Manlyu Dashan

Classification and Origin

Category: Pu-erh (普洱茶, pǔ'ěr chá).

Yunnan large-leaf tea (云南大叶种, Yúnnán dàyèzhǒng) — a variety of Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

classic 357g cake in the "seven cakes" format (七子饼, qīzǐbǐng); less commonly, other formats.

Origin: mountain massif near Manlyu Village (曼吕, Mànlǚ), Menghai County (勐海县, Měnghǎi xiàn), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳傣族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), China.

Type: Raw pu-erh (生茶, shēng chá), not having undergone artificial accelerated fermentation (渥堆, wòduī); pressed cake (饼茶, bǐngchá).

Facts

Facts: Interesting Facts

• The prefix "man" (曼, màn) in Xishuangbanna toponyms originates from the Dai language (傣族, Dǎizú) and means "village"; such names are scattered throughout the prefecture.
• The Mengsong area is one of the highest tea areas in Xishuangbanna, and the altitude directly influences the density and "mountain" aromatic of local pu-erhs.
• The standard cake weight of 357g is related to the "seven cakes" bundled format (筒, tǒng): seven pieces yield about 2.5 kg — this norm was consolidated in the factory era of the 20th century, although the name "seven sons" (七子饼, qīzǐbǐng) itself is older.
• Raw pu-erh (生茶) and "ripe" shu pu-erh (熟茶, shú chá) are fundamentally different products: the latter undergoes artificial fermentation and is not intended for multi-year maturation in the same sense as the former.

In Conclusion:

Manlyu Dashan is a characteristic representative of the modern wave of single-mountain raw pu-erhs: a tea without a loud branded history, but relying on the real terroir of high-mountain Menghai. Its value is determined not by the name on the wrapper, but by the combination of origin, tree age, and careful processing, and is verified — in the cup, by the depth of taste, the purity of bitterness, and the length of the sweet aftertaste.

For those studying pu-erh, such positions are useful as a way to understand the "middle layer" of the market between anonymous factory tea and expensive celebrated mountains. A sensible approach here is to buy

History and Culture

Boyou (博友, Bóyǒu) — the trademark/workshop under which this line is released; Manlyu Dashan is its single-mountain position.

"Mountain-top tea" (山头茶, shāntóu chá) — a trend that took shape in the 2000s.

Botany and Raw Material

predominantly arboreal and semi-arboreal bushes (乔木/小乔木, qiáomù / xiǎoqiáomù).

fresh leaf with bud; for quality batches, the standard of "bud and two or three leaves" is declared.

from middle-aged plantings to old trees (古树, gǔshù); the actual composition depends on the specific batch.

Cultivar: Camellia sinensis var. assamica — large-leaf Assam variety.

Terroir

Altitude: approximately 1500–1900 m above sea level (characteristic of the high-mountain gardens of Mengsong).

Climate: subtropical monsoon, with a distinct division into wet (May–October) and dry (November–April) seasons.

Soil: mountain red-yellow and brown soils, acidic, with high organic content under the forest canopy.

approximately 1300–1600 mm of rainfall per year, average annual temperature around 18–21 °C.

Production

the raw material is prepared as sun-dried maocha (晒青毛茶, shàiqīng máochá), then pressed into a cake.

Organoleptic Profile

dark green with brown and silvery tones, tightly twisted, with noticeable downy buds.

from light golden with greenish hue (in young tea) to a richer golden with age; transparent.

floral-honey, with notes of mountain herbs, sometimes light fruitiness.

pronounced returning sweetness (回甘, huígān) and abundant salivation (生津, shēngjīn), a pleasant sensation in the throat (喉韵, hóuyùn).

Taste: dense, with a noticeable initial bitterness and astringency (苦涩, kǔsè), which quickly give way to sweetness.

Chemical Composition

Amino Acids: around 2–4 %, provide sweetness and "umami".

the main part of polyphenols, responsible for bitterness and astringency.

approximately 3–5 %.

soluble sugars, pectins, aromatic compounds.

Polyphenols: high in young raw pu-erh, approximately 28–35 %.

Health Notes

polyphenols and catechins possess pronounced antioxidant activity.

caffeine combined with theanine provides mild alertness without sharp excitation.

in Chinese tradition, raw pu-erh is drunk to relieve heaviness after fatty foods.

Brewing

about 5–8 g per 100–150 ml (approximately 1 g per 15–20 ml of water).

soft, temperature 95–100 °C; for very young and bitter tea, can be lowered to 90–95 °C to smooth out the sharpness.

one quick (3–5 sec), then discard.

Teaware: gaiwan (盖碗, gàiwǎn) or Yixing teapot with a volume of 100–150 ml; for terroir evaluation, a gaiwan is preferable.

Storage

Container: original paper wrapper and cardboard; for long-term aging, cakes are kept in a ventilated room, but without drafts.

moderate humidity (approximately 55–70 %), temperature around 20–30 °C, absence of foreign odors and direct light.

Price and Authenticity

Manlyu does not belong to the "top" names, so the position is moderately priced by the standards of single-mountain pu-erhs.

a young 357g cake from mixed/plantation raw material is approximately from several hundred yuan; for confirmed old-tree raw material, it is considerably more expensive; the price strongly depends on the year and origin.