Lao Cha Tou — “old tea heads” — are the dense nuggets that form naturally during fermentation. Too good to discard, DaYi presses them into bricks: sweeter and thicker than regular shou, and they age beautifully.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2010 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 250g brick · fermented tea heads · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 250g brick. The leaf itself shows an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: The infusion pours deep red.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Through the middle infusions, aged notes with a touch of caramel come forward over a sweet and rich base.
- Mouthfeel & body: Expect a thick, smooth, mellow mouthfeel.
- Aftertaste: What stays behind is a light, sweet note and a clean palate.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Brew it attentively and follow how it changes; a natural step up for a beginner who wants to go further.
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.
