Jingmai sheng pu-erh
Raw pu-erh from the old forest-interplanted gardens of Jingmai in Lancang, distinguished by an unusually pronounced floral, orchid-like aroma that is rare among pu-erh origins. The gardens themselves are among the oldest continuously managed tea landscapes in the world.
Character
Noticeably floral for a pu-erh, with moderate bitterness and a bright sweetness. The most aromatic of the well-known sheng origins and the least like the category’s reputation.
- Flavour
- Floral, Sweet, Woody
- Aroma
- Orchid, Honeyed
- Mouthfeel
- Medium, Smooth, Complex
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- orchid, honey, wildflower, green wood
- Aftertaste
- Floral and sweet, with a clean cooling finish.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Jingmai
- Cultivar
- Yunnan Da Ye Zhong
- Oxidation
- Not applicable
- Post-fermentation
- Natural ageing
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying → Compression → Ageing and storage
History
Jingmai’s old tea forest was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023, recognising a cultivated forest system maintained by the Blang and Dai peoples over roughly a thousand years. It is the only tea landscape with that status.
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.
- Yiwu sheng pu-erh
The two gentlest well-known sheng origins, both sweet and floral rather than bitter, and the usual pair recommended to someone starting on raw pu-erh.
- Nannuo sheng pu-erh
Two Menghai-area mountains producing balanced sheng, often sold interchangeably by sellers who blend across gardens.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Darjeeling muscatel
Shares 6 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: sweet, woody, medium, smooth, complex and honeyed.
- Huang Guan Yin
Shares 6 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, medium, smooth, orchid and honeyed.
- Ling Tou Dan Cong
Shares 6 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, medium, smooth, honeyed and orchid.
- Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong
Shares 6 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: sweet, floral, complex, medium, honeyed and orchid.
- Phoenix Dan Cong
Shares 6 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, medium, complex, orchid and honeyed.
- Alishan oolong
Shares 5 descriptors with Jingmai sheng pu-erh: floral, sweet, smooth, complex and orchid.