A blend led by leaf from Yi Wu, with Yi Bang in support: the Yi Wu side brings a resilient, full character that is low in bitterness and astringency, with honeyed, floral sweetness and strong aging potential. After years of natural storage in Guangzhou, sheng like this may show a deeper, more mellow side, though results depend on how it was kept. ChangTai's 2004 "Chen Hong Chang - Yi Wu - Yi Bang Ji Pin" (Yi Wu - Premium Yi Bang) comes as a 400g cake of sheng (raw) puerh.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2004 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 400g cake · ChangTai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: Loosely pressed, it comes as a 400g cake. Look for well-formed threads in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: The infusion pours clear, bright and amber.
- Taste: The first steeps are mellow and soft, with only a light bitterness and slight astringency. Once the leaf opens up, expect floral, woody and aged notes in a sweet cup. Each round shows a slightly different side of it.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as soft, rounded and mellow. Drinkers who look for cha qi will find it here.
- Aftertaste: The aftertaste brings a quick, clear hui gan and easy salivation.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Brew it attentively and follow how it changes; a natural step up for a newcomer who wants to go further.
Brewing Guide
Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Warm the pot and cups, then add about 5g of leaf per 100ml.
- Rinse the leaves once with boiling water and let them rest, covered, for about 10 minutes.
- Steep the first rounds for 10–15 seconds, adding about 5 seconds with each round.
- Pour every steep into a fairness pitcher before serving.
- Serve. Sheng 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 tea 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 tea 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.
