Background & Heritage: The "Rose Dayi" is a legendary name in the puerh tea world. Tracing its origins back to 1996, it marks the first time the Menghai Tea Factory utilized the "Dayi" trademark on a traditional seven-cake puerh production. Named for its distinctive rose-colored wrapper, the original 1996 release serves as a foundational milestone for the brand. The 2026 edition is a 30th-anniversary special reserve that meticulously reconstructs the classic 1996 flavor profile. Rather than a simple recipe copy, it precisely calibrates the original's smokiness, honey-orchid fragrance, sweetness, and broth thickness, upgrading the quality for the modern era while retaining the soul of the classic "Old Rose."
Raw Material & Crafting: Sourced from premium high-mountain large tree (Da Shu) tea leaves in the core Menghai tea region. It is refined using the intangible cultural heritage "Dayi tea making technique."
Overall Characteristics:
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Appearance: The cake is well-proportioned and round, featuring stout, robust tea strips generously inlaid with silver hairs (buds).
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Liquor Color: Golden, oily, and bright, displaying a rich, substantial texture.
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Aroma: Abundant with a distinctive smoky aroma and a rich, fragrant honey-orchid scent.
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Taste Profile: Strong, intense, and full-bodied. It leaves the mouth full of fragrance and delivers a clear, refreshing throat rhyme (houyun).
Tasting Notes:
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1st Steep: The liquor is bright yellow. It presents a full honey-orchid aroma with a deep, reserved smokiness. The taste is thick and mellow; the smoke integrates into the liquor, offering an initial huigan (returning sweetness) and a slight cooling sensation.
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2nd - 3rd Steeps: The liquor becomes golden and oily. The honey-orchid aroma rises, blending perfectly with the smoky notes. The flavor is strong and full-bodied. A slight bitterness melts away swiftly as the smokiness dissolves into the broth, yielding a pronounced, lasting huigan and a cooling sensation on the tip of the tongue.
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4th - 5th Steeps: The liquor remains bright golden with a prominent gelatinous texture. The honey-orchid aroma is rich and elevated. The taste is intensely mellow and smooth, featuring a powerful huigan and a mouth-filling fragrance. The smoky notes envelop a cooling sensation that slides down the throat, leaving a persistent sweet rhyme gathered in the throat.
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6th Steep: The liquor is golden and translucent. The honey-sweet aroma becomes elegant and well-coordinated, while the smokiness softens. The taste is mellow, smooth, and full, striking a perfect balance between smoke and sweetness, with a lasting huigan and a clear throat rhyme.
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7th - 8th Steeps (Extended Steeping): The liquor is bright yellow. The honey-sweetness is pure and enduring, accompanied by an elegant smokiness. The tea broth is mellow and sweet, delivering a continuous huigan and an endless throat rhyme.
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9th - 10th Steeps (Extended Steeping): The liquor is highly translucent and bright yellow. The honey-sweetness is delicate and subtle. The tea broth is clear, sweet, and mellow, leaving a long, lingering aftertaste.
