The 7581 Brick and Other Classic Ripe Bricks
Not many teas have recipe codes ending in 1, and 7581 is the most famous of them. A neat, square ripe brick with a deep red liquor and an honest price, it's an old friend in many teahouses and in everyday brewing.
What Is 7581?
By the usual reading of recipe codes:
| Digits | Number | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | 75 | A 1975 recipe |
| 3rd | 8 | Mainly grade 8 material, on the sturdy side |
| 4th | 1 | Kunming Tea Factory |
7581 is a ripe tea, commonly a 250-gram rectangular brick. Overseas tea merchants describe it as Kunming Tea Factory's classic ripe recipe, made from Yunnan large-leaf tea from around Menghai, fermented by wet piling and then pressed. The 7581 commonly found on the market is issued under the Zhongcha brand. For the origins of the Zhongcha brand, read The China Tea Company and the Origins of the Zhongcha Brand.
Like Menghai Tea Factory, Kunming Tea Factory was one of the first factories to trial artificial wet piling around 1973, which gives it a place in the history of ripe tea. The beginnings of ripe tea are covered in The Birth of Ripe Tea Processing, and Kunming Tea Factory in Kunming Tea Factory, Pu'er Tea Factory, and Other State-Owned Factories.
Why 7581 Is a Brick
7581 has been issued as a brick from the start, for a few common reasons:
- Easy to ship and stack: square bricks stack without gaps, saving space in boxes and in transit, which suits large-scale export and distribution.
- Sturdy material holds its shape: grade 8 material has large leaves and plenty of stem, and pressing it into a thick brick gives a stable structure that doesn't come apart easily.
- Easy to measure: at 250 grams per brick, it's easy for teahouses and households to portion out.
The brick format and how to pry it are covered in Brick Tea: Pu'er in a Square Shape.
7581 vs. 7572
| 7572 | 7581 | |
|---|---|---|
| Factory | Menghai Tea Factory (ends in 2) | Kunming Tea Factory (ends in 1) |
| Recipe year | 1975 | 1975 |
| Material | Mainly grade 7, middle | Mainly grade 8, sturdy |
| Shape | 357 g round cake | 250 g square brick |
| General impression | Mellow, sweet, balanced | Dark liquor, full-bodied, clear woody notes |
Both began the same year: one a Menghai ripe cake, the other a Kunming ripe brick. 7572 uses slightly finer material and tastes more balanced; 7581 uses coarser material pressed tight, giving a thick, long-lasting liquor often described as having woody and jujube notes. Which suits you depends on whether you prefer refinement or body. 7572 is covered in 7572: The Benchmark for Ripe Tea.
What Sets Kunming Ripe Bricks Apart
Tea drinkers commonly describe Kunming ripe bricks like this:
- Liquor: deep red, the color of red wine.
- Aroma: ripe, woody, and jujube notes, with a deeper aged aroma after storage.
- Taste: sweet, smooth, and full-bodied, with very little bitterness or astringency.
- Staying power: sturdy material plus tight pressing means many infusions in a gaiwan, and it's great for boiling too.
7581 that has been stored a few years loses its pile taste and becomes cleaner. An overseas merchant describing early-2000s 7581 called it sweet and smooth, with cocoa and woody notes.
Other Classic Ripe Bricks
| Name | Factory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7581 | Kunming (Zhongcha) | Mainly grade 8 material, 250 g square brick |
| 7562 | Menghai (Dayi) | A ripe recipe of mainly grade 6 material, commonly seen as a brick |
| Other factories' ripe bricks | Xiaguan and others | Mostly 250 g, with varying material and fermentation |
Same shape, but different factories and material grades taste very different. Using the third digit of the recipe code to gauge how coarse the material is and the fourth to identify the factory is a great way to start.
How to Brew 7581
- Prying: start at a corner of the brick, insert a tea needle at an angle, and peel layer by layer, taking 7–8 grams at a time.
- Rinse: rinse once or twice with boiling water at 100°C; a tightly pressed brick needs time to open.
- Gaiwan: 110 ml, 10–15 seconds for the first few infusions, then lengthen gradually.
- Boiling: 5–8 grams in 1,000 ml of water, simmered over low heat for 3–5 minutes, for a deep red liquor.
Ripe tea brewing is covered in How to Brew Ripe Tea, and boiling in Boiling Pu'er.
Things to Consider When You See 7581
- Production year: 7581 is a recipe code; check the date or batch number on the package for the actual year. For reading recipe codes, see 7542, 8582, 7572: The Stories Behind Pu'er's Classic Recipes.
- Producer: the factory and brand named on the package.
- Storage condition: if the dry leaf smells clean with no mustiness, that's a good start.
FAQ
Is 7581 raw or ripe? Ripe.
What does the "1" in 7581 stand for? The fourth digit, 1, is Kunming Tea Factory's code.
Why is 7581 made as a brick? Square bricks stack and ship easily, sturdy material pressed into a brick holds firm, and 250 grams per brick is easy to measure.
Which is fuller-bodied, 7581 or 7572? 7581 uses sturdy grade 8 material pressed into a tight brick and generally drinks fuller than 7572; 7572 is more balanced.