From the same trees as last year's Mansai puerh, this tea was picked early in the Spring - the first flush of the year.
As with last year, the leaves are a little more broken than ideal due to the remote region and the long journey they have taken to reach the factory before pressing into cakes.
The cake is composed of a high percentage of furry buds and brews a vivid yellow.
The flavour is thick and pure, with a hint of bitterness transforming into a long sweetness in the mouth. The tea is balanced throughout the mouth and throat, with the strong qi immediately present upon drinking.
I'm happy with this tea this year. As with all old tree puerhs, the price of the raw leaves was a little higher this year, but I feel the trees have benefited from more rain this year (compared to last year's drought) and the leaves are stronger with more qi.
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2011 Mansai Review by Sebastien
The smell of this cake is superb, in the preheated teapot it is also flawless. I have not recently tasted 2010 version of this cake, but I feel that this 2011 version has something more incisive, more settled.
Two flash rinses and a brew later, I got a cup of a bright, yellow liquor, slightly pulling on the orange. Very pure, clear, its presence in the mouth is immediate, thick and fresh, flavorful and dynamic.
By the second brew, the liquor turns to a more orange tone. Delicious bitter highlights all the scents and propagate them into the throat. The nose and palate are already impregnated since the first brew.
The least I can say is that this tea gorgeous : very strong presence in the mouth, and yet a smooth finish. The bitterness is really delicate and tasty.
Nothing much to add, I have no complaints about this puerh. Balance & strength, endurance & fragrance, purity and presence in the mouth, a cake of exquisite, a great success. (Posted on 26/11/2011) -
2011 EoT Mansai Review by CM
I found this more full-bodied than the 2010 version, with less bitterness and a noticeably higher proportion of tips. Still complex and interesting – both are very good. (Posted on 26/11/2011)
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Best of Three Review by Taylor
We're new to pu-erh teas and asked a trusted source for some pu-erhs to try. He recommended three different EoT teas and this happened to be one of them (the second tea we tasted of the three).
This tea has a strong fragrance. We smell definite smokiness and we are reminded of oolong teas. The brew is very yellow in color. Overall, we enjoy the brew. It is woody, smoky, and delightful. We plan on purchasing a number of 2011 pu-erhs to commemorate our wedding (we will be married this winter) and this tea is in our sights to purchase. (Posted on 25/09/2011) -
A meaty tea Review by RC
Upon tasting my first sip of this tea I immediately thought of a smoked meat, like bacon. My guess is that this is due to the umami of the tea along with a light smokiness. While I quite like the floral nature of some of the other young sheng for immediate drinking I wonder how they will age. My guess though is that this is likely to age well given its strength.
While my impressions of the 2010 Mansai were nothing special I thought this was an interesting tea. (Posted on 11/09/2011) -
Well balanced and powerful, very flavoured, better than 2010 one Review by Sebastien
Complete review (in french) here : http://vacuithe.blogspot.com/2011/06/eot-mansai-2011.html (Posted on 29/08/2011)
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New and improved Review by David
This years model has definitely been upgraded. flavors are stronger and thicker and the qi is noticeably stronger. The 2011 does not seem to have as much ku as the 2010. I feel that it almost evens out with the price increase. (Posted on 25/08/2011)
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Beefy, Rich, Funky Review by the_skua
An excerpt from my blog post here: http://tea.theskua.com/?p=550
Compared with my two sets of notes from the 2010 Mansai, this tea has gained some thickness and depth, coming across less like a fleeting, young green and more like the rich, funky pu’er that it should be. One preparing for the aging process. I like it. A slightly more fractured leaf set is due to a long journey through a remote region. This is slightly noticeable in the dry and steeped leaves, as well as in the very first steep, which shows just enough translucency to be detected. However, this in no way detracts from the tea, a quite tippy pu’er, with lots of buds and budsets visible in the exhausted leaves, which makes for a fresh and enlightening session. (Posted on 25/08/2011)