Dayi 2022 "Long Zhu" (Dragon Pillar) Raw Puerh

This may well be a notable cake for Dayi -- the first raw/sheng version in the Dragon Pillar series. Our assessment: this is a superb quality Dayi production well worth aging for the long term.

Up till now, Dragon Pillar has been a longstanding and well-received series of Shou Puerh tea cakes. 2022 marks the very first year that Dayi has produced a raw/sheng version of this cake, blended using Menghai region materials with 5 years of aging. 

The result is exceptionally approachable for a fresh Dayi pressing, already showing  nuanced complexity from the pre-aging of the base material. Trademark Dayi bitter-cedarwood-barnyard funk is present, but doesn't overwhelm with aggression. Less floral and sharp than a corresponding 7542, with more sweet grains and freshly-raked earth body.

With further maturation, the blend will trade off its remaining herbaceous edge for more tropical fruit and barley sweetness. There is substance here for the long haul, and the blending excellent.

We are offering our current stock at a very reasonable price -- market prices have already started increasing for this tea as the market recognizes its value.