Earthy, peaty, and carrying a thick sweet aftertaste that hangs in the mouth long after the cup is empty. Vintage Stout '07 is a shu pu-erh (熟普洱), a tea that goes through wo dui, a controlled fermentation process that turns raw leaf into something mellow and deep. This one had a medium-light fermentation and nineteen years as loose leaf, so there is still movement and development in the cup. Tasting Notes Think wet peat and warm earth with a thick, sweet aftertaste that lingers. The liquor pours deep mahogany with an earthy scent that reads more like moorland than chocolate. First steeps land smooth but alive — the medium-light fermentation means brightness still sits under the dark surface, and a pleasant sweet weight builds on the tongue after each sip. Later rounds bring toasted grain and dried date, with the peat note softening into something warmer and rounder. Nineteen years as loose leaf and still developing — that sweet aftertaste stretching longer each steep is the proof. Origin The leaves come from old assamica tea bushes growing at 2,000 meters in Yunxian, a county in Lincang prefecture, Yunnan. At that altitude, cold nights slow the trees down and concentrate sugars into the leaf, which is why this tea runs sweet rather than sharp. Yunxian sits in a quieter corridor of the pu-erh world, known for smooth body over bold intensity. Craft After picking in spring 2007, the leaves went through wo dui: wet-piling under controlled heat and moisture for several weeks. This accelerated fermentation breaks down astringency and builds the dark, earthy flavor that defines shu pu-erh. Unlike many shu teas pressed into cakes, this lot stayed as loose leaf, giving each strand room to breathe and age at its own pace over the years rather than compressing together inside a wrapper. Aging Nineteen years of dry storage have softened everything the fermentation started. The compost and damp-earth notes common in young shu have faded, replaced by a cleaner, sweeter cup with polished wood and warm earth. Time also rounds the mouthfeel, so each steep coats the tongue rather than sitting flat on it. The 25g bag gives you roughly five sessions to see whether aged shu pu-erh fits your taste. If you want to compare, try it alongside Lost Archive (linked in the FAQ), which is three years older with a deeper, more layered profile. Brewing Brew 5g in 100ml of boiling water (100°C) for 30 seconds, and rinse the leaves once with a quick pour of hot water before your first drinkable steep. Five grams is about a tablespoon of loose leaf, and the 25g bag stretches to about five sessions of eight steeps each. FAQ What is shu pu-erh? Shu pu-erh (熟普洱) is a fermented tea from Yunnan, China. The leaves go through wo dui, a weeks-long process where piled leaf ferments under heat and moisture, turning it dark and smooth. The technique started in the 1970s to replicate the mellowness that raw pu-erh gains over decades of aging. How does Vintage Stout compare to Lost Archive? Lost Archive is a 2004 pressing with over twenty years of age. Lost Archive runs deeper with dried plum and toffee depth, while Stout is earthier and more alive with a peaty character. If you are new to aged shu, this tea is the easier starting point. Can I drink shu pu-erh on an empty stomach? Shu pu-erh is one of the gentlest teas on the stomach. The fermentation breaks down compounds that cause irritation in raw tea, and nineteen years of aging smoothed it further. Many people drink this as a morning tea before breakfast without any discomfort. Is the earthy taste in shu pu-erh normal? That earthy quality is exactly what fermentation creates. Fresh leaf starts bright and grassy, but weeks of wo dui (wet piling) transform it into something dark and smooth. After nineteen years of aging, the earthiness settles into warm peat and toasted grain rather than the raw soil notes of younger shu.