Western Half of the Mountain, shengcha Pu’er maocha, 40 g

Whoa, I was not expecting that. I’m no expert with pu’er, but I am getting gushu vibes here – supremely thick and layered, intensely concentrated, and dynamic across a full session. The qi is strong but it has traction control, so the experience ends up being powerful yet restrained. There’s a lot of character in these leaves. The way the flavors open up and change, the way the huigan builds, there’s a lot to appreciate in each sip, it’s all so cohesive and comes together flawlessly. I’m looking forward to getting to know this one better as I continue to work through this bag, and more in the future – this is very good maocha. At the time of this review, it’s exactly 10 years old. It still has some youthful characteristics – notes of fresh-cut tobacco, clear and distinct tropical hardwood, with a very textured mouthfeel – but it’s also tempered, with lots of ultra-smooth qualities already developing nicely. I’m captivated by how smooth, fleshy, and jammy the fruity notes are – I get raisins, fresh fig, and hints of stewed plums, and there’s some nice overtones of florals which are subtle, but contrast nicely against the layers of tobacco and hardwood. There’s definitely something silky and oily going on with the mouthfeel, it has enough presence to cut through any bitterness and leave a really smooth mouthfeel behind in the aftertaste, but it’s not so strong that it has its own set of distinct flavors. It blends seamlessly with the flavors and makes all of the edges feel rounded and polished. The finish is nice – the fruity and floral qualities eventually fade but there is a sweetness which persists, along with some notes of olive wood and various roots.