From XiaGuan — a Ripe (shou/shu) puerh brick in the Pu Er Cha Zhuan line.
Tea Profile
At a glance: Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 250g brick · XiaGuan Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 250g brick. Breaking it open reveals an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: The liquor is deep red, clear and bright.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Once the leaf opens up, expect notes of camphor in a sweet and balanced cup. It rewards paying attention across a longer session.
- Mouthfeel & body: The texture is smooth and mellow.
- Aftertaste: It leaves a returning sweetness (hui gan), plenty of salivation and a long finish.
- 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: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Warm the pot and cups, then add about 5g of leaf per 100ml.
- Rinse twice with boiling water, then cover and let the leaves rest 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. Ripe 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 brick 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.
