{"product_id":"2018-classic-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake-shou","title":"2018 Classic Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThis 2018 Classic Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake (Shou) draws inspiration from the classic recipe of the first batch of Ripe Pu-erh produced by Menghai Tea Factory in 1975, widely regarded as the benchmark for Ripe Pu-erh tea. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe original recipe used grade-7 leaves (with grade 10 being the lowest and coarsest grade). For this tea, the leaf grade has been upgraded to Grade 2—one of the highest grades under China's national tea grading standards, featuring a high proportion of tender buds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe essence of this recipe lies in its blending approach. Fresh leaves were selected from ecological tea gardens across different elevations and micro-regions within Menghai County, then carefully blended to complement one another in flavor, aroma, and texture. The result is a modern interpretation of a classic Ripe Pu-erh, produced to a higher quality standard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eProfessional Background of the Tea Taster\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eAs a National First-Class Tea Taster with more than 17 years of professional experience—including my time at Chinese Tea Group—I have found that Ripe Pu-erh is the only tea category that leads me to think in terms of “two destinations and two challenges.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe Two Destinations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e1. The Final Stop for Experienced Tea Drinkers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eOver the years, we have seen countless tea enthusiasts begin with a passion for highly aromatic and energetic young teas. Yet as time passes, many eventually find themselves returning to the flavors of aged tea. Ripe Pu-erh was originally created to recreate the character of aged tea in a much shorter period of time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e2. The Ultimate Test of a Tea Taster’s Skill\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eRaw Pu-erh already presents an extraordinary range of flavors. Ripe Pu-erh goes a step further, challenging us to evaluate how a tea's character can evolve and develop over decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe Two Challenges\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e1. Production Challenge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eAlthough the wo dui fermentation process is now highly refined, tea makers still resemble master chefs—skill alone is not always enough. Sometimes, a little luck is required as well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eNatural variables beyond control include:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eTemperature\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eHumidity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eTurning schedules\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eChanges within the microbial environment\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e2. Selection Challenge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eAs the people who select teas for fellow tea drinkers, we often need to evaluate several times more samples of Ripe Pu-erh than of other tea categories in the same price range before we finally find one that truly stands out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe Ripe Pu-erh market is far from small, yet genuinely exceptional teas remain difficult to find. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eEven when you do find one, there is no guarantee the next batch will be the same. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eOur Philosophy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eFor this reason, our philosophy is the same advice we often share with tea enthusiasts:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eWe recommend starting with a small portion. For any age-worthy tea that you truly enjoy, it is wise to secure more while it is still available.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eWhenever storage capacity and financial conditions allow, we try to purchase entire batches. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eIn the world of tea, there is never another batch exactly like the one before it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eStorage History\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThis tea was produced and pressed into cakes in 2018, then stored in Kunming, Yunnan, a region widely regarded within the tea industry as a dry-storage environment due to its relatively dry climate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003ePackaged in 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eTransferred in 2025 to our professional warehouse in Dongguan, Guangdong, featuring advanced temperature- and humidity-controlled storage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003ePassed flavor evaluation in December 2025 and officially released for sale\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eFrom the photographs taken in our tea house, you can clearly see the quality of the material—tender leaves covered with golden tips.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eOnce brewed, the liquor displays a rich, wine-like body while remaining clear and bright in the cup. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eFine tea hairs, often associated with higher-grade material, can be seen suspended in the liquor, with no visible impurities. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eDuring tasting, floral notes and aged aromas emerge alongside a lingering sweetness and a pleasant salivating effect. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eThe texture is smooth, soft, and persistent. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eWhat many experienced tea drinkers appreciate most, however, is its depth and richness, along with the sense of ease and comfort it leaves in both the throat and body after drinking. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eWe recommend this 2018 Classic Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake (Shou) as an advanced choice for Ripe Pu-erh enthusiasts seeking to move beyond flavor alone and explore the broader experience that a mature Ripe Pu-erh can offer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eA Small Historical Note\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eA few years after the creation of Ripe Pu-erh, research conducted during the 1980s by Saint-Antoine Medical School in Paris examined the lipid-lowering effects of Yunnan \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.chineseteagroup.com\/collections\/ripe-pu-erh-tea\" style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\"\u003eRipe Pu-erh tea\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eFollowing this research:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eRipe Pu-erh attracted attention in the French market\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eWas at one time sold in pharmacies as a supportive beverage for maintaining healthy blood lipid levels\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eBecame a notable chapter in the international history of \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.chineseteagroup.com\/collections\/pu-erh-tea\" style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\"\u003ePu-erh tea\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot sure if this tea suits your taste? Try a sample and follow our brewing guide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\"\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: rgb(112, 32, 24);\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chineseteagroup.com\/products\/2018-classic-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake-sample-shou\"\u003eTry Sample \u0026amp; View Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chinese Tea Group","offers":[{"title":"Whole Cake (357 g)","offer_id":51147875516649,"sku":"010157-357g-2606","price":249.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/7549\/0025\/files\/2018-classic-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake-whole-cake.jpg?v=1785577045","url":"https:\/\/www.chineseteagroup.com\/products\/2018-classic-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake-shou","provider":"Chinese Tea Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}