Lao Cha Tou — “old tea heads” — are the dense nuggets that form naturally during fermentation. Too good to discard, DaYi presses them into bricks: sweeter and thicker than regular shou, and they age beautifully. This is the 2020 first batch — young nuggets, fresh and sweet.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2020 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 250g brick · fermented tea heads · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 250g brick. In the dry leaf you can see an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: The infusion pours deep red.
- Taste: Through the middle infusions, notes of jujube and caramel come forward over a sweet and rich base. Its layers unfold gradually over the session.
- Mouthfeel & body: The texture is thick and smooth.
- Aftertaste: A gentle sweetness usually stays after each cup.
- Best for: everyday drinking in relaxed daily sessions, and a good pick for those new to puerh.
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.
