Today I drank a small sample I got from a teafriend, labeled “2008 Mengku Raw, Teabook.” I couldn’t find an 08 Mengku here or on Teabook’s website, so here the review shall go. Probably sold out or something. After a rinse, I took a big whiff and got punched right in the face with a big tobacco and slightly barnyard aroma. Also whiffs of fruit in the background – big, hefty nose on this one.
The flavor followed largely in kind. Sweet and heavy tobacco notes, with a light underlying smoke and a little bitterness. This one still feels like a pretty young tea, but I imagine it would have been quite rough the first couple years after pressing. The tea possessed a lightly sweet but rather flat huigan which did not last long on the palate. Towards the end of the session, I started to pick up a bit of fruitiness buried in the finish, but the tea gave up the ghost just after that started to show through. Potentially would be a better tea given another decade of solid aging, but as it is, not one that really aligns with my pu tastes. Leaf quality was better than tuocha and some super chopped cakes, but was still pretty cut up. Provided a mostly enjoyable session for my afternoon though.
Flavors: Fruity, Smoke, Sweet, Tobacco
