"Iron Teacake from Dali" is made of the very first spring tea shoots (harvest 2017) in a small family tea farm in Xia Guan district (Dali County).
The history of tea in the area date back hundreds of years: district Xia Guan or "Lower Gate" has been one of the starting points on the way from Yunnan to Tibet since ancient times. The legendary "Te Bing Yuan Cha" or "Iron Disk" appeared in 1950 when Xia Guan tea plant was equipped with mechanical presses. The first pilot batch of machine pressed teacakes was considered to be a failure because of their excess density and inability to break easily. Then, presses were modernized and teacakes started to be looser. However, the teacakes of the first experimental batch have gained an outstanding mature flavor and aroma over time. Therefore, the tradition of tight pressing "Te Bing" in the North-West region is still alive today.
In appearance: 357 g teacake of high density, broken with knife into large, twisted, greyish-olive leaves, silver buds and stems. The aroma is calm, herbal. The infusion is transparent, white grapes colour.
The brewed tea has vivid, herbal bouquet with woody, smoky and fruity notes. The aroma is tender, fruity-herbal with light smoky accent. The taste is smooth and full-bodied, juicy, sweetish, a bit tart, with spice nuances, transforming into refreshing finish.
Brewing suggestions. Brew tea with hot boiling water (75-95°C, the lower the temperature, the more tender the taste) in a gaiwan or a teapot made of porous clay. The proportion is 5 g per 100 ml. The first infusion should last for 8-10 seconds. After that do short brews (just for 1 second), increasing exposure time for each subsequent brewing, if necessary. You can repeat this method up to 10 times.
"Iron Teacake from Dali" is lovely yang sheng – vivid and quite gentle, with smooth, full-bodied taste and refreshing, soft tonic effect. It contains everything for aging and further development.
