Da Lao Cha Tou, Yunde, AAA, 2011

The large, hard tea heads are dark brown, resulting from fermentation in large piles of tea.

After warming up with your breath, you can feel the aroma of damp earth and wet wood with notes of nutmeg. To discover the taste of the head, rinse it with boiling water or leave it for a few minutes in cold water. After pouring, the taste of dried berries and the pleasant sweetness of wild rose appear. After subsequent pourings, chocolate, nuts and dried plums, moist bark and a light date sweetness come to the fore. The infusion does not turn into bitterness, the taste remains even and balanced.

When boiled, the taste of tea heads reveals itself completely differently: it becomes heavier, denser, apricot kernels and oak bark appear. The effect is stronger and invigorating.

We recommend boiling over a fire or steeping in a thermos. This allows the flavor to fully unfold.

How to brew

Brewing in a gaiwan or clay teapot

• Water: 90-95°C
• Amount of tea: 7-10 g per 120-150 ml

Place the tea in a well-warmed gaiwan or teapot and let it warm up for 10 seconds.

First infusion: 10 seconds

Subsequent infusions: gradually increase the steeping time by 10+ seconds

Steeping in a thermos

• Water: 85-90°C
• Amount of tea: 5 g per 400-500 ml of water

Use slightly less than you'd like to avoid over-steeping the tea, especially if you plan to keep it in the thermos for several hours.

Brewing over a stove

• Amount of tea: 10-15 g per 800-1000 ml of water

Bring the water to a near boil and turn off the heat. Let it steep for a while to obtain a soft, pleasant infusion.