Old-tree (gu shu) leaf is what sets the "Zao Chun Qiao Mu" apart: it typically brews thicker and lasts longer than plantation leaf. At this age, sheng is often starting to soften, though storage plays a part. Zao Chun Qiao Mu — “early spring arbor” — is DaYi's 2013 early-spring arbor sheng: strong threads with silver hairs, a smoky note.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2013 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · arbor-tree leaf · Menghai Tea Factory
- Compression & dry leaf: It is pressed into a 357g cake. Look for well-formed threads and visible buds in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: The liquor is typically golden to amber at this stage.
- Taste: The first infusions are mellow and full-flavored. Through the middle infusions, smoky notes come forward over a sweet and balanced base. There is more to notice as you keep brewing.
- Mouthfeel & body: On the palate it is thick, smooth and mellow.
- Aftertaste: The aftertaste brings easy salivation and a lingering sweetness.
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Brew it attentively and follow how it changes; a natural step up for a novice who wants to go further.
Brewing Guide
- Water: bring it to a full boil — 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Use about 5g of tea per 100ml of water.
- Rinse the leaves once with boiling water, about 5 seconds, then pour it away. Cover and let the leaves rest for around 10 minutes.
- Steep 10–15 seconds for the first infusions, adding roughly 5 seconds each round.
- Decant into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve. Sheng puerh stands up well to many resteeps.
- These are starting points, not fixed rules. Play with high or low pours, fast or slow streams, and adjust across seasons until you find your method. Getting the best out of the same tea in any year, season, weather or place takes practice — and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Store the cake somewhere ventilated, cool and dry, out of direct sunlight and away from strong smells such as kitchen spices or smoke. For aging over years, paper or clay containers allow better airflow than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
You won't find these on every cake — they tend to turn up more often in teas that have been stored longer.
- 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 sometimes appear; they come from the tea's natural oils and are not a defect.
- Torn wrapper: the cotton paper may pick up small tears or holes during storage and handling. The tea inside is fine.
