Langhe 2005 9579 (Shu pu'er)

General

Shu pu'er is the second main type of pu'er tea, alongside naturally aged sheng pu'er. The Shu pu'er production process was invented in the 1970s to create a tea that could mimic the taste of naturally aged sheng pu'er in a shorter time. Before the leaves are pressed into cakes, they are spread out on the factory floor in large piles, then watered and covered with cloths. This piling stage accelerates biochemical and microbiological changes in the leaves, effectively composting them. The piling stage can last from several weeks to months. Shu pu'er is available in many different forms, pressed cakes and also loose leaf.

This tea

This shu pu'er from 2005 is a product of the Langhe tea factory in the Menghai region. The factory was founded in 1995 and is a fairly large tea producer. Langhe is best known for its shu pu'er tea varieties, which are characterized by a slightly lighter fermentation, which gives the tea a long, solid aftertaste. This 2005 shu pu'er is named with the recipe name 9579. The recipe number was created in 1995. The leaf size is described by the recipe number 7, which means the leaf is slightly coarser. The top of the tea cake has leaf material containing buds. However, a better overall impression is found by looking at the bottom of the cake, where the leaf is larger and coarser. Such a larger leaf gives the tea nice complexity, especially when aged. The tea is a typical quality from a larger tea factory, based on plantation tea. Such teas are the backbone of the entire pu'er production and when well-aged they offer excellent taste and value for money! The weight of the whole cake is 357g.

Taste

The aroma of the dry tea has a barky and woody note and an attick-like tonal scent. In the cup, the aroma is slightly tarry, toasty and woody, minerally stony and tonal attick-like. The taste is focused on the aftertaste, where a solid freshness by the light fermentation stands out. The taste also has a slightly light tarry note and the tonal woody note of aged tea.

Infusion

Detach the leaves from the pressed cake with a sharp tool for brewing. You can use a table knife, for example. The spike-like shape works best, as it breaks the leaves less. Pu'er tea is infused with boiled water. About 3-5 grams of leaves are needed, or a generous tablespoon of loose tea. The tea can be brewed using the so-called gongfu technique, using a teapot of less than 300ml and infusing the leaves several times. In this case, the length of the brewing should be about 30-60 seconds. The amount of leaves can also be increased, which reduces the brewing time to 10-20 seconds. If you are using a larger teapot or only want to brew one batch, the steeping time should be 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaves to achieve the desired strength.