Nannuo vs Bulang
Two Menghai-area pu-erh mountains that sit at different points on the bitterness scale. Bulang is the assertive end of the spectrum in common circulation; Nannuo is the balanced middle, which makes it a better first sheng and a worse story.
growing region
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Nannuo Mountain | Bulang |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Roughly 1,100 to 1,800 m. | Roughly 1,200 to 1,800 m. |
| Young sheng character | Balanced — neither as bitter as Bulang nor as soft as Yiwu. | Strongly bitter young, with a pronounced returning sweetness. |
| Old arbour material | Substantial stands. | Present, and the village of Lao Ban Zhang on this mountain commands the highest prices in Yunnan. |
| Ageing reputation | Good without being the argument for the tea. | The material most associated with long-term ageing potential. |
| Who it suits | Someone drinking young sheng now. | Someone buying to keep, or someone who wants the bitterness. |
| Price pressure | Moderate. | Extreme at the named-village end, and heavily imitated because of it. |
The short answer
Bulang is bought for what it will become and Nannuo is bought for what it is. A beginner told that young sheng is unpleasantly bitter has usually been handed the first and would have got on with the second.
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