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Bingdao Lao Zhai 2024 Sheng
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Bingdao Lao Zhai 2024 Sheng

Bīng Dǎo Lǎo Zhài 2024 Shēng · 冰岛老寨 2024 生 (冰島老寨 2024 生)

puerh-sheng · bing · ancient-tree

Bingdao Lao Zhai is the Old Village of Bingdao ("Ice Island") in Mengku Township, Shuangjiang County, Lincang Prefecture. Tea is plucked from ancient Gushu trees (100–300+ years old) at 1,640 m elevation, in untouched high-altitude forest. The cup is the canonical Lincang style: thick mineral-rich liquor, cooling sweetness, and pronounced cha qi. The hype only really took off around 2005 when Mengku Rongshi released cakes from this village; today authentic Bingdao Lao Zhai is among the most expensive raw pu-erh per gram on earth.

Quick facts

Region
Bingdao (Ice Island)
Harvest year
2024
Harvest season
spring
Elevation
1640 m
Shape
bing
Cultivation
ancient-tree
Cultivars
Da Ye Zhong (Large-Leaf Varietal)

Brewing

Leaf
6.0 g / 100 ml
Water
100°C
Rinse
yes
Gongfu steeps (s)
5, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90

Treat like Lao Banzhang — short flash steeps to reveal the mineral structure, then lengthen as the leaves give. Younger Bingdao is bitter-sweet rather than aged-mellow; the cooling huigan is the marker of the real thing.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
forest, fresh sugarcane, mineral, faint orchid
Flavor
thick, mineral-sweet, cooling huigan
Mouthfeel
thick, oily
Finish
very long, cooling

Aging potential

With proper storage (~70% RH, stable temperature) Bingdao Lao Zhai gushu rewards 15–25 years of aging into a deep mineral-honey body.

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