Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
The same ripe pu-erh in brick and cake form. Compression density affects ageing rate, not quality, and bricks are usually pressed harder.
Point by point
| Dimension | Shou pu-erh brick | Menghai shou pu-erh |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Dark tea and pu-erh · not applicable · post-fermented (microbial wet piling) | Dark tea and pu-erh · not applicable · post-fermented (microbial wet piling) |
| Production | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Sun-drying (shai qing) → Wet piling (wo dui) → Compression. spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Wet piling (wo dui) → Compression. spring harvest. |
| Origin | China — Menghai | China — Menghai |
| Flavour | earthy, sweet and woody. full bodied and rich in the mouth. Aroma: damp earth, dried date, wood. Moderate in character. Bold in intensity. | earthy, chocolate, woody and sweet. full bodied, smooth and rich in the mouth. Aroma: damp earth, dark chocolate, dried date, old wood. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Gongfu brewing (Yixing pot): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 10s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.