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. The 2014 brick in the handy 100g size.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2014 · Ripe (shou/shu) puerh · 100g brick · fermented tea heads · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 100g brick. The dry leaf shows an even, dark fermentation.
- Liquor: Expect a deep-red cup.
- Taste: From the first steep the taste is mellow. Once the leaf opens up, expect notes of caramel in a sweet and rich cup.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick, smooth and mellow.
- Aftertaste: Expect a soft, clean finish after each cup.
- Best for: everyday drinking, and easy for beginners to brew.
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.
