Here at Crimson Lotus Tea we LOVE Lao Cha Tou. If you are craving some chunky nugs of tea these will absolutely not disappoint. These nugs are special. They came from the same fermentation pile that produced our Yiwu Shousparilla tea. I wouldn't call these a beginner shou. These chunky nugs are funky. They are straight out of the pile and look it. They are dirty and funky. However... if you can get past their shaggy appearance (and give them a couple rinses with boiling water) these nugs will give you an amazing shou puerh experience. They are so mellow and sweet and rich and creamy. The flavor is similar to the herbal-ness from Shousparilla but realistically these are their own tea. They will literally brew forever. You will not out steep them. Not even close. They just go and go and go and go. Gongfu style brew them in a gaiwan or boil them on the stove. They just keep on giving. If you're not hooked on Lao Cha Tou yet you will be. Lao Cha Tou is a special shou puerh that is sure to please. During the wodui process to make shou puerh the heat and intense weight of the wet pile fermentation creates a perfect environment at the bottom to make 'Lao Cha Tou'. In Chinese 'Lao Cha Tou' (老茶头) means 'Old Tea Head', where head refers to a boss or chief. Every wodui pile creates Lao Cha Tou, but not all are created equal. We have had many that were merely sub par experiences. We are very selective with the Lao Cha Tou we choose. Use 5-10 grams of nugs and brew with 75-150ml ( 2.5-5oz ) of water at or near boiling. Be sure to rinse this material twice for at least 10 seconds each time. They need a good rinse! Start with quick steeps under 10s. With each re-steep adjust the steep time to your taste.
