From KingTeaMall — a 2001 ripe (shou/shu) loose-leaf puerh in the San Ji - Meng Hai line.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2001 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · loose · KingTeaMall
- Compression & dry leaf: As loose leaf, it needs no prying apart before brewing. Look for visible buds and large, robust leaves in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: In the cup it shows a deep red color, bright throughout.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Once the leaf opens up, expect a woody, earthy, herbal, medicinal and aged character in a sweet and balanced cup. There is more to notice as you keep brewing.
- Mouthfeel & body: Expect a thick, smooth, oily mouthfeel.
- Aftertaste: After each sip there is a lingering sweetness.
- Best for: improving your tea experience, especially if you already know a few ripe puerh teas and want to taste more closely.
Brewing Guide
Water: 100°C (212°F), fully boiling.
- Preheat the vessel; add around 5g per 100ml.
- Two quick rinses to wake the leaf, then a covered rest of about 10 minutes.
- Steep 10–15 seconds at first, adding ~5 seconds per round.
- Always pour out completely into a fairness cup before drinking.
- Keep steeping — ripe puerh rewards patience with many rounds.
These are guidelines to start from, not rules to obey. Experiment with your pour, your pace, and the season; the same leaf tastes different on a rainy day. The goal is the skill to brew it well whenever, wherever.
Storage
Give it air, coolness and dryness; keep it out of the sun and clear of potent odors (spices, smoke). For multi-year aging, paper or unglazed clay lets the tea breathe in a way sealed plastic never will. This tea was kept in traditional wet storage, which gives it a darker, mellower character than dry-stored tea of the same age.
A Note on Appearance
Not every tea 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.
