Cha\" style=\"margin: 10px 7px 00px 11px; float: none;\"\u003e1g per 20ml \u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e10sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Liang Shi Zhuang","offers":[{"title":"Whole Cake (100g; $0.30 per gram)","offer_id":42340832116791,"sku":"MENGKU SHENG PU-ERH","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/MengkuGuShuShengPu-erhTeaCake_GUL_1626_lowres.jpg?v=1785382912","url":"https:\/\/pathofcha.com\/products\/gushu-mengku-sheng-pu-erh-tea-cake","provider":"Path of Cha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}