LAO CHA TOU
SHU (RIPE) PU'ER
★ PESTICIDE-FREE GARDENING
Menghai, Yunnan, China
2020 Lao Cha Tou is a mature Shu Pu’Er tea formed naturally during the traditional pile-fermentation process, when leaves and tea buds bind together into dense clusters under the influence of heat, moisture, and pressure. Carefully aged since production, these compact “tea heads” develop a particularly smooth and concentrated character while retaining the depth and sweetness associated with well-made Shu Pu’Er. The infusion is rich, dark, and velvety, offering notes of aged wood, cocoa, dried fruit, sweet grains, and warm spices with a persistent sweet finish. MORE
AROMA
Woody, nutty, caramel
TASTE
Woody, mineral, medicine
PRODUCTION: Spring, 2020
The fermentation process significantly alters the chemical composition of the tea, creating a mellow infusion with reduced bitterness and astringency, a smooth texture, and earthy, woody, and sweet aromatic notes. It is believed that regular consumption of Shu Pu'Er may support digestive health, contribute to healthy cholesterol metabolism, promote the balance of beneficial intestinal microflora, and assist the body's natural antioxidant defenses. Traditionally, Shu Pu'Er has also been appreciated for its warming and grounding nature, its ability to aid digestion after meals, reduce feelings of heaviness and fatigue, and create a calm, stable, and balanced state of physical and mental well-being.
Learn more about the BIOCHEMISTRY OF A TEA LEAF
SEED-GROWN TEA PLANT
This tea refers to a Qunzi Zhong, a "seed-grown tea plant". Unlike cloned or asexually propagated cultivars, which are created by cuttings or grafting from a single "mother" plant, Qunzi Zhong tea trees are grown from seeds. This results in a genetically diverse population of plants. Each seed-grown tea tree is unique, with slightly different characteristics. This genetic variety helps improve the resilience of the tea garden, making it more resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental stress. Seed-grown trees usually develop stronger and deeper roots than cloned plants, allowing them to draw nutrients and minerals from deeper soil layers, often giving the tea a more complex and rich flavor profile. Qunzi Zhong represents the traditional way of tea cultivation. Because of the genetic diversity, teas made from Qunzi Zhong plants tend to offer more layered and nuanced flavors, reflecting a richer expression of the local terroir (soil, climate, and environment).
WILD TEA
Wild tea refers to plants that grow naturally in the forest or mountains without human planting, pruning, or care. These trees are very old, deeply rooted in the earth, and part of a diverse natural ecosystem. These are tall, old trees, some more than 100, 300, or even 1000+ years old, rooted deep into mineral-rich soil, thriving in diverse ecosystems. Wild tea trees grow tall and strong, with roots reaching deep into the earth. This allows them to absorb various minerals, creating complex, full-bodied flavors that change with each harvest. Growing in remote forests, these trees are untouched by pesticides or fertilizers. Many tea lovers say wild teas carry a unique energy, a grounding, calming, and sometimes uplifting presence. This is believed to be the "Qi" of the mountains, the life force of ancient trees, passed into the leaves. Wild tea is often high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and minerals. Because these trees grow slowly and absorb nutrients naturally, their leaves produce clean, nourishing brews that are gentle on the body but rich in effect.
Learn more about Pesticide-Free Gardening
EASTERN (PIN CHA) ★
Temperature: 100 °C
Amount: 3-5 grams per 120 ml of water
Steeping: 10-30 sec x 7+
WESTERN (INFUSION)
Temperature: 100 °C
Amount: 2-3 grams per 250 ml of water
Steeping: 1-2 min x 3
Learn more about TEA BREWING METHODS
BEST BEFORE: 2 years since production date!
*Suitable for long-term aging. Under proper storage conditions, the tea may gradually develop increased depth, smoothness, and complexity.
Learn more ABOUT TEA STORAGE
Lao Cha Tou (老茶头), literally “Old Tea Heads,” is a distinctive form of Shu Pu’Er that develops naturally during the Wo Dui (渥堆) pile-fermentation process. As the tea undergoes controlled microbial fermentation under warm and humid conditions, some leaves become compressed together by moisture, heat, pressure, and the naturally sticky substances released from the leaf. These dense clusters remain intact even when the fermented pile is later loosened and sorted, forming the characteristic irregular pieces known as Cha Tou.
