Royal Loong Tuan Tea "Golden Gourd Tribute Tea"

Preparation of Utensils  

Main brewing vessels：Purple clay teapots with good air permeability (suitable for aged tea or teas needing aroma concentration) or open-mouthed covered bowls (easy to observe tea color and control infusion time, recommended for beginners).

Fair cup：Glass is preferred for easy observation of tea color.

Tasting cups：Small porcelain or pottery cups, good for aroma retention.

Auxiliary tools：Tea needle (for prying pressed tea), tea scoop, tea cloth, etc.

Tea Leaves and Water

Tea leaves：Loose tea can be used directly. Compressed tea (cakes, bricks, tuocha) needs to be pried loose in advance and "awakened" for 1-3 months (in a ventilated, light-proof, and odor-free environment).

Water：Qualified purified water is sufficient; never use alkaline mineral water.

(Commercially available mineral waters and mountain spring waters vary in water quality due to different sources; so-called "high-quality mineral water" will likely cause loss of functional components in tea and inhibit its aroma.)

Tea dosage：Use 5-8g of tea for a 100-150ml container (tea-to-water ratio of approximately 1:20; adjust strength to personal taste). 

Steps

1.Warm and clean the utensils
Rinse all utensils with boiling water to raise their temperature, helping to release the tea's aroma.

2.Formal brewing
Infusions 1-3：
Pour boiling water from a height(When pouring, slightly lift the kettle to let the water flow hit the tea leaves and release the tea's aroma).
The infusion time is 5-10 seconds; drain the tea soup quickly to avoid excessive leaching of bitter and astringent substances. (For new tea with obvious bitterness, shorten the time to within 5 seconds; for aged tea, extend it to 10 seconds.)

Infusions 4-7：
Pour water at a medium height (gentle circular flow to keep tea evenly heated);
infusion time: 10-15 seconds. Adjust based on taste—if the tea fades, steep for an extra 5 seconds.

After infusion 8：
Pour water at a low height (close to the bottom of the pot/bowl to reduce impact);
gradually extend steeping time (add 5-10 seconds each time). Aged tea can be steeped for 1-2 minutes until the flavor fades. 

Tasting

After pouring the tea into the fair cup, divide it evenly into tasting cups. Smell the aroma while it's hot (raw Pu'er often has floral, fruity, nectar-like, or wild mountain notes). Sip slowly to feel the bitterness, sweet aftertaste, salivation, and lingering throat sensation.

Place in a clean, odorless environment,
Avoiding light and moisture.

Ideal humidity : 60%~70% (moisture protection is needed in southern regions)

Optimal temperature : 20~30℃, avoid drastic fluctuations (such as direct airflow from heating or air conditioning).

Ventilation and protection from light : Provide moderate ventilation (avoid complete sealing), while isolating from odors (e.g., cooking fumes, cosmetics).
Dark storage: Ultraviolet rays can damage the internal qualities of tea leaves; it is recommended to use a light-proof container or store in a dark place.

Clean and odorless

Keep away from odor sources such as kitchens and bathrooms to avoid absorbing miscellaneous smells.

storage container

1. Purple clay pot/pottery pot

It has good breathability and is suitable for long-term storage, but the humidity needs to be checked regularly (use with caution in the south).

Clean with boiling water and air dry before use to avoid residual moisture.

2. Cartons + Bamboo Shells/Cotton Paper

An economical and practical combination: Bamboo shells resist moisture and allow ventilation, cartons block light and are easy to stack.

It is recommended to store compressed tea cakes in their entirety (without removing the bamboo shoot husks) to minimize external interference.

3. Sealed Bags (Short-Term Use)

Only for short-term storage (within 1 year); long-term sealing hinders aging.

Choose food-grade aluminum foil bags, squeeze out air after filling with tea, and seal tightly.

Common Misconceptions

Refrigeration is incorrect:  Low temperatures inhibit fermentation, and tea easily absorbs odors from the refrigerator.

Complete sealing is incorrect: Puer tea requires trace oxygen for transformation; vacuum packaging is unsuitable.

Sealing new tea to "reduce harshness" is incorrect

Folk claims, “New Puer is bitter and intense; "requiring 3 years of sealed storage to reduce its pungent flavor " only applies to teas from poor ecological environments.
For Pu’er made from top-grade materials like thousand-year-old ancient trees or Bingdao old village tea, the new tea stage is precisely the starting point of its flavor peak.

Take such ancient tree spring tea: It boasts rich wild floral aromas, fresh liquor, prominent rock sugar sweetness, and layered depth, fully embodying the essence of primitive ecology. Its charm lies in the unpolished vitality of the new tea phase.

Practice shows that after 5 years of storage, it shifts to a “classic aging trajectory” and loses its uniqueness.

For fine tea, drink it when new — savor its annual transformations.
Allow moderate air exposure in the first 3 years of storage to preserve the new tea’s ecological essence.

5-10 years: The tea’s nature mellowss; woody and aged aromas emerge.

Over 15 years: The liquor turns rich reddish-brown; the taste becomes mellow and full.

The storage philosophy of top-grade ancient tree tea is, at its core, reverence and preservation of primitive ecology.