Bingdao-style Gold Brick Shu Pu-erh — Hand-Tear Cake

A "gold brick" hand-tear cake — a shu pu-erh pressed into a small tile of individually-breakable squares, so you tear off just what you need instead of prying at a whole cake. It's sold under the "Bingdao" name (Lincang's most famous — and most expensive — old-tree tea village); at this size and price, treat that as a style reference rather than a literal claim of Laozhai material, and judge it on what's actually in the cup.

Fully fermented (shu), aged roughly 3-5 years, with the deep-red liquor and thick, smooth, mellow "chen xiang" (aged) character typical of the style — built to be simple: a longer first infusion (about 60 seconds) rather than the quick flash steeps loose leaf needs, and it holds up fine to being brewed in a zisha pot after a meal. 180g brick, sold whole.