2006 CNNP Yiwu Raw Pu erh

This is a 2006 Yiwu raw pu erh cake.  The wrapper on the cake stated that this tea cake was made from wild old  Yiwu tea tree leaves.  Stone pressed and manufactured by Tutsu Export Co (aka CNNP).  

Stone pressed cakes refers to the compression of tea leaves, in that, the tea leaves are placed in a stone pot and a worker would stand over the stone cover, using his weight to press down on the stone cover, thus compressing the tea leaves into a cake.  Machine pressed cakes simply uses hydraulic press systems that compresed the tea, that are usually placed in a metal pot.  The compression levels of machines are higher than stone pressed techniques.  I find stone pressed tea cakes more appealing, as the looser compression allows me to pry open the cake by hand and reduce breaking the tea leaves.  

This cake has that 'mild' aged tea taste.  It is still a little astringent as it is a 6 year old tea.  I had purchased it in 2009.  I suspected that these few years of storage in Singapore had reduced the traditional sharp bitter taste of a new pu erh raw and this cake has shown some characteristics of aging.  I was initially worried over the darker looking color of the tea cake (refer to pix).  I had stored my tea cakes individually in plain brown envelopes and placed on my book shelves.  It was a relief the tea tasted 'ok' and did not have any wet stored taste.  This particular tea cake felt much 'drier' and the cake seem very crispy when I was breaking up this cake into my tea caddy.

In my opinion, this Yiwu tea cake has a mix of old gushu inside.    It is a pleasant tea, very easy to drink, nice aroma........ slighty fruity and herbal.   No, I did not sweat profusely or feel any major high ( a tiny bit of both though).  Very enjoyable....finished almost half the cake within a month.  

I had recently broke my teapot which I had used for ripe pu erh......*$%k)!@n&*n!!!!!..... I feel better now.  Not an expensive teapot but I had brewed more than 1000 times of ripe pu with it (3 years of brewing).  Guess it will be a blog on teapots next.  Stay tuned.