2013 Yunnan Sourcing "Yi Dian Hong" Ripe Pu-erh Cake

A dark and comforting tea. Easy to drink, with a decent amount of sweetness and very little bitterness. Works well for me brewed western style, and I typically brew it for 3 or 4 steeps (starting at 2 minutes and working up to 5 minutes after an initial 30-second rinse). Might even have a few more good steeps, but that is too much for me. Not sure what the difference between sandalwood and oak would be, but I guess if sandalwood is on the softer side with more floral and spice tones, I can see that. I’m not feeling any root beer or cinnamon here. Vanilla and cherry notes for sure. No really strong earthy or funky tones – smooth is the name of the game here. Not super complex, really, but very pleasant. I’m not a total shu-poo-head yet, but after trying this tea I might be on my way.

This tea is a beautifully pleasant addition to my collection.

The compression in the cake isn’t very tight and allows easy prying. As of 2023, there is no wet-pile/fishy smell, only the slight earth-ocean aroma typical of ripe tea.

Having prepared three sessions of 2013 “Yi Dian Hong” now and used differing leaf-to-water ratios, the flexibility of this tea is undeniable.

First, I used 5 grams of leaves in a 100 mL gaiwan. (I start with a small tea ratio to enjoy the subtleties of the tea. A heavy proportion of tea drowns those delicate qualities.) The early infusions were gentle and sweet with prominent vanilla notes. The middle steeps complemented the underlying sweetness agreeably, growing full-bodied and cherry-like. The later brews faded slowly into subtle, fruity wood. Altogether, the tea yielded approximately ten infusions. I typically flash-infuse shou the first two to three times and add five seconds to each subsequent steep.

I employed 7.5 grams of tea for the next session in the same 100 mL gaiwan. The early steeps were still reminiscent of vanilla but thicker, heavier, and almost smoky. The middle steeps revealed dark chocolate and vague yet pleasant bitterness. The fruity-sweet character was more challenging to detect in this session. Late steeps traversed into soft vanilla land with less woodiness than the first session. I recall brewing in this session around thirteen times.

In my most recent session with this 2013 “Yi Dian Hong,” I opted for 4 grams of tea in my 60 mL gaiwan. I obtained eleven infusions from this session. Early on, the tea had the same vanilla character with a pecan note I hadn’t previously noticed. Midway through the session, there was still vanilla but with hints of chocolate. The nutty notes persisted quietly in the background and faded away in the late steeps, leaving fruitiness and still more vanilla. Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. This tea can’t stop talking about it! Fortunately, I am a fan.

Now stop reading and buy the tea already.

First time being the first reviewer on a tea, I think. Certainly one this old.

I take this with me to work and brew it grandpa style mostly, first steep is typical shou, second and third have a wonderful cola taste that I love. Like cola flavored candy – think Bottle Caps. Some warm spices, particularly cinnamon. Slightly slick/creamy mouthfeel. Really pleasant. I will have to gong fu this to see what else it’s got.

This was a blind buy for me before I was sure I liked shou. Didn’t like it much at first, stashed it away for a year and a half or so. Definitely a deal when I bought it, I’ll have to blind buy more.