Rather than representing a separate Pu’Er production method, Lao Cha Tou is therefore a particular fraction of traditionally fermented Shu Pu’Er. Its compact structure influences both maturation and brewing: the tightly bound leaves release their soluble compounds gradually, allowing the tea to withstand many successive infusions while producing a dense, smooth, and naturally sweet liquor. Good-quality Lao Cha Tou is particularly appreciated for its rounded texture, low astringency, persistent sweetness, and deep mature character.
This Lao Cha Tou was produced in 2020 and has subsequently undergone several years of natural maturation. During this period, the initial fermentation character has gradually softened and integrated, allowing the woody, earthy, sweet, and fruity dimensions of the tea to become more balanced. The compact clusters continue to transform slowly from within, giving the tea considerable depth and stability across repeated infusions.
Lao Cha Tou also offers an interesting perspective on the craftsmanship behind Shu Pu’Er production. What begins as a naturally occurring result of pile fermentation becomes, after careful sorting and maturation, a distinctive expression of the category in its own right. The result is a rich and comforting Shu Pu’Er with a dark liquor, velvety texture, pronounced sweetness, and excellent endurance through many infusions.
TERROIR
This 2020 Lao Cha Tou comes from Menghai County in Xishuangbanna, southern Yunnan, one of the most important historical regions for Pu’Er tea production. Situated close to the borders of Myanmar and Laos, Menghai is surrounded by mountains and forested tea-growing areas and has long been associated with both high-quality raw material and the development of modern Shu Pu’Er production.
The region has a warm, humid subtropical to tropical monsoon climate, with abundant seasonal rainfall, high atmospheric humidity, and pronounced wet and dry seasons. Tea gardens are distributed across mountainous terrain at different elevations, where local variations in temperature, exposure, rainfall, and surrounding vegetation create diverse growing conditions. The generally warm climate encourages vigorous growth, while higher mountain environments provide cooler conditions and slower leaf development.
Menghai’s tea-growing soils are typically acidic, deeply weathered, and rich in iron-bearing mineral material, with good drainage particularly important in the region’s mountainous terrain. Combined with the warm climate and abundant rainfall, these conditions support the growth of Yunnan large-leaf tea plants traditionally used for Pu’Er production. The substantial leaves provide a rich concentration of soluble compounds and a strong foundation for fermentation, contributing to the depth, body, and long-lasting character associated with Menghai Shu Pu’Er.
For Lao Cha Tou, terroir is expressed not only through the original leaf material but also through its interaction with fermentation and subsequent maturation. The substantial Menghai material undergoes Wo Dui fermentation, during which some leaves naturally bind together into the dense clusters characteristic of Lao Cha Tou. After several years of maturation, the result combines the strength and richness traditionally associated with Menghai material with the smooth texture, concentrated sweetness, and deep mature character characteristic of well-aged tea heads.
ORGANOLEPTICS
The dry Lao Cha Tou consists of dense, irregular clusters of tightly bound leaves, displaying deep brown, dark chestnut, and almost black tones with occasional reddish highlights. The aroma is deep, warm, and mature, combining aged wood, dark cocoa, dried dates, sweet grains, roasted nuts, and subtle earthy nuances. In a preheated gaiwan or teapot, the fragrance becomes richer and sweeter, revealing notes of dark chocolate, warm wood, caramelized grains, dried fruit, molasses, and a gentle mineral character. After the rinse, the compact tea heads gradually begin to open, releasing a dense aroma of cocoa, dates, roasted cereals, forest wood, and dark honey. The empty cup retains a persistent sweetness reminiscent of caramel, dried fruit, cocoa, and warm wood.
The liquor is clear and dense, developing from deep reddish brown into a dark ruby-brown colour as the tea fully opens. The taste is rich, smooth, and naturally sweet, combining dark chocolate, aged wood, dried dates, roasted grains, nuts, and subtle earthy and mineral nuances. As the infusions progress, the compact clusters release their character gradually, bringing greater sweetness and depth while remaining remarkably clean and balanced. The texture is one of the tea’s defining qualities: thick, velvety, and rounded, with a soft mouth-coating sensation and very little astringency. The aftertaste is long and warming, with persistent notes of cocoa, dried fruit, sweet wood, and a gradually returning sweetness. Its energy is deep, steady, and grounding, while the dense structure of Lao Cha Tou provides excellent endurance and allows the tea to remain rich and expressive through many successive infusions.
