Our two popular Dayi cakes where sold out in the recent weeks and unfortunately the Menghai Factory couldn't offer them at a reasonable price anymore. As it's always the case with pu erh cakes, prices tend to increase year on year. We regret that we didn't stock more! Luckily, we managed to launch two new cakes from 2017, based on the same Dayi recipes (7542 and 7572).
Better Packaging
The new cakes come with an additional carton box, making it much more looking like a 'finished' product compared to just the traditional wrapper. The boxes are nicely sealed with a sticker to make sure you're the first person opening it. It's great as a gift as well!
Authenticity Seal
We always liked the Dayi authenticity seal on the back of the wrapper. It not only keeps the cake tight, but based on our experience it's pretty hard to copy by people who sell fake cakes. Believe us, there's a lot of fakes out there.
It's seriously hard to know when a cake is real or not. Yet, when you own a real one, you can simply compare the label to easily identify the fake ones. Certain parts of the label turn out to be quite hard to copy such as the dotted line below the large Chinese characters. We can't really demonstrate this right now, since we obviously don't stock the fake ones. However, we'll do a comparison blog when we get our hands on a fake.
Size
The traditional 357g cake isn't for everyone, except for hard core pu erh collectors. Cakes of such size are pricey especially if good leaves are used. That's why the factory decided to introduce these smaller cakes of just 150 grams. Sounds like a pretty ideal size, isn't it?
Top Quality Leaves
Both cakes consist of top grade leaves and are neatly compressed in perfectly round cakes. The compression is tight, but it's still easy to pry of leaves for a wonderful brewing session. See the pics below.
Raw 7542 Dayi Pu Erh Cake
The leaves appear 'fatty' with promising potential as it ages over time. It steeps a bright yellow orange liquor with a mix of fruity and flowery notes.
Ripe 7572 Dayi Pu Erh Cake
The appearance is characterised by a wonderful colour palette of gold and black. The wet-piling has been perfectly controlled to not avoid over fermentation, allowing it further naturally age. However, those who love a young ripe pu erh, this cake is the one.
