Bingdao sheng pu-erh
Sheng pu-erh from Bingdao village in Lincang, whose old-arbour material is among the most expensive in Yunnan. It is known for an almost complete absence of bitterness combined with an intense returning sweetness, which is an unusual pairing in young sheng.
Character
Sweet from the first sip with almost no bitterness, which is the opposite of what young sheng usually does and why it commands the price it does.
- Flavour
- Sweet, Floral
- Aroma
- Orchid, Honeyed
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Silky, Complex
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- sugarcane, orchid, mountain herbs, ice sugar
- Aftertaste
- Extremely sweet and cooling, arriving almost immediately.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Lincang
- Oxidation
- Not applicable
- Post-fermentation
- Natural ageing
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Sun-drying (shai qing) → Compression → Ageing and storage
Authenticity: Among the most counterfeited teas in China. Genuine Bingdao production is tiny relative to what is sold, and no visual inspection separates them.
Brewing
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
5–7 g/100 ml · 98–100 °C · 6 authored infusions
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 95–100 °C · 1 authored infusion
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Xigui sheng pu-erh
Two Lincang villages with opposite profiles. Bingdao is sweet from the first sip; Xigui makes you go through bitterness to reach it.
- Yiwu sheng pu-erh
The two soft ends of sheng pu-erh, both low in bitterness and high in immediate sweetness.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Alishan oolong
Shares 6 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, full bodied, silky, complex and orchid.
- Song Zhong Dan Cong
Shares 6 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, full bodied, complex, orchid and honeyed.
- You Hua Xiang
Shares 6 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, full bodied, complex, orchid and honeyed.
- Zhangping Shui Xian
Shares 6 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, full bodied, silky, orchid and honeyed.
- Anxi Huang Jin Gui
Shares 5 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, silky, orchid and honeyed.
- Da Yu Ling
Shares 5 descriptors with Bingdao sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, full bodied, silky and orchid.