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: 6 g per 100 ml

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

First infusion: 1 minute

Subsequent infusions: gradually increase the steeping time by 20-30 seconds.

Brewing in a thermos

• Water: 90–95°C
  Proportions: 8–10 g per 1000 ml

Brew for 10–15 minutes.