2008 Guafengzhai Gushu Shu Pu'er
Weight
Tea Profile
| Tea Type | Shu Pu'er |
|---|---|
| Origin | Guafengzhai, Yiwu tea area, Yunnan, China |
| Vintage | 2008 |
| Material | Yunnan large-leaf Gushu material |
| Storage | Long-term dry storage in Kunming |
| Leaf Style | Broken compressed cake / substantial tea chunks |
| Brewing Style | Gong Fu or Western |
Origin and Character
Fermented in 2008 and originating from Guafengzhai in the Yiwu tea area of Yunnan, this mature Shu Pu'er is made from Yunnan large-leaf Gushu material and has undergone long-term dry storage in Kunming.
The aged cake has been separated into substantial tea chunks, retaining the physical structure of compressed Pu'er while making individual sessions easier to portion. In the cup, the tea has a striking progression. The opening infusions are unexpectedly fruit-led, with cherry cobbler, dried plum and raisins alongside brioche, sourdough bread crust and toasted tea cake. Camphor runs through the profile, joined by a restrained smoky quality and darker notes of leather, perfumed oud, cooled charcoal and clean compost-like earthiness.
As the session develops, the fruit gradually recedes and a more mineral, atmospheric character takes over. By around the eighth infusion, the tea moves towards antique woods and fabrics, damp caves and petrichor. The body remains thick and strongly mouth-coating throughout, leaving a fine powder-like sensation across the roof of the mouth together with a noticeable drying structure.
Aroma and Flavour
| Aroma | Camphor, cherry cobbler, dried plum, raisins, brioche and toasted tea cake, with leather, oud, cooled charcoal and light smoke |
|---|---|
| Liquor | Clear, bright deep garnet to mahogany-red |
| Flavour | Fruit-led at first, moving through cherry, dried fruit and baked bread into camphor, leather, charcoal, mineral depth, antique woods, damp caves and petrichor |
| Mouthfeel | Thick and strongly mouth-coating, with a fine powder-like coating across the palate and noticeable drying structure |
| Finish | Long, increasingly mineral and earthy, with antique wood, old fabric, cave-like dampness and petrichor lingering through the later infusions |
✦ The Astraluna Perspective ✦
I was particularly impressed by how much this tea changes during a single session. The first infusions are far more fruit-led than I expected from an aged Shu, moving through cherry cobbler, dried plum and raisins into brioche, sourdough crust and toasted tea cake. Camphor sits underneath that sweetness, while leather, oud and the faint smell of cooled charcoal gradually begin to appear.
As the session progresses, the tea seems to move somewhere entirely different. By around the eighth infusion, mineral notes become much more apparent and the character turns towards antique woods, old fabrics, damp caves and petrichor. For me, the simplest way of describing the journey is that it goes from fruit to wet caves.
The texture is equally important. This is a thick, strongly mouth-coating Shu with a fine powder-like sensation across the palate and a drying structure that remains noticeable even as the flavours soften. I reached ten infusions, with the final steep extended to five minutes, and there was still enough left in the leaf to continue.
That progression is exactly why I think this tea deserves to be brewed slowly in Gong Fu style. It is not simply a dark, smooth aged Shu; it reveals distinctly different phases as the session unfolds, and that sense of evolution is what impressed me most.
Brewing Notes
| Method | Leaf | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gong Fu | 7 g per 100–120 ml | 100°C | 10–15 sec, then gradually extend |
| Western | 4 g per 250 ml | 100°C | Approximately 3 min |
For Gong Fu brewing, begin with short infusions and extend gradually as the compressed leaf opens. This tea has considerable endurance: ten infusions were reached comfortably in tasting, with the tenth extended to five minutes and the leaves still capable of continuing.
Storage
Store in a clean, dry and odour-free environment away from direct sunlight, excess humidity and strong surrounding aromas. Pu'er readily absorbs environmental scents, so stable storage away from spices, coffee, incense and fragranced products will help preserve its aged character.