The "Qiao Mu" uses old-tree (gu shu) leaf, which usually gives more body and a longer finish than plantation leaf. After its years of storage, it now drinks mellow and thick. Qiao Mu — “arbor tree” — is DaYi's 2022 ten-years-aged arbor sheng: spring arbor leaf from core regions, meticulously aged. This is the first batch.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2022 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · aged arbor leaf · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 357g cake.
- Liquor: The liquor is golden yellow, as is usual for young sheng.
- Taste: The first steeps are mellow, with some bitterness. The middle steeps bring out a smoky character, with a sweet and rich taste. There is more to notice as you keep brewing.
- Mouthfeel & body: On the palate it is thick, smooth and rounded. Drinkers who look for cha qi will find it here.
- Aftertaste: Swallow and you notice a strong hui gan, salivation (sheng jin) 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.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Add tea (about 5g per 100ml).
- Rinse once: 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. 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 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.
- Bamboo powder (zhu fen): a natural sign of traditional bamboo-husk packing. In Guangdong's warm, humid climate, tiny bamboo insects can make their home in the husk, nibbling the husk and cotton paper wrapper while leaving the tea itself untouched. What they leave behind is a fine powder, seen only on certain teas and more often on aged ones. It is harmless to hygiene; a few strokes with a clean toothbrush or soft brush before brewing is all it takes.
- 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.
