We acquired 30 cakes of this Tuocha from Xiaguan, Yunnan a few years ago, and have been patiently aging it, letting it develop over time. The name "Tuocha" refers to the dome-like shape of the compressed tea cake. Tuocha pu'erh was usually exported to France, as an easy-drinking and sweet pu'erh ripe for enjoying day-to-day. It is not innately a complex tea, as it does not come from ancient trees. In the case of this Tuocha we taste for the characteristics that come with 15 years of age. Even with the depth lended by time, it remains an extremely easy drinking pu'erh ripe. The mouth feel is light and almost refreshing, while still being earthy and sweet. It does not have the richness or brothy texture of pu'erh ripes made from much older tea trees, which is exactly its charm. This is an uncomplicated, high quality pu'erh ripe to enjoy at times when you are feeling a bit lighter.
