Pu'er Tea Knowledge

2026/08/20

Named Teas in Collecting Circles: 88 Qing, Snow Mark, Big Cabbage, Water Blue Mark

88 Qing, Snow Mark, Big Cabbage, and Water Blue Mark are nicknames collectors have given to particular aged teas, not official factory product names. What each refers to, where the names come from, and why collectors prize them, with differing accounts presented side by side.

2026/08/20

Wet Piling: How Ripe Pu'er Is Made

The rich red, mellow character of ripe pu'er comes from a step called wet piling (wodui). Sprinkling, piling, turning: what happens to the leaves over those forty-some days?

2026/08/20

The 7581 Brick and Other Classic Ripe Bricks

7581 is Kunming Tea Factory's 1975 ripe tea recipe, made from sturdy grade 8 material pressed into 250-gram square bricks. Why it's a brick, how it differs from 7572, what sets Kunming's ripe bricks apart, and other common classic ripe bricks.

2026/08/19

T8653 and the Xiaguan Iron Cake: The Story of 8653

8653 is Xiaguan Tea Factory's 1986 raw tea recipe, and T8653 is the version pressed as an iron cake. What the T means, what makes Xiaguan iron cakes distinctive, and whether 8653 is smoky: from recipe to brewing, all in one place.

2026/08/19

V93 and Xiaguan's Classic Tuocha: Jiatuo and Xiaofa Tuo

V93 is Dayi (Menghai)'s classic ripe tuocha, and its number doesn't follow the four-digit recipe code rules. Xiaguan's Grade A (Jiaji) tuocha and Xiaofa tuo are long-established names in the tuocha world. How to brew V93, and what Jiatuo and Xiaofa tuo are: a guide to the classic tuocha.

2026/08/18

Sun-Dried Maocha: Where Pu'er Flavor Begins

Pu'er's raw material isn't oven-dried; it's dried in the sun. From picking, withering, kill-green, and rolling to sun-drying, learn how maocha sets the foundation of a pu'er.

2026/08/18

7262: A More Tender Ripe Tea

7262 is one of Menghai's classic ripe tea recipes. Its third digit, 6, means the material is mainly grade 6, a little finer than 7572. Here's the full story: why the first two digits can't be read as 1972, what makes it good, and whether it's still made.

2026/08/18

8592: A More Heavily Fermented Ripe Recipe

8592 is a ripe tea recipe developed by Menghai Tea Factory in 1985, made mainly from sturdy grade 9 material with heavier fermentation, giving a dark liquor and a full mouthfeel. Here's a rundown of its character, the Hong Kong commission story, and how to choose between it and 7572.

2026/08/17

7572: The Benchmark for Ripe Tea

7572 is Menghai Tea Factory's 1975 ripe tea recipe, made mainly from grade 7 material. Here's why it's seen as the reference standard for ripe pu'er, what it tastes like, and how it differs from 7262 and 8592.

2026/08/17

Yunnan Large-Leaf: The Leaf Behind Pu'er

Pu'er's body, staying power over many infusions, and potential to transform all start with Yunnan large-leaf tea. Get to know this leaf, and you'll understand why pu'er is meant to be sipped slowly and aged slowly.

2026/08/17

8582: The Large-Leaf Export Recipe

8582 is a raw tea recipe developed by Menghai Tea Factory in 1985, using sturdier material with large leaves and plenty of stem. Here's everything in one place: its connection to commissions from Hong Kong tea merchants, how it differs from 7542, and whether it suits long-term storage.

2026/08/16

7542: The Benchmark Raw Tea Recipe

7542 is Menghai Tea Factory's 1975 raw tea recipe, built mainly on grade 4 material blended from several tea regions. Here's the full story: what the four digits mean, why it's regarded as the yardstick for raw tea, how to enjoy it young, how different eras compare, and where "88 Qing" comes from.