From XingHai — a 2012 ripe (shou/shu) puerh brick in the Zhuan line.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2012 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 250g brick · XingHai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 250g brick. The dry leaf shows an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: The infusion pours clear, bright and reddish brown.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Through the middle infusions it shows an earthy character over a rich base.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as smooth and mellow.
- Aftertaste: It ends smoothly, with a mellow sweetness left behind.
- Best for: everyday drinking. It is forgiving to brew, so those new to puerh can start here.
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.
