Gong Ting shou pu-erh
The finest leaf grade of ripe pu-erh, sorted for small buds and tips. Gong Ting means palace or tribute grade, and while the name is a modern marketing convention rather than a historical designation, the grading it describes is real: smaller material, smoother cup, less earthiness.
Character
Smoother and sweeter than standard shou, with the earthiness dialled down and a cocoa note forward. Small material extracts fast, so early steeps should be kept short.
- Flavour
- Chocolate, Sweet, Earthy
- Aroma
- Caramelised
- Mouthfeel
- Silky, Smooth, Rich
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- dark chocolate, sweet earth, dried date, vanilla
- Aftertaste
- Very smooth and sweet, fading gently.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Menghai
- Oxidation
- Not applicable
- Post-fermentation
- Microbial wet piling
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Wet piling (wo dui)
Authenticity: 'Gong Ting' describes a leaf-size grade, not an imperial provenance and not an age. The tribute-tea association is a modern naming convention and should not be read as a historical claim.
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.
- Lao Cha Tou
The two sweetest, thickest ripe pu-erh formats, and the two hardest to over-brew.
- Gong Ting shou pu-erh
The same grade under two spellings of the same name — worth knowing so a buyer is not paying twice for one thing.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Menghai shou pu-erh
Shares 6 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: earthy, chocolate, sweet, smooth, rich and caramelised.
- Shou pu-erh (ripe)
Shares 6 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: earthy, sweet, chocolate, smooth, rich and caramelised.
- Aged Liu Bao
Shares 5 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: sweet, earthy, rich, silky and caramelised.
- Aged white tea cake
Shares 5 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: sweet, earthy, rich, smooth and caramelised.
- Hand-pressed Fu Zhuan
Shares 5 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: sweet, earthy, smooth, rich and caramelised.
- Liu Bao
Shares 5 descriptors with Gong Ting shou pu-erh: earthy, sweet, smooth, silky and caramelised.