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Xigui 2024 Sheng
🇨🇳 China

Xigui 2024 Sheng

Xī Guī 2024 Shēng · 昔归 2024 生 (昔歸 2024 生)

puerh-sheng · bing · ancient-tree

Xigui is one of the "Four Little Dragons of Lincang" alongside Bingdao, Mangfei, and Daxueshan — small ancient-tree pu-erh villages that command among the highest prices in the Chinese pu-erh market. Xigui itself sits in Bangdong Township in eastern Lincang, north of the Mengku area. The cup is famously distinct: a clean opening bitterness that flips almost instantly into a deep cooling sweetness, with a potent energising cha qi that has made it a connoisseur favourite. Authentic gushu Xigui sells for thousands of dollars per kilogram.

Quick facts

Region
Xigui
Harvest year
2024
Harvest season
spring
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

Xigui flips bitter-to-sweet faster than almost any other Lincang gushu. Use a porcelain gaiwan to keep the structure clear; clay smooths it out, which sometimes hides the cultivar's signature snap.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
pine resin, sugarcane, mineral
Flavor
bitter-quick, deep sweet, cooling, structured
Mouthfeel
thick, energising
Finish
very long, cooling

Aging potential

Like Bingdao, Xigui gushu rewards 15–25 years of stable storage; aged examples carry the cooling sweetness deeper into the cup.

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