Description
Produced in 2000, this Menghai ripe spent its first years aging in Menghai and then continued in Kunming, a clean, natural progression that has shed any wet-pile roughness and layered in mature depth. The cup is dark, thick, and soothing, with that classic aged cacao–camphor profile and a gently warming energy.
Why it’s special
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Early-vintage Menghai shou with tidy fermentation and long, clean storage (Menghai → Kunming)
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No wo-dui funk; instead you get smooth cocoa, sandalwood, and cooling camphor
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Loose leaf that brews surprisingly long, easy, flavorful steeps well past the usual 6–8 rounds
Tasting notes
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Aroma: dark cocoa, sandalwood, faint camphor, red date
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Liquor: deep mahogany; glossy, “soupy” density
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Flavor: cacao nib and brown sugar up front; camphor and cedar rise in mid-cup; hints of dried longan
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Mouthfeel: thick, coating, silk-smooth with no astringency
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Finish & feel: lingering sweetness with comforting hui gan and kou gan; mild, warming cha qi
Origin & processing
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Region: greater Menghai area, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
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Type: ripe (shou) pu-erh, traditional wet-piling
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Vintage: 2000
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Storage: natural aging in Menghai, then dry Kunming storage to present
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Format: loose leaf (散茶)
Brewing guide
Gongfu (recommended)
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6–7 g per 100 ml
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100 °C water
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Two quick rinses, then 10 s • 12 s • 15 s • 20 s • 25 s, adding time slowly; 8–12 infusions common
Western / mug
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4–5 g per 300 ml
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96–100 °C for 3–4 minutes; 2–3 steeps
Grandpa style
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1–1.2 g per 100 ml
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95–100 °C; top up as you sip for a mellow, cocoa-sweet cup
Tips: If you like more camphor and wood, extend the middle steeps slightly. For maximum clarity, use fresh boiling water and pre-warm all vessels.
Good to know
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Caffeine: medium-low to medium (gentle, cozy session)
In short: a clean, well-matured year-2000 Menghai shou, thick, chocolatey, and quietly camphorous—with the stamina and poise that make aged loose ripe so satisfying.
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