DaYi's V93 tuo, launched in 2005, packs higher-grade ripe leaf into a neat small tuo. The house style: thick, mellow, and fragrant. The 2011 tuo in the larger 250g size.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2011 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 250g tuo · high-grade leaf · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: It is pressed into a 250g tuo. The dry leaf shows an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: The liquor is deep red.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow and soft. Further into the session the cup stays rich and balanced. Each round shows a slightly different side of it.
- Mouthfeel & body: On the palate it is thick, full-bodied and smooth.
- Aftertaste: It leaves a long finish.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a drinker new to puerh.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- How to brew:
- Add around 5g of tea for every 100ml.
- Give the leaves two quick rinses — 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.
- Start with 10–15 second steeps, lengthening by about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour the liquor into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve and resteep — ripe 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.
- 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 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.
