2004 Dayi

Puerh tea made by DaYi (Menghai Tea Factory) in 2004, the year the factory left the state-owned CNNP group and became a private company. Teas from this period are now hard to find.

The 2004 7572 is a shou (ripe) cake of 357g. 7572 is the factory's classic ripe recipe, first made in 1975. In the name, 75 is the year of the recipe, 7 the main grade of leaf, and 2 the number of the Menghai Tea Factory. The cake has fine golden buds on the surface and stronger leaves inside, and careful fermentation gives it a smooth, sweet and balanced taste.

After more than twenty years of storage, the early fermentation notes have faded, and the cup is clean, deep red and mellow, with a woody, slightly sweet aftertaste. It is a good chance to taste how a classic ripe puerh ages. The tea is sold as samples from 7g, as single cakes or as a stack of seven. King Tea Mall is an online shop based in Guangzhou, China.