Video: unwrapping and breaking down the cake
Here is "8562" from DaYi, a 2008 ripe (shou) puerh in a 357g cake.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2008 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 357g cake · grade 6 leaf · Menghai Tea Factory · batch 801
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 357g cake. Breaking it open reveals grade 6 leaf, visible buds and large, robust leaves.
- Liquor: It brews a deep-red liquor.
- Taste: The first infusions are mellow. The middle infusions are rich and balanced. Its layers unfold gradually over the session.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as mellow.
- Aftertaste: A gentle sweetness usually stays after each cup.
- Best for: everyday drinking, and easy for novices to brew.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- How to brew:
- Add around 5g of tea for every 100ml.
- Give the leaves two quick rinses — cover with boiling water for about 5 seconds and discard. Then put the lid on and leave the leaves to open up for about 10 minutes.
- Start with 10–15 second steeps, lengthening by about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour the liquor into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve and resteep — ripe puerh goes many rounds.
- Think of this as a starting point rather than a rigid method. Try pouring high or low, fast or slow, and adapt to the season until it suits you. Brewing one tea at its best in any year, season, weather or place is a skill built over time — and that is the real goal.
Storage
Keep it in a ventilated, cool, dry spot, shielded from sunlight and strong odors (cooking spices, cigarette smoke). If you plan to age it long-term, paper or clay containers breathe better than airtight plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not all cakes develop these — the chances simply rise with longer 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 spotting can occur from natural tea oils. This is not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: minor tears or holes in the cotton wrapper sometimes happen in storage and transit. The tea itself is unaffected.
