2025 Gushu BingDao Pojiao Raw Puerh

The Bingdao Character—Without the Bingdao Laozhai Price

Bingdao (冰岛) is one of the most famous raw puerh regions in Lincang, Yunnan, celebrated for its distinctive 冰糖甜 (rock-sugar sweetness). The famous Bingdao Five Villages include Bingdao Laozhai, Dijie, Nanpo, Bawai, and Nuowu, each with its own character and tea-growing environment.

While the finest ancient-tree material from Bingdao Laozhai, the original and most famous Bingdao village, can command hundreds of dollars an ounce and is extremely difficult to obtain, exceptional tea can also be found in nearby areas.

This tea comes from Pojiao (坡脚 / 坡皎), a small tea-growing area located less than 15 minutes driving from Bingdao Laozhai. Although it is not one of the official Bingdao Five Villages, Pojiao shares the same broader mountainous environment, forested surroundings, and old tea resources—without carrying the extreme premium associated with the Bingdao Laozhai name.

Ancient-Tree Material

Gushu (古树) literally means “ancient tree” and refers to puerh made from the leaves of older tea trees rather than young plantation bushes. These trees produce limited quantities of leaf and often grow individually or in scattered groups throughout mountain and forest environments.

With exceptional ancient-tree puerh, the experience extends well beyond the initial flavor. Sweetness can gradually return after swallowing, the depth and texture is thicker and more complex, while cooling sensations and aromatic notes continue developing long after the tea has left the mouth.

This 2025 Pojiao Gushu Sheng Puerh offers the clear sweetness and smooth character associated with the broader Bingdao region, while remaining considerably more approachable than comparable ancient-tree material from Bingdao Laozhai.

Rock Sugar, Plum & Lingering Sweetness

The aroma opens with rock sugar and sugared plum.

The tea has a rounded, smooth body with notes of rock sugar, plum-like fruitiness, subtle minerality, and a creamy, subtly earthy, sweetness reminiscent of Japanese sweet potato. Theres also a long and delicate honeysuckle-like floral sweetness that develops in the aftertaste.

The texture is smooth and rounded, followed by a gentle cooling sensation in the chest. Its most distinctive quality is its resilient sweetness: the sweetness remains long after each sip and can seem to return again and again with each breath.

It is a refined example of what makes Bingdao puerh so compelling—not simply because of its initial flavor, but because of how the tea's sweetness continues to evolve after every cup.

Gongfu Brewing Guide

• Tea: 5g

• Vessel: 90–100ml gaiwan or teapot

• Water: 204°F / 96°C

• Rinse: Quick rinse

First infusion: 8–9 seconds
Following infusions: 1–2 seconds
After approximately the 10th infusion: Gradually add a few seconds to each steep.

For later infusions, filling the gaiwan only halfway can help draw out additional flavor. With careful brewing, this tea can produce around 20 infusions, making it well suited for long gongfu sessions or sharing with friends.