EN
Jingdong Laochatou ("Old Tea Heads"), 2016, is a special type of shu pu-erh. "Tea heads" are small clumps that stuck together during fermentation while the tea was piled and aged. They are often chosen for their thickness and their resistance to repeated brewing.
The content of active compounds in such a tea is richer and the liquor fuller. Long-aged shu pu-erh gains softness and roundness, and the clumps open slowly in water. This 2016 batch is brewed in a gaiwan, a clay teapot or a thermos.
Characteristics
- Type: shu pu-erh, "tea heads"
- Region: Jingdong, Yunnan, China
- Year: 2016
- Form: stuck-together clumps, loose
- Flavor: hazelnut, baked milk, wood, chocolate
Aroma and Taste
Dry leaf: when warmed with breath, dry, delicate and slightly damp; after the rinse, rich and lightly spicy, with woody-nutty notes and hints of herbs.
Liquor: a clean, thick liquor with hazelnut, baked milk, wood and chocolate; with each infusion the flavor becomes rounder, sweeter and more velvety.
Aftertaste: enveloping, lightly sweet and long-lasting, with a chocolate-woody tint.
Why You'll Love It
This tea gently invigorates and sets an unhurried mood. It loves long steeping, especially after the first few infusions, and holds up for many infusions, so a tea session can stretch out for a long time.
How to Brew
Gongfu brewing (short infusions, gaiwan or Yixing teapot):
- 100 ml gaiwan: 10–12 g of tea
- Water at 95–100 °C; do a rinse
- First infusions of 10 s, then increase
- The tea holds up for 10 or more infusions
Western-style brewing (teapot or thermal tumbler):
- 5 g of tea per 200 ml of water (or in a thermos)
- Temperature 95–100 °C
- Steep for 3–5 min
- The leaf can be re-steeped 3–4 times
Storage
Store in tightly closed packaging in a cool, dry place, away from direct light and foreign odors.
