lao cha tou loose ripe 2009

Try boiling it?

perhaps…? I have the kettle by my bed and just gongfu in comfort watching movies. If I had to get up to the kitchen to boil it I dont think I would like it still – maybe thats the thing with lao cha tou? I thought you can gongfu this stuff ok, even though they are hard – I only have a little anyway, not really my bag i dont think

Lao Cha need really long steeps. Starting at 20 seconds or so. They are very compacted and need time to open up.

or i double the dosage. if you normally use 6g use 12G instead. works every time

i was doing long steeps because i know they are hard buggers to crack. Just leaving them in there and it still wasnt working right. I used a small amount, maybe it was that (i thought they might open up a lot)

I brew 10 to 12 grams on Lao Cha most of the time.

I have almost given up on Cha Tou tea. I had a wonderful one for the first go…The 2009 Yunnan Sourcing Cha Tou Sheng Yun ripe brick. The nuggets opened up nicely and tasted so thick and sweet. I bought the 2011 brick as well as the 6 years aged loose Pearl La Cha Tou. Neither one give me much. I brew hot and long steeps. Still lack luster thin liquor. I still do not think I know a way to get those nuggets to open up except for a hammer.

Lacklustre thin liquor – thats a perfect way to describe what im feeling… I will try once more with a tonne of the buggers and see if that helps