Xiong Feng 2012 Gong Ting Gong Bing (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 fermentation time. Before the leaves are pressed into cakes, they are spread out on the factory floor in large piles, which are 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, such as pressed cakes and loose leaf.

This tea

This tea is produced by the Lincang area tea factory in Yongde district. The tea is produced under the Xion Feng brand. The tea material is from 2012 and is from the vicinity of Mangfei village. This is a major tea producing area in Lincang area which is known for its strong pu'er tea quality. The name of this tea Gong Ting Gong Bing means Court Tribute Cake. This refers to the leaf material of the cake which is very small leaves. The cakes have been pressed in recent years which can be seen from the bright color of the papers. I.e. the leaf material has been kept loose leaf for about 10 years which is the year the tea has been pressed into cakes.

Taste

The dry tea has a rich sweet barky aroma. The taste starts with a rich cocoa flavor and continues with sweet woody tones and ends with mineral and old woody aged tones.

Infusion

Detach the leaves from the 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 brewed with boiled water. About 4-6 grams of leaves are needed, or a generous tablespoon of loose tea. The tea leaves are rinsed first. Hot water is poured over the tea leaves and allowed to brew for about 10 seconds. The rinsing water is poured off. This rinsing helps to make the tea clear and reduces the stronger fermentation taste and smell on the surface of the leaves. The tea can be brewed in a so-called gongfu technique, using a teapot of less than 300ml and steeping the leaves several times. In this case, the length of the steeping should be about 30-60 seconds. The amount of leaves can also be increased, in which case the steeping time can be reduced to 10-20 seconds. If you are using a larger teapot or want to make only one steeping, the steeping time should be 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaves to achieve the desired strength.