Background introduction:
This tea was sourced from a local tea maker in Meng Hai county.
He is a younger brother of my friend.
The brothers mainly source and supply tea materials of Mao Cha to some large tea factories including FuJin and etc.
The younger brother made this tea in 2009 year using spring tea materials from Gu Shu and stored in Meng Hai till now.
Occasionally, I tried this tea when I was make blend test on my own tea during that time in Meng Hai this spring and I fell in love with it
soon. So I tried to purchase one tong including 5pcs of 200g cake for reselling also can be taken as my own consumption tea.
Long and strong tea threads. Yellow like dark color because of aging.
Relatively loosely compressed, so the inner side of the tea also aged very well.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2009 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 200g cake · KingTeaMall
After has been aging for 9 years till now in spring of 2018, it has obvious fermented tea flavor and effect.
Unique dry puerh tea flavor.
Tea liquor is rich and comes with strength and thickness.
Bitterness is left on some level but weak.
Astringency is minor and still can be felt.
hui gan(sweetness) comes soon from aftertaste.
Salivation is on a good level.
Lingering fragrance collaborates with various mouth feeling makes me feel near tea drunk.
Best for: everyday drinking without fuss. Suitable for first-time puerh drinkers as well as regular sheng drinkers.
Brewing Guide
Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Warm the pot and cups, then add about 5g of leaf per 100ml.
- Rinse the leaves once with boiling water and let them rest, covered, for 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. Sheng 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.
YunNan, Meng Hai county till May of 2018 then turn to GuangZhou storage.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur, especially in teas with more years of 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 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.
