Video: Unwrapping and breaking down
The 2006 CNNP Puerh "Lao Shu Yuan Cha - Hong Si Dai" (Old Tree Round Tea - Red Ribbon) Cake is a 380g Sheng Cha (raw Puerh tea) featuring long, dark tea threads with an impressive appearance after approximately 20 years of aging.
Sourced primarily from the Yi Wu tea region, its materials are reflected in both its striking look and distinctive taste profile.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2006 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 380g cake · CNNP
The flavor carries subtle notes of wax and faint wood, paired with a sweet and resilient taste that exudes a gentle strength.
The hui gan (returning sweetness) emerges in the aftertaste, delivering an engaging and impressive finish with notable saliva production.
Rich and varied, the lingering aftertaste captures the essence of old tree tea materials, with minimal bitterness and nearly no astringency.
Best for: This Puerh is highly recommended for enhancing one’s tea experience, offering a sophisticated balance of depth and smoothness for discerning enthusiasts.
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.
Aged to perfection under Guangzhou’s natural storage conditions, it is well-suited for drinking now.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake 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.
