Xuan Yuan Hao — “Xuan Yuan emperor” — is DaYi's 2017 top-grade sheng: strictly selected Bu Lang leaf, clear bitterness turning to returning sweetness. This is the first batch.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2017 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · Bu Lang leaf · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 357g cake.
- Liquor: In the cup it is typically golden to amber at this stage.
- Taste: It opens full-flavored, with some bitterness, balanced by a natural sweetness. As it opens up, the taste turns sweet and balanced. It rewards paying attention across a longer session.
- Mouthfeel & body: On the palate it is thick. It also has cha qi, the body sensation many drinkers look for.
- Aftertaste: After each sip there is a returning sweetness (hui gan) and a long finish.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a novice.
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.
