With one sip of this charmingly shaped aged raw pu-erh, you’re transported to a supper campfire on that first cool fall night, an old hardcover book in hand and a baked potato slowly smoldering in the ashes. Hints of camphor and light smokiness build into a full-bodied, almost chewy texture with a balanced bitterness that smooths out after several infusions. Note the pleasantly cooling, minty aftertaste, and then pour another round.

This limited edition lot was produced in Hong Kong for a local Buddhist organization, using high quality sheng leaf material to craft the traditional spiritual symbol of a lotus flower, and it has been aging for over a decade. When enjoyed gongfu cha style, it’s an excellent value, and can be considered a step up from our Sheng Cupcake.

Such stylized pu-erhs must be heavily compressed in order to enable the detailed design. To prepare, we recommend putting the entire piece in a bamboo steamer basket over simmering water to loosen it (see video), then breaking the shape completely apart and letting the leaves dry before storing for later steepings.

Country: China
Region: Yunnan
Tasting Notes: sandalwood, charcoal, wintergreen
Year of Production: 2014

180 g

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 200º F

 3-5 grams, 2-3 minute steep

 ⅓ full, 10-20 sec steep