A complete 180 from the Green Tea, but equally impressive
After being pleasantly surprised by the 2019 Aged Green Tea from this shop, I moved on to the 2019 Aged Gong Ting Imperial Grade Ripe Pu-erh from the same order. Switching from an aged green to a "Gong Ting" (Imperial Grade) ripe Pu-erh is a total shift in profile, but the quality consistency remains.
The Breakdown
The Leaves: True to the "Imperial" designation, the dry leaf consists of tiny, delicate buds with a beautiful golden luster. The sorting is remarkably clean—very little "tea dust," which is often a problem with loose-leaf Shu Pu-erh.
The Experience: While the 19D Green was airy and woody, this is dark, rich, and grounding. It brews into a deep, mahogany liquor. The "woidui" (fermentation) scent has completely mellowed out over the last few years, leaving a clean aroma of damp earth and sweet jujube.
Texture: This is where it wins. The mouthfeel is incredibly thick—almost creamy—with notes of dark cocoa and a natural sweetness that lingers at the back of the throat.
A Few Practical Tips
As a follow-up to my previous review on the aged green, I noticed this Pu-erh behaves quite differently. Because these are fine buds, they flash-infuse. I’d recommend shorter steeps (around 5–10 seconds) for the first 3-4 rounds in a Gaiwan. If you leave it too long, it gets very intense, very quickly. It’s a powerful tea, but it lacks the bitterness of lower-grade leaves, making it very "stomach-friendly."
Final Thoughts
If the 2019 Green Tea was my morning "focus" tea, this 2019 Gong Ting has become my evening "winding down" tea. It’s a sophisticated, "clean" ripe Pu-erh that proves why small-bud picking is held in such high regard. If you're ordering the aged greens, adding this to your cart for a contrast in flavors is a smart move.
