2011 Menghai Lao Cha Tou

SFr. 12.95

Details
Description
Customer Reviews

Notes of stone fruit, dried dates and a light earthiness.

Origin:

Menghai County, Yunnan province, China.

Introduction:

During the cooked Pu-Erh oxidation process some of the tea leaves will attach to one another when stirred and take on a nugget form as a result of heat and high compression. These nuggets are called Lao Cha Tou (Old Tea Nugget) and are considered the most precious of ripe Pu-Erh due to the trapped moisture creating a dried fruity flavour. Compared to common ripe Pu-Erh they have higher levels of fermentation giving a thick yet mellow tea liquor. Our Lao Cha Tou are from a vintage of 2011. When stored for several years their flavour becomes sweeter and more complex.

Brew Guide:

Per cup: 1 tsp 100°C 3 minutes

Can be infused up to 12 times with shorter steeps.
Our preferred method for Pu-Erh is gong fu style, using more leaf and shorter steep times of 20 seconds.

200 brews per pack | Sfr. 0.05 per brew
During the production process of ripe (shou) Pu-erh the tea is kept for a long time in huge tanks. The Pu-erh is then periodically mixed with forks, however, the bottom of the piles are hard to access. At the bottom, under the influence of high temperature, high levels of humidity and a lack of oxygen, the tea leaves and buds stick together in dense clumps. This constant pressure and reduced oxygen gives the tea some unique properties, amongst them a marked deep and velvety taste.

Our Lao Cha Tou is selected from the famous Menghai tea factory in Yunnan and because a more full bodied and balanced tea when aged.

As with all aged Pu-erh, always wash the leaves once with hot water for a period of 10 seconds to prime the leaves. Typically the water from the initial infusions is used to wash and warm the cups. For the third brewing, steep the tea leaves for about one minute and gradually increase steeping time for the succeeding infusions to your desired strength. High quality Pu-erh can be steeped up to 30 times. Remember to remove the leaves after the desired strength has been reached to avoid overbrewing.