TeaHQ

Gu Shu black tea

Black tea made from the same old-arbour Yunnan trees whose leaf usually becomes sheng pu-erh. The thicker leaf and deeper root system give a heavier, more mineral cup than plantation Dian Hong, and a noticeably longer finish.

Black teaBold intensityIntermediate to appreciate古樹紅茶
Brew at 88–93 °CUse 1–1.5 g per 100 mlFirst steep 180sWestern brewing (teapot or mug)Full schedule and equipment →

Character

Dian Hong’s sweetness with a mineral spine underneath and a much longer finish. The difference from plantation material is real and audible in the aftertaste.

Flavour
Sweet, Mineral, Fruity
Aroma
Honeyed, Stone fruit
Mouthfeel
Full bodied, Rich, Complex
Complexity
Layered
Notes
honey, wet stone, dried fruit, camphor
Aftertaste
Long, mineral and cooling.

Bold intensity: full-bodied, astringent or bitter enough to lead the cup.

Provenance and production

Origin
China
Region
Lincang, Xishuangbanna
Oxidation
Fully oxidised
Harvest
Spring
Processing
Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying

Authenticity: 'Gu shu' claims are the most abused in Yunnan tea. Tree age is not verifiable from the leaf and price is not proof.

Brewing

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.

  • Golden Needle

    Same region, same sweetness, far more mineral depth. The old-arbour material is where Yunnan black stops being simply pleasant.

  • Thai black tea

    Thai black is Yunnanese planting stock at a Yunnanese remove. Following it back to old-arbour Chinese material shows what the same genetics do at origin.

  • Ye Sheng black tea

    Both sold as wild or old-tree Yunnan black tea, and the terms are used loosely. Ye sheng refers to a botanically distinct purple-leafed population; gu shu refers to tree age, which is unverifiable.

Similar sensory profile

Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.

  • Gui Hua Xiang

    Shares 6 descriptors with Gu Shu black tea: fruity, sweet, full bodied, complex, honeyed and stone fruit.

  • Moonlight White

    Shares 6 descriptors with Gu Shu black tea: fruity, sweet, full bodied, rich, honeyed and stone fruit.

  • Song Zhong Dan Cong

    Shares 6 descriptors with Gu Shu black tea: sweet, fruity, full bodied, rich, complex and honeyed.

  • Aged GABA oolong

    Shares 5 descriptors with Gu Shu black tea: fruity, sweet, full bodied, rich and stone fruit.

  • Aged Shou Mei

    Shares 5 descriptors with Gu Shu black tea: sweet, fruity, full bodied, rich and honeyed.

Compare this tea with another

Journeys featuring this tea