Sourced from the venerable ancient groves of Jingmai in Lancang County, this raw puerh cake is meticulously crafted from hand-picked spring leaves of old arbor trees, artfully blended with delicate Pang Xie Jiao—parasitic "crab foot" vines that lend a subtle, medicinal nuance to the tea's profile, evoking the wild essence of Yunnan's ancient forests.
The leaves form strong, tightly woven threads, yielding a cake of exceptional visual elegance—deep greens fading to subtle silvers that speak of careful craftsmanship.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2004 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · LiMing Tea Factory
In the cup, it brews to a clear, luminous liquor, bright and inviting like mountain spring water kissed by dawn.
The taste is profoundly round and mellow, wrapping the palate in velvety layers of sweetness and floral depth. Bitterness is whisper-light, with only the faintest whisper of astringency, allowing the tea's natural harmony to shine through multiple infusions.
Best for: Naturally aged in Guangzhou's temperate embrace, this treasure captures two decades of graceful transformation, ideal for contemplative sessions where subtlety and serenity reign.
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.
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.
