Video: Unwrapping and breaking down
Translation:
The term “Millennium” in the tea name has no relation to whether this product is made from actual thousand-year-old ancient tea trees.
It simply indicates that the tea is produced using tea leaves from Changning County, an area known for having abundant resources of so-called thousand-year-old ancient tea trees.
This tea is made from Huang Pian (yellow leaf) material harvested in Changning County, located along the banks of the Lancang River in Yunnan. Changning is not traditionally classified among the three major tea regions—Xi Shuang Ban Na (Ban Na), Pu’er, and Lin Cang—but lies close to the Lin Cang tea region. The area is home to a number of millennium-old tea trees and has become increasingly well known in recent years, particularly for its black tea.
The leaves are large, with relatively coarse stems, reflecting the nature of Huang Pian material.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2007 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 400g cake · MengXin
Although categorized as puerh, this tea shows noticeable differences in both taste and aroma when compared with more typical raw puerh profiles.
Even after long-term aging, a degree of astringency remains, giving the tea a distinct and unconventional character.
This tea is listed mainly for experienced puerh drinkers who are interested in expanding their tasting range and exploring less common styles within the puerh category.
Best for: everyday drinking, and easy for novices to brew.
Brewing Guide
Water: 100°C (212°F), fully boiling.
- Preheat the vessel; add around 5g per 100ml.
- One rinse to open the leaves, 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 — sheng 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.
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.
