2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha
Raw pu-erh pressed into a cake: camphor, dried fruit and mineral, with a green edge that softens with the years.
Bingcha, the round cake, is the classic shape of raw pu-erh: steamed leaf pressed into a disc, usually 357 g, and left to age. This 2012 sheng gives camphor, dried fruit and mineral. Break off about 5 g and brew at 95°C.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 60 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 25 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Gaiwan or Mug |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:20 |
| Leaf & water per infusion | 5g → 100g |
| Grind size | Compressed Cake, Broken into Chunks |
| Water temperature | 203°F / 95°C |
| Target brew time | 10-15 seconds for the first infusions, plus about 10 seconds each round |
| Serving used for caffeine | 8 oz cup (240ml) — see the mug or teapot version below |
What you need
- 5 g compressed or loose dark tea
- 100 g filtered water at 95°C
Required gear
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Warm the gaiwan or pot with hot water and discard it. Add 5 g of leaf and smell the warmed leaf before brewing.
- 0:20Rinse: cover with water at 95°C and pour off immediately. This wakes the leaf; do not drink it.
- 0:40First infusion — pour off after 10 seconds, decanting completely.
- 1:15Second infusion, 15 seconds.
- 1:55Third infusion, 20 seconds. From here add about 10 seconds each round.
- 2:40Keep going until the liquor pales — good leaf gives eight to twelve infusions.
Brewing it in a mug or teapot
The gongfu method above packs a lot of leaf into a small vessel. This version is for a 240 ml cup — the serving the caffeine figure describes.
- Leaf
- 4 g
- Water
- 240 ml
- Temperature
- 208°F / 98°C
- Steep
- about 3 minutes
- 0:00Warm the mug or teapot with hot water and pour it away, so the brewing water does not lose heat to cold ceramic.
- 0:15Add 4 g of leaf.
- 0:30Rinse: cover the leaf with water at 98°C and pour it off after a few seconds. Do not drink it.
- 0:50Pour 240 g of water at 98°C over the leaf, cover, and start the timer.
- 3:50Lift the leaf out or pour the tea off the leaf completely. Leaf left in the cup keeps extracting and turns the last mouthful bitter.
Raw pu-erh turns bitter if it is steeped too long, so taste at three minutes. The same leaf gives several more infusions, each a little longer.
What it may be good for
The caffeine count
We list about 60 mg for an 8 oz mug made with 4 g of leaf broken from the cake. Published figures for pu-erh run from about 30 to 100 mg per 8 oz cup, and the figure moves with the leaf, the dose and the steep. Gongfu cups are smaller, but the leaf is used again and again.
Store the rest of the cake
Wrap the cake back in its paper and keep it somewhere dry and cool, away from strong smells, with some air around it. Pressed tea changes slowly, and a cake sealed airtight gets none of the airflow that aging needs.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
Bingcha, the round cake, is the classic shape of raw pu-erh: steamed leaf pressed into a disc, usually 357 g, and left to age. This 2012 sheng gives camphor, dried fruit and mineral. Break off about 5 g and brew at 95°C.
Origin & Story
A raw pu-erh cake sits on the shelf like a flat stone wheel in a paper wrapper. The shape is the whole logic of pu-erh. Loose tea was too bulky and fragile for the caravans of the Tea Horse Road, so merchants steamed it and pressed it into dense, durable forms, and the same compression lets the tea age slowly, with less oxygen reaching the leaf.
The standard weight is 357 g, and the reason is arithmetic. Pu-erh was traditionally sold in a tong, a stack of seven cakes wrapped in a bamboo sheath, and a tong had to weigh 2.5 kilograms. Divide 2,500 by seven and you get about 357. That is also why a cake is called qizi bingcha, seven-sons cake.
To make a raw cake, loose maocha is steamed in a metal cylinder until it is pliable again, packed into a cloth sack, shaped by hand and pressed between stone cylinders driven by hydraulics, then dried indoors on racks and wrapped.
You do not scoop a cake; you pry it apart. Turn it over and work a pu-erh knife or needle into the back of the disc, about two thirds of the needle's length, and lever off chunks along the layers so the leaf stays as whole as possible. Take 5 to 10 g at a time, rinse it, and put the cake back in its paper where air can reach it.
A cake from 2012 has had more than a decade to settle. Raw pu-erh of this age is usually described with camphor, dried fruit and a mineral sweetness.
Warm the gaiwan, put in 5 g of broken leaf, rinse once and pour the first infusion off at about 10 seconds, then add a few seconds to each round; for a 240 ml mug, 4 g with water at 98°C for three minutes is a good start.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 42/100 |
| Acidity | 28/100 |
| Bitterness | 46/100 |
| Body | 78/100 |
| Aroma | 92/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in 2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 60 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for 2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha?
Target 95°C (203°F).
How long should 2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha be extracted?
Timing: 10-15 seconds for the first infusions, plus about 10 seconds each round. Method: Gaiwan or Mug. Ratio: 5g per 100ml water (gaiwan). Grind or leaf format: Compressed Cake, Broken into Chunks.
Why does my 2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha taste bitter?
In gongfu, bitterness comes from pours that run too long or from too little leaf for the vessel. Keep the early infusions short, pour the tea off the leaf completely every time, and fill the gaiwan or pot generously; an under-filled vessel tastes thin and tannic rather than gentle.
Why does a pu-erh cake weigh 357 g?
Pu-erh was traditionally sold in a tong, a stack of seven cakes in a bamboo sheath that had to weigh 2.5 kilograms. Divide 2,500 g by seven and you get about 357 g, a standard that has lasted for centuries.
How do I break up a pu-erh cake?
Use a pu-erh knife or needle. Turn the cake over, work the tip into the back of the disc and lever off chunks along the layers so the leaf breaks as little as possible. Take about 5 to 10 g, rinse it with hot water for a few seconds, and keep the rest of the cake in its paper.
Is a bingcha the same as a tuocha?
Both are compressed pu-erh, but the shapes differ. A bingcha is a flat disc, usually 357 g, while a tuocha is a smaller bowl or nest shape. Bricks are the third common form.
Who should avoid 2012 Sheng Pu-erh Bingcha?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Plain Porcelain Gaiwan, 110 ml
In this recipe: Gaiwan or small clay pot, 100–150 ml
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