2003 Tian Di Ren “7572” Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake

Clean, well-stored early-2000s Menghai ripe modeled on the classic 7572 profile: smooth wood and dark-honey sweetness with a gentle cocoa note and cooling camphor. Easy to drink now and built to integrate and round out with age.

Why it’s special

• Early-2000s Tian Di Ren ripes are admired for tidy fermentation and approachable sweetness at sensible pricing.

• “7572-style” blend (grade-7 base with some tippy leaf) tracks the famous Dayi recipe’s intent while being a separate, non-Dayi production.

• Clear, settled cup when well stored: no pondy wet-pile note, steady texture, and good late-steep sweetness.

• Versatile, comforting daily shou that still rewards longer sessions.

Tasting notes

• Aroma: sweet, clean earth; sandalwood with a touch of camphor; hints of red date and dark honey

• Liquor: clear chestnut-to-mahogany

• Flavor: rounded sweetness over smooth wood and jujube/longan; light cocoa lifts the finish with a soft herbal coolness

• Mouthfeel: medium-thick, silky; very low astringency

• Finish: lingering sweetness and gentle huigan with a mild cooling sensation

Origin & processing

• Factory/mark: Menghai Tiandiren Tea Co., Ltd. (天地人 / Tiandiren)

• Region: Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

• Type/recipe: Ripe (shu) Pu-erh, 7572-style blend (grade-7 base with some tips)

• Vintage: 2003 production; machine-pressed 357 g cake (七子饼)

• Process: Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried maocha → traditional wet-piling (wo dui) → pressing
  

Brewing guide

Gongfu (recommended)

• 7–8 g per 100–120 ml

• 100 °C (boiling)

• One quick rinse, then 10 s • 10 s • 12 s • 15 s, adding 5–10 s thereafter (10–12 steeps typical)

Western / mug

• 3–4 g per 300 ml (10 oz)

• 100 °C for 3–4 minutes

• 2–3 infusions; extend time on later rounds

Grandpa style

• 1–1.2 g per 100 ml

• 95–100 °C, top up as you sip for a smooth, cocoa-sweet cup

In Summary

• Not a Dayi/Menghai Tea Factory 7572; this is a Tian Di Ren cake produced in the 7572 style.

• Storage drives the experience. Fill in the specific storage history for your lot (e.g., Kunming dry storage since 2006; previously Xishuangbanna natural storage).

• Aging: expect further polish, rounder sweetness, silkier texture, more integrated wood/camphor over the coming years.

• Caffeine: medium

• Factory/mark: Menghai Tiandiren (天地人)

• Region: Menghai, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

• Type: Ripe Pu-erh Tea

• Recipe style: 7572-style (grade-7 base with some tippy material)

• Weight: 357 g cake

• Vintage: 2003

• Storage: Menghai (2003 to 2017) then Kunming (2017-now)

NOTE:  Wrapper may be torn or ripped. If you want a perfect looking cake this is not for you.