This puer tea Shu Lao Cha Tou was produced in 2009 and is rich in pectin. The pressed leaves come from the mountainous area around the city of Menghai in southern Yunnan. The tea has very sweet notes, the result of the long aging process, and a thick texture, similar to rice soup. The taste remains intense, even after multiple infusions.
Tasting - Sight and Smell
The pressed leaves of puer Shu Lao Cha Tou tea are slightly opaque in small, dark brown blocks with beautiful reddish highlights. The infusion is aromatically rich and complex: it has the sweet scent of berries, empyreumatic and underbrush notes. The liquor in the cup is a very dark orange, tending to brown: in the mouth it is sweet and enveloping, completely devoid of bitterness and astringency.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of puer Shu Lao Cha Tou tea has mostly sweet notes of forest honeydew and fruity notes reminiscent of blueberry and blackberry: the smoothness that can be felt is the result of the long aging process, which makes the tea sweeter and sweeter as the years go by. With the second infusion, more intense and empyreumatic notes of burnt wood appear, along with light hints of leather. Pleasant notes of peaty whiskey are also perceived. With the third and subsequent infusions, then, hints of underbrush and damp earth emerge, again combined with an extraordinary sweetness that lingers in the finish, along with a surprising almond finish.
TO THE WEST
The first sip of puer tea Shu Lao Cha Tou is sweet with wild honey and at once empyreumatic: reminiscent of the forest, with hints of burnt wood and together of earth and wet leaves. There are also intermediate notes of leather, though very moderate, and hints of Scotch whiskey, with hints of smokiness. The finish is very soft: the intense, velvety body of the tea envelops the palate, with a long, sweet, empyreumatic persistence.
Location of origin
Menghai, Yunnan, China
Preparation
We highly recommend infusing puer Shu Lao Cha Tou tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to enjoy these leaves at their best. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 4 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in 95°C water, an initial infusion of 20 seconds can be made, after which, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 5 seconds from the previous infusion (20 - 25 - 30 ...)
This tea has a longevity of about 8 infusions.
For a classic preparation according to the Western style we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 95°C for an infusion time of 2 minutes.
The tea can be filtered for ease when tasting and also the infusion times given above here are meant to be purely indicative so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
