Created in 1975 at the Menghai Tea Factory, 7542 is built around grade 4 leaf blended with other grades. Over the decades it became the reference sheng — the cake other raw puerhs get measured against. This is the 2024 first batch.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2024 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · grade 4 leaf · DaYi (Menghai Tea Factory) · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: Tightly pressed, it comes as a 357g cake. Breaking it open reveals grade 4 leaf and visible buds.
- Liquor: In the cup it shows a golden yellow color, bright throughout.
- Taste: The first steeps are mellow and soft, with a strong bitterness and marked astringency. Through the middle infusions, floral and fruity notes and hints of honey and plum come forward over a sweet and balanced base. Its layers unfold gradually over the session.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick, full-bodied and smooth.
- Aftertaste: The aftertaste brings a strong hui gan, easy salivation and a long finish.
- Best for: everyday drinking without fuss. Suitable for novices as well as regular sheng drinkers.
Tasting Notes
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First Infusion:
- The liquor is a bright, pale yellow. A sweet aroma with floral and fruity notes fills the air, reminiscent of a gentle spring breeze. The tea is smooth and sweet on the palate, with a rapid return of sweetness, leaving a fragrant aftertaste.
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Second to Fourth Infusion:
- The liquor turns a vibrant yellow. The fragrance of flowers and fruits becomes more pronounced, with a long-lasting honey sweetness. Upon entering the mouth, the fresh, sweet aroma lingers, followed by a thick, full-bodied flavor. The returning sweetness and salivation (shengjin) are quick and persistent, like warm spring sunlight softly kissing the tongue. The tea is balanced and harmonious, with a long, satisfying aftertaste.
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Fifth to Seventh Infusion:
- The liquor is a bright, golden yellow. The floral and fruity aromas are light and lively, offering a refreshing, pure scent. The tea is smooth and mellow, much like a gentle spring stream. The texture is delicate, with a sweet aftertaste and a hydrating sensation in the throat.
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Eighth to Tenth Infusion:
- The liquor is a bright, pale yellow. The elegant floral and fruity aromas are pleasing and gentle. The tea remains sweet and refreshing, exuding vitality with a refined fragrance that invites endless appreciation.
Brewing Guide
- Water: bring it to a full boil — 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Use about 5g of tea per 100ml of water.
- Rinse the leaves once with boiling water, about 5 seconds, then pour it away. Cover and let the leaves rest for around 10 minutes.
- Steep 10–15 seconds for the first infusions, adding roughly 5 seconds each round.
- Decant into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve. Sheng puerh stands up well to many resteeps.
- These are starting points, not fixed rules. Play with high or low pours, fast or slow streams, and adjust across seasons until you find your method. Getting the best out of the same tea in any year, season, weather or place takes practice — and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Store the cake somewhere ventilated, cool and dry, out of direct sunlight and away from strong smells such as kitchen spices or smoke. For aging over years, paper or clay containers allow better airflow than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
You won't find these on every cake — they tend to turn up more often in teas that have been stored longer.
- 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 sometimes appear; they come from the tea's natural oils and are not a defect.
- Torn wrapper: the cotton paper may pick up small tears or holes during storage and handling. The tea inside is fine.
