2006 XiGui Gushu Sheng / Raw Full Bing Cake Dry Stored (357g)

This is one we're really excited about. This puerh is a really great example of dry storage done right. This cake has been stored in Kunming since 2006. This cake has a wonderful floral aroma that makes you want to melt. It brews thick and sweet with plenty of honey notes. The energy is present and clear. It can take a delicate touch to brew right. If you go in strong it will give you a strong bitter and astringent return. If you treat it nice it will give you a very delicate cup. It gives back what you give when you brew it.

The material is 100% Spring picked gushu/ancient tree material from XiGui village in Lincang. This is a humid tea growing area near the Lancang River. The altitude is around 800m. One of the cool things about this cake is the story. Ever since governments became involved in the tea trade you've had bribes. Bribes go hand in hand with the tea trade in Yunnan since the beginning. We were told this material was used as a bribe to pay off a Lincang area official in 2006. This particular official has a keen palate for tea and won't accept low quality bribes. He had the maocha pressed himself and sold it to a friend of ours. Whether the story is true or not is for you to decide. Either way the tea is now in our hands and ready for you to enjoy.

This is a puerh that is definitely ready to be drank and enjoyed now. We're excited to see what a little Seattle storage will do with this ourselves, but we've heard Xigui material is best drank in the first decade. It won't get much better with time. Another decade of storage and a lot of the amazing floral aroma present now will probably be gone. So drink and enjoy this while you can.

Use 5-7 grams of leaves and brew with 6-8 ounces of water at or near boiling. Wash once for 3s, then start with a quick steep of 6-10s. With each re-steep adjust the steep time to your taste. Enjoy!

(357 grams)