This is a typical Puerh cake from that era: made with good raw material but roughly produced. We even found reed leaves in it once. It is not uncommon to find such things in Puerh cakes produced before the early years of the century when there was little quality control; sometimes, this is even what we have to confront while enjoying the irreplicable flavors of the early era. Fortunately, the excellent material from the ancient Bada tea mountain, along with clean storage over two decades, gives the tea new life and provides us a reason to forgive the humble production of those early years. Of course, we will try to remove impurities before packing (except whole cake orders), but if you have concerns about this matter, please purchase with due consideration or choose the subsequent production 2011 Bada Gushu.
 
The long-term aging process in dry storage provides the tea with comforting matured flavors: complex, well-balanced, free of astringency, and moderate in bitterness. Now it radically differs from the rawness of its youth and is distinct from the earthy and moldy flavor profiles found in teas artificially ripened in humid conditions.