2023 DaYi "7542" Cake 357g Puerh Sheng Cha Raw Tea, 1st Batch

Video: unwrapping and breaking down the cake

From 2023, DaYi "7542": sheng (raw) puerh pressed into a 357g cake.

Tea Profile

At a glance: 2023 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · grade 4 leaf · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch

• Compression & dry leaf: This is a 357g cake with a firm, tight compression. In the dry leaf you can see grade 4 leaf and visible buds.
• Liquor: The liquor is golden yellow, bright.
• Taste: The first steeps are fresh, with a strong bitterness and marked astringency. The middle steeps bring out floral and fruity notes with a touch of honey, with a sweet and balanced taste. The flavor shifts a little from steep to steep.
• Mouthfeel & body: Expect a full-bodied, smooth, rounded mouthfeel.
• Aftertaste: It leaves a strong hui gan, plenty of salivation and a long finish.
• Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a beginner.

Tasting Notes

• First Infusion:
  • The liquor is a bright, pale yellow. The tea emits a rich floral and fruity aroma, reminiscent of a fresh spring breeze. The tea soup is smooth and sweet, leaving a fragrant sensation in the mouth, with a quick return of sweetness.
• Second to Fourth Infusion:
  • The liquor becomes a vibrant yellow, with an even more pronounced floral and fruity fragrance. The honey sweetness is elevated, and the flavor deepens with a strong bitterness and astringency, followed by a rapid returning sweetness (hui gan). The tea is full-bodied and balanced, with floral notes integrating beautifully into the tea soup, evoking the freshness of spring on the palate.
• Fifth to Seventh Infusion:
  • The liquor turns a bright golden-yellow, lively and full of spring energy. The floral and fruity aromas dance gracefully, with a lasting fragrance. The tea soup is smooth and rich, with a robust returning sweetness and salivation (shengjin). The sweet floral and fruity aroma lingers at the bottom of the cup.
• Eighth to Tenth Infusion:
  • The liquor is a pale yellow, with an elegant and pleasant floral and fruity aroma. The tea remains sweet and smooth, filling the mouth with a harmonious flavor and leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.

Brewing Guide

• Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
• How to brew:
  1. Add around 5g of tea for every 100ml.
  2. Give the leaves one quick rinse — 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.
  3. Start with 10–15 second steeps, lengthening by about 5 seconds each round.
  4. Pour the liquor into a sharing pitcher.
  5. Serve and resteep — sheng 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.