From XiaGuan — a 2004 sheng (raw) puerh cake in the Song He Tie Bing line.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2004 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · XiaGuan Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: The leaf is compressed into a 357g cake. Breaking it open reveals well-formed threads.
- Liquor: The liquor is deep orange or yellow, clear, bright and transparent, with a thick look.
- Taste: Early on you get marked astringency, balanced by a natural sweetness. As the session goes on, it shows floral, fruity and aged notes and hints of honey and a sweet and rich profile. There is more to notice as you keep brewing.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick, smooth and oily.
- Aftertaste: Look for a returning sweetness (hui gan), salivation (sheng jin) and a long finish after each cup.
- 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).
- 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.
