Teavivre® Menghai Golden Buds Tribute Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea (Fermented, Shou, 200g)

While it's not the BEST shou I've ever had, it's very very good, 4.5 stars maybe. Still a fair bit of wet pile smell on the cake, even though my package suggests a 2015 harvest and 2022 cake pressing. But the flavor is smooth, rich, dark woody with some maple, molasses, maybe a hint of cocoa and a deeply calming cha qi hits by the third infusion. The difference between this and the best shou cakes? The latter are usually ones you got from a special shop that's out of them now or a friend who knew a guy or you had to pay overseas shipping and wait a month; this one you can get in two days with Prime, at fifteen cents a gram. If I hadn't amassed such a stockpile, I'd click subscribe 'n' save.

Really nice overall. Just decent by wider standards, but for one you can get on Amazon for a reasonable price shipped with prime? That makes it a really good value. Flavor is rich, smooth, clean earth, petrichor and forest wood. Good clean dark tea flavor in later steepings. Develops nicely over the session. Enjoyable and would buy again.

so this pu-uerh is very smoky, almost like a laspong, not sure where that is coming from. Me no likey, takes away from the earthy, musky taste of a shou pu-erh. bought based on reviews and would not order again. bummer!

I agree with the other reviewers that this is a rich/robust tasting tea (full, yet light flavor). I think there is a very slight hint of smoke also? I also bought and tried two certified organic pu-erhs and they are empty tasting compared to this tea. Perhaps because this tea is from Bulang Mountain which gives it a 'teroir'? This does not have the 'slippery' mouth feel some pu-erhs have (in case you are wondering), but there seems to be a very slight hint of one.

It’s a small cake, although it sounds should be good quality, not meeting my expectation - it’s not fishy, but weak in flavor, not mellow, not sweet, more like nothing. Jing Long’s Cai Wei is better compared to this one.