Wu Zi Deng Ke — “five sons passing the imperial exams” — is DaYi's auspicious 150g cake, a wish for success pressed into tea. It is made from old-tree (gu shu) leaf, which tends to brew thicker and last longer across steeps than plantation leaf.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2010 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 150g cake · aged plantation leaf · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 150g cake. Breaking it open reveals well-formed threads and an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: It brews a deep-red liquor.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Once the leaf opens up, expect hints of jujube in a rich cup.
- Mouthfeel & body: In the mouth it feels thick, smooth and mellow.
- Aftertaste: A gentle sweetness usually stays after each cup.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Brew it attentively and follow how it changes; a natural step up for a drinker new to puerh who wants to go further.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Add tea (about 5g per 100ml).
- Rinse twice: cover the leaves with boiling water for about 5 seconds, then discard. Put the lid on and let the leaves rest for about 10 minutes to open up.
- Steep for 10–15 seconds for the first rounds, adding about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve. Ripe puerh resteeps well for many rounds.
- Treat these as starting points rather than fixed rules. Try high or low pours, fast or slow, and brew in different seasons to find the method that suits you. Brewing the same tea well in any year, season, weather or place takes practice, and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Keep the cake ventilated, cool and dry, away from sunlight and strong odors (kitchen spices, smoke). For long-term aging, paper or clay containers breathe better than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur, especially in teas with more years of storage.
- Small dark specks: tiny dark specks may appear on the wrapper or cake edges of naturally stored puerh. They are harmless and can be brushed off before brewing.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spots may appear and can come from natural tea oils. They are not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: small tears or holes in the cotton paper may happen during storage and handling. The tea inside is unaffected.
