The leaves of puer sheng (raw) Old Tree Leaf Cake 2016 tea come from the Bulang area located in the Yunnan region of southern China. To better understand this product, it is necessary to delve into the area of origin of its leaves since, in most cases, it is the place of origin itself that gives the tea its name and main organoleptic qualities. This puer, specifically, is composed mainly of the crop made in the Bulang mountainous area south of Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture at the most extreme southwestern point of Yunnan. The leaves in question were then carefully selected and pressed in spring 2016 by the Yongde Xiulin Pu'er factories located in Yongde County. The indication on the location of the factory where the leaves arrive is useful to emphasize that behind this puer there is a certain style or type of research designed by a special group of tea masters to enhance the territorial characteristics of the product.
The sheng old tree leaf, thanks to its particular time of ripening, manages to combine in the cup some typical flavors of both young and somewhat older puers. This can be seen well by observing the taste sensations of the first sips in comparison with those found at the end of the tasting. At first, in fact, there are fresh vegetable flavors that are already quite savory and therefore capable of recalling soybean sprouts or the leaves of some cabbages. Subsequently, however, somewhat more seasoned flavors arrive on the palate such as to recall the scent of some woods and dried herbs in the summertime. In the aftertaste, finally, there is also a slightly mineral tone and a sweet aspect similar to that given by some fresh legumes.
Location of origin
Bulang - Yunnan, China
Production
After harvesting, the leaves are left to wither in the sun for some time depending on the producer before going through the "green killing" stage which is purely similar to that used to produce green teas. The special feature, in this case, lies in not heating the leaves as much as is done for a green tea so that certain enzymes capable of changing flavors over time are preserved. Once cooked, the leaves are allowed to rest overnight before concluding the drying process in the sun. At this stage the product is called maocha and is ready to be (eventually) pressed in order to obtain the best conditions for transport and aging. To press the leaves they are passed through for a few seconds by a strong jet of steam so that they are made soft on the outside and are then gathered into a sock or sack that will give the product its usually discoidal shape. To ensure that this structure remains fixed over time, the sack is left for hours under a stone or mechanical press while the leaves lose that residual moisture taken up by the steam in the previous stage.
Preparation
We strongly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.
Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C: proceed to briefly rinse the leaves and then to an initial infusion of 20 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (20 - 25 - 30...).
This tea has a longevity of 8-9 infusions.
For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 2 1/2 minutes.
For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the infusion time is over. Our suggested infusion timings can be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
