TEA HORSE ROAD YIWU 2006 SHOU PU ER – GONG FU TEA

An O5 favourite. An easy tea to love.

We've tasted piles of pu er cakes over the past 20 years, and this is one of our favourites. Tea Horse Road is extremely easy to drink: the kind of tea that makes you reach for another cup before you’ve quite finished the first.

In the cup

The brew is deep and dark, like French press coffee, with barely any bitterness. We find its energy warming and grounding—a very good companion for a rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon.

Careful storage has allowed the flavour to develop beautifully. It’s an inviting introduction to aged shou pu er, and a cake we’re always happy to return to.

The tea

• Year: 2006
• Style: Shou (ripe, or “cooked”) pu er
• Origin: Yiwu, Yunnan, China
• Pressed and cellared by: Fan Xiuli and Gao Feng
• Format: Loosely stone-pressed cake; available as a 40g portion or a whole 357g cake

Brew, sip, repeat

Use 5–8g of tea per 240ml of water at 100°C / 212°F. Start with a 15-second infusion, then steep the leaves again, adjusting the time to your taste. A gaiwan or Yixing teapot works well.

The people behind the cake

Originally from Northeast China, Gao Feng and Fan Xiuli made Menghai their home and a base for their work with tea. Their interests also extend to painting, music, and sharing Chinese culture.

A note on the wrapper: Years of storage in Menghai have left some paper wrappers with tears or light staining. Please expect some wear on the original packaging.