Puer sheng (raw) Old Tree Leaf Torta 357g tea leaves come from southern China. In order to better understand this product, it is necessary to investigate the area of origin of its leaves as, in most cases, it is the place of origin itself that gives the tea its name and main organoleptic qualities.
This puer, specifically, is composed mainly of the crop made in the mountainous Bulang area of southern Yunnan. The leaves in question grew in a small, 30-year-old plantation at an average altitude of 1,200 metres. It is a tea harvested in spring and the proportion is one bud, three leaves.
The liquor of Puer Sheng (raw) Old Tree Leaf Tea is mainly characterized by herbal hints. During the tasting in particular, herbaceous and pungent flavors accompanied by a moist and fresh note will be picked up. Because of the particular time of maturity in which this puer is found, the taste will not be characterized by sweet notes, but rather by a citrusy and intense lemongrass-like flavor.
Place of origin
Bulang Mountains, China
Production
After the harvest the leaves whither under the sunlight for a certain period of time depending on the tea masters evaluations before going into the “killing of the green” phase which is similar to the practice adopted for green teas. In this case, however, the leaves are heated in the iron wok with a lower temperature than the usual standards for a green tea so it is possible to preserve some enzymes capable of changing the the taste of the tea through the time. After being pan-fried the leaves rest during the night time before the last drying phase under the sun in the next day. In this stage the product is called maocha and it is ready to be (eventually) pressed in order to have the best conditions to being transported and aged. To press the leaves, the producer exposes a certain quantity of the product to a strong steam jet for few seconds in order softened the vegetal mass and then wrap all up in a kind of sock or sac to imprint the final, usually discoid, form. To maintain the desired shape the sac is put under an heavy stones for several hours or under a mechanical press while the leaves loose the residual moisture caused by the steam in the previous phase.
How to prepare
We strongly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.
Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C: conduct a short rinse of the leaves and then an initial 20-second infusion. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 10 seconds each time (20 – 30 – 40…).
This tea has a longevity of about 7 brewings.
For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 2.5 grams of leaves in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 2 1/2 minutes.
For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the brewing time is over. The infusion timings we suggest can be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
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