This 357g cake is DaYi's "7572", a ripe (shou) puerh from 2026.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2026 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 357g cake · mainly grade 7 leaf, blended with other grades · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: It is a tightly pressed 357g cake. The leaf itself shows mainly grade 7 leaf and visible buds.
- Liquor: The infusion pours bright and brownish red or bright red, with a thick look.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow and pure. Once the leaf opens up, expect hints of plum and caramel in a sweet cup.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick, full-bodied and smooth.
- Aftertaste: Look for a lingering sweetness after each cup.
- Best for: everyday drinking. It is forgiving to brew, so newcomers can start here.
Tasting Notes
- 1st Steep: The liquor is bright red. It presents a rich sugary aroma. The tea broth is sweet, mellow, and smooth, with a distinct sugar scent lingering at the bottom of the empty cup.
- 2nd - 3rd Steeps: The liquor shifts to a bright brownish-red. The caramel aroma becomes rich and pronounced. The taste is mellow, full-bodied, sweet, dense, and smooth, exhibiting a classic and strong "Meng Hai flavor". A significant sugar aroma remains at the cup bottom.
- 4th - 6th Steeps: The liquor returns to a thick, bright red. The sugar aroma is pure, accompanied by a lasting sweet scent. The broth maintains a dense, smooth, and full-bodied profile, offering a well-coordinated, sweet mouthfeel with a lingering sweet aroma at the bottom of the cup.
- 7th - 10th Steeps: The liquor is bright red. The sweet aroma persists. The taste remains mellow, sweet, and smooth, with a continuous sweet scent left at the bottom of the cup.
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.
- Small dark specks: naturally stored puerh can develop tiny dark specks on its wrapper or edges. They are harmless and brush off easily before brewing.
- 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.
