Tightly woven and neatly structured tea threads present a remarkable appearance, having aged gracefully over many years.
Its relative looseness allows for easy prying, ensuring the tea threads remain intact.
This is crucial for preserving the essence of the tea, particularly important for teas other than iron cakes or hard-pressed varieties.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2003 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 100g tuo · YinHao
The tea liquor displays a clear, bright color.
Keeping the threads complete slows the release of essences, preventing the tea soup from becoming overly thick, bitter, or astringent.
Exhibits typical Lin Cang tea characteristics, including a mild bitterness and astringency, complemented by a mineral flavor and hints of sweetness.
The tea offers a delightful variation across infusions.
A lingering aftertaste provides a deep sense of satisfaction and enjoyment.
Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a drinker new to puerh.
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.
Stored naturally in Guangzhou.
A Note on Appearance
Not every tuo 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.
