Banzhang

This 2012 Banzhang Sheng Pu-erh cake presents a rich and evolving profile. Expect a deep, earthy foundation, interwoven with notes of dried fruits and a subtle woody complexity. The liquor is full-bod. It leans earthy, fruity and woody.

Water around 95–100 °C (203–212 °F). In a mug, steep 3–5 min. For gongfu, use 5–7 g per 100 ml, 10–20 s steeps (10–20+ rounds). You'll get to see how the flavor changes across multiple rounds. Rinse the leaves once with boiling water before your first real steep. It cleans off storage dust and gets the flavor going.

Grown in Yunnan, China. This batch is from the 2012 harvest.

Starts at $79.99 from King Tea Mall, or about $7.20/g. A 7g package gets you around 1 gongfu sessions at ~6 g each, which works out to about $43.20 per session. Explore more dark teas on Teadar.