Watch Video: Unwrapping and breaking down.
This is the 2002 LiuDaChaShan (Six Famous Tea Mountains) “Ban Zhang - Ye Sheng Cha” (Banzhang Mountain - Wild Tea) cake: a 357g sheng (raw) puerh pressed from wild tea from the Ban Zhang villages of the Bulang Mountains in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna. Banzhang is the most forceful name in puerh — the benchmark for strength, thick taste and strong cha qi (tea energy).
Appearance: The wrapper may show wear. The cake is a hard-pressed disc with a dense center and looser edges, so some leaf threads may detach at the rim. The threads are tight and robust, darkened after more than two decades of aging.
Liu Da Cha Shan (Six Famous Tea Mountains) is a Yunnan puerh company founded in 2002 by Ruan Dian Rong, a former manager of Menghai Tea Factory. It takes its name from the historic Six Famous Tea Mountains of southern Yunnan, and produces raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) puerh from regions such as Jinggu, Youle, and Banzhang.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2002 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · LiuDaChaShan
- Liquor: Clear and bright.
- Aroma & Flavor: Round and mellow, with a rich bitterness that sits inside the tea’s depth rather than on top of it and fades quietly; astringency is minimal. Pronounced hui gan (returning sweetness) with a wave-like surge of saliva, and a potent cha qi (tea energy) — the strong, resilient Banzhang character.
- Aftertaste: Long and lingering, strength and sweetness together.
- Best for: Drinkers who want the bold Banzhang style in an early-2000s LiuDaChaShan wild-tea pressing, now well aged.
Brewing Guide
Water: 100°C (212°F), fully boiling.
- Preheat the vessel; add around 5g per 100ml.
- One rinse to open the leaves, then a covered rest of about 10 minutes.
- Steep 10–15 seconds at first, adding ~5 seconds per round.
- Always pour out completely into a fairness cup before drinking.
- Keep steeping — sheng rewards patience with many rounds.
These are starting guidelines, not fixed rules. Adjust pour and timing to taste.
Storage
Store with air, coolness, and dryness; keep out of sun and away from strong odors. For long aging, paper or unglazed clay breathes better than sealed plastic.
This cake has been naturally aged in Guangzhou for about two decades.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur after many years of storage.
- Bamboo powder (zhu fen): a natural sign of traditional bamboo-husk packing. In Guangdong's warm, humid climate, tiny bamboo insects may nibble the husk and cotton paper while leaving the tea untouched, leaving a fine powder. Harmless; brush off before brewing.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spots from natural tea oils; not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: small tears or holes in the cotton paper can happen in storage and handling; the tea inside is unaffected. A lower-priced option with a nearly fully torn wrapper may also be listed.
