0532 is DaYi’s high-grade play — grade 3 leaf with golden tips, and a Golden Prize from the Shanghai International Tea Culture Competition to back it up. The 2005 pressing in the handy 200g cake.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2005 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 200g cake · grade 3 leaf · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 200g cake. In the dry leaf you can see grade 3 leaf, visible buds and large, robust leaves.
- Liquor: In the cup it shows a reddish brown color.
- Taste: The first infusions are soft. As it opens up, the taste turns sweet and rich.
- Mouthfeel & body: The texture is thick, full-bodied and smooth.
- Aftertaste: Swallow and you notice a returning sweetness (hui gan) and a long finish.
- Best for: improving your tea experience — worth reaching for once you have moved past being a beginner.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- How to brew:
- Add around 5g of tea for every 100ml.
- Give the leaves two quick rinses — cover with boiling water for about 5 seconds and discard. Then put the lid on and leave the leaves to open up for about 10 minutes.
- Start with 10–15 second steeps, lengthening by about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour the liquor into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve and resteep — ripe puerh goes many rounds.
- Think of this as a starting point rather than a rigid method. Try pouring high or low, fast or slow, and adapt to the season until it suits you. Brewing one tea at its best in any year, season, weather or place is a skill built over time — and that is the real goal.
Storage
Keep it in a ventilated, cool, dry spot, shielded from sunlight and strong odors (cooking spices, cigarette smoke). If you plan to age it long-term, paper or clay containers breathe better than airtight plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not all cakes develop these — the chances simply rise with longer storage.
- Small dark specks: naturally stored puerh can develop tiny dark specks on its wrapper or edges. They are harmless and brush off easily before brewing.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spotting can occur from natural tea oils. This is not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: minor tears or holes in the cotton wrapper sometimes happen in storage and transit. The tea itself is unaffected.
