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Very drinkable, inoffensive. Savoury, wonderful body and mouthfeel.

Must try with milk another time

Beautiful aroma of cacao on the nose.

Liquor is a yellowy-amber colour. I get notes of tart stonefruit, similar to a Dan Cong oolong. Fruitier than Yunnan Sourcing’s regular Da Hong Pao, but just as delicious.

Initial brewing at 193˚F was not hot enough, probably should start at 197˚F for this one.

Perfect night-time or dessert tea. I didn’t think I would like this style of flavoured tea since I dislike the artificial DAVIDsTEA counterparts, but this is a subtle and delicious blend of cacao and caramel. Smells divine but not in a cheap or teenybopper way.

Delicious breakfast tea. I don’t usually like flavoured teas but this is masterfully blended, and doesn’t get too bitter even when oversteeped, like a lot of Western black teas do.

I also loved their Azteca d’Oro. Looking forward to trying all their teas!

1st infusion: Best aroma out of all the 3 Menghai Pu Ers i’ve tried so far: sweet rich earthiness. Tastes lovely and addictive on its own, not so good with milk.

Liquor is a dark reddish-brown.

Rating: 81

A bit more bold and unique than the previous Menghai I tried (the 7562). In addition to typical Pu Er earthiness, this has a herbal / medicinal flavour and slightly salty. It’s not for everyone.

Compared to the 7562, which I think is more of a generic or “classic” Pu Er, the 8592 doesn’t go as well with milk or with food since it steals the show a little. It’s not one of those crowd-pleasers that works well in the background––you WILL notice this tea as you’re drinking it, and it might clash with what you’re pairing it with. I’m glad I tried it, I can’t see myself drinking this often.

First infusion (180˚F):
Intense delicious fruity aroma, I’m getting strong passionfruit and some other very juicy fruits (apricot? nectarine?) on the nose. Flavour is very light, this was more like a rinse but the next infusion should taste great.

Second infusion (184˚F):
Still fragrant, a bit deeper honey colour but flavour is still quite light.

Third infusion (191˚F):
Flavour is still very delicate with some bitterness / astringency now. This is also not a tea that holds up to food well.

I suspect I might need to let this age for another year or so, will revisit then.

Rinsed once.

First infusion brewed at 208˚F for 12s
Dark rust-red colour. Aroma is nice and earthy, what you’d expect from a Pu Er. But flavour kinda bland, mellow. Goes okay with banana bread but nothing remarkable. Goes very nicely with milk.

Second infusion 212˚F for 18s
Liquid is BLACK in the 公道杯 and dark brown in the cup like coffee. Still very mellow flavour, nothing bold but very smooth and drinkable. Goes really well with food. Again, really nice with milk. Nothing special on its own but really addictive when pairing with food. Given the affordable price point, I can see this being a solid everyday Pu Er but this is the first of many samples I have to try.

Rating: 75 on its own, 80 when taken with food
Overall Rating: 77