Ripe (shu) pu-erh is often shared after a heavy meal (fermented teas may aid digestion), and its moderate caffeine content and grounding energy make it a comforting evening tea. This 2016 vintage pu-erh, or “dark tea”, hails from Mengsong Mountain in Yunnan. In addition to the lush rain-forest notes, it offers an herbaceous cooling sensation.
It's traditional for dark teas to be pressed into cakes for aging and storage. But in a modern convenience, these leaves are pressed into single-serving squares. No need to measure, each square is 6 grams, perfect for a gong-fu session. For brewing a single cup (“western style”), the squares are scored down the middle so they can be broken in half.
Evening Songbird
Brewing Guide
(See 'Brewing Guide' for explanation of the Four Elements of Brewing Tea)
Leaf: 1 square (6 grams) in a small pot
Water: Full boil
Time: 30 seconds each brew (rebrew many times)
("wake up" the tea by discarding the first brew)
Details
Size: 120 grams
Type: Pu-erh (Dark Tea)
Origin: Yunnan, China
Character: lush, gentle, herbaceous