2007 Menghai "Lao Cha Tou" 250 g Shu Pu-Erh Tea Brick

Lao Cha Tou translates loosely as 'Old Tea Nugget.' Cha Tou are little tea nuggets that are a wonderful byproduct of the fermentation process of Pu-Erh tea. At the end of the 40-60 day fermentation process the newly fermented tea is sorted by size, and the cha tou are found near the bottom of the fermentation piles. These little nuggets are formed as a result of the heat and pressure that is generated by the piles when the tea is undergoing fermentation.

For this release, the Menghai Tea Factory compressed a mix of two, three, and four year old Cha Tou into 250 gram bricks. For some reason, the Cha Tou from the Menghai Tea Factory seem to be typically smaller than their counterparts from the Haiwan Tea Factory. The steeped liquor of this blend is wonderfully smooth, never bitter in my experience, and has a slightly sweet aftertaste. This tea can be infused many many times, and produces the best results when the water is as close to a boil as possible. Interestingly, Cha Tou do not unfurl when steeped in hot water. They just get a little bit plumper as they release their flavor. On a personal note, Lao Cha Tou products from the different factories have become a favorite of mine among the many forms that ripe Pu-Erh tea can take.