Produced in 2000, this Menghai ripe spent its first years aging in Menghai and then continued in Kunming, a clean, natural progression that has shed any wet-pile roughness and layered in mature depth. The cup is dark, thick, and soothing, with that classic aged cacao–camphor profile and a gently warming energy.

Why it’s special

• Early-vintage Menghai shou with tidy fermentation and long, clean storage (Menghai → Kunming)

• No wo-dui funk; instead you get smooth cocoa, sandalwood, and cooling camphor

• Loose leaf that brews surprisingly long, easy, flavorful steeps well past the usual 6–8 rounds

Tasting notes

• Aroma: dark cocoa, sandalwood, faint camphor, red date

• Liquor: deep mahogany; glossy, “soupy” density

• Flavor: cacao nib and brown sugar up front; camphor and cedar rise in mid-cup; hints of dried longan

• Mouthfeel: thick, coating, silk-smooth with no astringency

• Finish & feel: lingering sweetness with comforting hui gan and kou gan; mild, warming cha qi

Origin & processing

• Region: greater Menghai area, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

• Type: ripe (shou) pu-erh, traditional wet-piling

• Vintage: 2000

• Storage: natural aging in Menghai, then dry Kunming storage to present

• Format: loose leaf (散茶)

Brewing guide

Gongfu (recommended)

• 6–7 g per 100 ml

• 100 °C water

• Two quick rinses, then 10 s • 12 s • 15 s • 20 s • 25 s, adding time slowly; 8–12 infusions common

Western / mug

• 4–5 g per 300 ml

• 96–100 °C for 3–4 minutes; 2–3 steeps

Grandpa style

• 1–1.2 g per 100 ml

• 95–100 °C; top up as you sip for a mellow, cocoa-sweet cup

Tips: If you like more camphor and wood, extend the middle steeps slightly. For maximum clarity, use fresh boiling water and pre-warm all vessels.

Good to know

• Caffeine: medium-low to medium (gentle, cozy session)
  

In short: a clean, well-matured year-2000 Menghai shou, thick, chocolatey, and quietly camphorous—with the stamina and poise that make aged loose ripe so satisfying.