Video: unwrapping and breaking down the cake
"Meng Hai Zhi Xing" (Star of Menghai) is DaYi's 2022 ripe (shou) puerh, sold here as a 357g cake.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2022 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 357g cake · grade 4 high-mountain leaf · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 357g cake. Look for grade 4 high-mountain leaf and visible buds in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: The liquor is bright red, bright, with a thick look.
- Taste: It opens mellow from the first steep. The middle infusions are balanced.
- Mouthfeel & body: Expect a thick, smooth, rounded mouthfeel.
- Aftertaste: The aftertaste brings a long finish.
- Best for: everyday drinking without fuss. Suitable for beginners as well as regular ripe puerh drinkers.
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.
