2016 ZSL Man Lin
2026-02-10
Revisiting this tea I’m reminded right away why I liked it in the first place. That beautiful clarity is still there, and in the Zini pot it comes through with the same wild-herb character I remember. There’s also a deep energy in this tea that seems to reach quite far into the body, with a relaxing (almost sedating) effect that builds up as the session goes on.
Aromatically it sits in thyme and wild herbs throughout, with a few soft floral notes in the background, reminding me of the Yishanmo teas from Zheng Si Long in that way. The mouthfeel is nicely coating almost sticky, similar to other Gushu ZSL teas.
Most of all, this one has a clear quality - like “mountain water” you could say. It runs down very smoothly. After a few steeps there’s slight acidity, building in the back of the throat, which I’d chalk up to the tea still being on the greener side.
There is a menthol cooling, which builds up with each steep, opening up the throat and encouraging deep breaths.
Energy-wise it keeps accumulating, and you can feel there’s still a lot of youthful power in it. Now that I’ve been drinking more old teas over the last weeks, this one hits quite strongly in comparison;)
2025-08
