TeaHQ

Shou pu-erh brick

Shou pu-erh pressed into a rectangular brick rather than a round cake. Bricks were originally shaped for transport efficiency, stack better than cakes and are usually pressed harder, which slows both ageing and the process of getting leaf out of them.

Dark tea and pu-erhBold intensityAccessible to appreciateForgiving to brew熟磚
Brew at 98–100 °CUse 5–7 g per 100 mlFirst steep 8sGongfu brewing (gaiwan)Full schedule and equipment →

Character

Standard shou character in a format that is harder to break apart. Compression is a storage and transport decision, not a quality one.

Flavour
Earthy, Sweet, Woody
Aroma
Caramelised
Mouthfeel
Full bodied, Rich
Complexity
Moderate
Notes
damp earth, dried date, wood
Aftertaste
Thick and earthy-sweet.

Bold intensity: full-bodied, astringent or bitter enough to lead the cup.

Provenance and production

Origin
China
Region
Menghai
Oxidation
Not applicable
Post-fermentation
Microbial wet piling
Harvest
Spring
Processing
Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Sun-drying (shai qing) → Wet piling (wo dui) → Compression

Brewing

No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.

Common mistakes

  • Prising a hard-pressed brick with a knife rather than a tea pick — broken leaf brews unevenly and bitter.

If you like this

Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.

Editorially linked

Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.

  • Menghai shou pu-erh

    The same ripe pu-erh in brick and cake form. Compression density affects ageing rate, not quality, and bricks are usually pressed harder.

  • Tuocha

    Two compressed shou formats differing only in shape, and both pressed harder than a cake.

Similar sensory profile

Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.

  • Aged Liu Bao

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: woody, sweet, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

  • Aged white tea cake

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: sweet, woody, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

  • Lao Cha Tou

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: sweet, earthy, woody, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

  • Qian Liang Cha

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: woody, sweet, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

  • Sabaragamuwa tea

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: sweet, woody, earthy, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

  • Shou pu-erh (ripe)

    Shares 6 descriptors with Shou pu-erh brick: earthy, woody, sweet, full bodied, rich and caramelised.

Compare this tea with another