A proper ripe Pu-erh tea cake is something extremely difficult to find in today’s market, because the technique of “piling” (渥堆) is not an easy one to learn just like oolong tea processing. You need to control the fermentation of piling at the right spot to avoid over-fermenting and stop the fermentation at the right moment. This requires patience and sensitivity to master.
As a result, a tea cake like this is like a gem in the 21st century. Properly done by the piling master before CNNP got privatization in 2004. This rare ripe Pu-erh tea cake will allow a tea lover to recall the wonder of a ripe tea cake can bring, and also warms a tea lover’s stomach like a mini stove in a freezing winter.
Original Han Character: 陳舊柒伍柒貳
Vintage: 1996 / 壹玖玖陸
Varietal: Assamica / 大叶种
Region: Yi Wu, Yunnan / 易武云南
Fermentation Level: 90% / 分之 玖拾
Storage History: Stored in Taiwan since 2002