Tea Name: ZiQi, written as 子期 in Chinese characters, is the second in the following series: 1. 伯牙 (BoYa), sheng cha 2. 子期 (ZiQi), sheng cha 3. 桐琴 (TongQin), shou cha.“GaoShanLiuShuiYuZhiYin” (高山流水遇知音) is a well-known story from over 2000 years ago in China. When BoYa played the zither, ZiQi, drawn by the melody, could discern when it depicted towering mountains or babbling streams. Since then, ZhiYin (知音, understanding melody) has symbolized close friendship.This tea is crafted from spring Gu Shu (old tree) materials from Yi Wu (易武), with additional materials from BanPen (班盆), part of the Ban Zhang tea area, also known as one of the five Ban Zhang villages.
Tightly curled tea threads exhibit tenacity and are covered with many silver hairs.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2018 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 100g cake · KingTeaMall
Yi Wu tea is celebrated for its softness and floral flavor. Ancient trees, with their deep roots and sub-roots, absorb more nutrients, enriching the leaves and ensuring a soft yet tenacious brew that lasts for many infusions.
The tea liquid is rich and smooth, yellow in color, and clean and clear.
Bitterness is more pronounced than typical Yi Wu teas due to the addition of BanPen tea from Bu Lang tea mountains.
Astringency is at a medium level.
High-level hui gan, with a unique Yi Wu tea sweetness that is soft and lingers in the mouth and throat.
Excellent and long-lasting saliva production.
Best for: improving your tea experience — worth reaching for once you have moved past being a newcomer.
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. Kept in dry storage, which preserves a cleaner, brighter character.
Shows potential for future aging under suitable storage conditions. (Recommended R/H around 75, below 80, and a temperature around 25 Celsius degrees.)Packaging: 100g per piece, 5 pieces per tong.Storage: Dry storage in GuangZhou.
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.
